# Problems learning to knit



## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

OK I am trying to learn to knit by following instructions online. There seems to be an overload of sites that teach RIGHT handed folks to hold the needles and cast on. Well this is OK but not if you are a predominately LEFT handed person. Most things I can do with either hand but learning to knit does not seem to be one of them. I tried to look at the instructions and turn them around so I would be working with the left hand but it doesn't seem to work very well. I tried to cast on by following the directions and end up trying to contort my hands and getting funny looks from DH. Does anyone have a link to a website that will teach lefties to knit? I also have trouble trying to hold the yarn to get the desired tension but I suppose that will come in time with practice. My mother is right handed and is unable to translate right handed directions into left handed so shes no help at all.
DC

ETA: youtube and other similar sites won't help as I am on slow dialup and it takes hours to DL the videos. There are so many things I am missing out on and I will be glad when a faster connection gets here.


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

I hear you dragonchick. I am also a lefty and have never learned to knit either. Same EXACT problem. Right-handed people say, "just do it with your left hand", and we always end up both frustrated. 

Good luck in your search, I hope someone here can help. I would really like to be able to knit wool socks someday...cozy warm handknitted socks...sigh.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

Well right now I am attempting to DL a 15 minute video that shows cast on to bind off for a very small project. This is using the continental method of knitting. Maybe I will be able to follow along after watching it a couple times. If anyone else wants to see it, its at http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knit-stitch.
I will let you know how it turns out or if it doesn't. So far I have been at the DL for 30 minutes and have gotten 44 seconds loaded. Jeez, what I go through to learn something that others can be shown easily in person.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

OK after 3 hours of DL to get this short 15 minute video and watching it, I totally do not understand what she did. I did find out that my cast on was wrong and I basically just knitted those stitches on instead of casting them on. Maybe by midnight I will figure out how to do this. IF I Get a small project started I will take pictures so you can critique it.
DC


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

Oh boy, I did like that site. Now that I have gotten DSL, I could probably puzzle it out with that nice lady repeating the stitches over and over...(she wont hear my cursing!) but I am a little daunted by the different terminology...

I guess I will have to dig out my needles. Then comes wanting more yarn...etc. 

Good luck getting started.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

OK there was a video on casting on so I did that one also. I would recommend this for anyone wanting to learn. Only took 30 minutes for the 2.5 minute clip but I did learn how to cast on correctly. Maybe I should rename this post to "Learning to knit with Andi", since I am posting as I learn the new stitches. Now to learn how to knit into my newly casted on stitches. DH is getting upset with me cause I am hogging the computer. OH well, he gets it while I am asleep on the nights I have to work.
DC


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

Husbands are like that, wanting the computer right when you are really trying to do something (besides just dinking around). Mine likes to wait til I am in the middle of a long email composition..

Wish you luck w/ your recast stitches!


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

OK I found a pattern for an easy scarf using only the knit stitch. I will learn the purl stitch later after I get this one mastered. Off to try and make it. Knitting and crocheting in the winter is great. You can use your project if your making an afghan or scarf to help keep warm. DH's turn for a while. I will post a picture if I get it finished. I am using a bunch of scrap yarn that I picked up at a yard sale for 50 cents. Its got a bunch of smaller skeins of different colors, just perfect to learn with.
DC


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## PollySC (Jan 17, 2006)

I don't know if this will help, but many many years ago (before electronic media) my Mother taught women to knit and crochet left handed even though she was right handed. She held drawings from an instruction book up to a mirror and the women were able to "see" things from their point of view. I'll ask her tomorrow if she remembers any other tips, but she's 92 now so it depends upon what kind of day she's having ...

Maybe if you watched a righty work in a mirror?


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

Thanks Polly. I tried sitting in front of her and looking from behind but still could not understand. The above website has helped a lot and I have started a scarf, it will probably be potholder size when I post a picture. Its all knit stitch but at least its a start. I should have finished it but its taking a little longer than expected as the only needles I have are a US6 or 4mm. They came with a kit for kids I bought for $1. I will pick up a larger set next time I go out. The yarn is also the skinny normal stuff and not the chunky kind but its what I had. I have a lot of plans for this winter and knitting goes along with them. I have both long haired dogs and goats. I want to learn spinning their hair into yarn/wool and make socks,hats,mittens, and eventually cardigan type sweaters and pullovers.
DC


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## shepmom (May 29, 2003)

Left hand instructions. Not a leftie myself.

http://learn-to-knit.com/left1.htm

http://www.theknittingsite.com/how-to-knit-left-handed.htm


Tunisian crochet is similar to knit and purl only with a crochet hook.
I've been playing with that technique. It's very hard on the hand and wrist and I'll probably only do small projects. Dishcloth or dish towel when I prefer a woven texture.


