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Knitting Techniques

3 Beginner Knitting Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Published on March 11, 2014 By Davina | May contain affiliate links (whats this?)

3 beginner knitting mistakes

You’ve decided to take up knitting. Good for you! You’ve mastered how to knit and you’re chugging along, happily knitting a little garter stitch scarf or cowl.

Everything’s copacetic until you realise that you’ve dropped a stitch – ack! – or you’ve added extra stitches – where did those come from? – or maybe your knitting’s awesome except that it’s so tight you practically sprain a muscle trying to get your needle into the stitches.

As frightening as these scenarios sound, you are not alone!

Past and future knitters have and will be making these same mistakes. So, when you encounter them, don’t freak out.

Knitting mistakes are part of the natural course of things. So, let’s take a closer look at these common beginner bugaboos and the best ways to fix them.

Knitting Mistake 1: Dropped Stitches

At some point you will drop a stitch. It’s an unfortunate fact of life as certain as death and taxes.

You’ll recognise a dropped stitch by a long tear in your fabric and a wayward stitch at the bottom. When this happens, don’t panic!

As frightening as it looks – so sad and helpless, like a child fallen into a well – it’s nothing to fret about.

On stockinette and garter stitch it takes less than a minute to fix, and when you’re done no one will be any the wiser!

Panic Level: LOW

Click This: For a more detailed guide on how to fix a dropped stitch, check out this post I put together with a photo guide.

Knitting Mistake 2: Adding Stitches

At some point, you might look down at your knitting and think,“Whoa! Why do I have so many stitches on my needle?”

You’ve got more stitches than you cast on! You, my friend, have accidentally added extra stitches to your knitting.

This knitting mistake happens to most beginner knitters, so don’t beat yourself up about it. There’s one way to fix an added stitch, but it requires that you keep your eyes peeled so that you catch the little sneak before it gets embedded into your knitting.

Panic Level: MODERATE

Click This: For a more detailed guide on how to fix extra stitches, check out this post I wrote with a photo guide.

Knitting Mistake 3: Tight Knitting

When you’re first starting out as a knitter, you’re excited, nervous and kind of happy. Knitting is fun, after all!

But sometimes the nervous side takes over and you start gripping your needles and pulling at your yarn. You’re scared  your stitches will fall off.

But the problem is that your knitting is so tight you can barely get your needles into the stitches. You’re going to pull a muscle if you don’t take it easy!

Below, three ways to loosen up tight knitting.

Panic Level: DON’T PANIC

Click This: For a more detailed guide, check out this post that I put together on tight knitting.

How to Prevent Knitting Mistakes?

The best way to prevent these three common knitting mistakes is to frequently admire your work. It’s not narcissistic. It’s just good knitting sense!

If something looks funky, stop and investigate. Did you accidentally do a yarn over? Are you knitting on the tips of your needles?

Like weird skin rashes, ignoring knitting problems rarely makes it go away. So, be vigilant! And when you need to rip back your work, take a deep breath and rip, rip, rip.

Lastly, don’t even think about getting upset when you make a mistake. The person who never made a mistake never made anything. So make mistakes!

Mistakes mean you’re creating, and that’s a heckuva lot better than doing nothing.

“The person who never made a mistake never made anything. So make mistakes! It means you’re creating.” Tweet this

If you’re a new knitter, I hope you’re getting the hang of it! Let me know if you encounter any of these three knitting mistakes, and if there are others that I haven’t covered, leave ’em in the comments!

knitting mistake on blue knitting

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Filed Under: Knitting Techniques Date: March 11, 2014

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Comments 88

  1. Virginia Chapin says

    August 31, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    Hi Davina,
    I just ripped my work to zero because I couldn’t figure out where I added an extra stitch!!! It’s not that I didn’t look. But I couldn’t see it. And it wasn’t a yarn over :'[ So back to cast on.
    This is sooooo helpful. Now I know how to spot them and correct them … My books were not as clear as your videos. Thank you soooo much

    Reply
    • Davina says

      August 31, 2014 at 10:51 pm

      Hey Virginia! Glad I can help!

      The thing with mistakes is that if you make them enough, you’ll eventually be able to spot them a mile away – and fix them really easily!

      Reply
    • David says

      November 29, 2015 at 12:43 pm

      I have realized, that at times (especially if I knit too tightly) I have actually created a stitch but cutting right into the yarn. Essentially turning previously one stitch into two. We learn from our mistakes! 🙂

      Reply
  2. April T says

    November 17, 2014 at 2:28 am

    Hi! Thanks a lot for this. I am a total beginner, and have started working on a muffler for my first project. Unfortunately, I have missed a stitch and don’t know where or how to locate it. The video you’ve posted here is not viewable to me as video content is blocked at my university. Please help if you can.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 9, 2014 at 3:17 am

      Hi April, Yikes! It’ll be hard to illustrate how to pick up a missed stitch without being able to view the video! Is YouTube completely blocked at your university?

