At some point or another every knitter is bound to make mistakes. They aren’t only for newbie knitter, they happen to even the most seasoned ones. I still make them (see my post here on how much I hate them) and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who avoids mistakes altogether.
5 Common Knitting Mistakes
- Dropped stitches. You’re knitting away and suddenly you realize you missed a stitch along the way. A few rows back to be exact. You can either tink back to the mistake or try to pick it up using a crochet hook. It sucks but it’s fixable.
- Messed up your repeats. This one is an easy mistake to make. It usually happens to me when I’m not using stitch markers and not paying 100% attention to my project. The best way I have found to avoid this mistake is using stitch markers. Use a lot of them. A LOT.
- Using the wrong needles. Either you don’t have to correct needle size for the pattern or those needles are tied up in another project. So you use a different size than the pattern calls for. Doing so can mess up your entire project. If the needles are too small then your finished work will be small and the stitches will feel tighter. On the other hand if your needles are too big then your work will be too big and the stitches will feel loose.
- Using the wrong yarn. This is my weakness. I almost never use the recommended yarn. My bank account rarely allows it. And for the most part, there is an equivalent in acrylic yarn. However, designers make a pattern using a specific yarn. So if you want that exact look, you will need to use that yarn too. Not all yarns are created equal. I bought some acrylic from the local yarn shop here and it’s so much nicer than any acrylic I’ve used from the local craft store. And they were both acrylic. And it’s not just a ploy to get us to spend more money. I swear. Knitting with nicer more expensive yarn is a luxury. It feels great.
- Not making a swatch. This is my biggest mistake. I never make a swatch. Ever. And I realize how important swatches are — they can tell you if you’re guage is off, if you’re project will be bigger or smaller than you intended and you can fix the issue before you even begin. But like I said, I’ve never made one. And it has yet to bite me in the bum. I know one day it will and I should save myself the future heartbreak but I get so excited to start a new project that it usually doesn’t even cross my mind. So don’t be like me. Make a swatch.
What are some mistakes that you make?
Happy Knitting,
Ashley
