Knitting?

[Bendy Demon]

Are there any long-term knitters here 'cause I haz a few questions

1) When I am knitting the regular garter stitch, the front side (the one facing me) looks ok but the reverse side looks awful as if the loops of the stitches are climbing over the needle and I don't know what I am doing wrong.

2) Purl stitches...for some reason when I do a purl stitch, the stitches end up being loose and sloppy. Again, what am I doing wrong?

3) I want to make a little something but I want a border on the top and bottom, how many rows of garter do I have to make before I start with a rib stitch?

Yes, I know there are sites out there that deal with that sort of thing but each one says something a bit different and one makes it sound like you can start with a rib stitch almost as soon as you are done doing the knitted cast-on so maybe some input form experienced knitters would help. 

Thanks

[+Sherapy]

47 minutes ago, Bendy Demon said:

Are there any long-term knitters here 'cause I haz a few questions

1) When I am knitting the regular garter stitch, the front side (the one facing me) looks ok but the reverse side looks awful as if the loops of the stitches are climbing over the needle and I don't know what I am doing wrong.

2) Purl stitches...for some reason when I do a purl stitch, the stitches end up being loose and sloppy. Again, what am I doing wrong?

3) I want to make a little something but I want a border on the top and bottom, how many rows of garter do I have to make before I start with a rib stitch?

Yes, I know there are sites out there that deal with that sort of thing but each one says something a bit different and one makes it sound like you can start with a rib stitch almost as soon as you are done doing the knitted cast-on so maybe some input form experienced knitters would help. 

Thanks

I would suggest YouTube videos or ask the poster Mr Walker.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Sherapy

[Piney]

53 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

I would suggest YouTube videos or ask the poster Mr Walker.

Walker knits???? and here I thought he just sheared and wove. 

[+Sherapy]

4 minutes ago, Piney said:

Walker knits???? and here I thought he just sheared and wove. 

Ha ha ha ha ha apparently he does.

[freetoroam]

5 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

Ha ha ha ha ha apparently he does.

Sounds about right.

@Bendy Demon

sorry I can not be of any help, did  a bit of knitting years ago and the best I could make was a misshapen scarf.

If different sites are saying different things,  why not try a bit of each advice and see what you can create yourself. You seem to know quite a bit already,  then there is always Mr Walker. 

[Piney]

1 minute ago, freetoroam said:

sorry I can not be of any help, did  a bit of knitting years ago and the best I could make was a misshapen scarf.

So the hats your making Acute and I aren't going to be up to par?  

Bloody Londoners.......

[Bendy Demon]

1 hour ago, Sherapy said:

I would suggest YouTube videos

I am full well aware that there are videos on the topic but I can't ask youtube videos a question which is why I am here asking anyone who is an experienced knitter.

Sometimes a discussion rather than a brush-off can be helpful. Thanks.

[Piney]

2 minutes ago, Bendy Demon said:

I am full well aware that there are videos on the topic but I can't ask youtube videos a question which is why I am here asking anyone who is an experienced knitter.

Sometimes a discussion rather than a brush-off can be helpful. Thanks.

https://www.youtube.com/user/verypinkknits

This looks like a good channel. 

[spartan max2]

If you are interested in using Reddit there is a whole community sub for knitting. With 318k.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/knitting?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

[freetoroam]

Just now, Piney said:

So the hats your making Acute and I aren't going to be up to par?  

Bloody Londoners.......

Hats?  They were always going to be scarfs from the first stitch.

Do not be so ungrateful,  I have been doing your scarf since June,  here it is so far

[rashore]

2 hours ago, Bendy Demon said:

Are there any long-term knitters here 'cause I haz a few questions

1) When I am knitting the regular garter stitch, the front side (the one facing me) looks ok but the reverse side looks awful as if the loops of the stitches are climbing over the needle and I don't know what I am doing wrong.

2) Purl stitches...for some reason when I do a purl stitch, the stitches end up being loose and sloppy. Again, what am I doing wrong?

3) I want to make a little something but I want a border on the top and bottom, how many rows of garter do I have to make before I start with a rib stitch?

Yes, I know there are sites out there that deal with that sort of thing but each one says something a bit different and one makes it sound like you can start with a rib stitch almost as soon as you are done doing the knitted cast-on so maybe some input form experienced knitters would help. 

Thanks

1. Tension problem

2. Tension problem

3. At least 1 row, but you can do as many rows as you want for however wide you want the edge.

[freetoroam]

13 minutes ago, Piney said:

https://www.youtube.com/user/verypinkknits

This looks like a good channel. 

Shhhh,  no youtube cos she can not discuss it on there. 

