My first project...a common mistake?

Next time knit every row -- a garter stitch scarf behaves itself better. Another attractive option is seed stitch. If you want a stockinette scarf take a hint from this one and knit an actual tube on purpose - doubly warm and will behave. Your son's scarf will still keep him warm, though. Do you mind that it tends to curl or does he? Consider it a design feature and on to the next project.

We've all been there! Another option is to do seed stitch (knit 1, purl 1) just on the 2 or 4 stitches at the ends of the rows.

Georgia

Or you could knit stockinette with a garter edge border of 3 to 6 stitches depending on yarn and needle size.

sue

Ah, the dropping the needles. That too will improve - to some extent with increased skills/ strength, and you may change materials and tools. Good tools and materials make knitting dramatically easier. Good tools and materials turn the chore of kitting into a mediation of love; and, poor tools turn knitting into drudgery and torture.

Metal needles and slippery (i.e., acrylic) yarns make for dropped needles. We all do it. Wooden and plastic needles do not drop as much. Tighter stitches (and more stitches around the needle) do not drop as much. Most woolen yarns do not drop needles as much.

So you have metal needles and a pile of slippery yarn and you want to knit a bunch of long soft, scarves -- how do you keep the needles in place? Use a bit of beeswax. You can use a beeswax based hand lotion such as Dr. Burt's, 'Farmers Friend' or just rub the needles on a bit of wax from a (bee's wax) candle and then polish with a cloth. I often polish my wooden needles with a furniture polish that has bee's wax in it. Beewax is about the right viscosity to provide some lubrication and some small resistance to yarn sliding that sometimes keeps the needles from falling out.

Knitting takes a fair amount of hand strength to maintain consistent yarn tension. To become a good knitter, you will have to not only develop skills, you will train the muscles so they are strong and have endurance. Building muscles is a matter of months and years. Keep knitting and it will get easier.

Aaron

Welcome again, Pam! Lots of people have given you good advice. Another way to avoid the curling is to use a ribbed pattern (say, 2 knit stitches followed by 2 purl stitches, repeat). Either just at the edge or on the whole scarf. Also, maybe adding a fringe to the ends of the scarf would help add enough weight to keep the ends straight (I've never done this myself so don't know if it would work - maybe someone else can comment?).

But yes, I think discovering the curling stockinette "issue" is a common initiation ritual! Now you're a "real" knitter :)

LauraJ

A> Ah, the dropping the needles. That too will improve - to some A> extent with increased skills/ strength, and you may change A> materials and tools. Good tools and materials make knitting A> dramatically easier.

Beyond that, it's very much the case that experienced knitters sometimes drop stitches too -- it's just that they have the knowledge and experience to notice them and fix them before they're visible in the finished work.

(Though I concur enthusiastically on the "good tools and materials" idea as well.)

Charlton

Pam , Pam ,,, this stockinette thing is so Common that people forget to tell you ,,,,, did you ever sew Tricot ,, same thang happens ,, you can Save the scarf ,, by picking stiches up along the long side and making severl row To and back in knit ,,,,[ no purl ] this will make bordes ,,, mirjam

You mean on a circular needle? That's a neat idea. I have a circular needle but I haven't used it yet.

I was so disappointed in it that I threw it out. I wished I had kept it now just to say I still have my first project. Oops.

Live and learn. :) Pam

I think I will try that. It won't curl if I do it that way?

Pam

That's ribbing right? I think I'll do a couple practice squares and try out these tips you all are giving me! Thanks! But what is a seed stitch? Is it another name for ribbing or maybe it means "border"? Pam

Thanks Aaron, that's some good advice! I'll be putting it into practice on my next project. It'll probably be a scarf for my sister-in-law. She's asked for one to match her coat. I guess I better get on it before scarf weather is gone.

Pam

I get into real trouble when it comes to fixing them. I still have so much learning and practice to feel secure with those situations.

Pam

Does making a whole scarf using ribbing require twice as much yarn/time? I hope that's not a silly question but it seems that when I'm ribbing it takes longer to finish a scarf.

Oh! I wish I had tried that! It may have made a difference. Oops again.

:D Do I get a secret password?

Pam

Seed Stitch

Even number of stitches Row 1: *k1, p1; rep from * Row 2: *p1, k1; rep from *

If you were ribbing on an even number of stitches, Row 2 would start k1, p1

Here is a "how-to" that might help on fixing dropped stitches (we all have them!)

It shouldn't, or not as much.

sue

Seed stitch is ribbing (k1,p1 or k2, p2) on an odd number of stitches (11,13,15) instead of even. So it won't come out like ribbing.

sue

Never throw out a project. You can always reuse the yarn, either practice a pattern or for another item.

sue

It may take slightly more yarn, but not much. It goes only a slower because you're switching back and forth between knit and purl instead of doing a whole row in one stitch.

sue