Questions from New Knitters
Saturday January 3, 2009
There are a lot of questions that come with learning how to knit, and many of them are asked by new knitters over and over again. I collected 10 of the most frequently asked questions from new and newish knitters into one document so you can quickly find the answers you're looking for.
Whether you're wondering about that Stockinette Stitch curl or contemplating the length of your long tail, probing the mysteries of gauge or planning a trip with your knitting, About.com is here to help!
Whether you're wondering about that Stockinette Stitch curl or contemplating the length of your long tail, probing the mysteries of gauge or planning a trip with your knitting, About.com is here to help!
Comments
I have a knitting question and I found your page and blog using Google. I have taken up knitting again after many years and need to learn some terms. I’m currently working on a Dolman Baby Jacket. It’s all done except for the border edging. I am stymied by two parts and hope you can guide me. (1) in the “pick-up round” it says in part “…increasing at marked sts on curves by k1-f/b as needed to keep edging flat.” What is the “f/b” part mean? (2) The whole explanation of making the button holes is a bit unclear to me. “On Row 3 of Edging, work button hole opposite markers by [k2tog, yarn over twice, ssk]; on next row, work into the front and back of the yarn over.” I found your abbreviation for ssk so I know understand that. I don’t understand about working in to the front and back of the yarn over. Would you be able to explain this to me? Many thanks. Kathy
Katherine, both of your questions are about knitting into the front and the back of a stitch (although there are other ways to make a buttonhole). To knit into the front and back of a stitch, insert the right needle into the stitch on the left needle as if to knit (that’s the front of the stitch), loop your working yarn over as you normally would, but leave that stitch on the left needle for a moment instead of pulling it off. Now insert your right needle into the back of the same stitch on the left needle (so down into the center of the stitch, under the thread that goes behind the left needle, and up behind it), loop your working yarn over again, then pull your stitch off the left needle.
“loop your working yarn over again, then pull your stitch off the left needle.” Oops, I should have said that you pull that loop up through the stitch and THEN off the left needle (just as you do for a regular knit stitch). There’s a video here (scroll down about halfway to where it says KFB): http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/increases
Thanks for taking this one for me, Carol. I have instructions on knitting in front and back here: http://knitting.about.com/od/learntoknit/ss/knit_front_back.htm and on yarn overs here: http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingglossary/g/yarn_over.htm
Hope that helps if you need more visual aids.