Newbie knitter--need advice!?

Question

I am knitting a 50 cast on scarf...for some reason, everytime I end a row I seem to wind up with an extra stitch. I have knitted on 3 rows and so now I have 53 stitches! I have to idea why this happens...can anyone help! Would love my hubbie to have his scarf before the end of winter! Thanks!

Answer 1

When  you turn the needles to start the next row you need to bring the yarn you are working with back by bringing it under the needle tip, not over it.  This tends to be a common novice mistake.  It resulting in pulling the last stitch of the row below up and over the needle, making it look like two stitches to be worked.  This results in increasing numbers of stitches and an odd looking edge if you do it long enough.

Answer 2

Hi, yeah just as Tammy O said, you're just picking up extra stitches.  I do it too ... and I also drop them!  It happens when you're not paying attention or when you're not completely used to what you're doing.  Even if you're focusing all your attention on it, you can mess it up.  It depends on the wool you're using too ... like with thicker or fluffy wools, it can be more difficult to see the stitches clearly.

I'm not all clued up about the language of knitting, lol, but whenever you knit a stitch and you push it off the needle, are you sure you're actually pushing it off and not picking it up with the other needle?  If that makes sense...?

Good luck.

Answer 3

YOU MAY BE MAKING EXTRA STITCHES BY LOOPING THE YARN AN EXTRA TIME WHEN YOU DO YOUR KNIT STITCH.  I FREQUENTLY DO THIS WHEN I'M NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT I'M DOING.  I USUALLY JUST START OVER.