# My 1st washcloth :)



## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

And I'm in love with bamboo needles!










prior to this, I've made 3 scarves, 1 baby blanket, and 1 pair of socks. Keep changing my tension or something as I knit though...scarves were all fine and so were the socks, but the baby blanket and the washcloth are smaller/tighter as I continued to knit. Gotta run out and do some chores in the barn then I'm going to cast on the next washcloth and see if I can figure out what I'm changing as I go


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Yay!!! Could be the yarn that you are using? If you used cotton or a synthetic yarn they wont stretch like a wool will, wool also has a memory. Bamboo needles are great, especially if you are prone to dropping stitches and having them jump off the needles.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Maybe, the washcloth is cotton, the socks were wool, some form of synthetic for the baby blanket (but was oh so fuzzy and soft lol), but the scarves were acrylic too so I'm leaning toward me being the cause more than the fiber since knitting is new to me and I'm learning from books and youtube


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

That's a nice washcloth!

Cotton knits tighter than other fibres, in my experience.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You could be twisting stitches too. That would make things tighten up.


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

Marchwind said:


> You could be twisting stitches too. That would make things tighten up.


That is what it looks like to me.

Notice how the rows of "v"s are canted at an angle on every other row?
Chances are that you are wrapping the yarn the wrong way around the needles on your purls.

That is a super common mistake to make.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Oh! I'll have to pay attention to that and I'll bet you're right  Thanks!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

gone-a-milkin said:


> Chances are that you are wrapping the yarn the wrong way around the needles on your purls.
> 
> That is a super common mistake to make.




It's not a mistake, it's just a different technique and it even has a name ... combined continental. (you knew I was going to say something :hysterical

When knitting flat (knit one side, purl the other), after your first purl row, any stitch that was knit on the previous row, you'll pick up that stitch in the front leg. Any stitch that was purled on the previous row, you'll pick up that stitch in the back leg.

It takes a little bit of time to adjust to this, but I find it very easy to know exactly what stitch I did in the previous row.

:sing:


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

I love it, nice job!


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Nice job !!


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Went to knitting for dummies and was wrapping the yarn wrong way around the needle for the knit stitches O.O Do use continental method because of the crocheting history I think. It just felt awkward to have the yarn in my right hand. Working on that next washcloth now so we'll see if it turns out better


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

MullersLaneFarm said:


> It's not a mistake, it's just a different technique and it even has a name ... combined continental. (you knew I was going to say something :hysterical
> 
> When knitting flat (knit one side, purl the other), after your first purl row, any stitch that was knit on the previous row, you'll pick up that stitch in the front leg. Any stitch that was purled on the previous row, you'll pick up that stitch in the back leg.
> 
> ...


I honestly do understand what combined continental knitting is.
That is one reason I can sometimes help people when they transition to knitting in the round with that style.

However, there is another issue that affects new knitters and it has nothing to do with which 'leg' you are putting the needle through.
It certainly AFFECTS your stitch mount though.

If you wrap the yarn the wrong direction around the needle before pulling it through the stitch it makes the stitch tighter.
Then if you keep doing that on every row you will end up with a REALLY tight bunch of stitches the higher up you go.

I know this from experience. 

That is what I was trying to convey. 
I wasnt calling combined continental knitting 'wrong'.


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

cool, I absolutely love washcloths and knitting them is even more fun! 
Thanks for sharing!


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

2nd is better but (something funky still happened in the middle but I think that's about where I was when I figured out which way I wanted things twisting).










Thanks so much everyone for the input


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Oh and I'm hooked on washcloths for learning new stitch patterns. All gauge swatches from now on will be a bit larger and wind up used for scrubbing...well maybe potholders for the wool yarns


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Your second one is pretty to!
That's a good idea about the new stitch patterns. I might do that to.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

gone-a-milkin said:


> I honestly do understand what combined continental knitting is.


GAM, I know _you know_ what combined continental is. The explanation was for the OP



> However, there is another issue that affects new knitters and it has nothing to do with which 'leg' you are putting the needle through.
> It certainly AFFECTS your stitch mount though.
> 
> If you wrap the yarn the wrong direction around the needle before pulling it through the stitch it makes the stitch tighter.
> ...


And this is where we will agree to disagree. 

From my experience of purling both 'ways', purling using the combined technique makes the stitch more loose, not tighter (unless the knitter is inserting the needle into the wrong leg.)

Wrapping the yarn for a purl using the combined technique is just a mirror image of the knit stitch.

On the plus side, using the combined technique is a faster way to knit and you can 'see' what stitch was made on the previous row by feel instead of sight.



> I wasnt calling combined continental knitting 'wrong'.


:smack Silly! I know you weren't :happy:


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## Chaty (Apr 4, 2008)

NIce washcloths! I also love Bamboo needles also as they dont slip like my metal and plastic always hangs somewhere...If given a choice I choose Bamboo! I have Bamboo straights and circulars and even DPN's...


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Those are very pretty! I think you just need to knit all you can....every day... constantly. :happy: Practice ya know.... lol! (just kidding) 
I learned crochet first and knit continental. For the first year I think I knitted sorta backwards... through the back of the stitch. I finally figured out what someone was telling me, I think it was Gone a milkin, and discovered how to knit it correctly. 
I love bamboo and my knit picks wood needles. I just wish my bamboo dpns were 5 or 6 inches, not 4. :grump:
Love the 'swatch' idea. I hate knitting swatches. Usually don't do it. But knitting dish cloths is a different story.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Haven't had time for constant but been trying to sit down some every day. This one's still a little out of whack but I think they're looking better.










and I really really like the way this stitch looks (pain in the butt to get the hang of it but worth it  )


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

What stich is that DroppedAtBirth, it sure is pretty! You are getting better congratulations.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

crocus buds and thank you


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Oh my,, now those are wash cloth's!! All of them are beautifully done! 
Makes me wish I could still knit!


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Making washcloths is fun and easy to take with you to work on, but my sister won't use them except on her tables as coasters. Well, okay, maybe when they start looking more used, then maybe she will use them???


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Thank you all for the compliments 

Shari, I poked around your blog some and all I can say is, GORGEOUS!!!!! I'm not sure I'd have ever picked up needles if I had your talents.


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Love your washcloths, DroppedAtBirth. My youngest daughter has just this week discovered wash cloths and pot holders. She adamantly swore she only wanted to knit, no purling, until she saw a picture of a basket weave dish cloth. Now she is happily purling away, and making lovely dish cloths.


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