[Bendy Demon]

2 hours ago, rashore said:

1. Tension problem

2. Tension problem

3. At least 1 row, but you can do as many rows as you want for however wide you want the edge.

Ok..Tension problem, got it but....could you be a tad more specific? Do you think it is too loose or too tight?

[rashore]

2 minutes ago, Bendy Demon said:

Ok..Tension problem, got it but....could you be a tad more specific? Do you think it is too loose or too tight?

I called my mom to ask about this... thought I knew the answers, but checked with her... she's a frigging yarn guru. My forte is more embroidery principals.

1. Too loose. You are letting your yarn slip or drop off in 1- relaxing off the not seen stitch and paying mind to the seen stitch. Keep the same tension both sides. Don't let your needles slip.

Same thing with the pearls. You aren't seeing the backside, and let it loose.

According to mom.... likely you are paying the right amount of tension/attention to the front, then relaxing too much on the back. Just keep the same front tension to the back.

Her other bit of advice was... work a true sample of your yarn and pattern. Before making whatever project. Not just a little minimum 4x4 or whatever. Better to pull out your sampling yarn to finish up the tail end of project, than to kink up yarn figuring it out setting in your stitches. There's several of us kids that regularly stock her up on whatever yarn, and she is ever having to make sure what we stock her with can make our endless sweaters, blankets, and various yarn bits can accommodate.

And she makes it sound so easy... just point your needles the right way, and let the yarn flow the same way, and you can make anything.

[Bendy Demon]

2 hours ago, rashore said:

I called my mom to ask about this... thought I knew the answers, but checked with her... she's a frigging yarn guru. My forte is more embroidery principals.

1. Too loose. You are letting your yarn slip or drop off in 1- relaxing off the not seen stitch and paying mind to the seen stitch. Keep the same tension both sides. Don't let your needles slip.

Same thing with the pearls. You aren't seeing the backside, and let it loose.

According to mom.... likely you are paying the right amount of tension/attention to the front, then relaxing too much on the back. Just keep the same front tension to the back.

Her other bit of advice was... work a true sample of your yarn and pattern. Before making whatever project. Not just a little minimum 4x4 or whatever. Better to pull out your sampling yarn to finish up the tail end of project, than to kink up yarn figuring it out setting in your stitches. There's several of us kids that regularly stock her up on whatever yarn, and she is ever having to make sure what we stock her with can make our endless sweaters, blankets, and various yarn bits can accommodate.

And she makes it sound so easy... just point your needles the right way, and let the yarn flow the same way, and you can make anything.

Ah..ok then. Thanks for the help.  I will do as she suggests and do a sample to work on for practice.

Knitting is not as easy as one would think, right?

Thanks again.

[Bendy Demon]

On 12/15/2019 at 1:46 PM, rashore said:

 

Ok..here is another that came to mind..does the size of the needle play a part? Right now I am using a bulky (size 6?) acrylic yarn and size 7 needles..does that affect the stitches crawling up the backside?

[rashore]

36 minutes ago, Bendy Demon said:

Ok..here is another that came to mind..does the size of the needle play a part? Right now I am using a bulky (size 6?) acrylic yarn and size 7 needles..does that affect the stitches crawling up the backside?

Using different needle sizes can make a difference to what you are ending up with size wise. What are your samples turning out as right now? Swapping out needle sizes can be tricky to figure out for a beginner knitter. But the stitches crawling is still probably more likely to be a tension problem.

[Bendy Demon]

7 minutes ago, rashore said:

Using different needle sizes can make a difference to what you are ending up with size wise. What are your samples turning out as right now? Swapping out needle sizes can be tricky to figure out for a beginner knitter. But the stitches crawling is still probably more likely to be a tension problem.

Well..the samples are ok (aside from the stitches crawling up), the stitching is denser.

For some reason I kinda like the denser knit but I am trying to keep the tension looser but then I get the loosey-goosey stitching which ends up giving me stretchy borders.

It is hard to figure out just how tight the tension should be.

 

[rashore]

5 minutes ago, Bendy Demon said:

Well..the samples are ok (aside from the stitches crawling up), the stitching is denser.

For some reason I kinda like the denser knit but I am trying to keep the tension looser but then I get the loosey-goosey stitching which ends up giving me stretchy borders.

It is hard to figure out just how tight the tension should be.

 

That's the point of working your samples. Getting your stitches right before working on a whole project.

[Bendy Demon]

4 minutes ago, rashore said:

That's the point of working your samples. Getting your stitches right before working on a whole project.

Yup, I know. It's just that I want a dense stitch and tight ones but then again, after a point it all seems to work out so I guess I have to experiment more.

Thanks again. If I have more questions I hope it is ok to ask you.