Stitches

Problem with my knitting and stitches?

So I just bought needles and thread tonight to try knitting. For some reason, after casting 12 stitches my short piece of string is at the top and the thread connecting to my big ball of yarn is at the bottom. I think the string connected to my ball of yarn is supposed to be at the top too but I'm not sure how to get it up there since I'm left handed. Every time I try to make a new stitch my stitches come out and then I have to redo them. If anyone could help me that would be great!

Public Comments

1. You've probably twisted your stitches. Don't try to knit at all until your cast on is facing down. Make sure that you are knitting through the right part of the loops and from the front, not the back of the loops. Keep the yarn in the back of your work if you are trying to make a knit stitch. A good tip: No matter what you are doing, ALWAYS make sure that your cast on is not too tight. A too tight cast on will make knitting that first row absolute torture.
2. I don't know why your working yarn (the long end) is ending up on the wrong side, but it probably has something to do with using a right-handed method while you're trying to knit left-handed. If you go to YouTube and enter the term "knitting cast on left handed" in the search box, you'll find several videos that should help. In particular, look for videos on "long tail cast on" or "cable cast on". These two methods make a cast-on that stays on the needles a lot better while you're trying to knit the first row. Also remember not to make your cast on too tight, as that also makes it hard to knit the first row.
3. First, knitting is more or less an ambidextrous skill--both hands are used constantly. While changing everything to a mirror image for left-handers is possible, life is much simpler for lefties if they learn to knit by right-handed instructions. Next, I cannot tell from the description whether you did a backwards-loop cast-on backwards or a long-tail cast-on upside fown. Let me suggest that you refer to these sites, which have instructions and videos for beginners: http://www.knittinghelp.com/ http://cache.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/faq-search.cgi?store=/stores/eyarn&learnToKnit=1 http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/getting_started.php3 http://www.how-to-knit-guide.com/knitting-instructions.html Also, there are many ways to cast on. The easiest to learn are the *backwards loop* cast-on and the *knitting on* cast-on. Both are illustrated at one or more of those sites listed. More experienced knitters often recommend the *long-tail cast-on* because of its attributes, and it is an excellent all-purpose cast-on. However, if it slows you down in getting started, learning it can wait for another day. Finally, when you choose your method of holding and working the yarn, I recommend you learn *continental style*, where you hold the yarn over your left forefinger. It should be easier for you than trying to hold the yarn in your right hand and "throw" it over the right needle point, *English style.*
4. You've accidentally knitted using your yarn tail instead of your working yarn. It's okay. It happens to the best of us some time or another. You have two choices: 1. Start over, being careful to knit using the strand of yarn that is attached to the ball and not the tail. From now on, you'll probably develop the habit of checking when you start so you don't face this dilemma again. 2. (what I recommend): One by one, slide your stitches from the left needle to the right needle, WITHOUT knitting them. Once you've got them all moved over, you should be back to the end where the working yarn is (the yarn attached to the ball). Swap your needles so that the needle full of stitches is in your left hand and the empty needle is in your right. Now start knitting again, but this time be careful to use the working (ball) yarn. When you get to the end of the row, the last stitch or two will try to get loose. Be patient. Find the tail piece and tug it to make them tight again, and keep knitting. When you finish the row, swap needles and start your next row. Do several more rows. Then go back and look for that tail again. Snug it one more time, and carefully tie it in a knot around any other nearby loop of yarn you can find to secure it so it can't loosen up again. No one will ever know what happened but you and me. ;) Lefties are usually happiest knitting continental style, but most books, videos and instructors teach English style. So you might like to give continental style. Here are two videos demonstrating continental knitting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBt0TUsi_ss http://www.knittinghelp.com/video/play/the-knit-stitch-continental-continental The knittinghelp.com site gives all instructional videos in both styles, English AND continental, so you might want to bookmark that site.