You Can Knit: WOOL YOU CHECK THIS OUT?

Gauge Swatch: Bulky 2x2 Ribbing

Welcome to my third blog post! In this blog I’ll show you how I learned the classic ribbing look. Like the worsted stockinette stitch, this was also another difficult pattern to learn. The first problem was that my yarn was too bulky which made it difficult to see the pattern. This confused me even more than I already was. My second problem was that I forgot I had to knit and purl. I couldn’t remember whether or not I had to knit or purl, which caused me to redo my swatch over and over again. To solve my problem, I learned how to frog which allowed me to correct my mistake without having to restart my swatch. 

Materials:

-        Bulky yarn

-        Size US 9 needles

-        Measuring tape

-        Scissors

-        Yarn needle
  
      Problem 1: There are 3 types of yarn thicknesses, medium, bulky, and super bulky. My book suggested for me to use bulky yarn, but i had only had super bulky yarn from a previous project. I knew the yarn thickness didn't matter that much, but as a beginner, using bulky yarn would've made making this swatch a little easier.

Gauge:

-        16 stitches x 20 rows = 4” square 

STEP 1

As always, the first step to creating any knitting project is casting on. For the ribbing swatch, you’ll need to cast-on 16 stitches

NOTE: For the ribbing pattern you will need to know how to knit and purl. To learn how to knit check out my first blog post and to learn how to purl check out my second blog post.

STEP 2

With the empty needle in your right hand and the needle with the stitches in your left, knit 2 stitches.

STEP 3

Take the ball end of the yarn and bring it to the front in the middle of both needles. Now purl 2 stitches.

STEP 4

Take the ball end the yarn and bring it to the back behind the right needle. Now knit 2 stitches. After you knit 2 stitches bring the ball end of yarn to the back behind the right needle.

STEP 5

Repeat steps 2-5 until you complete the row. Then place the empty needle in your right hand, and the needle with stitches in your left hand. you guys know the drill.

STEP 6

To begin the next row, you have to determine if you’ll have to knit or purl first. “Look at the stitches on your needle, if they’re smooth, knit them” (White 73). Repeat step 5 to until you reach your desired length for your swatch.

Problem 2: This is where  my second problem occurred. I was having trouble figuring out which stitch to do, the purl or knit. After I had found out I did the wrong stitch first I had already finished the entire row. Later on, I learned a method called frogging which allowed me to fix my mistakes.
For the frogging method, take the needle with the stitches and slide the stitches off the needle. Take the ball end of yarn and slowly unravel the stitches to a point before your mistake occurred. Be sure to unravel until the end of your row. Once you are done unraveling slide the needle back onto the stitches. Make sure that you begin with the stitches at the end of the row, and not the beginning (White 120). 

STEP 7 

To finish your swatch you need to bind off. To learn how to bind off, check out my first blog post for detailed instructions. After you bind off, you're done with your new swatch!

What do you do to help fix your mistakes?

White, Stephanie. You Can Knit!: Knit and Purl Your Way through 12 Fun and Easy Projects. Cincinnati, OH: Fons & Porter, 2015. Print.