# Help me with my knitting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917 "2008-09-24T00:35:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/21 "2008-09-24T23:56:54Z")
> [@Contrary](#): > > OK now I’m daring to imagine knitting something for lil Alison. Would mittens be a rotten project with which to start? In my admittedly novice opinion, mittens for a kid might be a little small to start with. Multiple double pointed needles are intimidating at first. Try a scarf. Just remember that the scarf will be about twice as wide as it looks when you first cast on the stitches. If the scarf works, make a matching hat to get exposure to circular and double pointed needles. Back to my hat… ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/22 "2008-09-25T00:26:58Z")
Two stitches shy this time. :(:(:(☹ ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/23 "2008-09-25T01:31:07Z")
At the beginning of that row - (assuming that’s all you do), you should have some multiple of 19 stitches. At the end of that row, you should have the same number of stitches (equal increases and decreases). How many stitches are you starting with? Can you look back at the row and tell that you knit exactly 7 in each of the K7 sections (I sometimes miscount, and have one that has 6 or one that has 8). ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/24 "2008-09-25T02:37:45Z")
> [@Contrary](#): > > OK now I’m daring to imagine knitting something for lil Alison. Would mittens be a rotten project with which to start? To knit mittens you typically need to be able to: Cast on Knit Purl (possibly) Increase (maybe) Decrease (almost definitely) Put stitches on a holder Pick up stitches Bind off Use double pointed needles. They’re not the hardest thing in the world, but can easily get confusing. And most people are intimidated by double points when they start out. You can knit a hat or a scarf only knowing how to: Cast on Knit Bind off (most likely seam if you knit it flat, but you already know how to sew so you’ve got a leg up there) ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/25 "2008-09-25T02:50:16Z")
I wouldn’t start with a hat–too long and boring. I might start with a hat (did in fact start with a hat) then I knit half a scarf, then I posted a thread looking for suggestions on what to do next. I knit some of the pieces of a sweater doomed to be discarded rather than assembled (I’m not impressed by my knit skills at the time. Nothing improves knitting skills like knitting). And then a tube sock, then half a sock with heel flap and gusset (gauge issues), then I participated in Sock Wars, and now I’m not afraid of anything, but I don’t like lace–it makes my brain melt. (If you want to see pictures of almost everything I’ve knit, get on Ravelry and check out Eurekas projects–there’s an s on the end of my name there). I’d try a child’s sock before I did a child’s mitten, I think–but then I’ve mastered (more or less) socks (minus the part where you get two just alike–sort of joking, I did it for Sock Wars, but the only other time I’ve knit a mate so far I’ve lost the first sock of the pair). I’ve never tried mittens. On the other hand, there are virtues to picking something which speaks to YOU, and if mittens do that, trying knitting one or three. (Odd numbers for two reasons. Firstly, if your first try is embarassing, hide it (or frog it) and try again. Secondly, if you knit three, you can give the child’s mother a spare for if the child loses one mitten). ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/26 "2008-09-25T05:21:10Z")
> [@Contrary](#): > > OK now I’m daring to imagine knitting something for lil Alison. Would mittens be a rotten project with which to start? They’re not too bad, but you need to look for a two-needle pattern, instead of a four-needle. You’ll have to sew up the side when you’re done knitting, but it’s an easier project for a beginner. You can move on to double-point needles in a while, after some practice. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/27 "2008-09-25T11:21:55Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > I wouldn’t start with a hat–too long and boring. I might start with a hat (did in fact start with a hat) then I knit half a scarf, then I posted a thread looking for suggestions on what to do next. In my head, and in the first draft of this post, it said I wouldn’t start with a SCARF because a SCARF was too long and boring. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/28 "2008-09-25T23:27:51Z")
Okay, I finally got logged on. I have made one hat like this–the hard part for me was joining together the two needles full of stitches–something always went wrong. I am not good at visualizing without it in front of me. Can you say again what is going wrong? Could it be: make one stitch is pull the thread up from between two stitches, place it on the left needle, then knit that stitch. You have made a stitch. Is that the problem? Are you getting the SSK right? ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/29 "2008-09-26T03:43:34Z")
Yeah, re-reading the OP, I think you may have been picking up the stitch but not knitting it. Have you tried what I said yet? ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/30 "2008-09-26T13:47:09Z")
Okay, third post in a row. I have changed my mind. I think you are doing it right–it is supposed to be tight. That is how the point of the leaf is created. It just seems strange utnil you have more of it knitted up. Somehow you are dropping or adding a stitch incorrectly and getting the wrong # of stitches. Is this an early project for you? Because it is a little difficult for a beginner. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/31 "2008-09-26T22:07:46Z")
howdy. I’ve made hats before, but usually with stockinette, moss, or ribbed patterns just because that’s the direction my fashion tastes bend. I’ve made scarves with patterns before. Not patterns using SSK, but with YO, K2tog, M1, and some of the other basic stitches. This hat is on the next level up, but it doesn’t seem like something I shouldn’t be able to handle. I haven’t had problems with dropped stitches in a long time. There are 114 stitches in the round (just double checked) and 114/19 is 6, so no theoretical problem there. I’ve been very careful to count each batch of K7 to make sure, but it’s possible I missed one. I guess there’s no option but to try it again and hope for the best. ---
**Author:** ![Lillith\_Fair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lillith\_Fair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lillith_Fair)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/32 "2008-09-26T22:39:55Z")
Yeah, counting as you go is good. It’s just hard to see the pattern at first. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/33 "2008-09-27T02:36:22Z")
Huzzah! I have no idea what I did different, but it worked this time. I have successfully completed 4 rounds! Yay! Just a couple more and I can do a new color! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917/34 "2008-09-27T04:06:33Z")
Something I found helpful when knitting a pair of socks with a cable pattern was to put a stitch marker in between every pattern repeat. I knew I was supposed to have 12 stitches in between each marker, and if I screwed something up it was apparent immediately, and I could tink and fix it easily. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-knitting/464917.md?page=1)