knitting help - where am I going wrong?

[DillyDallyDawdle]

I decided to get my knitting needles out to try to learn to knit again. I've just been trying to do a few rows of knit stitch to get into it, however it doesn't look right.

I've looked at the video on knitfreedom and I seem to be using the technique for knit stitch american correctly, but both sides of my work look the same and not like the examples shown in the recognising a knit or purl stitch video.

I'll try to put a couple of pics on my profile - can anyone suggest what I am doing wrong?

[nettie]

What you have done is knit every row which produces garter stich (it looks very neat for a beginner, well done.)

A purl stitch is different to a knit stitch, and if you do a row of knit stiches and a row of purl stitches you it will look completely different to what you have done.

I am sure there will be a tutorial on youtube on how to purl a stitch.

Hope this helps, its the first time I've tried to explain knitting on a forum, its not easy

[DillyDallyDawdle]

Thanks!

Yes - I intended to knit every row. What's confusing me is that it looks nothing like the knit stitch shown in this video: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zhFynQAGOmM

I don't have the little v's

Am I missing something?

[Viviennemary]

I think that video seemed a bit confusing for a beginner but I didn't have the sound on which didn't help! But go and get a book from your library and that might explain things better. Or get yourself a copy of Simply Knitting which is a knitting magazine but has a bit at the back for beginners. But that's quite expensive. Why not try this. Cast on say 12 stitches and do a square doing every row knit. Then cast on again and do another sample doing alternate knit and pearl rows and you will see the difference.

[Viviennemary]

Meant to add. For every row knit each side of your work will look the same. For knitting alternate knit and pearl rows each side will look different. Try the two samples.

[tribpot]

Trouble is, what you're looking at there is stocking stitch, or stockinette. So that's alternating rows of knit and purl, which gives a very different look to garter stitch.

I'm just doing a picture now but my phone is playing up. It should look like Figure 40 on this page.

[Saralyn]

This website also have good tutorial videos

www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/video.php?sort=&thumbnails=&categoryid=1

[DillyDallyDawdle]

Thanks ladies

I've just knitted a few rows alternating knit and purl and it looks like the sample in the video.

You'd think,as it is supposed to be a beginners video they would have made the difference between garter and stocking stitch clear (for numpties like me).

Oh well - off to practice. Thanks for the help

[tribpot]

Here we go

If you pull the garter stitches apart it's easier to see the Vs Liat describes in the video.

In fairness I think the video is probably a clip from her 'Learn to Knit' video e-Book, so I wonder if perhaps it needs a better introduction on YouTube.