BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting Repair Problems

I made it as far as 22 rows of the scarf pattern and I noticed a problem. When I ripped back and tried to reinsert the needle I ran into more problems.

After pulling out the stitches, the end loops of the rows are larger than the rest of the loops. I can't make a proper stitch at one or both of those points. Therefore I snip off or rip back to the slip knot. It's not only on this pattern, but I have this problem constantly as I try to learn.

I know the stitches well, but I do not know how to recover. I am forced to start over each and every time. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

My reference books don't offer much help. Any ideas on how to solve this very frustrating problem?

Lucille

Hi Lucille :love: First I want to thank you for asking that question. Believe it or not when I started to knit I had the very same problem and like you could not find a thing anywhere on how to "fix" it. Turns out it is a very common beginner problem. First are you Slipping the last stitch ? If you are not then you need to do that for every single row. When you do that , it leaves your yarn at the Front of your work and one stitch to your left (that is what it looks like after you have turned putting the right hand needle into your left hand). Now take the yarn across the front of the slipped stitch and around to the back (this puts it at the back of your work now), then start knitting as usual. This helps to get rid of that "big end" stitch. If this doesn't solve it, let me know and we will try something else.

Thanks Eva!

If the instructions say knit or purl a row that is what I do. I've seen one reference that says slip the first stitch to get a smooth chain edge. I try to only concentrate on the stitching for now and worry about the aesthetics later. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

As a beginner there are lots of things to keep in mind in addition to the stitches. I'll have to study to understand your solution. I hate to disturb anything now that I have 50 rows of knit stitch.

I can usually fix things on a current row. But as I knit my stitching becomes very tight. The needles slip unexpectedly and the loops come off. When I try to recover something like that it usually reslts in a do over. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Sometimes I can get back to normal stitching. If the mistakes are not noticable from across the room, I call them "design elements." <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Lucille

You are coming along Fantastically. I am really glad that you see it that way, It should be fun and I am going to remember your "design element" I have alot of those :love: