Q&A for How to Knit

You can! To switch colors, simply knit a stitch with the working end of a new ball of yarn, letting the old yarn fall away. Then tie off or weave in the old yarn.

To purl 2 stitches together, thread the right-hand needle down through the top 2 stitches on the left-hand needle. Wrap the yarn around the tip of the right needle, and bring it up through the 2 stitches.

That may be your slipknot stitch! Make sure your slipknot is snug around the needle, and try pulling slightly on the short end of the yarn to keep it taut.

The amount of stitches to cast on to make dishcloths depends on the pattern or instructions you are following. It will also depend on the yarn and needle size you're using. Generally, a dishcloth pattern will specify the number of stitches to cast on, as well as the recommended yarn and needle size. It's also worth noting that different designs and stitch patterns will require different numbers of stitches, so be sure to follow the specific instructions for the pattern you're using.

Maybe you pull too much on the thread when you're about to knit a stitch. The thread needs to slip a little through your fingers every time you knit a stitch so that it doesn't tighten too much (be careful not to lose your grip on it though). This lets you choose how tight you want your stitches by pulling on the thread more or less.

In general, yes; you will need a thicker needle for thicker yarns, and a thinner needle for thinner yarns. It also depends on what kind of look you are going for. If you want a looser weave, you'd want thinner yarn and thicker needles. If you want something very dense, you'd want thicker yarn and thinner needles.

Sometimes, as a beginner to knitting, you accidentally pick up loops or stitches from previous rows without realizing it, and accidentally incorporate those into your work. To fix this: 1. Slow down. Knitting can seem really complicated at first, so just make sure you're concentrated and know exactly what you're doing. 2. If a stitch looks odd, like just a loose loop rather than a noose, try slipping it off the needle. If nothing unravels, that was one of the accidental additions, so you're good to take it off. 3. Count constantly to make sure you have the right number of stitches. You'll be able to catch and fix your mistakes earlier, rather than having to destroy half your work.

Yes! You might need to learn new stitches and techniques for more advanced patterns, but these techniques can definitely be used to make scarves and other simple articles of clothing.

You may be knitting too loosely or dropping stitches. You might also be pulling the completed stitch too hard.

Draping the yarn is just putting it over your hand in order to keep it away from the project and to keep the tension even so that your stitches end up being the same size. There are many different ways to drape yarn (some people put it only over their index finger, some put it between several fingers, etc.), but for simple projects (like a scarf made with the knit stitch), draping isn't that important. You'll just want to make sure that the yarn is out of the way of what you're knitting.

Tie the beginning of the thread from the second ball to the end of the first ball.

Just start using another ball. Try your best to keep them from getting tangled, though it may be difficult.

If you knit English, this means you "throw" the yarn around the right-hand needle with your finger when knitting a stitch. This way you don't have to worry about where you put the needle, because it stays in your hand the whole time while your forefinger does all the work. Continental knitting does this even better.

There are several ways to answer this question because even adult heads come in different sizes and yarn comes in different thicknesses. On average, I use size 8 needles and size 4 (medium weight) yarn, and when I cast on 80 stitches, it tends to go well.

Yes, it's fine, there is no age limit on knitting.

Tie the new colour thread to/around the old colour thread and just drop the old one on the inside of the garment and cut it of leaving an inch (2.5cm).

There are several ways. You can do an m1 (where you knit into the "ladder" or "stranded" yarn between the stitches on your two needles); you can knit into the front and back of the same stitch, making two loops; you can do a yarnover, which creates an eyelet; or you can cast on one stitch with the backwards loop method, which may also create an eyelet.

Yes, you can use pencils if you want to, but they might be too short. This can make a good blanket if you knit it big enough.

If you add stitches without realizing, just drop the stitch. If nothing unravels, you are safe to continue your knitting project.

To slip two stitches: Insert your needle into the first stitch, as you would to knit. Do not loop the yarn around, but just slide the stitch from your left needle to your right. Repeat for the second stitch. Then purl every other stitch.

You're probably picking up some stitches from the row before. You'll need to unravel until you have the correct number again. Just remember to count your stitches every so often so this doesn't recur.

Slowly and patiently, lol. There is no one way of going back the options depend on the type of knitting and yarn used. It is easiest if the yarn holds shape, then just take the knitting needles out and undo until you're happy and collect the work onto a knitting needle one to two sizes smaller (easier to put into the tiny loops), then knit again on normal sized needles.

To add on stitches you just do steps 2, 3, 4, and 5 in Part 1: Casting on. You drape it around your hand, take your needle and put it under and pull, and you made a stitch!

Look for patterns online or at the library. Asking other knitters is also a good idea.

Many of us have the same issue. You are allowed to create one working copy of a pattern or chart for your personal use. If you don’t have a scanner/copier at home, take it to Office Max/Depot and have them make a copy, but ask them to enlarge it for you. This will make it easier on eyes that just don’t see as well as we used to. Alternatively, there are a couple of apps out there that can read PDF files and allow you to enlarge the pattern or chart as much as you need.

If you notice the dropped stitch early on, try going back to pick it up. If it is too late then you can try to hide the stitch.

There is an article for that! Check out How to Knit Socks.

Use super bulky yarn and size 13 needles. Alternatively, you can try finger knitting with a super bulky yarn.

After the first 3 or so rows it may be a bit loose from casting on, you can pull it to tighten. After that, just leave it alone until you're all done with your project. You'll get another tail from casting off, and the way to handle both the cast-on and cast-off tails is to weave them in. This is done with a tapestry needle, or a large sewing needle.

It’s a type of cast on that starts with a long tail. See Do the Long Tail Cast On.