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## PollySC (Jan 17, 2006)

Be careful with learning to spin-- it's highly addictive. I learned from MegZ (see Fiber Forum) early this summer and haven't stopped since. Interestingly, I'm right handed but spin (and do lots of other things) left handed.

Here's a trick for the mirror learning. Put a mirror on the right handed person's lap, facing their working hands. You sit in front and watch the mirror, and that's the left-handed perspective. If you were closer I'd help ...


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

Well I am still knitting my scarf/potholder and its taking a while since the needles/stitches are so small. Sent DH to get larger needles(8 or 9) since he was going out. I have to work tonight so I will be going back to bed shortly. I will post a picture as soon as I get it to a respectable size. I have found something interesting though, knitting is not as hard on my hands/fingers as is crochet. I can actually hold the yarn in the correct position for tension. Hopefully soon I can learn the purl stitch and do the k1 p2 thing and actually start making things besides potholders.
DC


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## Lynn Bodoni (Feb 10, 2008)

I taught myself how to knit, crochet, and tat from a craft leaflet. You might want to stop by the library and see if they have some books you can check out (some libraries have great craft sections, others do NOT). Also, sometimes cheap yarn simply isn't worth working with. It will snarl and fuzz and just generally not cooperate. The yarn you get in children's kits is generally very cheap and hard to work with.

My daughter is left handed, and I COULD NOT teach her to knit or crochet. This was very frustrating to both of us. She finally turned to learning from a book that had lefthanded instructions. By the way, check used book stores for craft books...many times you will find a wonderful bargain.


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## Amylb999 (Jan 28, 2007)

shepmom said:


> Left hand instructions. Not a leftie myself.
> 
> http://learn-to-knit.com/left1.htm
> 
> http://www.theknittingsite.com/how-to-knit-left-handed.htm


OOOO thank you! I'm a lefty too, I haven't even attempted knitting yet. Crocheting I taught myself from lefty instructions online. This will be something for me to try over the winter when I'm stuck inside,,now I have to get some knitting needles.


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## littlekari (Jul 10, 2008)

If this makes any sense at all years ago my mom learned to knit in home ec and the teacher was right handed. The problem was when she taught the class to knit they were sitting facing her in a class room so they learned to knit left handed. I learned from mom and sat across from her and knit right handed. I think when mom learned she used her left hand to do what the teacher was doing with her right hand?????


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

Dragonchick, how are you coming with that knitting? I have gotten as far as casting on some stitches...now I am taking a lunch break before I start that continental stitch. I am using cotton yarn though, and am wondering if it will be extra hard because it is not stretchy...?


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

The yarn I got in the kit is cotton yarn/thread to make a halter type top. It looks to be of decent quality but its not stretchy. The yarn I got in the 50 cent bag is red heart but they are not full skeins. The skeins are just right to practice with.

The practice knitting is coming a long but it doesn't look like the pictures. Its supposed to be a knit/garter stitch but looks more like the purl stitch as it has the little "smiles" instead of the "v". I am still having trouble with the tension so some stitches are tight and some are loose but at least its a start. The yarn I am using is a variegated skein of white, light blue, dusty blue, mauve, and dusty pink. If I turn the project on its side it looks like ridges/columns instead of being flat like it should be.
DC


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

Yeah, mine isn't quite right either...It definitely IS knitting though, but I am not sure of the name of my style of stitches. 

I have decided to keep at it though, at least until this thing is a square shape. Sadly it is 10" wide and only 2" deep (so far). 

Tomorrow I should be able to finish it up, barring incident. Good luck with yours.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

gone-a-milkin, I won't be able to work on mine again until after tomorrow. I have to work tonight and next Saturday night but other than that I am off until Dec 1. I should be able to get a good part of it done. Right now my project is about 5x7 so 2 more inches and I will post a picture.
DC

ETA: Somehow the needle that holds the main project got pulled out:Bawling:. DH said it was probably the cat:shrug: I think I got all the loops back on the needle though.When I did a slight stretch I didn't see anything missing or coming loose like I did the first time this happened, and it wasn't the cat.Some people just do not know how to pick up a knitting project correctly. I need to create an "off limits when I am knitting" seat.
DC


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

Hi, I think I am ready to cast mine off now. I haven't sat down to try it yet though. Today is DS birthday, he's 14, so I have to make ricotta and then the lasagne, bake the cake, etc. 

