New knitter needs help!

[kk1]

Hi -
I have recently learned how to knit, but when I try to knit a section, I ALWAYS come out with a ridge very other row. I have watched the videos on this site, and I am doing just what it says. Any help?

Also, where can I find some easy, free patterns online?

Thanks!
K

[Sara]

If you knit every row, you are making a pattern called garter stitch, it will be equally ridgy on both sides.

I suspect you are frustrated because you expect to see rows of VVVVVV, correct? In that case, you need to do one row of knitting and the next row must be purled. This pattern is called stockinette. You may want to take a look at the videos on this site to see what you should do.

Good luck!

[Ingrid]

When you knit every row, you're supposed to have a ridges on both sides.

When you knit on one side, a purl row appears on the other. So when you knit every row, as you turn it back and forth, you're seeing the knit side you knit and the purl side that appeared on the back. This is what's called garter stitch.

For stockinette stitch, where there's a smooth side and a bumpy side, you knit one row and purl one row. All the knit v's are on one side and all the purl bumps are on the other.

You didn't do anything wrong.

[Norman]

And since KellyK hasn't come in to pimp out the site yet.. here I go..

Lots of free patterns here:

Knitting Pattern Central

[tigger0229]

welcome k!

[knitncook]

If I'm reading this right, you are saying that you will have a nice row of V's and then a ridge? If so, it sounds like you have purled where you should have knit or knit where you should have purled. An easy way to remember if you are on the right side (RS) or wrong side (WS) is to take a safety pin and slip it through a few of the stitches on the RS. So when you flip your work, get into the habit of looking down at the bottom to see if there is a safety pin. If no pin, then purl. If a pin, then knit. It can be confusing the first few rows. And even some of us "old timers" have been known to get daffy and forget what we are doing. :thinking:

[kk1]

Thanks for your help - I think I need to knit one, purl one!

Thanks alot!
K

[Holly]

R U sure you don't mean that you need to knit a row and then purl the next row? (Stockinette Stitch)

P.S. One of my first projects was a scarf for my son all done in stockinette stitch (so I could practice my purling!). I had to laugh when I later heard that type of scarf referred to on this forum as a "tube scarf"...cuz that is exactly what happened!

[Norman]

Yeah it will curl on ya if you don't have a border of some sort.. but sometimes that's the intended effect