Knitting Question?

Question

When I do P1 K1 Ribbing, all the stiches look the same how can I make it look like ribbing, and how do you knit tightly, so that it does not have any spaces.

Answer 1

You need to make sure that you are actually doing it right ,because it should show right away ,at least in the 3rd row ,mostly if you use a thick yarn . This web site is really good . Even though I'm a pretty experienced knitter I always look it over . www.knittinghelp.com . It has very useful videos ,tips and pictures . Enjoy you knitting!

Answer 2

I think what you may be doing is P1 K1 in one row, and the P1 K1 in the other.  That will give you a seed stitch-which will look uniform not ribbed.  What you have to make sure you do is that a stitch you purled in on the previous row, you will have to knit on current row.  If you knit a stitch and turn your work over, you will notice that it looks like a purl.  That's why you would have to purl it when you get to it the other side.

Answer 3

If your stitches all look the same then you are probably knitting when you should be purling and visa versa.  

If you start you first row as k1 p1 k1 p1 and have an even number of stitches on your needle, when you get to the end of the row your last stitch will be a purl stitch.  

This means that your first stitch on the next row will be a knit stitch and you will carry on with k1 p1 k1 p1 as you did on the previous row.

This way you will have the ridges that make ribbing.

If however you have an odd number of stitches on your needle and you start your first row with k1 p1 k1 p1 etc your last stitch will be a knit stitch, this means that your first stich on the next row will have to be a purl stitch p1 k1 p1 k1 etc. Then on the 3rd row you will be back to starting with a knit stitch.

Simplyfied, if you have an odd number of stitches on your needle then odd rows will start with a Knit stitch and even rows will start with a purl stitch.

If you have an even number of stitches on your needle then every row will start with a purl stitch. (which by the way is a knit stitch backwards)

If you find your work is too loose then change your needles for a smaller size until your work is how you want it to look or the required tension.

Answer 4

After the second row, they should look noticably different. I know that while doing the first row of ribbing I have to seriously concentrate and keep saying P 1, K 1, P 1, K 1. ( It drives my husband crazy if he's watching TV - lol.) Then when you turn your work to go back, you're doing the opposite action to the original stitch.  Specifically, the stitches you knit on the right side have the "purl bump" facing you know and you purl that stitch.  Conversely, you knit the "back" of the purl stitch, because it was a purl stitch and now the side facing you it is "going into" the work and you will see it is deep and should be knitted.  Also, when you're passing the yarn back and forth between the purl and the knit stitches, keep it adjusted to an appropriate tension.

As far as knitting tightly, you have to cast the yarn on a bit tightly. If you don't start out with it cast on tightly, you're not going to make up for it as you go. Now that being said, you don't want it so tight that you mess up your gauge. Always take the extra 5 or 10 minutes to knit the test gauge that you can find on the pattern (e.g., 8 stitches = 1 inch, etc.).  The reason they tell us to do that is because your finished product will look goofy if you're trying to adjust the tension while you knit.

Another factor is the type of needles you're using. I find that the wooden or bamboo needles give a much tighter knit than the old fashioned metal ones or the metal circular.

Good luck! I admire you for continuing to knit in summer - whew! Hope your project turns out great!!!

Answer 5

it all depends on what you are knitting ... need more details on what it is ...

Answer 6

I hope you have an instruction book because this would be a lot of typing and explaining. To knit you wrap the yarn under and over the RH needle and pull through and slip the stitch off.Knit the whole row. Turn the work over. To purl you wrap the yarn over the needle away from you and under the needle toward you. Purl the whole row.This is the English method. Experience will help you adjust your yard so that it will not be too loose or too tight. There is a German or Continental method that I don't know. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

P2 K2 and use smaller needles