Loose stitches that make a ladder

[taylorsmommie]

I'm a beginning knitter, and I'm trying to knit a scarf to match a hat I made for my son. I'm doing it in stockinette stitch edged with a 5 stitch border of garter stitch. On the left side, right between the 5th knit stitch and the next purl stitch it is not tight, and is just making a ladder, and I can't tighten it up. The right side is fine, it's the left side that's always loose. I'm using size 10 needles and some Red Heart worsted yarn. Can someone tell me how to fix this, please? I'm making sure that I'm not doing a yarn over, and it's not a dropped stitch.

:XX:

[TwoLeftNeedles]

When switching from purl stitch to knit, are you bringing the yarn back between the needles before knitting? (and bringing it forward between the needles to go from knit to purl?)

[taylorsmommie]

Yes, I'm doing that. The thing that is so puzzling to me is that it only seems to be doing it when I'm working on the wrong side at the stitch where it transitions from purling to knitting.

[Jan in CA]

I think it just takes practice. Plus keep going...you'll be surprised how it pulls together the more you knit.

[Ingrid]

Switching from purl to knit often can create a little gap. Just try to keep your yarn tight when you do the knit and keep your needles and stitches as close together as you can.

[nicolethegeek]

Since you are using a machine washable yarn, I would wash the scarf after you finish making it. There are various tricks to try and prevent the loose stitch that work with varying degrees of success. Regardless of that, after a few washings, most of the unequal pressure between the stitches {which causes the gaps} will have equalized, and you will have nice, even stitches.

[taylorsmommie]

Thanks so much to all of you for the great answers! I guess I'll just keep on going with it the way it is, I think if I have to take it out once more, I'll lose interest in it and never get it done!