Dumbarse question: how do I count the rows in a stocking(ette?) stitch?

[BumpermightsuetheSindie]

I'm being a complete idiot, but how do I know what one row is?

In stockinette, one row is one little line of 'V' shapes. Hold on, I'll try and find a picture to demonstrate this.

okay, look at this picture in variegated yarn so you can clearly see what one row is. At the bottom, there is a row of turquoise - that's one row. Above that, a row of purple/grey that blends into green. Above that, 2 rows that are primarily red.

Count the rows from the turquoise at the bottom to the turquoise one inch from the bottom (including the turquoises). If you get 8, you're counting rows properly.

i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/PersnicketyKnitter/Socks/str-stockinette-700x510-30.jpg

oops, didn't link properly.

here it is again:

i47.photobucket.com/albums/f171/PersnicketyKnitter/Socks/str-stockinette-700x510-30.jpg

Ok, it's not stockingette, it's garter! Sorry, that's how much of a novice I am!

Thanks for your posts crusha, any help with garter? Do I count it when the knitting is in my right hand? The first row is my cast on row.

That's okay! With garter, it's easier to count the ridges rather than the rows (as a row gets buried between the ridges - if you stretch your work vertically, you'll see them better). Each ridge on one side of your knitting represents two rows. So this swatch here www.knitsanity.com/UserFiles/image/clip_image010.jpg, has 15 rows (there are 7 ridges, and then one row at the top, as the full ridge is obscured by the cut off point of the picture).

Hmm... I'm not explaining this very well! I'm not sure what you mean by counting it when it's in your right hand - do you mean, when all the row has been worked and the piece is in your right, ready to be transferred to left to continue knitting? If so, yes, do the counting on completion of the row. If you aren't confident about counting rows, keep a pen and paper near you and make a little stroke each time you complete one; counting pen strokes is easier than counting rows when you're a beginner.

Hopefully someone else will be along in a minute to explain things better...

I think that's got it crusha, if you look at the row of knitting, you can either count each bumpy row and then times it by two or count each bumpy row and then the "ditch" inbetween - ie the smooth row in between the bumpy rows - god it is hard to explain isn't it LOL

It depends a bit how you cast on, but take note of where your casting on 'tail' is after you have cast on, left or right. When you want to count have that 'tail' on the same side each time.
When you have done two rows of knitting you'll have a ridge of purlbumps on each side. For every two rows you'll have ridge.
In stocking stitch it is much easier to count the purl rows on the reverse side; there every row counts, not every two rows.

You are all being a great help thanks, one last question though, does the cast on count? As that is a ridge but is only half a ridge IYKWIM?

No, it doesn't