No matter the skill level, every yarn crafter faces challenges within their project. Despite its relaxing and rewarding aspects, yarn knitting is not without its challenges. From uneven tensions to dropped stitches, this blog will give you tips on how to overcome some of the most common difficulties in yarn knitting and how to effectively solve them.
1. Dropped Stitches:
Dropped stitching is a common problem and can happen for various reasons. There is no need to worry, it’s easy to fix! When looking at your yarn art, the dropped stitch will look like a series of ladder rungs and will be hanging at the bottom. From each row, you'll see ladder rungs of yarn that emerged from the dropped stitches. You’ll then recreate a stitch at each row by pulling the lost stitch back to the ladder rows.
2. Uneven Tension:
It’s essential to relax and have needles rest in your hands lightly, rather than gripping the knitting needles with all your might as most beginners do. Besides the first row, the fabric that’s knitted will hold together and secure the stitches perfectly. A sign that the stitches are too tight is when all the stitches are so tight that the knitting needle isn’t able to be inserted into the stitch.
To remedy this problem it’s important to be consistent in maintaining even tension when knitting more projects. Your stitches should always be pushed from the tips to the back of the needle. The yarn should not be too loose or too tight, but firm enough to make even stitches. To make a new stitch slightly bigger, lift the right needle slightly each time you make a new stitch.
3. Accidental Increases or Decreases:
If you have ever seen a counter-clockwise wrap, then you know what a yarnover is. Yarnovers can happen for a variety of reasons, and below are some things to look out for to prevent this from happening.
- It is important that the working yarn stays below your work if you turn your workaround because keeping it on top may create an opportunity for an additional loop or a double stitch.
- Switching from a knit stitch to a purl stitch and bringing the yarn forward can cause the yarn to catch above the needle.
- Switching from one needle to the other can create a yarnover.
- It is key to count your stitches often.
4. Curling Edges:
The fabric curling at the edges is common in stock stitches. Solve this problem by blocking, wetting, and pinning your finished piece to dry flat. Your yarn art will look much better by bringing it into shape and fixing minor tension in imbalances.
5. Twisted Stitches:
When you knit through the back of a stitch or a picked-up stitch gets put on the wrong way, it will likely cause a big twist of stitches. To prevent this from happening, look at your knitting and see how the stitches are falling.
To fix a twisted stitch you will have to rip it out of what you knitted. Or stop right above the twisted stitch and pull any stitches and pull out the offending stitch. Once that is done, pick up the dropped stitch.
Conclusion:
Knitters from all skill levels face challenges, but with the right tools and knowledge, these problems can be remedied. Knitting will be that much more enjoyable and smooth once you’ve learned to troubleshoot these issues. To learn more about yarn crafts, visit our yarn store at BambooMN.com
