Tight knitter woes

[kittykins]

All I can say is, "I wish you luck!" I have been looking for a leaf pattern for a scarf. Thought I had finally found exactly what I wanted on the internet. It even has videos for each row of the pattern! Seemed perfect. However there's one drawback.....it has this p2tog-tbl stitch in it!!! From what I've been hearing, and from seeing it on the video I'm now thinking that I'll just keep looking. There's a katrillion patterns out there....one will eventually pop up that fits my skill level.

[KnitsKnacks]

My wife's mom was helping me to get past the casting on because I was getting frustrated and getting no where. She looked at me at the end of it and said, "Brian, you need to RELAX!" Boy, was she right. If I make a stitch too tight, I have learned how to loosen up on the next row.

My big thing is learning how to knit evenly and how to fix any mistakes without frogging and starting over.

[ArtLady1981]

Whenever I've taught a newbie to knit...tight cast-ons and tight knitting kinda comes with the territory. I think it's nerves at bit.

But here's what I've found to be a great remedy:

I teach them to cast on LOOSELY. If they can't quite cast on evenly and loosely,
we go to PLAN B: using a larger needle size for the cast on.

Tight cast ons result in tight knitting for sure.

If the cast on row is loose (not sloppy, just loose enough so that the needle can slide back and forth inside the cast on stitches), the knitting will be LESS TIGHT than otherwise.

If you are gonna use, let's say, a US8 for your next swatch...then cast on with a US10 and keep the tension just as tight as you want.

But when you begin row 1 of the swatch, use your US8.

If you don't like that, then use a US9 to cast on, and the US8 to knit.

Swatches are so helpful!

[VictoiseC]

Lots of things sound intimidating at first, like purling 2 tog through the back loops. but after you do it a few times, say 10, I think you would be doing it just fine. It's important to loosen that yarn up when you go in, think "I'm the boss not you!" Really, I used to be afraid of some of these things and now I'm flying!