      Reply
  3. Roberta says

    November 19, 2014 at 9:25 pm

    Hello – I am making a slouchy hat and when I was doing the increase round I counted two extra stitches. I should only have 60 stitches. The two extra are at the beginning of what will be knit rounds. Should I knit these two together or take them off ? Thanks for your help.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 9, 2014 at 3:40 am

      If you’re not to far into your knitting, I would just rip out the stitches and try the increase round again. Once you increase to 60 sts, stop increasing. Don’t add in any more stitches since 60 is exactly what you need. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. Fancy says

    November 29, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    I’m making a slouchy hat with a 16 row lace pattern within it, so there’s lotsa holes and yarnovers and s2kp. This last round I was one stitch short. I must have dropped a stitch, but I can’t find it.

    Help!

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 9, 2014 at 3:57 am

      Hey Fancy, Holes, yarnovers and S2KPs, oh my! You’re in Lace Country! To be honest, I’m not sure how to help you find your dropped stitch since I can’t see your knitting or your pattern. The good news is that since you’re knitting lace, it’s unlikely anyone will notice that a stitch was dropped. I’m wary of telling you to add in an extra stitch by doing an MI because it may throw off your lace pattern entirely. Lace is tricky!

      That’s why many lace knitters will incorporate what are called “lifelines” every few repeats. This involves using a scrap piece of yarn (or sometimes dental floss for its smoothness) and weaving it into a row of your stitches. These basically “hold” the stitches so that if you make a mistake later on, you can rip back your work to your lifeline and pick up those stitches rather than ripping back all the way to the beginning (horror!). Just remember to mark down the row where you placed your most recent lifeline so you know where to start your knitting should you need to rip back to that lifeline.

      So, going forward, I would suggest using lifelines in your lace knitting until you feel super comfortable with the lace pattern. Hope this helps! And best of luck navigating Lace Country!

      Reply
  5. Suzanne Thime says

    January 3, 2015 at 11:41 am

    Knitting a dishcloth “Truly Tectured” and all pulls were on the right side. Now I come back to it and the purls are on the wrong side. Can’t figure out what I am doing wrong.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      January 9, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      Hey Suzanne, maybe you purled on the on the wrong row? That’s my best guess! You might want to rip back to the place where the knitting looks OK and then take it from there, provided that you can find your place in the pattern again!

      Reply
  6. Michelle says

    January 25, 2015 at 10:14 pm

    Hello, Davina. As a complete beginner, the clear demonstrations in your videos helped me fix a little mistake in my first project while panicking and helped me loosen up my knitting.

    I cannot thank you enough, honestly!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      February 24, 2015 at 3:32 am

      That’s awesome! Glad I could help you out of your knitting snafu. I totally relate to the panic!

      Reply
  7. Vanessa says

    August 20, 2015 at 11:05 pm

    Hi Davina, how are you.
    Your videos have been great
    I am a beginner and I’m stuck
    I have been adding stitches and yes I have seen that video and went back to fix my work but I have been picking up stitches when I go from knit to a stocking stitch. So I knit 3 stitches then I go to do a stocking stich and I end up with 5 not four. Please help
    Thanks Vanessa

    Reply
    • Davina says

      October 9, 2015 at 9:05 pm

      Hey Vanessa! My advice would be to be really careful about each stitch you knit! Before you start a new row, make sure you’re starting with the right number of stitches. Then, make sure that the stitches that you knit are actually stitches and not an area *between* your stitches. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  8. Jheri says

    September 20, 2015 at 10:25 pm

    Thanks so much for the tip about tight knitting! I am a beginner knitter and I’m using 5mm steel needles with super tight stitches. So I really appreciate the advice that I should try out some bamboo needles and thicker yarn. I’m excited to test that out and see if it helps. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      September 23, 2015 at 1:21 am

      Thanks Jheri! Glad I can help. As your hands get used to knitting and learn the “language” of knitting, they will naturally relax and grip the needles less tightly, resulting in less tight stitches. Good luck!

