Knitting is many things to many people. Creative, fun, satisfying and so much more. Mistakes are a part of knitting, especially when one is new to the craft. Albert Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Keeping in mind the words of the creative genius let’s take a look at some of the common knitting mistakes that beginners make and how to fix them. Remember that with every mistake you are learning something new. With a few fixing techniques under your belt, you should be able to identify your mistakes with ease and confidence and get them sorted. Whether you are working with single-pointed knitting needles for quick back-and-forth knitting. Or, knitting with double-pointed knitting needles (DPNS) for a small circumference or circular knitting needles for any project, these tricks will help you.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Mistake 1: Knitting in the Wrong Direction
Many times you keep your knitting down in the middle of a row and when you pick it up you knit in the other direction. This mistake is affectionately called “mommy mistake”. New and many experienced knitters have faced this.
How to Fix – The best fix is to unknit or rip the stitches till you get to your mistake. To prevent the mistake in the future always look out for the working yarn (the yarn connected to the ball). It should be hanging from the last stitch you worked on. Make sure that this stitch is on your right-hand needle when you begin again. A stitch marker could also mark the place.
Mistake 2: Too tight stitches.
Every knitter is unique, some knit tighter than others. But, when the stitches are too tight then it is a mistake. Your knitting needle will not insert into the stitch. There is no other option but to rip out all the stitches.
How to Fix - Always push your stitches from the tips to the back onto the widest part of the needle. Hold your yarn loosely but taut enough to make even stitches. Each time you make a new stitch, gently lift up the right needle to make it slightly bigger. It is recommended to find a comfortable way to tension the working yarn by weaving it in between your fingers or hold loosely in your palm. Check out our 4 tricks to fix tight stitches on circular knitting needles.
Mistake 3: Knitting getting wider at the edges.
You are knitting like instructed in a pattern or according to your own design but suddenly you see the knitting getting wider at the edges. This can be due to having accidentally knit into a stitch twice or accidental yarn over or even splitting the yarn into two.
How to Fix - The fix of this problem lies in the cause. If you have made two stitches into one, you need to unknit and fix the stitch. If it is on an edge you can sew it into a seam later. For yarn over you can just decrease it again as soon as you notice. If it bothers you to leave it there, unravel it to the point where the unintentional increase was made and redistribute the extra yarn into the adjacent stitches. Make sure to keep note of the stitch in the pattern as you have to knit the stitches back that you have to unknit.
Mistake 4: Dropped stitch.
No matter how long you’ve been knitting, this has happened to almost every knitter. You get distracted or the yarn is slippery and you have dropped a stitch. The trick is to not worry. Mark the stitch and complete your row or round.
How to Fix – If you have just dropped the stitch, mark it with a locking stitch marker to stop it from unravelling. With a repair hook (looks like a crochet hook) pick the stitch. You need to place the stitch on the tip of the left-hand needle from the front. If you need to know more, we have the complete guide on how to fix a dropped stitch.
Mistake 5: Choosing the wrong cast on
As beginners you may have been taught only one cast on method and you stick to it for all your projects. That is a mistake. Each pattern and yarn is different and it is always recommended to follow the instructions. A sock cast on is different from a blanket. A hat will require something different than a sweater neckline.
How to Fix - Rip out the stitches. The wrong start will only bring more wrong stitches and wasted efforts. You will know in a row or two, so it’s best to restart.
Mistake 6: Knitted Fabric has holes in it.
If you’ve got a hole in your knitting that you have not created, then there is an awry stitch. There are many reasons and the fix is different for each.
How to Fix – The chances are that you need to unknit. To avoid an accidental yarn over, make sure that when you knit a stitch, the yarn is in the back. When you purl a stitch, make sure the yarn is in front. When you make an m1 increase, make sure to knit into the back loop to reduce the size of the hole.
Mistake 7: Not thinking about the yarn properly.
Knitters love to get your hands on the knitting needles and yarn and begin, but that is a mistake. Each yarn has a weight, drape, stitch definition and texture that is different from the same yarn weight and ply numbers. Choosing the yarn according to the project, whether it's socks, a hat, or a blanket is always recommended. Even if you have all the instructions always begin your project by knitting a gauge swatch.
So, there you have the most common knitting mistakes that beginners make and how to avoid them in the future. When you’re still learning, mistakes are inevitable but easy to correct. With premium knitting needles of the Lantern Moon collection, you are sure to have a comfortable knitting experience. It is always recommended to have knitting tools that you enjoy working with.