New to knitting-- fixing mistakes!

[Mizelenius]

I'm very new to knitting (have been attempting it for < 2 weeks). I've learned to do the basics (casting on, knit and purl stitches) from my friend and online videos. BUT, my big problem is that when I make a mistake (even if I notice it right away) I don't know how to fix it. I am trying to make a scarf now, and everything is fine unless I make a mistake-- then I either wait for my friend to fix it (but I am so impatient) or just start all over again.

I've looked up info on this (saw the concept of "tinking") but one of my problems is I don't know how to "read" (I don't know how to phrase this) my work. While I can follow the steps to create a stitch, I don't really know what I'm doing, so unless it's something obvious like a dropped stitch, I have NO idea what to do.

I keep trying to be perfect to avoid this but it's not working! Any tips for me?

THANK YOU!

[sapphire_chan]

One thing that really really really helped me with reading my work was doing a ton of samplers. Literally knitting, frogging (pulling the yard so all the stitches come out), reknitting, the same batch of yarn in various patterns of knit and purl.

If you can handle dropped stitches, you're already pretty well along on grasping the structure of knitting.

Ways to fix mistakes:
Unknit (not the same as frogging) stitch by stitch until you've undone the mistake and do it right. Good for mistakes on the same row or around 20 stitches back.

Frog back to the mistake, pick up all your stitches again, and carry on. Relatively easy, but risks dropping stitches and requires reknitting everything.

Knit along until you are above the mistake and then deliberately drop the stitch in the column leading to the mistake. Then you go through and fix it like a dropped stitch*. Good for when you've purled instead of knitting or vice versa 10 rows back.


The last option only works for purl/knit knit/purl confusion, the first options are your only choice if you've forgotten to k2tog or the like.


*Fixing a dropped stitch: a crochet hook will help. Find the loop of the dropped stitch and the strand of yarn in the next row. Pull the strand of yard through the loop making a new loop. Repeat up the rows until done. If you need a knit stitch, put the yarn to the back of the loop. For purl put the yarn to the front of the loop. On the side you are working on, a knit stitch will make a V a purl stitch will make a bump -

[sapphire_chan]

Oh, and most yarn stores have tons of people who would be thrilled to figure out what's going on with your knitting. Bonus points for actually having shopped there.

[texmati]

What helps me 'read' my knitting is to remember that stitches are like little heads, and to tell if they are purl or knit, is to envision wearing a scarf with the ends hanging in the front (knit) or in the back (purl). (I really do think about the scarf when I get confused).

It took me a while to figure this out, esp with combined stitches like garter. hth!

[cristeen]

I really think the best way to figure this out is by doing. You can watch all the videos in the world, but you really need to sit down with your knitting and follow your working yarn to see where it goes and how it works.

Once you can see that, tinking becomes much easier. As for running a ladder to fix a mistake - that just takes some practice and a crochet hook - it's really not difficult. You just run the ladder down and start pulling loops back up. If it looks like a purl where it should be a knit, drop it and pull the loop the other way.

Once you know how to do these two things, everything else becomes much easier, IME. Frogging suddenly makes sense, as does picking up dropped stitches, fixing a mistake in the row below, figuring out how to do different increases, picking up stitches, short rows, and even cables.

[flapjack]

Yup. There will come a point where it makes total sense, I promise. (FWIW, that didn't click for me until I was about 7 repeats into my clapotis.) When it does, you'll be laughing, until then, just do the best you can.

[DeerMother]

: sometimes I don't fix my mistakes. I think it is hard when you are a newbie to strive for absolute perfection from the get go. (been knitting since March) Also, I remind myself that the knitting police are not on their way to my house with a warrant. Seriously, I feel if you aren't working a lace pattern, an extra stitch here or there or some yarn slippage is ok. Ladders when you start dpns are to be expected. I have done a few felted projects - I think they're great for learning and if in the end it is a big mess, you just felt it and it looks perfect.

I really like the book "knitting in plain english" by Maggie Righetti. My library had it. She is a hoot to read, explains techniques well and encourages you to be relaxed with your projects.

[Mizelenius]

Fantastic advice! I am bookmarking this thread!

Based on what you've said, I will just practice, practice, practice without panicking. I was going to make a scarf with a few rows K, then P, etc. but I am just doing straight K now and it is going fast. The mistakes I've made (when I do, it's the last stitch in the row) I can fix . . .I know that seems ridiculously easy but I couldn't do that yesterday!

Part of my worries this is going to be like high school chemistry-- I could do the work, but I had NO idea what I was actually doing, no real understanding.