      Reply
  9. Jonaye says

    September 24, 2015 at 12:09 am

    Hi Davina!
    Thank you so much for posting these videos of what can, what might and what WILL happen.
    I am experiencing all the above (lol). I spend more time ripping apart my work than actually knitting something! What I will ask is for a beginner, who has never ever knitted a day in her life, what type of knitting needles should someone like me start off with? I have a 14 inch size 15 needles…… we’re not getting along 🙁 In addition, I’m having problems trying to hold these needles. Please make a video on several ways to hold knitting needles.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      October 8, 2015 at 11:09 pm

      Hey Jonaye,

      Maybe the US 15 needles are a bit too bulky for you. You can try a 5mm or 6mm. They’re not so small that you have to grip them hard and not so big that you feel clumsy holding them. I recommend starting with bamboo needles because they are less slippery than steel needles. They have more surface drag, so the stitches are less likely to fall off.

      Ways to hold knitting needles! That’s a thought! I’ll throw that on my list of tutorial ideas. Thanks!

      Reply
  10. Pamela says

    November 5, 2015 at 5:04 am

    Hi there. Thanks so much for the videos. I’m having another problem. I am knitting a cowl on a round. I N10 and P10 and I’m noticing that the junction between that knit stitch and purl is getting loser and loser. I have increased the tension but it doesn’t seem to be helping. I’ve also started doing a reverse purl stitch as that makes the stitches tighter. But all in all the problem is continuing. Any suggestions?

    Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      November 12, 2015 at 6:15 pm

      Hey Pamela, is the gap occurring at the cast on edge only? If so, you can easily close up that gap by weaving in the tail end of your yarn from the longtail cast on and closing up the gap that way. If the gap is travelling up your knitting at the join, then the problem could be your stitch marker. Is it quite wide? I find that a big stitch marker can unintentionally widen that gap. You can try to use just a piece of string tied in a loop as a stitch marker and see if that doesn’t help. The other option is to upload a photo of your work so that I can see exactly what’s going on!

      Reply
  11. LaNell Day says

    November 20, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    HELP! I am knitting a scarf, alternately lacy for 10 rows, then garter stitch for 10 rows, starred with 5 rows of garter stitch and the sides are developing a slant. What causes this and how can I correct it other than blocking when I am finished. Thank you for your help.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      November 23, 2015 at 1:35 am

      Hey LaNell! It really depends on your pattern! Some lace patterns have a bias, meaning that they will slant to the left or right if the decreases aren’t evened out. For instance, if the pattern only has right-leaning decreases, guess which side the lace will lean towards? Sometimes this is the design of the pattern and sometimes it’s a matter of adding in a right or left-leaning decrease so that you have an even number of both right and left decrease. I would try to contact the pattern writer first as she or he can probably give you the best insight!

      Reply
  12. Maria says

    December 8, 2015 at 5:16 am

    So I have increased (accidentally) by 8 stitches can I just do a decrease to get the extra ones off? I have knitted 5 rows of 77 stitches and I am NOT starting over. I don’t see any holes but I think my thread split so it looked like I had dropped a stitch (it was hanging on by a thread of the yarn) so I grabbed it up and knitted that sucker. I am thinking decrease two on each end. I’m doing my first hat!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 9, 2015 at 7:29 am

      Hey Maria, First hat! Good job! As for your increased stitches… to be honest, I would personally just rip out the work and redo it since you’re only 5 rows in. I know it feels like a lot since you’ve got 77 stitches, but to increase by 8 stitches means that you’ve increased over 10% of your total number of cast on stitches!

      If you really don’t want to redo, you can decrease those extra stitches away so that you’re back to 77 stitches. For instance, you can do 8 k2togs evenly across a row. Just beware that doing this may cause some puckering.

      Hope this helps, and good luck with your hat!

      Reply
  13. Rach says

    December 13, 2015 at 5:55 pm

    So I’m knitting my second project, a simple scarf… And I started with 22 stitches, I’m up to 29! Lol it’s not completely obvious (to me at least) and have no clue where they came from! Do you count your stitches every row?

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 15, 2015 at 1:06 am

      Hey Rach! If you find that mysterious stitches are appearing in your work, it’s likely that you’re accidentally adding them! I have a video on why this happens and what to do about them: https://youtu.be/1oP6EyCT93g

      As for whether I count my stitches every row, I don’t do that unless there’s an increase row or a decrease row in my pattern at which point the pattern will tell you the new number of stitches you should have.

      I’d suggest that you keep an eye on your rows as you knit them to make sure you’re not accidentally slipping in a new stitch here or there. It’s a pretty common mistake for new knitters to bring their yarn up front as if to purl, and then knit into the next stitch. That accidental yarn up front ends up turning into a new stitch (and also a hole!), and that’s how new stitches end up popping up in your work.

      Hope this helps!

