Forgive any term ignorance I may show here, and let me know if I need to actually post a photo, but I have a bit of a question.
I was just looking at some knitting photos, and I noticed that they all seem to do something like this with the ribbing -
- where the braid-looking parts appear to sit forward from the dash-looking parts. On the scarf I've been working on, exactly the opposite is happening - the dash-looking parts sit forward from the braid-looking parts. Can this be explained to me?
It makes enough sense for the dash-looking parts to protrude, since it's where the loops wrap around each other, but... it seems like I'm doing something wrong.
I was just looking at some knitting photos, and I noticed that they all seem to do something like this with the ribbing -
- where the braid-looking parts appear to sit forward from the dash-looking parts. On the scarf I've been working on, exactly the opposite is happening - the dash-looking parts sit forward from the braid-looking parts. Can this be explained to me?
It makes enough sense for the dash-looking parts to protrude, since it's where the loops wrap around each other, but... it seems like I'm doing something wrong.
I'm not the best teacher, but will try to explain as best I can.
The 'braid' parts are knit stitches, the 'dash' parts are purl stitches.
Technically, these are actually the same stitch, just opposite sides of each other. Yin and yang, sort of. When you purl (make a dash) you are just doing the backwards version of a knit, and vice versa.
That's why, if a flat pattern (such as a scarf) wants to stay smooth and consistent, it will have you alternate - a full row of knit on one side, and when you turn your work, a full row of purls on the back. This makes both sides appear even - one will be all knits, the other all purls, because when you work one, you create the other at the same time.
In ribbing, you're just breaking it up into vertical stripes (Knit 2, Purl 2? K4, P4? All the same sort of thing. It will stay in even ripples, as long as you make sure that one side has K#P#, then the other side starts with P#K#.)
I can't see your actual work to say for sure, but it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong.
Look at both sides of your knitting. Maybe you will see what I mean?
The 'braid' parts are knit stitches, the 'dash' parts are purl stitches.
Technically, these are actually the same stitch, just opposite sides of each other. Yin and yang, sort of. When you purl (make a dash) you are just doing the backwards version of a knit, and vice versa.
That's why, if a flat pattern (such as a scarf) wants to stay smooth and consistent, it will have you alternate - a full row of knit on one side, and when you turn your work, a full row of purls on the back. This makes both sides appear even - one will be all knits, the other all purls, because when you work one, you create the other at the same time.
In ribbing, you're just breaking it up into vertical stripes (Knit 2, Purl 2? K4, P4? All the same sort of thing. It will stay in even ripples, as long as you make sure that one side has K#P#, then the other side starts with P#K#.)
I can't see your actual work to say for sure, but it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong.
Look at both sides of your knitting. Maybe you will see what I mean?
If your purl stitches protrude and the knit stitches recline, perhaps you're wrapping the yarn in the wrong direction before pulling it through the loop? With both stitches you need to wrap counter clockwise. If you wrap clockwise, it can alter the appearance of your stitches.
...Huh. I've been doing both the knit clockwise. Now I have to remember and get used to that.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Novalyyn wrote:
...Huh. I've been doing both the knit clockwise. Now I have to remember and get used to that.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Yeah, it's not technically wrong, it just makes the works you knit look different, which is counter productive when you want it to look a certain way.
