Very simple texture in knitting

[Hexiegone]

I'm knitting one row knit, one row purl to make a pencil case (it was going to be a purse but it's turned out longer than I thought ). The smooth side is the outside so I thought it would be nice to put a couple of lines of texture in there

This looks simple enough hopefully but if you knit two together do you not end up with a triangle by the time you've finished?

And how do you do yarn over?

Ah, wait a minute! Is yarn over making another stitch on the needle so you keep the same number of stitches?? How do you do that?

Can you tell I'm not very good experienced at knitting?

[TheWoollybacksWife]

It is a simple textured pattern... honest

Yarn over on a knit row is often also called yarn forward (abbreviated to yfwd)

Assuming you are right handed. Knit your first stitch (or however many the pattern says). Bring the yarn round to the front of the work. Put the point of your right hand needle through the next two stitches on the left hand needle (still with the yarn at the front). Knit as normal treating two stitches as one, slip both stitches off. Your yarn will now be at the back of your work. Look at the right hand needle. Your penultimate stitch will be a diagonal looking stitch and the last stitch will look normal. Repeat as necessary. Carry on as per the rest of the pattern until the end of the row. When you work the next row the "diagonal" stitches will form holes. This is perfectly normal.

[Hexiegone]

Thank you, Woolly, you made that sound so easy I had to just have a go and it's worked! The stitches were a bit tight in places - might need to loosen them off a bit the next time - but it's worked a treat. Thank you

[TheWoollybacksWife]

Oh well done You're keen!

Keeping your tension correct while working a pattern can be difficult but practice makes perfect.

I forgot to say it may be a good idea to keep counting your stitches after each pattern row too - just until your confidence improves.

[Dutchoma]

Never mind confidence: always count your stitches after a row with holes in it. That's real experience.
Waves at Woolly

[Hexiegone]

Bugger! One's missing . Will it matter? Is the whole thing going to unravel when I do the last row? Please don't say I need to unwind it

[Dutchoma]

No, it won't. Nothing is going to unravel. The only thing that will happen is that there are two decreases together without a hole in between. It's called artistic license. If you look carefully at what you have done, you may be able, on the way back, to see where you have missed that one yarn over. Then you just pick up the loop that lies between the two stitches and hey presto, you are back at your number.

[Hexiegone]

Artistic License - ah, yes, I have one of those

Thank you, Dutchoma, I've had a look but my untrained eye can't see anything. I'll try and do the next row at lunchtime and see if anything reveals itself ...

[Hexiegone]

I know how Mumsnet loves an update so thought I'd let you know I buggered it up by doing a purl row instead of a knit so had to unravel anyway . I managed to catch all the stitches on the needle again and re-did the fancy rows. Again I ended up with a stitch short but had a little think about it and worked out that I hadn't done the yarn forward before the last stitch . It's coming on a treat now

[TheWoollybacksWife]

Brilliant! Great update

[Dutchoma]

Sometimes it is easier to unpick stitch by stitch (it is called ttinking' knitting backwards) than to pull the pin out, but well done on picking up all the stitches. You'll have learned such a lot from this one project, it sounds really good. Any chance of another meet-up before Christmas Woolly? I'll be away for a wee from the 15th, but there's lots left.

[Dutchoma]

I meant a week, a wee doesn't usually take that long.

[Hexiegone]

I have another question, if I may. I have advanced onto these but am doing my first one without pattern . I've come a cropper at row 26 - can anyone tell me what she means by k2 together through the back?

[TheWoollybacksWife]

Wow! Fantastic progress Hexie

When you k2 tog normally you put your right hand needle through the second stitch on the left hand needle first, then through the first stitch and knit as normal. The right hand needle goes through from the front of the work and the needles form an X shape with the left needle on top.

When working stitches together through the back you insert your right hand needle through stitches at the back of your left hand needle, through the first stitch and then through the second.then wrap your yarn round and knit as normal. Initially your right hand needle will lie behind your left needle and parallel to it.

I hope that explains it

[Dutchoma]

And is a picture. Just google whatever term you want. They are absolutely darling, those little socks, very well done, Hexie

[Hexiegone]

So, it's just what it says then - thank you both very much

I'm not impressed with the pencil case - it looked lovely with the wee rows of texture but I tried to do mattress stitch to close up the sides, after blocking it , and it's not as neat as I would like. I'll put it all together and see how it does but if it's rubbish I'll unpick and save the zip for something else.

[Dutchoma]

If my mattress stitch is anything to go by you can just unpick it like a sack of potatoes, very satisfactory, just pull on one end and it comes undone. Then maybe just sew it up with a neat backstitch on the wrong side before you take the whole thing apart. I have given up on mattress stitch.

[Hexiegone]

I have followed your example, Dutch, and have unpicked and given up on it. I ended up stitching the ends on the sewing machine and trimming off the excess - probably not the done thing but it looks much better and is secure.

I've also finished my wee stocking - very happy with that . Started another one last night in red and white to see how difficult using two colours is. If I can do that one I'll try doing a patterned one

[Dutchoma]

No more difficult doing two colours than doing one. The only thing is that you have to sew in the ends. Leave a little bit of extra thread if you need to do any sewing up, can't remember whether your little socks are done with 2 or 4 needles.

[Hexiegone]

They're done with 2 but they have points at both ends. I'm getting used to them now, although they're better for the finer wool. The white and red I'm using for this sock is thicker and cheaper looking so splits more easily.

[Dutchoma]

If they are done on two needles you will have to do a bit of sewing up, hence the advice to leave a little bit of extra yarn when you join the new colour. That reduces the amount of sewing in of ends (or peskies as they are generally known on MN).

[Hexiegone]

Would it be a bad idea to tie peskies together before sewing in the ends?

[Dutchoma]

Yes, because you get lumps where you do not want lumps. Just make sure that you weave them in quite a bit. It's not as if you are going to wear these socks, so there is not such a need for them to be really tough.

[PurpleFrog]

I have knitted lots of these little stockings. I used to weave in all the ends neatly, but have decided it is just not worth it, especially using 4-ply cotton, so I have evolved my own method of sewing them up.

I start sewing the sock up from the toe from the right side, using a sort of mattress stitch in the middle of the 1st set of Vs on each side,with the most appropriate coloured end for each area (toe, foot, heel etc.). When I get halfway up the heel I stop, turn it inside out, and tie off the ends in pairs from the sewn-up areas. I use a reef knot with an extra half knot. I tighten it as much as I can then cut off the ends leaving just under 1cm. Any unpaired end is woven in along the seam. I then stitch up the rest of the heel, and the leg of the sock. The top band is done last and sewn from the top edge down towards the leg. I then turn it half inside out, and deal with the ends at the top of the heel. The ends at the bottom of the top band are also paired and tied in normal reef knots, but not cut. One end of the hanging loop is then sewn over these knots, holding the uncut threads taut towards the top of the sock. These are then cut off close to the band and the other end of the hanging loop sewn to the outside of the sock, and a button added.

I hope this makes sense...

[Dutchoma]

It sounds very nifty, PurpleFrog. I suppose you will need to make a few of these before it makes sense completely. I have just printed all the instructions off and hope to make them for the grandchildren.

[PurpleFrog]

Let me know how you get on Dutchoma. They are quick to do - except for the fair-isle ones which take a bit more care and attention. Using short dps as she suggests is definitely the way to go, as you can start any row from either side. Just don't be too quick to cut the colour you think you have just finished with, without looking ahead at the pattern!