      Reply
  14. Liz says

    December 15, 2015 at 6:50 am

    Thank you very much for your simple videos. I’m a total beginner and found you while searching for info about picking up extra stitches. I’ve realised now that I’m actually picking up stitches when I swap between a knit row and a purl row by putting the yarn in the wrong position when I start. This gives me an extra loop to work with so I pick up a new stitch every other line (I managed an extra 4 before I realised). I’m guessing there is nothing I can do about it now that I have moved on but advice would be good.

    I’m not too bothered about what I’ve done so far as I’m just practicing and not actually making anything properly yet.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 16, 2015 at 9:29 pm

      Hey Liz!

      It’s good that you realised where the problem starts. I’m assuming that you bring your yarn to the front of your needle as if to purl when you actually plan of knitting. When you knit into the next stitch, you create a new stitch from that strand of yarn (aka. a “yarn over”). Is that right?

      This is a very common mistake for new knitters. There’s no real hack for this beyond remembering to bring your yarn to the back of your work when you start knitting.

      You can always double check at the end of each row to make sure that you haven’t added new stitches. Counting is one option. You can also spread out your stitches on your needle and look for that added yarn over. It looks literally like a strand of yarn draped over the needle at an angle. It looks different from your normal stitches, which normally sit “straight” on the needle.

      Beyond this, it takes a bit of old fashioned practice! I find that once your hand gets the hang of a knit stitch and a purl stitch, it will naturally bring the yarn up front for a purl and to the back for a knit. It’s muscle memory.

      I hope this helps! Good luck, Liz!

      Reply
  15. Barbara says

    December 29, 2015 at 12:21 am

    Hi Davina,
    I usually have the opposite problem to tight stitches. My knitting is very loose and my patterns come up much too big. If I try knitting tighter, then I have the tight stitch problem and can’t get the wool off the needle without spiking my fingers with the needle tips. I’ve been trying to knit a super chunky cardigan, but can’t go down a size as I’m already the smallest.
    I’ve found the video on picking up dropped stitches very useful, I have always had to undo my work and start again.

    Reply
  16. Chelsea says

    January 3, 2016 at 10:36 pm

    You have saved my life! I was so close to giving up. Thank you. These videos were the most direct, simple (and adorably humerous) that I’ve found on the web. I’m decent at basic crochet and recently learned to knit via the Internet. It’s been so frustrating. Thanks so much for your help! I shall knit to see another day. ?

    Reply
    • Davina says

      January 8, 2016 at 7:38 pm

      Aww, thanks! I’m so glad they helped you out. If there’s another knitting problem that you need help with, let me know! I’m always on the look out for good tutorial subjects!

      Reply
  17. Diana says

    January 9, 2016 at 7:17 am

    Thank you, I was making my work so tight I could not get my needle in the next stitch you video really helped. I went out and bought bamboo needles and with your help I am doing a lot better

    Reply
  18. Amber says

    January 10, 2016 at 4:28 am

    Hi Davina,
    I love your site, it is so simple and easy to use.
    I am knitting leg warmers and cast off the first one.
    I forgot how many stitches I cast on.
    Now I don’t know how many to do for the next one!
    Please, help.
    Thank You

    Reply
    • Davina says

      January 13, 2016 at 8:08 pm

      Hey Amber, I would suggest counting up the stitches from the cast on edge. If you worked a ribbing like a 1×1 or a 2×2 ribbing, then you can count them up easily. A v-shape stitch is a knit stitch and a U-shaped stitch is purl stitch. A 1×1 ribbing means you’ll have an even number of stitches. A 2×2 ribbing means you’ll have a multiple of 4 as your cast on stitches. Does that help?

      Reply
      • Amber says

        January 14, 2016 at 4:08 pm

        Hi Davina,
        Thanks! That does help, the way that I started to count, I was off 10 stitches. It would have been too long. You are the best. I hope it doesn’t take me a year to do the second leg warmer.
        Have a great week-end.
        Amber

        Reply
  19. Holly says

    January 12, 2016 at 6:05 am

    That was so much help! I started a knit with 20 stitches and when i noticed I then had 40!! stitches I had no idea what I was doing wrong. Thank you very much x

    Reply
    • Davina says

      January 13, 2016 at 8:09 pm

      You’re very welcome! Glad it helped!

