Comments | novice_knitters: counting rows in garter stitch

fledchen in novice_knitters

counting rows in garter stitch

Apr 24, 2005 23:56

I'm a dummy and haven't been counting my rows. How do I count rows I've already completed in garter stitch? I know it's not as simple as counting ridges--or is it?

counting_rows

Comments 6

sarakate April 24 2005, 22:07:31 UTC

With your right side (the side where your tail is on the same end where it was when you started your first row -- this will be on the right for long-tail/double cast-on, on the left for knitted or cable cast-on) facing you, count your ridges, and then multiply by 2 -- each ridge is formed by two rows.

ryca April 24 2005, 22:50:14 UTC

What about in stockinette? Or better yet, cabling (is that how you spell it)? I'm making a scarf (this one - http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/PATTtoddle.html) and I'm having a hell of a time keeping track of my rows. In fact, I've already made one and I'm making another for my other nephew, and I'm *still* having trouble! Argh! So, any tips?

sarakate April 24 2005, 23:53:16 UTC

Stockinette's not that bad; it's just a matter of not letting your eyes get sidetracked away from the column of stitches you're counting. I find it useful, if I'm really having issues with a piece, to lay it flat on a table in good light, and put a piece of plain white paper on it, lining it up with the column I intend to count, and then putting tick marks every so many rows on the edge of the paper as I count. This is usually only necessary for me on a yarn that's hard to see stitches clearly in, because of the texture or the color or something, but it's a pretty nice trick if you're not that used to counting or a particular piece is giving you trouble ( ... )

tigermind April 25 2005, 10:57:35 UTC

Maybe this is cheating for the knitting purists, but I just use a little counterthingamabob. It fits right on your needles, but I don't like having it on the needles while I'm nitting. Between knitting sessions, though, I like to put it on the needle with my stitches on it so I don't worry about them supernaturally removing themselves whem I'm not looking =P

http://wwww.shop.com/8970978.phtm

This isn't the one I have, but it's the same idea.

tigermind April 25 2005, 18:24:11 UTC

I was just a little braindead when I typed that. Anyway, they have the counters in the craft section of Walmart, and I imagine any craft store that sells knitting stuff would have them.

http://www.wrights.com/products/catalog/boyeline/tally_protectors.htm
Here's the type I have.

weezer140 April 27 2005, 07:05:38 UTC

I have one of those row counters. I have only used it once, because I usually don't knit with patterns and I just knit until I like the length or run out of yarn (a newbie technique, I know, but easy).