Beginning Knitters Problem

16 years ago

Hopefully the more practiced knitters out there can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. I've just taught myself to knit, so I began making a scarf (or a dish towel, depending on how much I liked knitting...). But now, it looks more like a cape. With every row I add, it appears that i'm somehow adding a stitch, and it keeps getting wider and wider. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for your help!

Comments (8)

donna_loomis
16 years ago
Snickerdoodle, you have me stumped. In crochet it is easy to add a stitch at the end if you're not careful, but when knitting, I've never encountered that. I would suggest that you cast on just a few stitches (say, 10) and knit them, counting each one as you knit. Make sure you aren't adding any "yarn overs", which will end up being extra stitches. I do see how this could happen if you are using both knit and purl stitches (taking the yarn from the back to the front and then back again). Make sure you're not moving the yarn from front to back (or back to front) over your needle, but between them. If you are doing straight garter stitch, then I'm at a loss.
sheilajoyce_gw
16 years ago
I think Donna has figured out your error. The only other problem I can figure is if the yarn is splitting and one stitch on the needle looks like two. Be sure that after you make any knit or purl stitch, that you slide off the stitch you just knitted into from the left needle.
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tami_ohio
16 years ago
Or, maybe you are not completeing (sp?) a stitch and on the next row it looks like a stitch, which would be an extra stitch. I've done that before.

Tami
snickerdoodle564
Original Author
16 years ago
Donna: what exactly is a "yarn over"? I'm just doing a straight knit stitch, and I *think* I'm doing it correctly (although, I haven't had anyone show me how to do this, so i could be totally messing it up...).

Thanks for all your help!
donna_loomis
16 years ago
Snickerdoodle, here is a link to explain what a Yarn Over is and how it is done:

Here is a link that might be useful: Yarn Over
threejsmom
16 years ago
If you accidentally made yarnovers, you should see holes in your knitting. Another possibility is that because first stitch of each row is loose (it doesn't have two stitches anchoring it on either side) you are knitting into the two loops below the first stitch instead. It may be likely because you are adding stitches gradually and consistently giving you the cape shape.
snickerdoodle564
Original Author
16 years ago
I've made several yarn overs. I think I'm also doing what threejsmom said, and stitching into the two loops below the first stitch. I think I'm just going to start the whole thing over and give it another go.

Thanks for all your help!
OklaMoni
16 years ago
when I was teaching the kids in September one did the same thing. Finally figured out, at the start of the row she stitched in to the first stitch twice. Make sure, when you turn around to put the yarn to the back/front without twisting the first stitch around. Not sure, if that makes sense... but I don't know how to explain this.

Moni