      Reply
  20. Sara Davis says

    February 3, 2016 at 4:49 pm

    Hi Davina,
    I just started knitting and I’m on my second practice swatch. After casting on and knitting my first row of stitches, I can’t help but notice that the length of yarn between my two needles slowly gets longer. This didn’t happen on my first attempt and I can’t seem to find the source of error.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      February 22, 2016 at 1:40 am

      Hey Sara,

      I’m not sure I can picture what you mean by the length of yarn between your two needles getting longer? Do you mean that the yarn between your stitches is quite loose? Is this happening on your second row. If you used a backward loop cast on (also called the “easy cast on” in one of the How to Knit videos), then that’s pretty normal. This cast on will result in a looser first row and subsequent second row. If you continue knitting, the stitches will even themselves out. You can always upload a photo of your knitting in the comments if I’m not diagnosing this properly!

      Reply
  21. Paige says

    May 14, 2016 at 9:17 pm

    Hi Davina!

    Thank you very much for the videos. They are great. I’m following your beginner’s video right now and I have some problems. 🙁

    I’m using a set of 10 MM plastic needles, with 100% acrylic yarn.

    I casted the yarn as your video instructed. I could go on to the second step. But I get increasing yarn between the needles! And I can’t seem to knit the last loop (the one with the slipknot) properly. Please help!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      May 18, 2016 at 11:20 pm

      Hey Paige! If you’re adding new stitches, it could be because you’re making yarn overs by accident. I cover this rookie mistake in the second video. Basically, a lot of new knitters will accidentally bring their working yarn in front of the needle, as if to purl, and then knit into the next stitch. This yarn strand then forms a new stitch.

      As for not being able to knit into the last loop (the slip knot), is it because it’s slipping around and off your needle? If so, you can try to keep it in place with your left hand by using your finger to press down on the stitch while you insert your needle into it in order to knit it. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  22. Andrea says

    October 8, 2016 at 1:06 pm

    Hi, i’m just working on the beginner big cozy scarf from your video and i’ve been noticing the end stitches are a lot bigger loops than the rest, they kinda stick out more than i’d like and i can’t tell if that’s just how it’s supposed to be or if i messed up along the way! Any advice?

    Reply
    • Davina says

      October 17, 2016 at 11:36 pm

      Hey Andrea! Do you mean the stitches where you cast on are bigger loops? Or do you mean that the stitches on each side of your scarf?

      If you think the cast on edge is a bit loose, you can try casting on with the longtail cast on, which is a sturdier, less loose cast on: https://sheepandstitch.com/longtail-cast-on/

      If you mean that the stitches on each side of your scarf are loose, are you slipping the first stitch of each row? This creates a neat, tight edge, so if you’re not doing that, give that a try. Alternatively, some people find that they like garter stitch without slipping the first stitch, so you can try that as well.

      Lastly, it could just be a matter of tension! This means that you can give your yarn a little tug at the beginning of each row to make sure that the yarn isn’t loose and slack when you knit into your first stitch. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  23. Lisa says

    November 18, 2016 at 7:03 am

    I’m a new knitter. I’ve viewed your video about fixing extra stitches HOWEVER, my extra stitch mess is not resolved using the technique described in the video. I can’t find the extra stitch (all the stitches appear to be legit stitches). Additionally, I tried just dropping off the first stitch…didn’t work. After knitting a new row with the first stitch dropped, I’ve created a weird big loop on the side of my “scarf” :-)….Now what? So the next row, I picked up the “loop”….urrrghhhh it’s just becoming a bigger mess…can you help?

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 5, 2016 at 8:48 pm

      Hey Lisa,

      First, the extra stitches. If you have more stitches than you started out with, then you have added extra stitches. Your stitches may all look legit (as in there might not be holes), but if there are more stitches than the number you cast on, then somehow, those stitches have been added in.

      Now about dropping off the first stitch. Doing this doesn’t really help your problem of adding extra stitches. If you add an extra stitch, you can’t make up for it by dropping a stitch. This just results in a dropped stitch, which will create a big hole in your work that will ripple down your knitting.

      I’m not sure where you got the idea of dropping your first stitch. Maybe you’ve confused it with the concept of SLIPPING the first stitch? Knitters will slip the first stitch of their row in order to create a neat edge, but they don’t DROP the first stitch. Doing so, will result in a dropped stitch, which looks like a big loop (a stitch, essentially) that will just hang out on the side of your knitting and eventually unravel down.

      You mention that you’re a new knitter, so maybe this explanation is just more confusing and frustrating for you. What I would suggest is to rip out your work, painful as it is, and just start over. Get comfortable with knitting to a point where you’re not adding in or dropping stitches. This can be your practice knit. Take as long as you need. The practice knit doesn’t need to BE anything. It’s just a practice, so no pressure. Once you feel confident with your practice knit, then you can either unravel it or cast off and keep it as a token, and THEN you can officially start your scarf.

