Q&A for How to Knit on the Right or Wrong Side

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  • Question
    How do I know which is the right side of my knitting?
    Jen Webber
    Knitting Specialist
    Jen Webber is a Knitting Specialist and the Manager of The Quarter Stitch, a crafting store based in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 17 years of knitting and crafting experience, Jen helps educate customers and the public on best knitting practices for their DIY projects.
    Knitting Specialist
    Expert Answer
    That can be tricky, depending on the pattern you're doing. Try attaching a stitch marker to the right side of your work. That way, when you pick it up, you'll be able to tell the difference between the sides, even if they look very similar.
  • Question
    What does it mean when a pattern says end on right side?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    It means to work the final row with the right side facing you (rather than the wrong side).
  • Question
    My hat pattern calls for knitting in the round and says pattern is worked on the wrong side. Does that mean I turn it inside out to wear it?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    It's hard to say without seeing the pattern, but if it says to work the pattern on the wrong side, that doesn't mean the finished hat will need to be inverted. The wrong side stitching will create the pattern that shows up on the right side.
  • Question
    I understand my garment right side and wrong side. My pattern says "... ending with a wrong side row." Does this mean that I knit the wrong side and begin the next part of the pattern Right Side?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Yes! If you end with a row on the wrong side, you flip (or turn the work) to the right side and work the next row of stitches according to the pattern instructions.
  • Question
    When a pattern asks to have the wrong side facing, does that mean facing me ? I am using a circular needle and am confused.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Yes! Wrong side facing means turn the work so the wrong side is facing you.
  • Question
    My pattern states that row 1 (after cast on) is worked on the wrong side. Does that mean my wrong side will be the odd rows and not even?
    Community Answer
    Yes, right and wrong side are only ways of describing which side of the fabric will be visible when worn, and rows can be even or odd independent of their number.
  • Question
    Is the cast on considered the first row?
    Kat Nordstrom
    Community Answer
    No. The first row is the row you knit right after you cast on. The cast on is simply what provides the first stitches to knit with.
  • Question
    Do you actually flip right to wrong side when knitting? Does it just depend on which row you're knitting?
    T. Chinsen
    Top Answerer
    When working knitting, the initial row is usually the front or right side and the next row the back or wrong side. You are correct in that you are flipping from right to wrong side and vice versa, and that it is also dependent on the specific row that you are working.
  • Question
    What could I have done to cause my rows to flip from the right to the wrong side while knitting?
    Community Answer
    This isn’t a common problem, so it may have been caused by a misunderstanding of how to switch between the right and wrong side. Make sure that you keep track of whether you’ve worked an even or odd number of rows. (Odd numbered rows are generally right side, and even rows are generally wrong side). It’s also important to make sure you’ve completed an entire row (all of the stitches have been worked and transferred from one needle to the other) before turning around and working the appropriate stitches for the other side.
  • Question
    What if the instructions tell me to begin on the wrong side? Isn't that technically the right side? Or is that dependent upon the row pattern that is being used for the wrong side?
    T. Chinsen
    Top Answerer
    The wrong side of knitting refers to the side that will be on the inside of a garment. The right side is the side the side seen when the garment is worn. The pattern row does determine the "wrong side", and as a general rule is usually an even row. If your start instructions are as follows: a cast on foundation row is followed by 1 knit row, and the next row is the start of the wrong side.
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