Beginner knitter, problem with adding extra stitches

[knightknitter]

Hi Fellow knitters,

I'm very new to knitting, but so far i've found it a really fun way past the time - especially when i can't sleep. I'm currently on my second project after completing a micro scarf. This time i'm attempting a normal scarf; everytime i get to the last stitch on my left hand needle - i knit the stitch onto the right needle and drop down the hoop from the left. As a result i keep gaining an extra stitch for every row that i complete, which isn't particularly attractive! Can anyone care to enlighten me as to what i'm doing wrong?

[Ingrid]

There is a sticky in the How-To on this, but I suspect that your yarn might be in the back, showing you the two loops of the underside of the first stitch.

Bring your yarn to the front and see if there's a difference.

[gal51]

When you knit that last stitch on a row a lot of times the yarn isn't tight and makes a little "loop" at the end, but when you continue knitting it works itself out, if that makes sense. I am wondering if you are knitting that loop rather than the actual stitch when you begin a new row? That's what came to my mind when I read your question. If so, you need to make sure each time you begin a new row that you are knitting/purling into the stitch rather than the little "loop". With practice you won't even have to think about it, you'll just know right away where the stitch is. I hope that helps!

[knightknitter]

Thanks for your tips!

I think you were right Gal51 - the loop at the end of the row just looked really wrong to me, so i guess i must have been knitting the loop to make it less unsightly!

So the loops should tighten up as i knit?

Btw i love this forum! It's so helpful. Much to you guys.

Peter X

[gal51]

Yes, those little loops will tighten up ... and you'll get better at it the more that you knit. As a matter of fact I was looking at my knitting this morning as I was working on something and looked for what I was talking about. I don't really make the little loops anymore because my knitting has gotten much better - that has happened with more experience.

What made me start paying attention to making sure I was knitting the stitch itself was a video on here teaching how to purl. She talked about how easy it is to purl into that loop and how to pull your yarn down to make sure you grab the stitch instead. Ever since then I have always made sure I stitched the stitch

Have fun!!

[suzeeq]

At the beginning of the row, if you make sure your yarn is pulled off to the edge instead of over the top to the back, you'll be ready for either a knit or a purl and avoid mistaking the end stitch for two stitches.