      In my opinion, the best way to not add new stitches is to practice knitting. Accidentally adding and dropping stitches is a classic beginner mistake, so the more you practice knitting, the less likely you are to make them. Hope this helps, and good luck!

      Reply
  24. Nelle Amos says

    November 18, 2016 at 11:38 am

    How does one start off with a nice tight (but not too tight, a just right tight) stitch and go to being so loose? It’s driving me insane! I’ve looked and looked for a problem, did I miss a stitch or add another but alas I am left stumped. Wish there was an option to show pictures. Please help!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 5, 2016 at 8:25 pm

      Hey Nelle! You can upload an image in the comment section here. Just underneath the “Comment” box there’s another button that allows you to add an image with your comment. Just choose an image from your computer to upload.

      Reply
  25. Katrina says

    November 19, 2016 at 10:56 pm

    Hi Davina! I just started knitting a week ago and thank you so much for your super informative videos. I have totally made all three mistakes while knitting the simple garter stitch scarf. I also noticed that my piece is curling at the edges. How do I prevent this from happening on my next piece? I’m using circular needles (10.5 cm) and bulky yarn. Is it due to I am tight knitting?

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 5, 2016 at 8:23 pm

      Hey Katrina! Curling, eh? Hm, that’s a bit unusual since garter stitch doesn’t typically curl inwards the way stockinette stitch does. It could be that you’re knitting tightly or that your needles are too small to accommodate your yarn, resulting in a tight fabric.

      If your scarf continues to curl after you’ve finished it, you can consider blocking it. Blocking involves dunking your scarf in room temperature water, letting it soak for about 10 minutes, pushing out all the water (not wringing it), and then laying your scarf out to dry on some towels. You can use sewing pins to pin down the edge of your scarf that’s curling. Your scarf will dry in the shape that it is laid out. It will also help to relax the yarn fibers, so if your knitting is very tight, blocking will help release some of that tension. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  26. Alicia says

    December 6, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    I am new to knitting and having trouble keeping my first row tight. Once I cast on my stitches and then turn my work. That first row is loose. Now matter how tight I try and hold the yarn it still has bigger loops and it’s only this row. Please help!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 10, 2016 at 4:02 am

      Hey! Sometimes this can happen when you cast on using the backward loop cast on (aka. the easy cast on). This is a great cast on for beginners because it’s easy to do, but it’s not the tightest or stretchiest cast on. To get a neat cast on, you can try the longtail cast on, which is a bit more difficult, but it’s a great all-purpose cast on that works for all projects: https://sheepandstitch.com/longtail-cast-on/

      Reply
  27. Dan says

    December 9, 2016 at 6:49 pm

    hello Davina,

    great site!

    also just learning. next step will be in the round knit one pearl one. anyway to the point.

    could you make a video on how to rip and getting the yarn back on the needle any tips and tricks to make that easier. i noticed that on your saving videos your “loops” are so clean and neat and consitant that it would look easy to re thread your needles after ripping off the needle mine are not yet so consitant

    thanks again for the good site

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 10, 2016 at 4:08 am

      Hey Dan! Great question! When you rip back your work and you have a bunch of “live” stitches that need to be picked up, you should pick them up so that they’re not twisted. This will ensure that your stitches are facing the right way. I made a video on this that you can check out here: https://youtu.be/d6MIfcxTIv8 Hope that helps!

      Reply
  28. Esteban says

    December 9, 2016 at 11:19 pm

    Today I tried staring the scarf that’s you made in a video with merino yarn, I couldn’t get passed the first row of stitches, I kept having a lot of slack when I would finish. Each stitch it would just grow in size. Any advice?

    Reply
    • Davina says

      December 10, 2016 at 4:09 am

      Hey Esteban! Hmm. That’s unusual. Could you upload a photo of your knitting? You can do that in the comment section underneath the text box. Just click “Choose File” and select a photo from your computer.

      Reply
      • Esteban says

        December 13, 2016 at 11:05 am

        I still cant get it. I sort of got it once, and the next row did the same thing.

        The loop in the picture, it’s just extra slack that I don’t know how to get rid of.

        Reply
  29. Gloria says

    August 16, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    Hi, Davina! So glad I discovered your website and blog. I am a relatively new knitter – still learning. When I first started knitting, I did tend to make my stitches too tight, especially the cast-on stitches. Lately, however, when checking gauge I notice that my stitches are much too LOOSE! Also, the gauge does not change at all when I re-try when smaller needles. Any suggestions?

