Wash cloth help

#1

I am trying to change a washcloth pattern because I’m not comfortable doing “seed stitch” and when i tried to get help it still wasn’t helping me… so I am making the wash cloths that have a “design” on them with a border. I prefer 1 designer’s style of how she makes hers, but the design I like is by a different designer who uses seed stitch.

I emailed the designer of the pattern, and I just feel bad if I have to email her again… she had mentioned if I tried another “border” to only cast on 40 instead of 42.

What I’m trying to do is follow her pattern and at the end of each row K4 on every row. My problem is, I can’t tell my right side from the “wrong” side so I’m not sure since her directions say to seed stitch across row (and I am not doing that), when her Pattern starts for the design I dont know whether I should be on the right side or the wrong side.

Am I making sense to anyone? do I need to omit a row to get the pattern on the correct side?

Also when I’m just beginning my project, does which side of the needle your tail is on help me know if I’m on the right side or wrong side? ie if the tail is on the tip side is that the right side of my work or the “wrong” side?

I am a new knitter so reading patterns is not easy for me or looking at my work and knowing it is right is another problem. thanks

#2

Which side your tail is on depends on which CO you do, so that’s not a universal way to determine RS/WS. It’s usually the first row you do but, with a reversible st like seed or garter you decide which should be the RS, whichever looks nicer to you. Then next RS row, do the pattern design. Just follow the pattern and do garter stitch or whatever for the first few rows then start the pattern stitch. So if the pattern is something like 'work 6 rows of seed stitch, then begin the RS row) you would do the garter st for 6 rows and begin the pattern on the next row.

#3

And if I can add this–mark what you decide is the right side of your work. It doesn’t matter whether you use a safety pin, a scrap of yarn or what as long as you notice it and you can remove it when you’re done. I’ve been knitting for about forty years and I STILL mark the right side if I have the slightest doubt about it.
Don’t be afraid to use stitch markers, either, if you need to remember where a garter stitch border starts and stops or where a pattern repeats. There are no knitting police to yell at you, so do what works!

#4

On a side note: The seed stitch is VERY easy, once you make it. May I add how? (you can just skip my post if you are not ready for input) :smiley:

in the first row you make a knit stitch and a purl stitch and a knit stitch and a purl stitch and so on. just alternate the two stitches to the end of the seed stitch row / part…

then comes the next row (wrong side if you want, row 2, or what you want to call it).

here you do the very same thing. just offset, so to say. You break the rule of “knit your knits and purl your purls” on purpose and every time)

on a stitch that you did a knit on the right side you do a knit on the wrong side, as well. and over a purl from the right side you do a purl from the wrong side.

and this is probably where you get confused?

try it on a test piece, for example 10 stitches: cast on and then do knit purl knit purl to the end. that means you end with a purl stitch.

now turn your work: now you do purl knit purl knit to then end.

Turn and do k p again

turn and do p k again

[if you cast on an odd number of stitches you do k p for every row of course since then you end with a knit and therefore start with a knit]

you will get a nicely patterned piece of fabric. lots of up and down (chess board almost). That is great for a wash cloth, of course. Gives it texture.

you know that a knit stitch done from the right side looks like a purl stitch done from the wrong side and the other way around, right? The look of a knit stitch you can describe as a little V-shape. The look of a purl stitch you can describe as a bump under the needle or a curve upward.

so once you learn how to “read” your knitting you will be able to do seed stitch all over the place with a no-brainer-approach to it :smiley:

Just dare to do it. Make testpieces of things you are not sure of. that’s how we all do it, you know? Even the best of knitters have to test stuff and most don’t want to spoil a big project by trying something difficult in the middle of a sweater (or they are confident to just undo it all again).

GO AND DARE!

#5

I have been confused by the difference between seed and garter stitch. Thank you for explaining it so well.

#6

any time.
seed stitch is very nice - AND easy to knit, once you know it.

For beginning knitters I can only advise what we probably all used to do when learning:

when you see / hear / think of something new - make a test piece (or keep an ever running test piece on needles - cheap yarn, old needles, etc.)

that way you find out if you understood this alright, if you can handle or where you have problems. and you can find out, what an instruction really looks like.

This is the fastest way to learn.

another fast way is to do small projects, like baby hats / pullovers / jackets, pants, dresses, you name it. Small projects (comparable) but lots of things to try.

or make pot holders and wash cloth. Same idea - and useful in the end.

it inspired me to do a wash cloth for my husband, who uses them for shaving mostly. I will just have to find a nice look. Maybe it will look like Kermit the Frog? that would be quite something.
Or maybe it has a rubber ducky on it? I will see, when time comes around for that.

#7

I think you mean seed and ribbing? Garter stitch is knitting or purling [I]all[/I] the sts in one row, not alternating them. Rib and seed are both k1, p1, but for ribbing you knit the sts that look like knits on the row you’re on, and purl the purl sts. Seed st is the opposite - knit the onex that look like purls and purl the ones that look like knits.

#8

OH Yes! :oops: Well you can tell I confuse easily. Thanks for helping!