Weekly Questions & Answers

All beginning knitters have questions about the best way to do things, why different things happen while they are knitting, how to fix knitting mistakes and more. Here are some of the most common questions posed by new knitters, along with their answers.

Question from Brenda Buckley
When a pattern says to cast on stitches at the begining of a row what is the best way to do this please?




Answer
 The best way is to use the Cable Cast On to add multiple stitches at the beginning of a knit row.
 Here's How 

1. Get ready to start the next row -- the new stitches are added at the beginning of a row. 
 

2. Insert the right needle -- front to back -- in between the first two stitches on the left needle. (The right needle should slip under the left needle.) 
 

3. Knit one stitch by wrapping your yarn around the inserted right needle and pulling the new stitch through. 
 

4. Place this new stitch back on the left needle -- one stitch added. 
 

Repeat steps 2 - 4 until the required number of stitches have been added. Work the next row as indicated in the pattern including these new stitches.  


What if you need to added stitches at the beginning of a purl row? No worries! The Cable Cast On can just as easily be used when purling as it can when knitting. 
Here's How 
1. Get ready to start the next row -- the new stitches are added at the beginning of a row. 
2. Insert the right needle -- back to front -- in between the first two stitches on the left needle. (The right needle should slip under the left needle.) 
3. Purl one stitch by wrapping your yarn around the inserted right needle and pushing the new stitch through. 
4. Place this new stitch back on the left needle -- one stitch added. 
5. Repeat steps 2 - 4 until the required number of stitches have been added. Work the next row as indicated in the pattern including these new stitches.

If you have a knitting question for Knitting Galore, please email it to : dbjones5559@hotmail.co.uk  or  Please  post it as a comment here.  All questions will be answered, and many are selected and answered each wednesday here on the Blog.