* knitting 1 maitreya 0
Posted on September 1st, 2007 by maitreya. Filed under Knitting.
I think I might give up on knitting. I am just not very good at it. Maybe if I knew how to fix mistakes more easily it would be less frustrating. I was trying to do the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, which totes has “last minute” in its name and the pattern is simple, but there is something about the knit-in-front-and-back step that I mess up at least once a row. I’ve watched all the little videos and I think I’m doing it right, but I must be twisting a loop or something, because I every once in a while get extra stitches. Then I can’t figure out how to fix it and end up unraveling the whole thing. Anybody know a good equivalent crochet pattern?
It’s a shame too because I really wanted to use my pretty vintage knitting needles I got in Australia.
15 Responses to “knitting 1 maitreya 0”
books I’m in
-
This week, I’m in Jaipur, India, starting my second teaching stint with Ritchie Ace Camps. Last year’s Jaipur experience was amazing (lots of pics here), and I can’t wait to meet everyone who is coming on the 2015 version (although I’m going to miss last year’s group like mad!). I hadn’t used block printing techniques a lot …
Categories
- Art
- Blythe
- Chickens
- Craft Room
- Crafty Links
- Crafty Review
- Crochet
- Cross Stitch/Embroidery
- Experiments
- Felting
- Fun with Lab Supplies
- Gocco/L Letterpress
- Holiday
- Home and Garden
- Inspiration
- Jewelry
- Knitting
- Martha
- Paper Crafts
- Projects with Instructions
- Random
- Resin
- Sewing/Fabric Crafts
- Toys (cat and kid)
- Uncategorized
- Wants
Blogroll
- a Stamp a Day
- Becca Stadtlander
- Cool Season Gardening
- ericamulherin.com
- Feeling Stitchy
- Frocks and Frou Frou
- Garden Mentors
- garden therapy
- Gardening in Seattle
- Hip Chick Digs
- Karen Barbe
- King County Seed Lending Library
- L I S A ‘ S – M U S I N G S
- Little Big Girl Studio
- Little Green Doll
- Lopez Island Kitchen Gardens
- Noodlehead
- Northwest Edible Life
- not martha
- Osborne Seed Company Variety Trials
- perdi o fio à meada
- Purl Soho
- Rake and Make
- Raspberry
- Salty Oat
- Seattle Urban Farm Company
- Sky Nursery
- Wee Wonderfuls
- Windy and Friends
- Wise Craft
Archives
- June 2019
- December 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- December 2017
- September 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- January 2016
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2013
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
- April 2004
- March 2004
- February 2004
- January 2004
- December 2003
- November 2003
- October 2003
- September 2003
- August 2003
- July 2003
- June 2003
- May 2003
- April 2003
September 1st, 2007 at 2:05 am
You should try going into a local yarn store and asking for some in person help.
I work in one in Seattle and we routinely help people fix things or learn a new technique. Regardless of whether or not they are regular customers or if they bought the yarn from us. If they are in the store we will help them. Especially if they are willing to wait when there are other customers in the store.
It sounds like you may be doing the knitting part right but forgetting to decrease consistently? It’s hard to tell from where I’m sitting. :)
Crochet is great, but I hope you won’t give up on knitting. Good luck.
September 1st, 2007 at 6:59 am
It sounds like you’re making a yarn over when you do the knit-into-front-and-back thing. You need to keep the yarn at the back of the work while you complete the knit-into-front-and-back stitch.
Of course, I might be totally wrong, but that was my first thought when I read it!
September 1st, 2007 at 9:28 am
I love that book, but I’ve always thought it should have a subtitle something like, “If you have been actively knitting for the past five years and probably belong to a guild”. Maybe that’s just implied.
I’m with kat, maybe your LYS could help?
September 1st, 2007 at 10:52 am
Don’t give up! Just think of how proud and competent you’ll feel when you figure it out!
(And I agree with all the above comments, especially kat – an unintentional yarn over was also my first thought).
Keep crafting!
September 1st, 2007 at 11:10 am
Don’t give up! Knitting is such fun. I agree with some other posters – go the the local yarn store with the pattern in hand and ask them to show you.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:38 am
i like knitting because it’s a challange, it never came easy to me like it does some people. Now I am very proud when I can knit without a row counter or stitch markers (I don’t knit lace, I would need those for lace) and that I can “read” my stitches and drop down and fix mistakes, it takes longer for some people ya know for it to click, but give it time and it will!
September 1st, 2007 at 11:38 am
When I read your post, I thought the same thing as TheKnittingBee. One option might be to just use a different type of increase that you find easier…. You could knit a little swatch and try different tyoes of m1, and I bet they will look fine.
Good luck!
September 1st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
if you want to translate it to crochet, just do a SC for every knit stich. and crochet two together or SC two in one stitch for the “knit two together” and “knit front and back” parts, and it’ll end up about the same.
probably will look a little different, but not enough to matter, really. it’ll still have the same patterning and drape to it.
September 2nd, 2007 at 10:51 am
Don’t give up! I’d start with a simpler pattern, too. Or get help in person.
September 3rd, 2007 at 4:18 pm
I know exactly how you feel; I’ve tried to learn to knit 3 times and I just can’t do it. I picked up crochet so quickly and I thought knitting would be a breeze too and boy was I wrong! Anywho, there’s a nice chevron scarf pattern in a book called Ready Set Crochet, one of the first crochet books I ever got, and it’s pretty cheap on amazon, even in stores. If you want a free chevron scarf pattern tohugh, maybe pop over to http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com , they have everything! Hope that helps!
September 4th, 2007 at 5:37 am
I know how you feel in a way – I have tried to knit in the past but crochet is so easy!! and fun!! and easy to fix!! – upon noticing how much more yarn crochet uses thoe I decided last week to give knitting another shot – fingers crossed!!
September 11th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Ok, I have to agree with almost everyone and say first thought was yarn over. You can also run dental floss along every few rows with your stitches. That way if you make a mistake and have to frog it, you can just pick up the live stitches with the dental floss running through it.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I’m a rookie knitter, too, and just checked out a book from the library that’s been pretty useful: The Knitting Answer Book, by Margaret Radcliffe. Pretty much everything the title implies: you look up your question, and she explains what you’re doing wrong, or what-have-you.
I just finished the mini sweater pattern from last-minute knitting and, though it’s wonky, i’m glad I was able to make something other than a stockinette-stitch scarf.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Like the others–don’t give up yet! I’m in the same boat, though. I’m basically a self-taught crocheter, but, even with a MIL who has written books on knitting and teaches it, I still have had a hard time with knitting. I can’t even knit a simple stockinette-stitch scarf without losing track of the count! But, I’m not giving up–yet. I realize that I LOVE the really detailed, fine-stitched sweaters and such, but I need to start with something MUCH simpler! I recently made a baby hat in a chunky yarn and it turned out just right, I think. Maybe try something faster and simpler, then come back to your current project?
December 27th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
How wierd…I can’t crochet to save my life but i can knit up a storm! You need a stitch and bitch lady…or a grandma :)