If you post a pic of yours, I will too. Seems fair to me. Maybe I can get it off the needles tonight. 

My sympathy on your cat issues. My auntie has a picnic basket she keeps her projects in, just to keep those danged felines out of the knitting. Kids and husbands, however...


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

I am going to TRY to bind mine off this evening. I just woke up and don't rust my eyes and sleepy brain just yet. Why is it that the last work night of the week is the longest feeling. I will post a picture as soon as I get it off or maybe I will post it before. I have not decided. It just depends on wether I can decipher the instructions.
DC


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

OK my project has come to a screeching halt and can not go any further until I get the last stitch off. ALL the instructions I have found call for a big yarn needle to weave the tail back into the project. I do not have a big yarn needle. I guess I will have to go and get one tomorrow.

I found out that using a small plastic needle and a larger metal needle to bind off is a pain. The plastic slides and slips and does not want to cooperate. It was a lot of "fun" trying to get this cast off. I persevered until I did it though. As soon as I get that last stitch taken care of I will post a picture so you can tell me about my project. I expect you all to tell the truth about it and do not take into consideration it is my first. If you coddle me I will keep making mistakes instead of learning from them. I already know the stitches are uneven so that's a given.
DC


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

You are so GOOD. I haven't touched my knitting today. (fill between quotes w/ many valid excuses). 

I do have a yarn needle though, when I get to that part. Can't wait to see how yours came out.


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## Lynn Bodoni (Feb 10, 2008)

If you have a crochet hook, you can use that to weave the tail in.

I have always found it easier to knit on circular needles rather than two traditional needles. I just work back and forth, same as I would on straight needles, and it's one less needle to keep track of.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

OK I got the last stitch taken care off but the lighting is not bright enough to take good picture. It looks OK but it does show I need to practice. I will take a picture of it outside in the bright sunlight. The ones I took inside were yellow casted and fuzzy. You could not see any of the detail. 

I am going to start learning a new stitch this evening so I will have another block to work on. Maybe when I get all the different stitch blocks done I can stitch them together for my scarf project. Off to dl the purl video and learn that stitch.
DC


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

OK I had a better idea on the picture, I stuck it in the scanner and it came out beautifully. All of the mistakes are here for you to see and critique. Please be honest. Also please tell me if this is indeed a knit stitch or something else entirely. ETA: I think this is teh backside as I see where I wove the tail in at the bottom, it should be at the top and on the other side.
DC


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## Lynn Bodoni (Feb 10, 2008)

I think that you need to work on keeping your tension consistent as your first challenge. While some of the inconsistency will block out, not all of it will. Right now, your rows are very different lengths.

Also, a knit stitch will appear to be a purl stitch from the back, and vice versa. You knitted each row, right?

I'd say this is a good first try, but you have room for improvement.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

Thank you for your honest opinion. I have found that when using the small US #6 plastic needle it would bend. I think this was part of the problem. I have noticed I don't have as much of problem with the metal needle. You will see what I mean in the 2nd block when I post it.

The block looks the same from the front and the back. I will post a picture of the front side to compare. I thought I knitted each row, this was my intention. I really need to count each stitch as I did notice they were uneven.

I am off to my mothers this morning. She has offered to give me a bunch of yarn and needles that my grandmother had. From what she said, there are bags of the stuff and she ( my mother ) will not be working it up. My grandmother was from Austria and knitted so well that she would knit crochet thread. I would love to be able to knit that well. Mom also said there were a bunch of patterns I could try when I got better. Shes also giving me a pattern for some sort of sock/booties she made when she was learning to knit. I remember these booties as my sister used to slide on the hardwood floors in them, instant indoor ice skates.

I purchased 2 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun yarn in Barley as my incentive yarn. The yarn is so soft and pretty but, its a bit expensive for my tiny budget at $5 a small skein. I think it would make a very nice sweater or hat for DH. My mother told me that Hobby Lobby has 40% off coupons so I will be getting some and using those to help lower the cost.


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

Okay, here is mine...I think it looks like it might have been done by a small child, but oh well.
http://









The bottom of the pic is where I started from. I did the continental for a while, then switched to alternating k/p, BUT when I got done with that and went back to continental...I started increasing (oops). I finally had so many stitches that they wouldn't fit the needle. So I just had to cast it off.

