Newbie needs help on unraveling ribbing!

#1

Newbie needs help on unraveling ribbing!
Hi! I am making a wool diaper cover (with circs) and have just started making the ribbed waistband (here is the part of the pattern here:

Waistband Option 2: 2 x 2 Ribbing (with drawstring)
• Work knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 3 rounds
• Eyelet round: *k2tog, YO; repeat from * to end of round.
• Work knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 4 rounds

So I have completed the first and second sections and they look good, but of course I am taking some time in knitting (I have a VERY active 1 yo!) and thought I had remembered how to knit 2 and purl 2 - not sure exactly what I did, but it looks awful, so I would like to unravel the last 40 or so stitches so I can now start again!

OK, so I went ahead and pulled the right part if the circ needle out of all the stitches and now it is not “going back” to how it looked before I started this last section iykwim!

Please help!!!

Tara

#2

It would be helpful if you could post a picture of what it looks like. Do you mean the knits and purls are seperated? That’s normal, you should just stretch it out and place the stitches back onto the needle like normal.

#3

Hi Tara,

One thing about ribbing is, K2, yarn in back, then bring the yarn to the front of the work for P2. I know you don’t want to start over after all the work you’ve already put in. I had it happen once when I was learning the ribbing techique, but I sucked it up cut the yarn and started all over again. I hope this helps some.:think:

#4

BEFORE you start to frog (unravel), put in a lifeline or destination row. Look in the glossary if you need instructions. It’s tricky with ribbing, but she demonstrates it, so you’ll get it. THen you can frog without a prob!

#5

When I frog stitches I often/usually have problems with the stitches. They go back on the needle OK, but then feel funny when I knit them up. As far as I can figure this is because they’re twisted the wrong way, and it makes it much tighter to knit. Is this your problem? My only advice is to grin and bear it through the first row, and don’t knit TOO loosely to compensate (it really looks funny if you do that). The next row will be much easier.

#6

Actually, you can easily see twisted stitches (particularly in stocking stitch) so you’re better off untwisting the stitch, then knitting it - or, easier still, just knit through the back loop to untwist it in one step.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/FEATtheresa.html is a good place to find information on this.

Jackie