Q&A for How to Knit the Knit Stitch

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  • Question
    What does knit in the round mean?
    Gregory Patrick
    Knitting Specialist
    Gregory Patrick is a knitter who runs the popular blog Madman Knitting. He is also the author of the book "Mad Man Knitting or The Waiter and the Fly". He has been knitting and writing about knitting for over 10 years.
    Knitting Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Knitting in the round is a seamless way of knitting socks, hats, and gloves. You have to use either circular needles or a set of 4 or 5 double-pointed needles to knit in the round.
  • Question
    How can I prevent my knitting from curling at the bottom?
    Gregory Patrick
    Knitting Specialist
    Gregory Patrick is a knitter who runs the popular blog Madman Knitting. He is also the author of the book "Mad Man Knitting or The Waiter and the Fly". He has been knitting and writing about knitting for over 10 years.
    Knitting Specialist
    Expert Answer
    It is not possible to prevent the knitting from curling at the bottom. But after you finish knitting, you can block the piece by wetting it, pinning it flat to a blocking mat, and letting it dry. It will remove the curling.
  • Question
    I keep gaining stitches. What am I doing wrong?
    SarahB
    Community Answer
    Gaining stitches without the pattern telling you to happens when you have knitted into the gap between 2 stitches. Take care to knit into the stitch itself, not the gap.
  • Question
    Why does the loop keep getting tighter the more I knit? Is that normal?
    Community Answer
    If your stitches are getting tighter and tighter, you are holding the yarn too tight.
  • Question
    Every time I knit, it doesn't look neat or how it's supposed to look on this website. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    Knitting is a skill that takes time to perfect. Just keep practicing and your stitches will gradually get neater and more precise.
  • Question
    How do I knit so that the knit stitch is on one side and the purl is on the other?
    Community Answer
    Knit across and purl back. That is, knit one row, and when you turn your work around to do the next row, purl this entire row. Knit one row. Purl one row. Repeat.
  • Question
    Why is knitting so difficult? Every time someone explains it to me, I forget the steps again!
    Community Answer
    Try writing down what the person says, then the next time you knit, look at what you wrote.
  • Question
    How do I knit three together?
    Community Answer
    Insert the right needle into the top three stitches on the left needle like a regular knit stitch. Then, start from the bottom of the third stitch and proceed as with a regular knit stitch.
  • Question
    Does it matter if I use a US 11 needle with US 9 yarn? Will it affect my finished product?
    Dragonwolf22
    Community Answer
    Using larger needles than yarn will create larger loops/holes in your project, but if you knit tightly, it shouldn't matter.
  • Question
    How do I increase a stitch?
    Non
    Community Answer
    Increasing stitches is easy. Just insert your needle in the last stitch you made and make another one. You're done!
  • Question
    What does "slip the stitch" mean?
    Marshy_Neko
    Community Answer
    Put the right needle into the stitch on the left needle. Instead of knitting it, you simply slip it off to the right needle.
  • Question
    How do I get nine purl stitches from one knit stitch?
    Community Answer
    Move the yarn from the front to the back from in between your needles and keep knitting. Insert the needle you're using to work the yarn behind the one holding the undone stitches and continue the stitch normally. This will work no matter how many different types of stitches you've used.
  • Question
    How many stitches will it take to go around a 46 inch waist?
    Community Answer
    Make a gauge swatch. Knit a small rectangle with the desired needles and yarn and measure the length parallel to the needle. Based on that, you can figure out how many swatches it would take to make 46 inches. Multiply that by the number of stitches across you used for your gauge swatch.
  • Question
    When I insert the needle through, the loop falls off. What can I do to prevent this?
    Community Answer
    Try holding the free end of your yarn a bit tighter. The loop might be falling off because there is not enough tension.
  • Question
    I've tried over and over again, and I can't get this to work. Any advice?
    Community Answer
    You may have casted on wrong, or you aren't doing the technique properly. Try watching a couple of YouTube tutorial videos.
