@@MichiaMakes Well, it could...but it entirely depends on your tension. So, if you are able to mirror-knit very smoothly, it might help. But you might as well create different problems. But certainly worth a try.
Well that's quite a revelation! Thank you, Norman - you've uncovered the explanation for a mystery that has plagued knitters for many, many generations. Now all of us can stop fretting over our "failure" to get stitches even on both edges. It's not us - it's just one of the laws of the universe. Like gravity. Now if you could just figure out what happens to all the single socks that vanish from the laundry... 😉 💕
Thank you! I'm relieved that it's not me as a knitter, but just the anatomy and science of knitting causing this problem. I guess we need to accept that nothing in life is perfect, but the small imperfections often make life more interesting and curious. Lots of love, Norman, you're amazing! 💖
@@NimbleNeedles Update! As you taught me in this video how pulling the yarn tighter actually only makes me steal yarn from the row below and results in a disproportionally long stitch at the end of a row, I realized this was the big problem I've been having especially when knitting in the round with dpn's. I could not understand why I had such ugly loose knitting in between every needle, resulting in very uneven and unsightly work. Before knowing any better, I always tried to remediate this by knitting tighter nearer the end of each needle, although this was exactly why it ended up looking so bad and loose there! So now with this new realization after your video, I've been practising not pulling the yarn so tight or by stealing from the adjacent stitch, but instead working gentler on each stitch, closer to the tips of the needles. And the results are amazing! I no longer have looser stitches in between the dpn's, but the knitting is much more even all throughout. Fantastic! Thank you so much! 💖
@@ruthm1384 heh! awesome. That's basically the tip I shared in my how to fix ladders video a couple of weeks ago. Relaxing at the transition is so important!
I love it when you do "Nimble Needles Knit Science". 😃 Thank you for sharing! It's fun to delve into how all these loops and micro-movements come together to make various finished fabric pieces.
I've been observing the traveling slack phenomenon for ages without really understanding what was happening! I really love when the answer to mitigating a problem truly is "it depends what you personally need, depending on your style and preferences." I love it even more when a problem boils down to "this is a handmade craft, and that comes with some quirks." So often we're pressured to do everything with absolute perfection and precision, and plenty of people sell that as their brand with their 'one magic solution,' but it really is okay to be imperfect. So what if your edges are uneven? You made the shawl beautiful anyway. With your hands! Just hands, needles, yarn, and knowledge. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that incredible? That's worth being proud of, loose edges or no.
Omg! The issue at the beginning you showed was the exact issue I was experiencing with sock heel flaps. I decided to just knit a small garter edge to my heel flaps to prevent this, but I'm excited to watch the whole video and find out the real reason!
yeah, sock heels are very typical for that problem to occur. And in fact, I'd say (and you might have found out by now) your solution was actually not even far off the mark!
So now I know why I get these huge edge stitches, thank you. As someone who does Norwegian Purl, yes, it definitely creates more slack. I shall have to investigate what works for me, because you will pry my Norwegien Purl from my cold, dead, hands before I let it go (I love Norwegian Purl, love it love it)
This is great! I am practicing double stockinette and I had this issue on one side. I found that if I kept that last slip at the tip then turned and knitted it, it made that side much better. Not sure why, but as you say it depends on your tension, etc. Now I understand that I was not doing something wrong. Thanks!
The Norwegian pearl stitch made my head hurt. I think I will just have to be more careful with my edges. Thank you Norman. I thought it was just me that had this problem. 👍😊❤️
Thank you for this explanation of why my edges will never be a perfect match. It has been a source of irritation for as long as I can remember. I thought there was a secret to it that everyone knew but me.
Ha..no..I highly doubt anyone is really aware of the problem. At least, i never heard anyone talking about it..not even the tech-knitter or other ppl I know who are also obsessed with these details
This is exactly why i am subscribed! You analyze the stich anatomy, explain how the stich works, and how it translates to the work. I knit in a Norwegian style because of the pain in my hands. I truly appreciate this information so much ❤❤ thank you so much!
Brilliant Norman! I think it's brilliant when that sort of inspiration strikes... The conveyor belt process is so easy to understand. I have to admit it has never bothered me about the edge stitches. It's just something that happens. However it is nice to understand why it happens. Thank you so much for this video...
