Are you making one of these classic mistakes? Don’t worry, almost everybody does. That’s why they made this top-ten list. Just read through and watch the videos to see if you are making your knitting experience harder than it should be — and what to do about it.
And just so you know, I’m not perfect, either. My top knitting mistake didn’t make it to the top ten, because it doesn’t really slow me down, per se, but it’s caused me a lot of frustration. I’ve been working on it, and I’m happy to say it doesn’t affect me now as much as it used to.
It’s that I would knit things out of colors that look bad on me. I used to pick a lot of pale, delicate colors, because they looked so good on models and in knitting magazines. Unfortunately, they make me look pasty and bland! So now I try to stick to deep, rich colors and bright jewel tones, no matter how good that sand-colored cardigan looks.
So, counting down from #10, your top mistakes and how to fix them are:
#10 Not Pushing Your Needle-Tips Far Enough Through Your Stitches
Problem: I see so many knitters doing this — they just barely push the tips of their needles through the stitches, and as a consequence, have to go really slowly and carefully to make sure that the stitches don’t fall off.
Fix: Easy! Push your needles all the way into your stitches, like I show in the video. Pair this fix with Tip #6, Using Your Fingers To Help You (coming up in a few weeks), and you should be golden.
Not Pushing Needle Far Enough Through Stitches
Learn More Tricks Like This: Fix Your Mistakes And Knit Faster
Related Tutorials
- Stop Scrunching Your Stitches Up On Your Right-Hand Needle
- Stop Letting Stitches Lag On Your Left-Hand Needle
If you liked this video on not pushing your needle-tips far enough through your stitches, post in the comments!
11 thoughts on “Are You Pushing Your Needle-Tips Far Enough Through Your Stitches?”
I agree….i think it changes the size of your stitches too. The needle is thinner at the tip.
Thanks , Liat!
I used to knit this way – pushing the needle tips – but I had people tell me I’m a loose knitter, so I started knitting more on the tips in an effort to not be as loose a knitter. I will go back to this way and continue to try to figure out how to fix this, and perhaps it was addressed prior to my signing up as I’m relatively new to this site, but I have greatly appreciated the information that I have learned so far.
Hi there,
Sorry for the long delay in replying! I am very glad that you commented here as your knitting style should be comfortable to you and produce a fabric you are happy with. There is no reason to “try” with knitting, for example, to try to knit tighter. If your knitted fabric seems loose, use a smaller needle and see how that looks. Knitting with proper tension is important – here is an overview video I’ve done more recently that covers all aspects of it: https://www.knitfreedom.com/blog/hand-pain/#tension-tips
Please let me know how you’re doing with your tension now and what questions you have for me.
Thank you!
Liat – [email protected]
I don’t think that’s a problem for me, especially as I am a thrower. I enjoy watching the video though as I really want to knit continental.
Ah, you should try knitting Continental! It’s really great. Here’s a post I wrote where other students share what they like about Continental knitting: https://www.knitfreedom.com/blog/learn-continental/
Cheers,
Liat
Like all your videos, this one is clear, easy to understand, and so helpful! They’re like gold, these instructions, and I keep all of them close and handy. Thank you for your hard work; it makes knitting “like a Superstar” a goal well within reach for all of us knitters, especially for those of us who are basically self-taught and have been struggling with one or another stitch or knitting error before seeing how easy it is to do it correctly. What a wonderful resource you are!
Hooray!! Wow, Susan, your comment makes me so happy. I love that these tips are helpful to you and that you are applying them to improve your knitting. They are culled from many observations of self-taught knitters and the mistakes they often make. You are wise to apply them! Happy knitting and thank you for being a great part of KnitFreedom!
Liat
I think I got into this habit when my tension was way too tight and it was hard to get the points all the way through the stitch–argh! And some knitters think they’ll be faster if they just knit from the tips (though dropping stitches sure will slow one down!).
Aha! So good to discover this about your knitting. These kinds of things are sometimes hard to be aware of until someone with an outside perspective points them out. Getting the right tension and using the full needle as it is intended is so much more relaxing – AND faster, in the end!
Cheers,
Liat
Putting stitches on the main part of the needle also ensures even knitting and correct tension don’t you think?
Great advice list!