Knitting LTK Picky Pants but something has gone wrong .. eek!

[ComplexOphelia]

Hey everyone - I could use some help!  I'm knitting the LTK Picky Pants, and they're my first attempt at something that isn't a scarf or similar easy-peasy project!  So far, they've been pretty uneventful - short rows, no problem, increases, no problem - and I've finished one leg.  So, I transferred the stitches that I had on a keeper for the other leg onto my needles, cast on a few stitches that the pattern called for, and started knitting.  A few rounds through, I noticed that it's backwards - I'm knitting in stockinette, but the purl side is facing out, smooth knitted side is facing in.  I am honestly kind of baffled as to what I did wrong.  Any insight would be really helpful!

[Katie T]

I am a new knitter as well and just did this today in fact. What ended up happening was I was essentially going the wrong way. Before I split for the legs I was holding my piece so the outside was facing and and when I was knitting after I split for the legs I was knitting so the leg opening was facing me (WRONG WAY lol) So. Just rip it out to before you started going to wrong way and start over from before your mess up.

I had only done a half a row so I just one stitch at a time put each stitch back on the left hand needle. But if you have done several rows I would just very carefully pull your needles out and pull on your active yrn until you are to the normal stockinette stitch and then put your needles back through those active stitches. It sounds scary but really isn't just do it where you can lay it flat without pets or kids yanking on anything.

If you have any questions just ask.

[KnittingKara]

Hi Kelley     

Just wanted to echo Katie's good advice that it sounds like you'll need to rip back a few rows and just make sure you're knitting in the right direction.   It does sound scary, but you can do it! 

A good idea might be to give yourself  "safety line" and take some yarn on a darning needle and go through and pick up all the stitches on your last row that you want to rip back to and run the extra yarn through.  This will help when you rip back stitches so that you have a marker of sorts and won't rip back too far.  This will also help you to transfer stitches when you are ready to pick up and begin knitting again after you've ripped back.

Lace knitters give themselves safety lines, but it helps to fix things in projects like this too. Good luck!  You can do it!

Best Wishes!

[ComplexOphelia]

Thanks so much, ladies!

I ended up just starting a new pair - the ones I was working on are all kinds of wonky anyway as a first try, so I think I'll be totally unravelling them and starting from scratch.  This time I thought it through a bit more, and I'm thrilled to say it worked - Baby now has a pair of super-adorable, hand knitted orange pants.  Well, as soon as I work up the courage to do the kitchener stitch on the crotch, that is .

I will definitely keep the safety line in mind for the future - I am no stranger to unravelling rows, but was very nervous about doing it on such a small circumference!

[Katie T]

Glad you got a cute pair of pants out of the deal. I had to unravel my first pair and I was almost done with the first leg.: (  I keep a chant in mind when I do the kitchener stitch. knit one slip off, purl on leave on, purl one slip off, knit one leave on. I find this site very helpful!http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html

[KnittingKara]

Hooray for super adorable, hand knit orange pants! 

There is something pretty satisfying about letting a project go that isn't working and starting all over (I've been known to do that myself, too), especially when it results in something you loved even more than the first project!