holes in my knitting??

[cyori]

Hello, I'm Chris. I have just begun knitting in the last month. I love the yarn I have and I love the color sooo much. It is really inspiring.

I am loving knitting but have a question. I've casted on and have been knitting 20 or more rows but there are holes here and there. My friend told me that you need to undo what you've done and start from the good part. If this is the case, I will be doing that all the time. Do I really need to re-do or is there a way to fix the holes at the end??

Thank you for your help! Desperate beginner

[kalii2]

Holes are going to happen the first few times! It could be several things happening, most likely dropped stitches, or what is called a yarn over.
Both can be fixed, and both can be used as design elements!
First off, dropped stitches happen to even the most seasoned knitter, and are just what they sound like. You dropped the stitch off the needle. Either it didn't quite make it all the way over to the right needle, or it popped off the right needle after you got it there. There are several threads here on how to fix those after the fact, and I believe there is a video here too.
Yarn Overs happen when you have the position of the yarn backwards from the kind of stitch you are doing. For a knit stitch your strand of yarn should be out the back and you are inserting your right needle into the front of the loop of the first stitch on the left needle. A yarn over happens when the strand of yarn is in the front of your needles, but you still do a knit stitch (into the front of the loop on the left needle). It leaves a little hole, and also makes an extra "stitch".
Again, it can be fixed, but I've not gotten that one down yet, so search around for threads on how to fix boo-boo's and you should find a fix.

[suzeeq]

That's just due to uneven tension while knitting. Just get the stitches on your needle, and keep knitting. Continually redoing your knitting is very frustrating, so don't rip back. Don't worry about getting them perfectly even, that comes with practice and even then some might be looser than others. That's why you wash or block things when done which will even out the stitches quite a lot.

[miss_molly]

I'm a little worried about this...

For a knit stitch your strand of yarn should be out the back and you are inserting your right needle into the back of the loop of thefirst stitch on the left needle.

I agree, the yarn should be at the back, but for a knit stitch I insert the right needle into the FRONT of the loop on the first stitch on the left needle. Otherwise the knitted stitch will be twisted.

A yarn over could happen when the yarn is moved OVER the needle to bring it from front to back or from back to front. Yarn overs cause holes. The yarn should be moved BETWEEN the needles.

[cyori]

That is how I do it too:

quote "yarn should be at the back, but for a knit stitch I insert the right needle into the FRONT of the loop on the first stitch on the left needle." Just how I was taught. I don't know which is the "right" way or if there is a "right" way.

Thank you for your reply.

btw, my cat's name is Sophie : )

Chris

[miss_molly]

My 14 year old cat's name is Sofie!
My 1 year old cat is called Molly.
And MY name is Chris.

[cyori]

that's neat. I have one more cat named Lauren and a golden retriever named Maisie.

Nice to meet you Chris.

[kalii2]

haha you are correct, it was really late when I posted that.
I kept thinking something just wasn't quite right.
Thanks

[suzeeq]

No one should be held responsible for the content of posts made late in the evening. I posted on another board last night that your knitting should be smaller than the length of the circular needles....

[miss_molly]

I have one more cat named Lauren...

Hi Chris.... I had to do one more reply.... I don't have a Maisie here but my younger DAUGHTER is called Lauren!

If I get another cat I'll keep the name 'Maisie' in mind - might as well keep the name thing going!