# All this time!!! (pics)



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I have been twisting my purl stitches. 

Yes, it is true. That explains sooo much.

~my tension is extremely tight
~I can do patterns on 1 size larger needles than directed
~I hate knitting flat
~my ribbing is always really 'ribby'


I know I have knitted many miles of yarn in the last year or so,
but almost always in-the-round. It is not so noticable when you are mostly 
doing knit stitches. Lately though, I have been purely hating to purl. So, 
I thought it would be good exercise to do something almost entirely PURLED.
(yes, I have a sickness...LOL)

This is what I am making:









the cuff is twisted rib, k2tbl,p2 (or so I thought!!)

When you look INSIDE this thing:











you can see the tell-tale RAISED knit stitches. 



so how about that!!!??  
It is too late for this project, I will have to continue to Ptbl.
Or rip it. NOT. It is coming out nice, HOWEVER!!
sheesh.

I am just amazed that I never really noticed this.
I can go back and look at my turned heels and see that
those purl rows are in fact twisted too. HAH! 
Now I get to learn how to do it correctly, LOL.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Well, I would have never known if you hadn't told me!
You have inspired me to take a good look at my knitting. There has been several times when I was looking at a youtube I would think,,,"hey she is doing that backwards" 
Maybe it is me! :shrug:


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## FairviewFarm (Sep 16, 2003)

Just a couple days ago I was reading Elizabeth Zimmermann's _Knitting Without Tears_ and read about twisting purl stitches. Here is what she says: 

_One word to left-handed_ (continental)_ knitters: in purling, some of you hook the wool through the stitch the easiest way; down and over the top of it. This makes the stitch come at you back to front the next time you work it, so that you must knit out of the back of it. Most of you know enough to compensate for this and work out of the stitch logically, whichever way it presents itself to you, but it poses a problem to some knitters. It is really worthwhile to train yourself, when purling, to come at the thread from below, and then up in front of it, and down. Considered as a loop, the right side of the stitch should always be in front of the needle when you come to work it._

Of course, I worried because as a beginning self-taught knitter I didn't know if I was doing it the right way or not and hence wouldn't know enough to compensate for it. After studying the book's diagram I initially thought I made my purl stitches that resulted in twisting but after having the sweater sampler in my hands and the book in my lap I think I make my stitches as she calls them, "a better way to purl". Just to make sure I searched the internet and found these two web sites with pictures. I can rest assured that I do make mine in the _"better way to purl"_ way. That was a relief.

http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Purl_Stitch_Continental__D10.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Howtopurl.jpg


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Or you could switch to a Norwegian Purl 

4th one down:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/purl-stitch

I tend to use this one if I stray into Continental. Once you get the hang of it, the work goes really smoothly.

ETA: I purled this way for years when I first started knitting, no one ever complained. I'd keep it in the ribbing though, those socks stay up!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Thanks all for the links. Lana, I dont intend to change it for the ribbing.
I think it is really tidy for a lot of applications.
How funny though that I could go for so long and not notice this. 
I see that it is a left-handed thing.
That figures.  

Actually, I did do the norwegian purlling on some washcloths, I guess 
I will have to keep practicing it.It sure made knitting flat easier.


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Oh, my, please don't beat yourself up cause I did it at first too. Till I took a class and the instructor caught me doing it and straightened me out. I couldn't see the difference for a long time---guess one has to learn how to LOOK at knitting too, not just do it. It's still a process for me.


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

gone-a-milkin said:


> Thanks all for the links. Lana, I dont intend to change it for the ribbing.
> I think it is really tidy for a lot of applications.
> How funny though that I could go for so long and not notice this.
> I see that it is a left-handed thing.
> ...


Hah!
Forget the twisted purl...your yarn is beautiful as is your pattern.
I hope one day my 'on-purpose' knitting is a well done as your 'mistake'!


stef


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

FairviewFarm said:


> Just a couple days ago I was reading Elizabeth Zimmermann's _Knitting Without Tears_ and read about twisting purl stitches. Here is what she says:
> 
> _One word to left-handed_ (continental)_ knitters: in purling, some of you hook the wool through the stitch the easiest way; down and over the top of it. This makes the stitch come at you back to front the next time you work it, so that you must knit out of the back of it. _
> 
> ...


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> FairviewFarm said:
> 
> 
> > It is the fastest way to purl!
> ...


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

MEH. I ripped it out this morning. 
Back to the drawingboard!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

It turns out that I was just wrapping the yarn in the wrong direction
around the needle. Not ALWAYS, just usually. 

It never happens when I knit backward or upside down.
It didn't happen at all doing entrelac. :shrug:


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