I'm a recent subscriber. Found your channel a couple of weeks ago and think it's great. You're very good at explaining. I do a similar thing with stitching ☺️🧵🪡
I'm a new knitter and so far only worked with garter stitch, where both my edges were perfect. Since yesterday I've been trying to learn a stockinette stitch shawl and was loosing my mind with the uneven edges! I thought "Norman might have something to say about it" and I'm so thankful you did! You can't imagine the confidence I got to figure out what works for me and also not try to imitate a machine!
You left out hobby knitters like me, who start out tense (and with tight stitches) and then loosen up as we relax. I can't be the only one who does that. Thankfully, I usually stick to shawls hats and afghans, so I don't find it a big problem, and life is (or should be) better with a little serendipity. Love your work.
At any rate your video on neater edges by slipping the first stitch was a blessing to me. I had been slipping the last stitch, and the effect was not as neat as your demo on slipping the first stitch. I may learn to be a good knitter yet!@@NimbleNeedles
Hi, Norman. That's a marvelous solution, to a lifelong problem. Have to keep this episode real close by. I'm sure thus method will sweep over the knitt I ng world ❤😊 thank a for taking the time to show all. 😊
Thank you Norman! Even though no easy answer to this issue, I really appreciate you analyzing and explaining this. As a long time crocheter and beginner knitter, I was getting so discouraged as to what's going on. You're awesome! 👍😍
This was very nice video. My solution to this is look my project 2m away from me and if it is noticable then I will try to fix it. Only place where this is real problem is on sides of heelflap in sock. If you get holes on other side those socks will not be so warm. It would be nice to have some kind of video about how to fix that problem. My own fix is to reverse knit instead purling. This creates thight and even thighter sides. This way I don’t get those holes. There is also other way to avoid this to happen. This kind of videos are very helpful when beginning knitting journey. This shows that you are not bad at knitting, but everyone struggles with this. Some just have ways to make edges neater and most of us just ignores it.
Hi Norman. .I’m so glad my edges are perfect! Ha ha! Just kidding of course. Very interesting video. You address this issue so comprehensively! I don’t let my edges bother me unless they are really noticeable, but I must say that that last stitch that many times can get so loose drives me nuts! Thank you for another great video! Have a wonderful week!😊
I love accidental discoveries! That was very interesting. I'm beginner and I purl in such a weird way, I hold yarn in my left hand but I wrap it around the right needle with this left hand, not using the right needle. I find that way easier and I'm quicker that way, and it makes surprisingly consistent and neat edges on both sides. My grandma once looked at me when I was knitting, and when she saw this (she knits for almost 80 years), she asked 'what are you doing?', I kinda panicked but she said 'I was just curious, did you came up with this yourself? It's cool, and if it works for you, don't change it, I do so many things differently to others'. So, my conclusion is, no matter how weird it is, if it works, it works 😂
your grandma is spot on! so many others would have said "that is wrong"...when in reality knitting is only about consistency - and whether you like what you produce or not.
@@NimbleNeedles Yes! And to be honest, I am the one who should enjoy the process, as long as it produces good quality product everything goes. Of course learning 'proper' technique is useful and I try to do that, but if something is uncomfortable for me I won't force myself
Quisiera agradecerle los videos que hace,se poco inglés y menos leer las puntadas ... (Pero tejer me ayuda con mi enfermedad) gracias por compartir , es un gran profesor. 💝
Thanks, Norman! I overheard a beginner knitter ask the instructor why her edge stitch was so large/loose. So this was on my mind when I saw the title of the video. She was told, I don’t know, but this happens to my edge stitches too. Very interesting.
Hi Norman, Dankeschön für deine sehr ausführlichen Videos. Ich Häkel schon fast mein halbes Leben lang, aber habe mich nie ans stricken getraut. Dank deiner Videos erscheint alles so einfach und sehr verständlich. Kann’s nicht abwarten bald endlich mit meinem ersten Strickprojekt anzufangen. Danke für deine super Arbeit und dazu auch noch frei zugänglich.