Next time: 
~count my stitches, and keep better track
~hands could be cleaner, blame wood heat for that
~I am sick of this rainbow yarn, need something else
~need to work on 'turning around', not leaving a giant loop at the end

And of course, more even tension! At least I finally quit squeezing the yarn so hard that I hurt my hands though. That is something, right?

DC, I think you did better than I did, for a first try!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Yup, Dragonchick, that's called *garter stitch*, which is what you get when you knit every stitch. It is a nice stretchy stitch and works really well for lots of things. It also has the advantage of not curling up at the edges like stockinette does (stockinette is when you knit on one side and purl on the other side, so it has a right side & a wrong side instead of both matching).

You might find that if you do a longer piece, your tension will get a bit better - the first few rows of any piece are the trickiest, I find, as there's so little fabric to hold the needles in position. You should also try some different needle types, as you have noticed: my personal favourite are the wooden and bamboo ones, but metal are nice too. Plastic are a bit too slick for my taste. Use whatever your grandma left - I have a bag that were my gram's too!

Maybe try a garter stitch scarf next?


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

gone-a-milkin, Thanks for being my learn-along partner and posting your project. You had great luck combining the stitches. I have not gotten that far or brave yet. Your project looks good and your stitches are a lot more even than mine are. I have started my second block in the purl stitch. In the next one I will attempt to mix them. 


frazzlehead, This was supposed to be a scarf pattern but the yarn is so thin it would have taken weeks to get the substantial length. I made it short as it was a learning/practice piece. The original pattern called for a size 15 needle and chunky yarn, neither of which did I have. Right now I am making blocks of each practice stitch just to learn the technique and practice my tension holding ablities. Thank you for confirming it is indeed the garter stitch, I was beginning to get worried.
DC


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

DC, that was actually really cool, having another lefty knitter to inspire me. I am feeling a lot braver now. My goal really is to be able to make socks, so I have a ways to go first. 

Thanks for the fun!


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

My intention is to learn to spin the hair from my goats and 3 very hairy dogs. I can then use the yarn I make to knit clothing, socks, blankets,and afghans. I am learning to do all the things that most kids learned while still at home back in the day when things were much simpler and moved at a much slower pace.


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## Lynn Bodoni (Feb 10, 2008)

> I have found that when using the small US #6 plastic needle it would bend. I think this was part of the problem. I have noticed I don't have as much of problem with the metal needle. You will see what I mean in the 2nd block when I post it.


 I cannot knit on plastic needles, they just will not cooperate for me. You will probably do much much better using your grandma's needles, she probably had some good quality needles. Might as well put them to use!

Also, for all beginning needlecrafters, when your hands and wrists start hurting, please, GIVE THEM A REST. I know it's like an addiction, but you can seriously and permanently hurt yourself if you try to keep going through the pain.

gone-a-milking, just about everyone has a giant loop at the end. This is why people block items when they're finished knitting. And go ahead and use up the yarn you don't particularly like for practice! Knitting is like any other skill, you do need to practice to be good at it. Your piece is a good first effort.

Hobby Lobby has a store brand of yarn called "I Love This Yarn", and I like it very much. It's relatively inexpensive, goes on sale fairly often, and comes in a variety of colors plus some ombres. It's 100% acrylic, which I like because wool makes me itch, and is machine washable and dryable. The quality is good enough to work with, though I don't know how long-lasting it is, I've only recently started to work with it. The cats adore it, but then they adore anything that I knit or crochet.


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## dragonchick (Oct 10, 2007)

Aside from the goats, knitting has become my new pastime. So far I have made a pair of comfy wool socks and have started on a hat for my grandson. The hat will probably be a little big as hes pretty small, but he will grow. The socks were made on 4 needles and the hat is being knitted on circs. Learning to knit was easy and a good thing to know.
DC


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## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

Hi 
I knit left handed but I am right handed. 
It was the way my mom taught me as a kid. Just the basics. Then as a young mom, I had to learn on my own after a experienced knitter tried to teach me, and came to the conclusion I knitted left and she knitted right. 
I used books a lot  

It comes down to a lot of practice, and lots of patience. 
I still struggle with reading a lot of patterns. 

Try reading your instructions / patterns out loud. I have had to do this 
with a few I have tried. 

Currently I am machine knitting, and end up using a lot of regular knitting techniques. I also use a crochet hook to help with the finishing part. And one of those big fat sewing needles. I consider my machine handcrafting work, as it is a older manual one. When I finish off a piece, I have more hand time into it, than machine time. Usually 75 % of my time is by hand.

I also switch off and do some hats crocheting. 

I just picked up some more yarn at the thrift shop yesterday. Bargains


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