1st pattern on circular needles...I'm SO confused

schwip · 04-18-2008, 07:56 PM

My first project on circular needles (which I love) was a garter stitch afghan with a super bulky yarn and it turned out great. Now I am trying to knit a baby afghan in a simple basketweave stitch and I am getting soooo confused. I am doing flat knitting on the circ's and swapping my needles every row. Then I looked for answers on the net, just randomly and that got me more confused. So for the question...

My pattern:
Rows 1-10: K
Rows 11-20: K5, *K10, P10*, K5
Rows 21-30: K5, *P10, K10*, K5

Pretty basic. But everytime I go to switch the pattern I get all confused and end up knitting when I am supposed to purl and the stitches look backwards so I unknit and redo them the other way and they still don't match up. I am to the point I don't know what I am doing anymore.

So I saw a few things on the net about there being a right and wrong way to hold the circular needles, and that knitting every row actually produces stockinette stitch and the knit and purls are backwards. Ugh...

Sorry this is so long but it is hard to describe in writing. Can someone help me sort this out...Please! THANK YOU!

P.S. This blanket is for my new grandson that is supposed to be born in 5 weeks but they are at the hospital as we speak inducing her...Double Ugh!

Suzanne

scmomof4 · 04-19-2008, 01:07 AM

Okay, since you aren't knitting "in the round" (you are just going back and forth) you SHOULD NOT "switch the pattern" just because you are using circular needles. Follow the directions exactly as listed and all will be good. I promise.

The stuff on the net that you read is just for if you are actually knitting in the round (you never flip your work and the stitches are "connected.")

Your pattern has blocks of alternating stockinette and reverse stockinette with a garter stitch border. So on row 12-20 you are knitting into the purl stitches of the row before and purling into the knit stitches of the row before. You will swap the blocks in row 21 and then continue to knit in the purl and purl in the knit.

schwip · 04-19-2008, 01:11 AM

What you said is exactly what I was doing and what I thought I should be doing except for one thing...the pattern says that for the ten rows of the block to knit the knits and purl the purls, then on row 11 (or 21, ext), knit the purl and purls the knits for one row and then repeat exactly.

Is this what you are saying? Or are you saying that in the block of 10 rows that I should be alternating each row?

Also, thank you so much for helping me. Everyone is so nice here!

cam90066 · 04-19-2008, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Is this what you are saying? Or are you saying that in the block of 10 rows that I should be alternating each row?

For 10 rows work the sts AS THEY APPEAR. If it's a K (the 'V') K it. If is the P (little bump) P it. When you want to change to the other portion of the basketweave st, you have to do just the opposite for the first row of the next set of 10. K the Ps, P the Ks. Then 9 rows of working AS THEY APPEAR. Alternate so that after each 10 rows you work the 'switching' row.

cam

schwip · 04-19-2008, 04:06 AM

Great, that is exactly what I thought. Thank you for taking the time to clarifying this for me.

Don't you just hate new knitters!

gingerbread · 04-19-2008, 01:50 PM

Nope, you keep us on our toes.

Knit4Fun · 04-19-2008, 06:35 PM

It can be really confusing to do a pattern like that...and I get all messed up counting sometimes, so what helps me is to look at the row above so when it says knit the knits and purl the purls, you know that the knit stitches look like Vs and the purl stitches look like pearls, so you can keep track that way and then you just have to be aware of when to change out the pattern by keeping a row count. That's saved me quite a few times...

Good luck!