I’m delighted both by the answer to this mystery and by your joy in having discovered it. ☺️ I have always wondered about that slack, and now I know! I have two thoughts about how to possibly fix it for those who care to persist. My first thought is to use reverse knitting. I’ve never tried it myself, so I’m not sure which direction you would enter the stitch. My second thought is to use a smaller needle for the knit side. That would of course be a lot of work, so not very practical.
No, I don't think reverse knitting would work since you will stretch out these stitches differently as well..and for them to be even you'd have to have the exact same "tension"
Just want to thank you for your amazing videos. I've recently started knitting and a lot of my process is thanks to you're perfectly explained extensive videos. It really makes acquiring a new skill so much more enjoyable and accessible when there is a great teacher to learn from!
Great tutorial as always. Here’s my tip, for a knit row - slip the first stitch purl wise with yarn at the front then take yarn to the back and knit across, then knit through the back of the last stitch. For a purl row just slip the first stitch purl to end of row then knit through the back of the last stitch. This gives a consistent edge for sewing or crocheting up, give it a try xxx
Thank you for solving the conundrum. I’m a self taught left hander, but knit like a regular right hander. It was natural to hold the yarn in my left hand so I was knitting through the back loop. Those that knitted “normal” were always telling me I was doing it wrong. So……I now make the knit stitch correctly but it was a slow go for a while retraining myself. I was never able to throw with my right hand so knitting continental is my friend. I appreciate your very clear instructions as always. Thank you again.
it's my pleasure! but one note here: "Wrong" is a very strong word when it comes to knitting. What matters is if YOU are pleased with the results and it brings you joy. Knitting is all about consistency. Brioche stitch looks horrible after 4 rows...after 20 it starts to shine :)
Norman, Thank you for your question about this video. I had not receivrd the reminder despite my Subscription to notify me for All videos/posts. Grateful to see this, thank you!!
I actually had someone ask me that question the other day and I was so disappointed that I didn't have a good answer for them. That said, my answer was "I think it has something to do with going from a knit row to a purl row vs going from a purl row to a knit row". So kinda excited that it wasn't totally off. 😁 Thank you for sharing this information freely ♥️
darn I was counting on a solution. I am making Garbo--esque headbands and the one side is tighter than the other. In a way it could accidentally result in a better fit according to the contour of the wearer's head but in general I have groped thru so many videos on "edges" for years now trying to resolve this by combining k in the front or k in the back loop. At least now I understand, well ... sort of. I normally do not have a good grasp on schematics and rely on aesthetics and not troubleshooting. Its hard for me to "read" stitches, you did great in your explain, thanx so much.
Thanks, brilliant explanation! I discovered this issue and it’s root a while ago as well, because I was suffering from that problem too, because I tend to really „lean“ into the opening of the knit stitch, thereby making it really large, before closing it and pulling tight. Of course that means tons of slack and huge selvage stitches. So whenever I get closer to the left edge I try to be careful and knit very close to the tip to mitigate the slack. That seems to help a lot.
Thanks for this video. I just thought I was not a very good knitter . I self taught and thought I just needed more experience and more lessons in order to get neater edges.
Hello Norman, In Patty Lyons' book "Knitting bag of tricks" p.140 and p.141, you will find solutions for fixing the first stitch for continental knitters and for english knitters. It also helps avoid ladders when working with DPNs. Hope you like her tricks !!!
Hey Niocole, I'm aware of her book and her trick. And she certainly did a wonderful job with that book. I'd actually go as far as saying it's probably the best knitting book published in recent years for beginners I am aware of. However, I don't think it is a solution - particularly not for a slip stitch border.. If I had one issue with some of her tips and tricks, then that she stops one step short of total understanding. Take her one move SSK. If she only added one little step, it would work for me and other knitters. As it is, it's a ever so slightly flawed (and somewhat) mislabeled technique. Still, thanks for the heads-up. After all, you never know, right?
I agree this technique works when you don't slip the first stitch. It is great to avoid ladder in magic loop though. She usually Knits sweaters in pieces so would not recommand a slip stitch border. I'll try to see on her web site what she would do for slip stitches border. Thanks for sharing your opinion on the book. @@NimbleNeedles
Abd I do combination knitting!!!!! I wondered why nobody is knitting the way I do and thoughg I was the inventer of this technique.. It's so much easier. Now the kid has a name.
