New knitter - problem

RachaelAdamson wrote

on Jan 30, 2013 1:12 AM

Hello, I am very new to knitting, teaching myself with on-line videos.  I am just starting with the knit stich and was wondering if anyone can tell me why my piece of knitting seems to be getting longer the more rows I do, therefore the end of my knitting is shorter than the row closest to my needle. It is starting to look a bit like a pyramid with the base longer than the top.

Thanks in advance for any help! 

salmonmac wrote

on Jan 30, 2013 4:56 AM

Hi and welcome! Usually the problem is an upside down pyramid with the number of stitches on the needle increasing over the number cast on. Count how many stitches you have on the needle now and see if you have the same number that you cast on. If you have fewer stitches, it could be that you're inadvertantly knitting two stitches together or maybe dropping stitches? Watch every stitch as you make it to see if this is happening. If the number of stitches is the same as you cast on, then it may be that you're knitting more tightly as you go along. Keeping an even tension is difficult in the beginning but gets better with practice.

TinaS@5 wrote

on Jan 30, 2013 4:52 PM

If your piece is getting longer (more stitches now than the number of stitches you initially cast on), I have to wonder if you're wrapping the yarn around the needle before or after each stitch you knit.  Just like the previous response, watch your video again and see if you've misunderstood the instructions.

mrsfroitz wrote

on May 23, 2013 10:17 PM

While teaching my friends, I noticed that as they kint they did not complete each knit stitch before starting the next one. By this I mean: they inserted the needle into the loop from the back side (as if to knit), wrapped the yarn around the needle (throwing the yarn), and then pulled the new loop out. At this point, they would forget to drop the original loop off the first needle. This causes it to be knit into more than once and may explain why the number of stitches increased. Keep watching the videos and make sure you are completing each stitch before starting the next one.

Cat.8802 wrote

on May 24, 2013 4:30 PM

When I first started knitting I would accidentally knit into the first stitch of each row twice. My auntie who was teaching me said its a common mistake. Have fun!