question regarding patttern...please help!

[hedgewick]

I'm working on my first project that isn't a scarf or hat. It's a rug I saw on the DIY show Knitty Gritty (love it!). However, I am not sure I'm doing the stitch right. Here's the link to the pattern. http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_nee...059463,00.html

I am working on my first tube but the end stitches are very loose and there doesn't seem to be a way to tighten it up. Is there a trick to this? I tried watching the video they have on the site but it doesn't seem to work. I'm fairly new to this and have never knit using any kind of "slip" before so I want to be sure it's right before I do a bunch of these strips. It's taking forever! The rest of the knitting looks good. Just the ends (first and last stitches on each row) are loose. Thanks for any help you might have.

[HeatherFeather]

if you give an extra little tug on the second stitch you do for each row, it should tighten things up some. Also, when you pull your yarn fwd, give that an extra little pull too. You'll get into a rhythm. KellyK did some double knit, she might have some advise too!!!

[knitncook]

You may also be knitting on too large of needles for the size yarn you are using. I know that the directions say to use a 10.5, but it may be that you need smaller needles for your yarn. This rug is very "leftover stash oriented" so while the designer may have used 10.5's for her rug you may need 8's for yours. Do a test swatch with different needles and see. YOu can always frog the swatches since this is for a rug afterall.

[hedgewick]

thanks for the ideas. I think I may try a smaller needle. The yarn I'm using is kinda thin. The pattern wasn't very specific about yarn size so I'll just have to (sigh) do a swatch. Thanks.