Stitches

Learning to Knit - Casting-on Issue?

Okay, So my baby is due in September and I've taken up knitting to make him a blanket. I practiced for a few weeks and just recently felt comfortable enough to get the circular needles required by the pattern and check my gauge. I started the blanket this morning. I'm to cast-on 110 stitches and then garter stitch 6 rows for the garter stitch border. ( I know, after looking at the end of the pattern, that the cast-on stitches count as the first row - at least I think that's why I stitch 5 rows at the end instead of 6). I've had to rip out once already though, because after I knitted the first row after casting-on, I checked stitches, thinking I'd cast-on correctly having counted carefully, only to find I had 112 stitches - not 110. I ripped out and re-cast-on, very carefully counting my stitches, including the first slip knot stitch. AGAIN, I got 112 stitches when I counted! AHHH! I pulled out two, but did I miss count? Did I actually somehow cast-on two whole stitches twice? Is this a common mistake that takes some trick to avoid. I never had any issue casting on 14 stitches or 20 stitches when I was practicing and getting my gauge right, so why the problem with 110? Sorry if it seems strange to freak out about this, but I have a math degree. I can count. I don't know how I screwed up the exact same way twice. I even triple counted each time. Any advise from long time knitters?

Public Comments

1. You possibly did not miscount, you may have inadvertantly added stitches by bringing your yarn to the back over the needle and created an extra stitch or two. One thing you can do to help is to place a stitch marker every 10 or 20 stitches on the needle and count as you go. For two stitches, to be honest, I would simply decrease a stitch at either end in the next row by knitting two stitches together. In garter stitch it isn't going to harm the stitch pattern. Always bring your yarn to the back under the needle tip.
2. As an experienced knitter, i sometimes miscount my stitches from time to time. this is quite common for a beginner. a tip that will help you would be to put a stitch marker after every 10 stitches, that way its far easier for you to keep track of your stitches. with me I put a stitch marker after every 20 stitches, but thats just me.
3. As someone who has knitted for years all I can say is that cast on stitches will reproduce on the needle. Or the extras form in an alternate time space dimension. Okay, serious part of answer: It doesn't matter how carefully i count the cast on row, there always seems to be extras on the needle when I work the first row. my solution: cast on a whole bunch of stitches approximately the amount needed and then I carefully count the first row I actually knit and don't worry about how many are cast on. I usually unpick the extra cast ons and then weave in the excess yarn when finishing. It happens so often I don't worry about it, and I certainly don't unpick everything because of such a little error. And follow the advice about stitch markers every ten stitches, it will prevent the stitches from multiplying on the needle while you work; which they do when you set knitting down between knitting sessions. Again, loosen up a bit and don't freak out over little mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes when learning something new, especially something artistic and creative. Knitting isn't math, which is predictable and precise unless you are searching for the square root of two or solving that Fermat thing. Everyone makes mistakes in their first three hundred knitting projects. I usually compare learning a craft to learning dance or singing, you don't dance the lead of "the nutcracker" on Christmas eve for your first dance recital; nor do you sing the the lead in Madama Butterfly after one singing lesson. Allow yourself to make mistakes: it's how you learn things that aren't as precise as mathematics.