I am so confused!

[joyous]

I'm learning to knit by watching youtubes and looking at websites, and I'm confused about how I'm supposed to end a row and begin the next.

Also, I want it to end up looking like this: http://potlikker.typepad.com/bekka/images/dsc09369.jpg

And instead it's ending up looking this this: http://www.theyarnco.com/images/illu...ons/purl_2.gif

What am I doing wrong and can someone direct me to some easy to follow instructions (a video would be ideal) please? Anything you can tell me to help me figure this out would be great appreciated!

[SandraEllen]

What you're getting is the result of knitting every row..
If you want it too look the other way, you need to learn the purl stitch.

then you knit one row, purl one row, knit one row, purl one row...

Since you've found the videos on how to knit, you should be able to find the ones on how to purl

hope that helps!!!

good luck!

[SandraEllen]

oh yeah. what you're currently knitting is called garter stitch and what you want to do is called stockinette.

[Jenn_Knitter]

Hey there. It's hard to tell from your last photo if that is a stockinette stitch or a 1x1 rib stitch. But I think what you're talking about is you want a stockinette stitch. Like this:



When you knit across your row and you have worked the final stitch and now all of the stitches are on your right-hand needle and your left-hand needle is empty all you do is switch hands. Now the needle with the stitches is back in your left hand and your right needle is empty.

To work a stockinette stitch you knit all of the stitches on one row. Switch hands and work the next row entirely in the purl stitch. You do one row knit, one row purl. To easily tell what side you're on just look at your stitches. If the side you're looking at and about to work with has little "v"s then you need to knit all the way across. If it looks like little waves of bumps, you need to purl.

[joyous]

I think you hit the nail on the head with the rib stitch.

Should I use this method? http://youtube.com/watch?v=NU_Wj9GqS4Y

[SandraEllen]

umm... I wouldn't. that looks trickier than it needs to be.

If you look at the videos here on this site, go to Basic Techniques/more here and then scroll down to basic stitch patterns and click on the link for the ribbing video.
what she shows is a Knit 2, Purl 2 ribbing. You want a Knit 1, Purl 1 ribbing which just means that you knit 1, purl 1, and repeat that.

[joyous]

Okay, I'll practice that. If I have trouble figuring out how to end one row and begin another I may make a video so someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong. lol

thanks