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Four Common Knitting Mistakes Every Beginner Makes

Knitting is a hobby that brings joy but beginners to the craft are often overwhelmed by common mistakes. This can happen while choosing knitting needles, yarn, or not understanding a pattern or some knitting mistakes. Mistakes show that you are learning or at least trying. In this blog, we’ll take you through the four most common mistakes that new knitters experience, how to catch them early, and, most importantly, how to fix them yourself.

As Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, author of the bestseller Knitting Rules said, “It’s only knitting and it’s one of the few times in your life when there are no bad consequences to a mistake.”

So, keeping this in mind, let’s begin.

Dropped Stitch 

The common mistake happens to beginners and even advanced artists. This can happen when you set your project (WIP) down, or even while knitting anytime you aren’t paying close attention.

To fix this mistake, you can make regular checks on the knitted fabric. Try and inspect any unusual stitches or gaping row of stitches (that look like ladders). Correcting this mistake is easy, you can pick the stitch back on the knitting needle. You can try and think (unknit stitches till you get to the dropped stitch) or use a repair hook or even a crochet hook.

Extra Stitches

Many beginners have this problem on hand. Whether you use interchangeable needles or single pointed needles. They knit extra stitches that occur because of accidental yarn overs and knitting between stitches. An accidental yarn over occurs when you bring the working yarn to the front of the project as opposed to keeping it in the back. Then, when you knit, you accidentally knit the stitch with the working yarn creating an extra loop.

The best way to fix an extra stitch depends on where it is located. If it is within the last one to two rows, pull the extra stitches off your needle or think back to the stitch that went wrong.

Twisted Stitches

New knitters face this issue a lot. This occurs when you pick up a stitch and it gets put on the knitting needle the wrong way (left leg in front) or if you knit through the back of a stitch. The best fix is to avoid this mistake by looking at your knitting (WIP) often. Every row or two after you finish the row, look at the fabric and see how the stitches are falling.

To fix a twisted stitch you have to think back to where the stitch went wrong.

Tension Is Too Tight 

New knitters tend to hold their yarn really tight. This makes them yank on the yarn. Also they knit at the tips of their needles which basically means making new stitches smaller than the size of the needles. To avoid this problem you can use a bigger size knitting needle with smooth silk finish.

Also, when you’re knitting, if the stitches are super snug on the needle, move them to the cords of the interchangeable circular needles. If you have a hard time moving them back and forth, this indicates you are knitting too tightly. To fix it, relax! You’re learning a new skill, and it takes time. With practice, knitting will come with ease.

To enjoy a smooth crafting experience, always invest in a high-quality handcrafted range of materials like the Lantern Moon Collection.

Source:https://medium.com/@lanternmoonhandcrafted/four-common-knitting-mistakes-every-beginner-makes-3bb6a4e6dee2

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