Monday, June 4, 2007

Argh- unknitting twisted stitches

I am having a little bit of an "issue" with my big swatch o' Cables and Os: I cannot figure out how to unknit the twisted stitches correctly. I know how to k1tbl and p1tbl, of course, but when I discover that I have lost track of the stitch pattern on a previous row and want to unknit back down to the error, the twisted stitches are getting all screwed up. I either lose the twist entirely or re-twist it, and I have done it correctly a few times too, and the problem is that I cannot see the difference between the correct and incorrect processes when I am doing them-- but of course I notice the mistake once it is onto the right hand needle!
Naturally, with the beautiful stitch definition of the yarn, the incorrectly twisted stitches show up like crazy.
Anyone have any tips for unknitting twisted stitches correctly?

5 comments:

Carina said...

How are they lying on the needle on the next row? Generally, we knit through the forward-leaning side for it to be "normal" and not twisted. Look to see which side of the loop is in front (most to the right), either the front or the back. Knit through that one, and it should work out. After awhile, your fingers will know it by feel.

Stitch-ay Woman said...

On the next row meaning on the left-hand needle?
I just picked up some yarn and made a few twisted and a few regular knit stitches, and then flipped over to the wrong side to see if I could tell the difference between them based on how they are sitting on the left-hand needle (on the wrong side, so former right hand needle) and they really do not look any different from each other as I go to knit into them .
However, when I flip the work back to the right side and look at the stitches from the front, I can see which ones are the twisted ones because of the stitch underneath the twisted stitches that are on the rh needle. When you knit a twisted stitch, you are actually twisting the stitch beneath the one you just knit. At least, I am. Maybe I learned it wrong.
My main issue is that, when I am unknitting, I lose the twist, and then have trouble getting it back because of the fact that it doesn't look any different as I knit into it.

Carina said...

Argh. This is where the internets fall apart for me. I wish I could see it so I could figure out how to help better. Hmmm. I'll keep thinking on this.

Stitch-ay Woman said...

I know what you mean-- I have to really think hard to figure out how to even ask the question-- and then I still have to go back and edit half the time. :-)

Betty said...

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/FEATtheresa.html

This article in Knitty might help you.