    Reply
  30. Jakob says

    August 28, 2017 at 12:24 am

    Hey i just wanted to say thanks for these!! Your videos and instructions are some of the easiest to understand (both visually and verbally!!!) that i’ve run into and really helpful <3

    Reply
  31. penelope says

    September 6, 2017 at 4:25 am

    Hi!
    I’m just starting my first real knitting project and came across a problem i saw in a few of the other posts – but didnt see any explenation for them…

    why knitting my first row after a long tail cast on with curcular needles the yarn between my right and left needles keeps getting longer and longer so that when i end the row – i have this HUGE extra loop…!
    Do you know what the problem is? or is this maybe normal and not something to worry about? (so far i ripped my work and started from scratch four times with the same results…!!)

    im switching colors in middle so that now i have two such loops – one at the end of each color…

    Thank you!!

    Reply
  32. Yiling says

    September 26, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    I have the same problem that Esteban had! How do I get rid of the loop from the last cast on stitch??

    And I have tried, again and again, still from the second row on the stitches just become real tight, like you said I need to pull muscles to get through them, I tried to be loose but then I holes in those stitches as well because it’s not “fastened”, and I try to keep those stitches on the fat part of the working stick, but the yarn just doesn’t seem long enough to keep it that low, it’s difficult not to end up knitting with the tips of the sticks… Please help me Davina!!

    Reply
  33. Lilly says

    December 13, 2017 at 9:16 am

    HELP! It’s weird because whenever I Cast on and do first row Knit to do Garret stitch, it always like kinda like purls after the Cast on row and then goes okay next row. But the purl row stays there throughout the project and doesn’t disappear! Do you know what’s going on?!?

    Reply
  34. vanessa says

    January 1, 2018 at 1:09 pm

    I am on my 3rd day of beginner knitting. I have been on youtube viewing many tutorial videos. I know my skill level is low and i kind of just started knitting a scarf. My expectations were low and I would sit with my kids while they played to knit. So my attention is obviously split in two. Lol after some time I noticed my one needle is getting full of stitches! i started with 22 and ended up with 44! I could not believe it. I tell my husband and he found this video to help. I am so glad he did! I need a new plan:)

    Reply
    • Stephen Atkinson says

      June 4, 2019 at 3:55 am

      My first attempt finished today … started with 20 and ended up with 107.
      Makes for a nice curve though!

      Reply
      • Davina says

        June 5, 2019 at 5:03 pm

        I’m glad you have a sense of humour about it. You can always say the curve was intentional and call it an experimental shawl!

        Reply
  35. Sandi says

    July 12, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    This was incredibly helpful! My only suggestion would be to please ditch the background music, it’s distracting and at points makes it difficult to hear what you’re saying.

    Thank you again!

    Reply
  36. Zachary Williams says

    August 29, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    Literally brand new to this, started this morning, im doing the basic stitch and everytime i stitch a loop the line between my two needles gets longer and longer, at times almost half a foot long, i only did my first row so i just used the extra thread to make new stitches and then carried them, but i dont understand what im doing wrong

    Reply
  37. jinches says

    September 14, 2018 at 2:53 am

    Hi I am using the easy cast on method with bamboo needles I am an absolute beginner and the yarn between my two needles keeps increasing every time I do a knit stitch can you recommend a way to stop this?

    Reply
  38. Alexander says

    July 1, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    Hello Davina. I have watched your knit a beginner scarf video. I have been knitting for about three weeks now. I am struggling with a few things. (Just to provide some context, I am visually impaired. I do not have very much sight at all. Luckily your videos are pretty visually friendly, though). I have been trying to knit my first few rows for over two weeks now. I can get past the backwards loop cast ons and the first row of knitting, but the problem arises in row 2.
    When working on row 2, the tail from the slipknot becomes entangled with the piece of yarn connecting the two needles. Do you have any tips to help me keep the tail from getting tangled with whatever that part of the yarn between the needles is called? Or
    a more general question would be: Do you either know how to help a legally blind person learn how to knit, or do you know any resources I could seek out for that. I am trying to knit a scarf for my girlfriend. Will you please help me?

    Reply
    • Davina says

      July 5, 2019 at 7:37 pm

      Hi there,

      There are some resources I’ve found for visually impaired knitters. Lion Brand has an ebook called “Knitting by Touch” that is available as text and also as Braille. You can check it out here: https://www.lionbrand.com/blog/knitting-by-touch-the-touch-of-yarn-by-davey-hulse/

      There’s also a PDF file on tips for knitting for the visually impaired here: https://actionondisability.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Knitting-and-Crochet-for-Visually-Impaired-People.pdf You may find that useful!

      For the Row 2 problem, I’m not totally sure what piece of yarn gets tangled with the slipknot. Is it the yarn tail from the long tail cast on?

