Slightly less basic knitting questions

[NotQuiteCockney]

Ok, I'm doing quite well with knitting, but (of course) have more questions.

1. Is it generally an error to stop mid-row? Will this result in a misshapen garment? Or just lots of swearing when I drop a row of stitches at a time.

2. I finished a sleeve, then realised I'd dropped a stitch rather than casting it off. I un-cast-off, and re-knitted it. But was there another way to fix it?

3. I did something with KOs in it, and found I didn't know what stitch to knit on the next row, IYKWIM. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be guessing here, and the results are a bit random. Any tips?

1. I don't ever stop knitting in the middle of the row, but only because I am paranoid about dropping stitches! As long as your tension is fairly even anyway I don't think there would be a problem. Also I wouldn't stop in the middle of a row if you are knitting a pattern in case you forget where you were when you stopped.

2. Tbh I would just get a needle and some of the knitting wool and sew it in, but you sound more methodical than me!

3. Don't know - need more of an expert than me!

irishbird, I did use a crochet hook, but didn't have a needle to put it on, as I'd cast them all off!

Miaou, how would I sew in a stitch? I know how to sew in a loose end, but a stitch is a loop, which complicates matters.

Oh, and another question: is there some trick to finding the "good" end of a skein? I always seem to end up hauling out what seems like yards of yarn before finding it, making a bit of a mess.

Hello NQC!

1)I do occasionally stop mid-row and it doesn't make much difference I don't think, but best avoided if possible, I guess.

2. I wouldn't try any other way once I'd cast off, no, unless you could undo the casting off, use a crochet hook to get it back and then cast off. If you want to sew it in you would have to thread some wool through the loop and then darn in the ends, but it wouldn't look very elegant I don't think.

3. I'm not completely sure I understand. Have you had to make a stitch that you then have to incorporate into the pattern? If so, then you do just have to get a feel for the pattern and do what looks best unless you are given explicit instructions. If you made a stitch on a k1p1 rib for example you would obviously have to fit in an extra k or p stitch rather than disrupting the ribbing, but I may be misunderstanding!

Your new question- umm, I dunno. I always knit from the outside but I know lots of people swear by the inside. You are winding the skein into a ball before trying to knit anything, aren't you? Rowan skeins are usually tied up by the ends IYSWIM. Again, probably missing the point Sounds like you're doing well, though!

Hello tamum!

3. I clearly didn't explain this well enough. I was following a pattern that involved a KO. I certainly had the right number of stitches, but some of them seemed to have a knot right on top of the needle. So I just wasn't sure what bits were exactly the stitch. I think this wasn't helped by the fact that it was always K1, KO, P1, so the KO wasn't a real full loop around the needle, just a half loop ... maybe I should have done it that way, anyway?

and 4. I'm saying skein, but really I mean ball. All the ones so far have had one end inside and one end outside. The book said to use the inside one, so I have been. You're right, I don't see why I have to, though ...

The half loop sounds right, so I'm not sure why it looks like a knot. Hmm. I would definitely get the wool from the outside of the ball.

There's a new magazine called Simply Knitting out this month which has really well-photographed instructions. It's very basic this month but might be worth a look, and it will be coming out monthly, hurrah