hey im new here to this forum and also to the craft of knitting.
i started two days ago and it took me about 1 1/2 to get my cast on right and then another hour to get pretty ok at the knitch stitch but im stuck on the purl stitch.
i believe i’m doing it right but it seem to almost creat a knot when im purl from one needle to the next, and then it gets so tight i cant continue.
maybe it has something to do with thread tension, which i don’t understand really.
i just wanna make a one color dishcloth to start with:verysad:
wow, Nikki! You’re learning a lot faster than most of my new knitting students! Congratulate yourself!
:woot:
The purl stitch is the inverse, or inside out, kind of, of the knit stitch.
Watch the video in this forum about purl stitches, and I recommend the German method. (don’t worry, when you clik on the purple tab above, you’ll see how to look at the purl video)
What you do, is, take your needle, and come in thru the front of the stitch, and then wrap the yarn around the needle, in front.
You know how you made an X with the needle, and then wrapped the yarn around the back, and then down thru the middle, of the X, to do a knit stitch?
Well, instead of going thru to the back, just push your needle tip thru the front of the stitch.
Watch the video. If I was there in person, I’m sure I could show you. You sound like such a smart person! :yay: The video, the German purl method, is what I’m trying to explain. You can pause the video, too, which helps the mind grasp the concept presented.
Thread tension is something you can see, in your very own work!
If you’re fighting to make a knit stitch, then the tension is too tight.
If your stitches droop off your needle, your tension is too loose.
Kind of like a rubber band’s tension. Stretch the band far, far out, and the tension is very tight.
Leave the rubber band alone, and there’s little or no tension on it.
Get it?
Don’t worry too much about thread tension right now. I’ve seen almost all of my knitting students eventually adjust their tension so they have nice, even stitches, and, I’m sure you will too.
Just watch that purl video, and pause it, and watch it again.
I have to watch knitting videos about a dozen times, before I “get it”. Let me know how you do!
Practice, practice!
Since u r new to knitting, I suggest you practice casting on about 20 stitches, then rip them off the needle, then cast on again.
Same with knit stitch, and purl stitch.
Get some grubby yarn, and use it to practice on, over and over.
OK?
[COLOR=“Red”]Hi Newbie to knitting, I’m a newbie too,and I can relate. The first time i started my project,a few months ago,I got messed up just getting the yarn out of the skein,it was so knotted it was a mess! That’s when I discoverd this cool place. My only suggestion is to relax…relax your hands,your mind,and breath…it’s supposed to be a peaceful thing,and there’s no race to the finish…or at least that’s how I view it. Take care,[/COLOR]
Good Morning,
I just picked up my knitting needles again after about 20 years!
Luckily my Mother-in-Law was around to help, 'cause I couldn’t even remember how to cast on stitches! She showed me the basics and it came back pretty quickly…
My grandson saw me making a scarf for his sister and asked me to make him a cap… I used to make a cap with the k3,p1 pattern, but have lost the pattern, so I do not know when or how to start the decreases.
I tried finding a similar pattern online, but everything I come up with is knit in the round, I have never used circular needles, nor knit in the round.
Could someone please advise me how I can use knit in the round patterns on straight needles? Or maybe even advise me when and how to do decreases, so I can use the k3,p1 pattern that I used to make?
Thank You,
Deb
Hi Deb. When you start the decreases depends upon how long you want the hat to be. If it’s meant to be worn like a watch cap, with the bottom folded up, you’ll want to allow an extra three inches or so of length for that.
When I do a watch cap style, I do three inches for that part to be folded up, then about 5 more inches for the main body of the cap, and then start doing the decreases. This is for an adult size cap and can be adjust a little one way or the other for smaller or larger sizes.
How many decreases you want to do depends upon how you want the top to be shaped. Doing fewer decreases every other row will create more of a point, more decreases every other row will create a more rounded or flatter top. On a regular rounded top hat I will generally do 6 - 8 decreases every other row, evenly distributed around. 4 decreases every other row will produce a very tapered pointy top.
Hi Knikki! I’m new too…I have spent the last couple days figuring out how to cast on and then just to knit…basic knit stitch. I did a block and it was a mess - I picked up stitches I dropped stitches, …so I cast it off (that part went well!)…and I have started over with 20 cast on stitches and am keeping better track of what is going on…I’m just starting to get this basic knit stitch down after a few days.
My first real project will be some simple hot pads (potholders) for my kitchen. Right now, I’m just trying to get my knitting even and neat.
