[live2knit]

Very happy to have found this site. From the posts I have read, this appears to be a very friendly and helpful site. I have been knitting for about 8 years. My Grandma and Grandpa BOTH knitted and crocheted...Grandma had the worst finishing technique, lol and my Grandpa knit angora sweater coats for my mom, sweaters for my dad and the work was beautiful. It's hard to believe that I picked up the love for knitting at the age of 47, I would try and try and never could figure out why I couldn't make a stich, for real, no lie. My mother in law came over and I asked her what was I doing wrong,.. when I would try to purl I wasn't putting the yarn to the back...funny now but frustrating then. I would love to hear begginer stories..I practiced with one ball of yarn for a month. Knit some new stitch, rip it out, try another stitch, rip that out, oh yes I was the frogger pro...

 

[e.ridenh]

((((((( LOL!! Great story!! Frogger pro, eh? TY for sharing and welcome!

Btw, you put your yarn to the front - not back - when purling in many methods particularly for the English throwing and Continental (German) method. Are you an English thrower?

The Eastern Continental method is one, I believe when the yarn stays in the back all the time for most common stitches. This was weird to me and I stayed with it to learn how to get those bumps where I wanted them! LOL!!

Trust me, there are many ways to knit. If you get a chance, draw up The E. Continental method. Maybe I have it bookmarked.....

This is the knit stitch - really, really short video and the purl one is there on the same page. It's short, too.

Have fun!!

Donna Rae
~~~~~~

s.thein

Gramma Ruby was a crocheter and a good one then tried to knit. She said she wore out a skein of yarn trying before quitting!! tr

Very happy to have found this site. From the posts I have read, this appears to be a very friendly and helpful site. I have been knitting for about 8 years. My Grandma and Grandpa BOTH knitted and crocheted...Grandma had the worst finishing technique, lol and my Grandpa knit angora sweater coats for my mom, sweaters for my dad and the work was beautiful. It's hard to believe that I picked up the love for knitting at the age of 47, I would try and try and never could figure out why I couldn't make a stich, for real, no lie. My mother in law came over and I asked her what was I doing wrong,.. when I would try to purl I wasn't putting the yarn to the back...funny now but frustrating then. I would love to hear begginer stories..I practiced with one ball of yarn for a month. Knit some new stitch, rip it out, try another stitch, rip that out, oh yes I was the frogger pro...

 

[live2knit]

I guess I was trying to say that when i went to purl I wan't bringing the yarn toward me. I have no idea what type of knitter I am...lol I have the yarn wrapped around my little finger and my index finger and when I knit it seems like my needles do the work and and the yarn just flows thru my fingers. I have a cousin who knits and I still can't figure out how she does it. She inserts needle from the right, but hold the yarn in left hand and then wraps around and off, I just can't explain it. It is so tight knit that she has a hard time getting needle in (tension I guess) Not very technical am I lol...

 

[e.ridenh]

((((((( Sounds like you're a continental knitter (aka German/picking). Here's a demo of it, K and P stitch where she demos the English throwing, too; Further in, she shows how to do the YO, too when in the knit position (Continental).

I find that purl stitch to have a lot of repetitive movements shuttling the yarn up and sown, so I use this method:

Continental Combined. No shuttle work.

If the stitches are oriented the wrong way, working in back of the knit stitch untwists it

Your cousin is probably doing one of the continental knitting versions, too. It's all about getting the bump where you want it and orienting the twist of the yarn while doing it as yarn may be twisted CW (clockwise) or CCW (counter clockwise).

Too tight? Hmmm. Sometimes the mix of the yarn, needle size and the knitter's tension don't mix so yarn weights may get changed, or not, needle sizes go up and as one keeps practicing the tension will settle in for their approach. Getting a gauge swatch going would be important in most cases and particularly for fitted items.

Good luck!

Donna Rae
~~~~~~~~

I guess I was trying to say that when i went to purl I wan't bringing the yarn toward me. I have no idea what type of knitter I am...lol I have the yarn wrapped around my little finger and my index finger and when I knit it seems like my needles do the work and and the yarn just flows thru my fingers. I have a cousin who knits and I still can't figure out how she does it. She inserts needle from the right, but hold the yarn in left hand and then wraps around and off, I just can't explain it. It is so tight knit that she has a hard time getting needle in (tension I guess) Not very technical am I lol...

 

[SailorRae]

Welcome live to knit....from Rae in NC.
I learned to knit many years ago in 4H...did it off and on my working years, but never got very good at it....just mastered the basic k and p. I decided this year for my New Years Resolution I was going to learn more. My first project was a hat that I knitted in the round. I twisted the yarn....now I know why they say not to do this. I got about half way and decided that the hat was not going to untwist so took it off the needles. You should have seen it.....it was a riot. My husband put it on and we both got a good laugh. I did however learn my lesson and made a hat. I'm a "frogger" also. I just signed up for a class at a local knitting shop. They are going to teach a class on how to fix your errors. I can't wait to take it : )...Happy knitting : )