      Reply
  39. Alexander says

    July 1, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    I posted a comment earlier and it didn’t show up. I tried to post it again and the site told me I was submitting a duplicate. Has anyone else had that issue?

    Reply
  40. Melissa Anne Nunis says

    July 8, 2019 at 10:37 pm

    Just started knitting a few weeks ago and decided to start a shawl in stockinette stitch. Lo and behold 15 rows in and I found a few ‘holes’. It’s my first attempt with circular needle and fingering weight yarn. I have just about resigned to living the ‘holes’ when I found your video. Can’t wait to try it out.

    Reply
    • Davina says

      July 11, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      Awesome! I hope it works out for you.

      Reply
  41. Emma says

    November 5, 2019 at 7:53 am

    Hi! I was wondering what is the best way to hold your working yarn? Also, I either knit too tight or extremely too loose. How do I know what the perfect in between is? (If there is already a video, I’d love to watch it! I just can’t find one)

    Reply
  42. Davina says

    November 7, 2019 at 6:16 pm

    Hi, I just wanted to say I was happily surprised knowing a fellow Davina would be helping me learn more about knitting! I struggle with tight stitches, I’m hoping these tips will help. Thank you!

    Reply
  43. Monika says

    November 22, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    Hi! I’m knitting a scarf as a total beginner and I need help! It’s too loose! Please, make the solution simple, I’m not good at knitting TwT

    Reply
  44. Person says

    November 22, 2019 at 2:59 pm

    Hey so when I knit I get all of the stitches to the other needle but the slip knot and I am finding it really hard because once I get it over there I have this weird long loop. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong

    Reply
    • Courtney Hodgkiss says

      January 18, 2021 at 9:36 am

      Me too!!! What is this mysterious loop?! I’ve tried three times and it keeps occurring

      Reply
  45. Kaminoge says

    December 1, 2019 at 11:55 am

    I’m so confused! I am a very very beginner knitter. So I googled the terms you are using “stockinette” and “garter”. According to the internet I’m finding that stockinette is made by alternating purl and knit and garter is all knit stitch. But it seems like you are using those terms in the opposite order in this video. Am I just completely confused or is there something else I’m missing. Thanks!

    Reply
  46. Nancy Saenz says

    April 27, 2021 at 8:09 am

    Davina makes us feel at ease so for much when I’’m not I just re-watch the beginner videos. It’s helpful to have your cast on stitches already done then follow along even if you have to pause and go back. Especially helpful is when she uses bigger yarn snd needles so very much easier to see.

    Reply
  47. siya chen says

    May 23, 2021 at 1:47 pm

    I make I big missed I stare knitting and I did not know the line is poste to go on the back of my stick and I did it the apsis way and I did it the all the way I am 1/3 of the way done so how can I fix it I don’t want to restare

    Reply
    • siya chen says

      May 23, 2021 at 1:49 pm

      *all the way

      Reply
  48. Betty says

    September 4, 2021 at 9:10 pm

    I have just finished a scarf 28″ and I am not happy with the first 4 inches. Is there a way I can undo it without starting all over again.

    Reply
  49. Williamkig says

    October 25, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    Hi! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could get a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!

    Reply
  50. Akhila Sen Gaddam says

    December 15, 2021 at 9:37 am

    Help!! I am just starting to learn knitting and following your garter stitch format, however when starting a new row , I got diverted and the first stitch is now messed up, I am so new to this, that i cannot even explain it properly! can you please help!!!

    Reply
  51. Zelda says

    February 5, 2022 at 7:44 am

    Hi! What yarn you were using in these videos? I love your videos, and they’re super helpful!

    Reply
    • Davina says

      February 9, 2022 at 10:20 pm

      I believe the yarn is Lion Brand Thick and Quick. I’m not sure name of the colour though.

      Reply
      • Zelda says

        February 23, 2022 at 4:49 pm

        Thank you! 🙂

        Reply

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Pom pom pens make great last-minute gifts! If you’ve got scrap yarn and a glue gun, you can make these pens! They turn writing into a fun and playfulness exercise ✨ I’m gifting these pens to my nieces this holiday season. I think they’ll love it!  For more last-minute knit and yarn-related gift ideas check out the link in my profile!  #lastminutegifts #furrypen #diyfurrypen #diyfuzzypen #pompom #pompoms #knitgifts #knittedgifts #giftsfortweens #giftsforteens #knitting #yarn #yarnlove #yarnlovers #knitgift #giftideas #giftidea
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Needles: 4mm needles
Supplies from @lovecraftscom 
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