This has probably been answered already

[tamugrad02]

I can knit, and I can pearl, but I can't k2, p2.....my yarn gets all twisted up and I end up with either extra stitches or the yarn wrapped around the work itself.....what am I doing wrong?!?! Any help would be appreciated.....thanks.

[classic crochet]

It sounds like you might be knitting too tight. Practice is the only way to fix it that I know of.

[Daydreamer-girl]

It´s hard to know what you are doing wrong when I can´t see the way you knit.

You just have to be careful where you have the thread when you switch from knit to purl.

[Knit Happens]

it sounds like you are not moving your yarn from the front to the back or the back to the front. When you knit, your yarn is in the back...when you purl, you have to move the yarn through to the front before you purl your stitch. If this advice is unclear, search it online for a knitting video to show exactly what I mean

[tamugrad02]

I think I got it figured out.....I was trying to bring the yarn over (from front to back) under the work rather through the needles....so far it seems to be working....I'll keep going on my swatch to see how it turns out......

[Creations248]

Exactly, you need to take the yarn through the needles to move it back to front - NOT over. Taking it over will create holes and extra stitchs. Now, if you wanted to do a YO (yarn over) you would take it over the needle to make and increase and a hole. That is only one type of increase usually used in lace.

[tamugrad02]

Thanks for the help! I'm about 10 rows in to my swatch and it's looking good...having to work on my tension a little bit, but that's why we practice.....I guess I'm making a potholder this go-round..LOL.

[Creations248]

Potholders are a great place to start. Or facecloths. Can never have too many of those either.

[tamugrad02]

I finished the potholder.....it's tiny cause I get bored easily with projects like that, but it eventually started looking really good. I think I've got the whole knit to purl to knit thing down now. My tension is looking good....so I started my first project.

 

I have a friend that wants me to make him a Hallowig http://www.knitty.com/issuefall04/PATThallowig.html

thats where this whole knitting thing came from. I've known how to do the basic knit stitch since I was a kid (my dad taught me the knit stitch and the single crochet in the same sitting, and then bought me my first pair of knitting needles and a crochet hook....I was 7) but never bothered to learn anything else.......so here we are.

 

It will be nice to eventually be able to say I can knit just as well as I can crochet.......

[goodie2shoes]

Bwahhaa that pattern !!!

I looked over the pattern and to complete it you will have to learn these decreases

ssk, k2tog,p2tog, and how to do a 3-needle BO and a backward loop cast on,and you must learn to work on dpns or circs

 

I am a newbie don't worry the first ones are just decreases similar to decreases in crocheting once you understand that it is less intimidating.You learned the knit stitch and the purl Heck now it is just the those two stitches decreased increased or combinations of the two. Oh and slip stitch is just slipping the stitch from the one needle to the other, there are videos here about the decrease stitches and the 3 needle bind off for ending your work, the backward loop cast on also called a single cast on is here just one more way to get yarn on your needle, I will post one on dpns and circs in a minute. gotta find a good one. well there are a couple here for circs and here. For DPN they both achieve the same thing but some knitters use only DPN and some only circs some, use circs for one thing and DPN for another, you will have to find your preference. I like both but then.........I'm new to this thing, I like circs with a good flexible cord like addi turbos and I use lace needles they are pointier! Ok just a few more things to practice for the wigs for Halloween. If you get stuck shout out!!!

[Knit Happens]

That pattern is just too cute; also when I learned to knit I was searching the net and came across it. I think one can never be too ambitious...this isn't brain surgery and if we make errors we're not going to "kill the patient". Practice, practice, practice. I can't stress that enough. While your making the pink "wig/hat" work on small swatches in between, as you probably will encounter some bordom as most of us do on a larger project. I used to sit at night "watching" t.v. while practicing my knitting and purling until the tension was consistent...now I'm pretty fearless. As goodie2 wrote, once you've got the knit and purl stitches down, you're good to go...it is just a matter of following how to put them together, increases and decreases. The net is such a wonderful treasure of resources. Good luck and welcome to the great world of knitting. I'd love to see a pic of the Hallowig when complete. Hugs, D

[goodie2shoes]

Yep you have half the battle down, keep going we will be your cheerleaders:cheer

[tamugrad02]

Wow!! Thanks for all the links Goodie2.......I will look into those as I need them. I looked into some of the stitches before I started the project, and none of them looked too hard.....of course, I had problems with the purl stitch, so we'll see....LOL. I will absolutely post a picture of the Hallowig when I'm done with it......I already have another knitting project in mind too.....