Too tight?

#1

Hello all…

I recenlty took a class at michaels (After a couple of months, I’m getting back to knitting) and the lady there was a very good knitter… but the class… well I didn’t learn much… however, I did learn how to BIND OFF… which I Was having problems with… (and still do)

There is a local knitters group I may try to get into around here… but that’s off topic, the lady that tought the class here said:

You are a very tight knitter

Now… I know what that means… it means my knots/stiches are way too tight… and I can feel that while knitting… the needle is very hard to get into the loop of the knot sometimes… but I know no idea how to loosen up… do any of you have ideas on how to loosed up …

Thanks a bunch
Dave

#2

I really think that this comes in time and practice. I am teaching my girlfiend to knit, and she is very tight. Try to mainain a relaxed posture, relaxed shoulders, and upper arms…There is a poem someone recently posted on here to try and teach the proper tension…and it had something to do with the click of the yarn…when passing the yarn between the two needles, and you hear the click, that’s all the tension you need…

I hold my yarn kind of funky when I knit…according to others…of course, it feels OK to me…lol…but maybe try and see how you are holding your hand, and the yarn.

I also hear that teachers will, as homework, give their students a ball of yarn, and tell them to knit that…generally by the time the ball is knit, most tension problems are solved.

Good luck!! oh on my blog is a different bind off technique I just learned…MUCH looser…

#3

I used to be a tight knitter as well, all I did was relax my hands more and use bigger needles until I got used to holding the yarn more loosely. Practice practice practice! Knit small swatches all the while trying to hold the yarn with more slack.

Not too much slack though or you’ll get a disaster like the sweater I tried to make for my dad! You can read about that on my blog under ‘My Knitting Story’ if you want.

#4

Thanks for the reply…

Well the first ever thing I ever learned to do with any type of needle was Counted Cross Stich… and I was tought to hold the warn under the fingers on my right hand to keep the thread tight (for the tight x stiches used)

When I knitt I think I do the same thing… the yarn tail is under my pink and ring finger of my right hand held parelle to the needle (pretty much) and flows only when I YO for the knit stich… I’m sure that I’m keeping it way to tiught there…

#5

check out this article i read on knitty.com yesterday. http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/FEATloosenup.html

maybe that will help some?

#6

you know… reading that article… It hink I do step #5…
Hrmm I’ll have to check that out when I go home… so no pulling of the yarn eh?

Well damn Thanks I appreciate it :slight_smile:

will have to watch knitty more offten too

#7

Great article!

I just started knitting and had a feeling I was knitting things way too tightly. After reading this article I realized I add in step #5 and don’t need to!! I’ve learned knitting from the videos here and reading here and there. Luckily, I’ve only done two smaller projects, but wanted to start on a sweater (ok, a baby sweater, so nothing too big!!)

:slight_smile: