Gah - Knitting....too complicated.

Try www.knittinghelp.com or You Tube and look for 'knit' and 'purl' stitch - their videos are fab. I've taught myself long tail cast on this evening thanks to Knitting Help.

I can't read your original point, but if all your stitches are on the right needle ,just turn it and place it in your left hand, and put the empty needle in your right hand, and then start again.

I learnt how to knit from the Stitch and B!tch book and created a simple scarf first to get to grips with knitting before I move onto hats and a dog jumper (it was for my chihuahua as she was old!).

My mum has been showing me over the last few days and i have no bloody clue apparently ive been dropping stitches and ive been making more stitches or something? i dont know i have given up. my 8 year old can do it better than me , she is knitting a scarf for her doll. hmmm

Remember when you purl to bring the wool forward before you start! I was trying to do knit purl etc once and ended up with a big knot as I didn't realise ?

Once you've knitted all to one side, swap needles so your knitting is all back on the left hand side and start the next row. You don't move your knitting off the needle ? Always knit to move the garment from the left side to the right if that makes sense.

Fenella, please don't take this the wrong way....can I recommend the book knitting for dummies? I got it as a pressie for christmas 2 years ago and seriously it was my saviour! When I follow it all make sense....if you need anything from it I can scan it for you and send via email. Let me know...I kow PM is abit shakey so I will keep an eye out x

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have tried again various times today and I'm getting pretty frustrated. I went on knittinghelp.com and tried a different cast on only to discover that I couldnt 'knit' from it afterwards so went back to the other 'thumb' method. I'm tending to do it all very tight and then struggle to move the stiches from one needle to the other. Anyway I cast on using thumb, knit a row and then I get stuck. The next row, where I should be purl-ing but decided to just do a fe rows of knitting, the first couple of stitches just gather up into a knot. Everytime this happens I have to start again.

My mom tells me that I use to be able to knit when I was younger so not being able to do it know is driving me mad!

Kazmerelda - thanks for your offer. Are there any specially good pages that would help me...dont want you to have to scan the whole book ?

Where are you Fenella? if you are anywhere near brum i would meet up and give you a hand..... i have just started knitting again and so far i have done myself two tops like this

one in plain darkish pink and one in pale pink. I am currently knitting number 5 a cardigan in fishermans rib which is really easy and also using up scraps of wool to make a knitted paperchain for christmas ? http://www.simplyknitting.co.uk/resources/simplyknitting/blogpattern2.pdf that site should show you what i mean.

tbh you sound like you are trying something a touch too ambitious - maybe just try doing knit before you go onto purling too? do a little square - you can easily unravel it when you have practised a bit.....

anyway - if you are near me it is a genuine offer ? good luck!

I could scan the basics for you....I struggle like you with tension etc best thing to do is keep practising.

I will have a look at the book tonight and find some good pages and scan them tomrorow if ok? Mostly I stuck with knit and purl and the casting on for yonks to feel comfortable, also the how to read patterns. It gives you phrases in your head to follow so you repeat it like a mantra hehe.

Don't despair though, I got so annoyed with it but in time it did get easier....

Youtube really is your friend if you have no-one there to show you. Try this one.
You will find it's really tight at first-it's 'cos you're tense with it.
There's no reason why you can't keep doing knit all the way along. Purls do fit nicely into the back of knits though.
With your stitches getting in a knot, it may be that you're knitting into the 2 loops of the stitch on the row below?
Really though, give youtube a try

Thanks for the replies everyone and sorry for delay.

Swampytiggaa - thank you for your kind offer. I'm up in Cheshire though so too far plus my Mom is in Dudley, think she'd be offended if I said I was going to another ladies house for knitting help ? Love that top btw - my friend had a very similar one on the other day. I really dont think I'm trying anything too ambitious, I'm only trying to knit a few lines, havent even got onto the purl bit yet.

I tried again last night, cast on fine, not too tight as I relaxed a bit, knit a row which went fine but then when I go to knit the next row the stitch is different so I either end up stiching nothing or makign a knot then I have to pull it all off and start again. Kazmerelda it would be great if you could scan be basics for me.

Ellena - I've watched a few videos on Youtube but none of them seem to be really helping. I will have a look at the one you have suggested tonight (cant look at work)

I'm going to bed really frustrated..and not in a good way! My H keeps laughing at me when I hurl the needles across the room!

Fenella, if you're really stuck can you go to a local knitting shop or somewhere and ask a staff member to have a look? Who showed you when you were in town?

Can I recommed Ravelry to you too?! www.ravelry.com It takes about 3 days to get an invitation through when you "apply" but it's worth it.

Starting your second knit row should be exactly the same as starting your first row from the cast on. I'm not really sure why it's going so wrong? You are changing the needle back to your left hand once all the stitches are on the right needle aren't you?

Im in rossendale lancs so not to far away from you. If you fancyd meeting for a coffie in manc I could run through the basics with you. I would recomend ravelry as well there is a hitche group on there and no question is to daft.

Well I think I might have cracked it! Took it to work today and one of the ladies showed me what I was doing wrong. I was going through the centre but back of the stitch so wasnt picking it up right. I've now done six rows and feeling better. I'm under instructions to carry on tonight, take my progress in tomorrow and if I've done well enough then she'll show me how to purl ?

Thanks to everyone for the advice and kind offers of help...much appreciated.