Hey Norman! Could you do a tutorial on making some selbu-style mittens? I just love the way your tutorials are adjustable according to any gauge. Thank you!
Won't change the name to Norman's Knitting Academy? 😊 Thanks for all your relevations which made my knitting better and more beautiful. Greetings from Tuscany
I wrap my stitches clockwise and have for decades. No, I don't go through the back loop, that would create a twisted stitch. The front loop is simply facing my working needle. As a result, my conveyer belt effect is on opposite side. I prefer single rib as an edge stitch if one is needed. I need to go observe that now with this video in mind.
@@NimbleNeedles yeah, I know it's eastern knitting but not everyone does. I'm a thrower though and I've never seen anyone else throw with an eastern orientation. That's what's happens when a young person who is directionally impaired learns from books. 😂 I had no clue it wasn't the way other people knitted until some lady in my knitting group screamed at me and said that all of my stitches would be twisted. They weren't though. I somehow read the images from the books backwards.
@@keturahspencer I would say it matters little. Many things about my knitting were utterly self-taught as well, and I'd say that rather speaks for you than against it. Just do be careful: yarns can have an S or a Z spin. And you may notice that...highly spun DK yarns are not especially suitable for wrapping clockwise and may yield a less than ideal stitch definition.
@@NimbleNeedles I actually spin my own yarns to the most part. In the US novelty and cheap yarns have takes over the stores and nice yarn is too expensive unless I make it myself. The advantages include that I can spin in a way that works best with my work. The only thing I think that matters is however we treat people who do things differently. I'm gkad to see knitters actually talking about different methods.
Thank you so much for going deep in a knitting science 😊, really good videos, well done! Can I ask you what camera you use for your videos as quality is just superb!!!
Oh... I'm a beginner and when I knitted a swatch in stockinette for the first time, I was able to knit it with pretty even stitches (to my surprise) but the sides were quite uneven and I thought it was me.
Hi Norman! I always see necklines that are too wide on self-made sweaters (that look unintentional) even by the pattern designers. Some others have well fitting necklines. What is the trick to a well fitting neckline? I'm hoping you know. Thanks for all your videos!!!
Hey Norman, I'm really new to knitting, but I think I might have an alternative suggestion. It is pretty unrealistic, but if you learn to knit left handed couldn't you continue knitting knit stitches back and forth instead of switching to pearls? I don't think it would completely eliminate the problem, but I bet it would help! However it is clearly not a practical solution.
I remain doubtful because it's a tension issue. So by merely knitting backward you cannot guarantee that your tension will differ as well on the return rows. I mean, maybe it willw ork for some, yeah but I'd call that luck rather than systemtatic. The thinking behind it is, however, sound!
I knit backwards and wrap clockwise and I have this problem only slightly, not nearly as noticeable. I tried different knitting styles and these made the problem far worse. A local lady told me to not to “argue with my yarn” but when I politely asked the yarn not to do that, it did not comply. I suspect there is a certain way to hold the stitches that prevents it so maybe people who don’t have this issue should make a slow motion video so we can study their movements. I know when I knit forwards and backwards (yarn in left hand) my tension is more smooth. 🤔
Hallo Norman :) Ich liebe deine Videos, ich lerne so viel! Darf man an dich auch Bilder schicken, deren Muster man absolut nicht rausbekommt? Ich esse sonst noch den Tisch! In meinem Fall ein Zigzag Muster, du hattest dazu ja schon ein Video, deine Technik sieht auch wirklich gut aus, aber ich wüsste so gern wie diese andere Zigzag Technik gemacht ist *seufz*
What are your thoughts on knitting the first stitch and then reorienting it on the needle before continuing? I come out the “back” and recenter into the “front”.
@@NimbleNeedles oh of course. As you stated there is no real solution to the problem. I was just wondering if this was a common method as I typically just do what feels natural. Thanks Norman.
My tension nearly always seems to be correct but I have always wondered why edge stitches seem to be more lax. I usually tighten up tension on last stitch or so.
Would it be a possibility if you just pulled back on the conveyor belt at that side to tighten it up a bit? I’m new, so this may not work- only in my sneaky imagination! Ha ha
well, I would say: not really because that would transport the slack to the other edge. I mean, you could possible also distribute it among the other stitches of the row..but it would be extremely tedious either way.
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