knitting advice?

February 16, 2006 6:26 AM

How do I keep knitting stitches more even?

I notice when I knit, the stiches on either side tend to be bigger and loopier. This give my knitting project a childlike, weird quality that I would like to avoid.

Any advice as to how to fix this? I've been knitting for years, but hav always had this issue.

posted by piratebowling to sports, hobbies, & recreation (20 comments total)

You mean they're bigger and loopier on either side of the row?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:38 AM on February 16, 2006 [1 favorite]

Even tension on the string throughout the project helps. If you don't try to keep even tension then you won't because it's not a natural thing to do. If you knit on the run your tension will be tight because you're in a hurry. If you knit on a lazy Sunday then your tension will be loose because you're all relaxed. However, if you keep your wits about you, you can keep an even tension no matter what mood you are in.

There might be more to it than tension, but in my experience uneven tension will cause what you're talking about. I think of keeping even tension as a mental skill (like keeping a beat).

I'd say, pull your stitches tighter and concentrate on making sure the tension in your string is constant throughout the project.
posted by mto at 6:41 AM on February 16, 2006

If you mean the first and last stitch on the row, I think my mom says to drop the first and last stitch.
posted by tayknight at 6:47 AM on February 16, 2006

My stitches are big and loopy and weird on each side also. Don't drop the stitches (that would be disastrous) but maybe just slip them over, without knitting them.

(or you can just do what I do and knit everything in the round)
posted by Lucinda at 6:52 AM on February 16, 2006

I find an even gauge easier to keep when I use needles that are one size too big, then knit tightly. It is easier to knit tightly all the time than to try to keep an even relaxed gauge with the correct needle size.

Also, you might just be getting distracted because your projects may have pieces that are too big in just one color. You could try to mix it up by adding colors or different stitches. Check knitty for lots of fun little project ideas.
posted by copperbleu at 6:53 AM on February 16, 2006

do you knit english or continental style? you could try holding the yarn a different way. i find that wrapping the yarn around my pinky finger helps keeps my stitches even. a quick search landed me this page try to work patterns in the round rather then flat. not transitioning from knit to purl can also help with maintaining even tension (of course this won't work with ribbing). is it your edge stitches that are loose? try pulling harder on the first and second stitches to give you a nice tight edge.
posted by jessica at 6:55 AM on February 16, 2006

You want to slip (as if to knit) the first stitch of every row, rather than knit it. That will give you a nice uniform appearance and you will still have the same number of stitches per row. (Dropping a stitch will eventually get you a triangular appearance, unless you alter the pattern and add an increase somewhere). You could also pull your yarn tight after knitting the last stitch of the prior row, but slipping it on the next row is easier, IMHO.

On preview, I don't think it sounds like a tension issue, unless your stitches overall have an uneven appearance. If it's just your 1st and last stitches, try the slip technique.
posted by Buck Eschaton at 6:58 AM on February 16, 2006 [1 favorite]

ThePinkSuperhero. yes. I'm sorry if that was not clear enough.

I understand from the rest of these comments that tension probably plays a big part in this, but why does my tention tent to be so lose on the ends and beginnings of rows?

I don't want to slip stiches, because I don't want the width to decrease. Dropping also seem like it would be problematic.

I guess I need to practice a more even tention...and it sounds like htta is a skill that will just slowly have to develop.

BTW, this is great. Anyone want to start a mefi NYC area stich 'n bitch?
posted by piratebowling at 7:03 AM on February 16, 2006

The width won't decrease. I was doing the same thing, and a friend directed me towards Knitting Help. Go to the Basic Techniques tab at the top, and watch all the videos (just know first if you're continental or english) - they're a huge help. Definitely watch the one called Demo of a Small Project - she mentions the slipping technique. I started doing it that way and my scarves (yeah, still knitting scarves here...) have a much more uniform and professional-looking edge. The videos there are really terrific, and free.
posted by iconomy at 7:04 AM on February 16, 2006

Buck Eschaton Thanks for setting me straight. I thought slipping would decrease the width, I'm glad it won't.

It may be tension. While the edges are the loopiest, I do get the occasional loose stiches within the rows themselves.
posted by piratebowling at 7:06 AM on February 16, 2006

Sorry, meant slip, not drop. Must not post to ask.meta before the first cup of coffee :)
posted by tayknight at 7:08 AM on February 16, 2006

If it's the stitches at the beginning and end of each row that are loopy, the best way I've seen to compensate for that is to finish the row in the pattern, and then slip it when you start the next row. Loopy stitches at the edges of knitting are almost inevitable. (Nearly everyone has problems with that...it's just the nature of knitting, in that unless you're knitting really, really, really, tightly (which you usually don't want to do) there is going to be a little bit of excess string at the end of a row.)

If you're making a garment, it doesn't matter so much, because that's the seam allowance. (Most garment patterns will say that the seam allowance stitch isn't included in the pattern, and it is assumed that you will add a one or two stitch stockinette edge to each seamed edge.) On a scarf or shawl, where the edges will be exposed, slipping the first stitch on the row is really the only way around it. For a slightly more decorative edge, try slipping purlwise at the beginning of a knit row and slipping knitwise at the beginning of a purl row.
posted by jlkr at 7:16 AM on February 16, 2006

I would totally be for an NYC Mefi knitting circle. I am a newbie, but really getting into it. And I really want to learn to do socks.
posted by kimdog at 7:55 AM on February 16, 2006

Since Piratebowling's question seems to be answered, is anyone going to Stitches West this weekend?? Email me if you are!
posted by like_neon at 9:21 AM on February 16, 2006

Count me in on the SnB!
posted by Lycaste at 9:39 AM on February 16, 2006

Sometimes you're not going to want to slip the first stitch of each row, though--it's great for heel flaps on socks or on scarves or even on sweaters that are knit in pieces and sewn together--but sometimes it's just not going to work. One instance I can think of off the top of my head is lace--I'm not a highly experienced lace knitter, but the patterns I have done have explicitly said to not slip the first stitch of each row. Probably because that makes an edge which is less elastic, and you need an elastic edge for when you block it.

When I'm knitting flat, I make sure to give that stitch a little extra tug to tighten it up before I flip the work around and another tug before I knit (or purl) it. that seems to work out pretty well.
posted by eilatan at 12:41 PM on February 16, 2006

Ooh, I want to SnB, too, only with a crochet hook.
posted by houseofdanie at 12:46 PM on February 16, 2006

I find that if you knit into the back, rather than the front, of the first stitch of every row, you get a nice tidy edge.
posted by louigi at 4:39 PM on February 16, 2006

If you have wonky stitches in the middle of your work — some that seem really loose and some that seem too tight — blocking will help make them all more uniform.

Also, what everyone else says about slipping the first stitch on every row. This is a good habit to always have because not only does it make nice clean edges but it makes stitches easy to pick up when you seam sleeves and such.

The more knitting practice you get, the more even your tenision will be. You just need to find your flow. Many knitters keep a practice sawtch going so they can "warm up" a bit before working on their actual project.
posted by Brittanie at 5:17 PM on February 16, 2006

Another NYC knitting fanatic here. Would love to be included in any MeFi SnB that may be scheduled.
posted by GrammarMoses at 6:18 PM on February 16, 2006