Confused new knitter

[6kittiesmom]

I've recently learned to knit and this site is FABULOUS. I used a book and watched the videos. I did a practice piece of just knitting (no purling) just for practice. Bound it off and then went to start another one. I checked the video just for reminder and found out that i've been doing it wrong

I've been going into the BACK of the stitch rather than the front of the stitch to pick up my yarn. WHat in the world am i doing and how quickly do i need to unlearn this? I'm not sure where i went wrong - my knitting looks fair for a newbie.

[Ingrid]

When you knit into the back of the stitch, you create a twisted stitch. It's ok as long as you purl into the back, too, which is very awkward.

I think you'd do yourself a favor by learning to knit into the front of the stitch.

Knitting into the back is a technique used in some patterns, though, so you didn't learn it for nothing!

[kadishiraven]

Hey, don't worry, I did exactly the same thing when I first learned to knit... and I purled into the back of the stitch, too. I actually was trying to learn how to do twisted stitch patterns and realized the book was describing what I was doing before I even realized I was weird.

I've found that knitting this "wrong" way actually looks better if you ever knit on double-pointed needles, like socks.

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone in my weirdness! :D

I had to concentrate on sticking my needle into the loop, not under the loop... if that makes any sense at all.

[quirky]

Well now you are not alone in finding your technique to be a bit off when you are trying to learn. Its like trying how to pronounce a foreign word by sounding it out from print.

I am a new knitter too - daily I discover some oddity that I have been doing that makes my knitting life tougher than it has to be.
Today my big revelation was that (big gasp now) I knit across the back of the needle and purl across the front. Yes thats right, my wrong side faces me and the right side is away from me. In other words, I have been purling for my knits and knitting for my purls. (its ok - it only hurts when I think!)

Ingrid will probably remember how confused I was over cables. Well thats it dear - its hard to follow directions for "front" when all your front work is in the back. :rofling:

I just thought my trouble was that I am a lefty knitter - the truth is I am a dyslexic knitter.

[6kittiesmom]

I appreciate all the feedback and am glad to learn that i'm not a total doofus! I look forward to getting to know this forum better.