  • Question
    When I knit stitch, the yarn between needles gets longer. How do I fix that or keep it from happening so that I don't have excess yarn when stitching more rows?
    Community Answer
    Make sure you keep the yarn tight when knitting. As you practice more, your gauge should get tighter and more uniform.
  • Question
    How do I pick up a dropped stitch?
    Community Answer
    First, stop what you are doing and do not pull on the other stitches. Hold the stitches very lightly. Then, insert the tip of your needle through the dropped stitch loop and ease it back onto the needle. Do this very carefully to avoid loosening other stitches in the process.
  • Question
    Am I supposed to treat the slip knot as a stitch? If so, how do I knit stitch it? Is it different from the other stitches?
    Community Answer
    Yes, the slipknot is treated just like any other stitch, and you do not have to do anything special to it. However, if you do not like the way the slipknot looks in your final project, you can pull it out without ever working and cause no harm to the rest of your stitches.
  • Question
    Why are you teaching people to knit through the back of the loop and not the front?
    T. Chinsen
    Top Answerer
    The article demonstrates the Continental technique. It is an efficient way to knit, and it can be less tiring than the standard method. This is not a wrong method, but a different way of knitting that will still get the same result.
  • Question
    After casting on, I have always then knitted a row into the back of the stitch before starting rib. Is this correct, and why doesn't the pattern say this?
    T. Chinsen
    Top Answerer
    The finger cast on method is demonstrated in the article. It does need to be knitted through the back loop to make a stitch. Even with a knit cast on method, by knitting the back loop, you make a neater cast on edge compared to knitting through the front loop. It is a matter of personal preference on how you start your knitting.
  • Question
    How do I get a design that isn't stripes or patches? I have a huge polka dot obsession but I can't figure out how to knit them.
    Community Answer
    Check your public library for knitting books that feature pattern stitches. Read indices of these books under the pattern (shapes) you want.
  • Question
    Whenever i try to do the third or second row, it bunches up in some places. What am I doing wrong?
    GirlyGirl36975
    Community Answer
    It is possible you are making the stitches too tight in those areas. Consistently of stitches is hard to manage, and it can take years to master.
  • Question
    My knitting project tells me I am knitting 1x1 rib, but it doesn't look anything like 1x1 rib. What's going on?
    T. Chinsen
    Top Answerer
    A 1x1 rib is made by knitting 1 then purling 1. The next row will have a matching stitches, i.e. knit on a knit and purl on purl. An even number of stitches is needed to start. If you start with an odd number and do not match stitch on stitch, you end up with seed or moss stitch pattern.
  • Question
    How do I turn and start the next row?
    Sofia Goheen
    Community Answer
    If you are knitting from left to right, (starting with the stitches on the left needle, and knitting them to the right) you simply want to switch the left and right needle, position wise.
  • Question
    Does my cast-on count as a stitch?
    Community Answer
    Yes, in most cases it does. It depends on what you are making and what it calls for.
  • Question
    How do I make a buttonhole?
    Community Answer
    I would recommend reading through wikiHow's article on sewing buttonholes for some detailed instructions.
  • Question
    I keep moving stitches over without knitting them. Can I fix that?
    Community Answer
    You'll have to undo the rows in question and begin again.
  • Question
    How do I cast off?
    GirlyGirl36975
    Community Answer
    If you want to cast off, you start a new row, slip stitch, knit a stick and pass slipped stitch over. Carry on as the pattern specifies.
  • Question
    How to I end the scarf and tie off?
    Community Answer
    You should learn to cast off. Knit two stitches -- there should be two on your right needle -- then insert the left needle into the first stitch and lift it over your needle. There should now only be one stitch on your needle. Add another stitch and repeat the process until there is one stitch left. Pull your leftover strand through the last stitch. You can hide strands through your knitting later by using a crochet hook or wool needle.
  • Question
    What is M1 and how do you make it?
    Community Answer
    You increase 1 stitch. You can search for a WikiHow on increasing. You make another stitch by knitting twice into a stitch or using the yarn between two stitches to make another.
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