Comments on: Ask Amanda: Are my stitches twisted?

By: amandakeep

amandakeep — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:28:18 +0000

I’m so glad the photos helped! Now you can knit (and purl) with confidence!

By: lorae cox

lorae cox — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:25:40 +0000

thank you! I am teaching myself to knit. One look at your pictures n I knew I was twisting all my stiches unintentionally. But it wasnt knitting through the back loop that as causing it. I was purling wrong. Instead of taking the working yarn and feeding it in clockwise I was doing just the opposite. It caused every other row to be twisted. Thank you so much! If I hadn’t seen your pictures who knows how long I’d been stuck doing it wrong!

By: amandakeep

amandakeep — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:51:38 +0000

That’s great – thanks Jean!

By: Jean

Jean — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:56:00 +0000

I learned something today (although I usually don’t twist my stitches)!

By: amandakeep

amandakeep — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:15:25 +0000

I can’t say I’ve met anyone yet using your particular technique – most people will knit the same way regardless of needle. But what’s most important is that you knit in a way that is comfortable for you, and it sounds like you’ve got that figured out! I think knitting in the “normal” way is overrated

By: Ilana

Ilana — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:50:13 +0000

When knitting stockinette on circular needles, I always knit through the front, but when knitting stockinette on strait needles, I find I have to knit through the back on the knit side, and purl on the purl side to get stitches that don’t look twisted. Is this normal, or do you always knit through the front, even on strait needles?

By: amandakeep

amandakeep — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:35:37 +0000

Thanks for sharing your experience, Crystal. And your story illustrates the value of trial and error, where something accidental can lead to an important discovery!

By: crystal

crystal — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:22:01 +0000

I knit through the back loop as it’s much easier on my hand movements and I’m a much faster knitter, both with knitting and purling (see http://www.modeknit.com). I became a Combined Continental knitter accidentally, when the first sweater pattern I did had me do Twisted Rib and had the typo (ktbl, ptbl…the to tbl’s just cancel out to make regular rib). I didn’t know any better, so just worked as the pattern said. I soon realised I knit a LOT faster and my wrists hurt less with this technique, so I just started using it for all my knitting! I’ve found it actually makes no difference if you put the needle through the front or back, but that the difference lies in whether the yarn rotating around the right hand needle is rotated towards or away from the left hand needle; in my method, the right wrist motion is always “sweeping” the yarn towards the left needle and up to form the stitch, thus making it very efficient and even.

When I first started purling (through the front loop), I didn’t realise it mattered which way the yarn was rotated around the right needle; needless to say, things looked a bit wonky! So now I am careful to pay attention to that component when learning new stitches, etc.

Based on experience, the most obvious way to knowing you’re unintentionally twisting stitches is whether the loops on the left hand needle all “face” the same way. It took me a few months to realise this!

By: amandakeep

amandakeep — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:21:36 +0000

Hi Gale! This is very interesting – you’ll have to keep us posted on what you find out!

By: gale zucker (she shoots sheep shots)

gale zucker (she shoots sheep shots) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:10:36 +0000

I grew up knitting through the back loop, but then wrapping my purl stitches clockwise, instead of counterclockwise. I always figured that untwisted the stitch. I bet not, as my stockinette resembles your sample on the right, mor ethan the flatter one on the left. This is interesting.
These days I alternate by project whether I knit front or back loop, to change up my wrist action. I ought to pay attention and compare swatches. Thanks!