Inside Outside And Occasional Purls??

I'm still plugging along at my STILL UNFROGGED Bag ....

It's being done in the round ..... is the outside of the bag actually on the INSIDE of your circulars?? It just looks like the more finished look is inside ....

It says to do the occasional purl (pattern below on link) ... is this where it's helpful to have graph paper? Just doing them sporadically looks rather out of place ... I figure if I had graph paper I could do some form of pattern rather than end up with two purls close and then none for another inch or two.

Toby

[knitqueen]

Sounds like you're probably knitting inside out. When you hold your work on your circular needle, you want to hold it so that the needle tips are held closest to you and the cord and all the stitches are furthest from you. If you hold the needle tips away from you and the cord with the stitches closest to your body, you end up knitting on the inside of the tube. The best example ever, and I'll share it again, is that of drinking from a cup. You drink from the edge of the cup that's closest to you.

AGGH .. I'm doing it wrong!!! Will it still turn out? How on earth do you work it the other way?? I just turned it the right side out so I'd be stitching as you said and my working yarn (of course) is now on the left needle!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I HOPE I DON'T HEAR A FROG COMING ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toby

[knitqueen]

For this project, I'd say just keep at it the way you've been doing it. At the end you'll just turn it rightside out and it will be fine. For the future though, you know the "right" way to do it - that said, there are people who intentionally knit inside out because they find it easier. Try not to worry about it too much!

[Jan in CA]

I did the same thing when I first learned to use circulars. Just keep going and flip it right side out when you're done.

[auburnchick]

Toby,

That's how I knitted my sweater bag and first sock as well.

It probably happened when you made the join when you first cast on. You need to make sure you hold the needles close to you instead of away from you, then make the join.

I think where we get confused is that when we knit flat, we're used to the stitches we're working being farther away from our bodies. It's natural to join this way when working in the round the first couple of times.

Did you try turning your bag right-side out? Your needle tips should be right in front of you instead of pointing outward, toward your knees.

Here is the bag right side out .. this is how I've been knitting it but the stitches are tight and awkward ... and of course if I turn it around so the needles are close to me, the working yarn is on the left side ....

I do plan to make another one of these bags as I have some more yarn of this thickness and I just enjoy working in the round ... I'll sure have to watch it or have someone show me how to join properly so I don't do this again ...

Is there any way of knitting it correctly now? Or is all you can do just plug along with it?

Toby

[redwitch]

What you're saying is that knitting it the usual way, right side out, is not easy for you, and knitting it the less-common way is more comfortable.

So you have two choices. 1 - Knit it the right way round until you have become comfortable with knitting in the round.

2 - Knit it the other way, which is more comfortable for you.

Choose the option you prefer. Sarah.

If I knit it with the needles close to me, the bag is inside out ... if I knit it with the needles far from me, it's right side out.

Toby

[knitqueen]

If you really want to start knitting it the "right" way, this is what I'd do. Flip it right side out - now your working yarn is on the wrong stitch (ie. the stitch on the left needle has the working yarn). Slip that stitch from the left needle to the right needle without actually knitting it and then keep going. You might be left with a small gap, but you could either just ignore it or stitch it closed when all is said and done.