Counting Your Stitch Rows in Knitting
If you’re just getting started with knitting, you’ll soon realize how easy it is to lose track of your knitting project. Identifying the rows in a stitch is one of the first things you should nail. That’s why we’re going to show you how to count your rows!What Are Rows and Why do They Matter?As you begin to knit, you will start building one row after another and stacking them on top of each other. For a basic rule of thumb, going left to right on a needle is one row. It’s important to keep track of your rows and learn how to count them across the different stitches you will make especially if you are following a project. You don’t want to knit a whole sweater only to find out it’s too short because you forgot to count your rows. Make sure you do not count the row at the bottom of your knitting, known as the cast on row, and what’s on your needle. You should begin tallying the number of rows you have above the cast on row and finish counting the last row before getting to your knitting needle. Garter Stitch Rows
 Garter stitches are made by knitting all rows. This makes for a more durable fabric that doesn’t curl. These stitches look like waves due to the interlocking stitch loops. In the image above, we marked four waves or undulations. These four waves represent four rows counted. You may be tempted to count one straight line of stitches curving up as one row and one straight line of stitches curving down as a second row, but make sure you are using all three points of the wave shown above in black to sum one row. Stockinette Stitch Rows
Another common stitch is the stockinette, or stocking, stitch. This stitch is made by knitting one row and then purling another row. It is quickly identifiable by its V-shape. In the image above, we marked four orange V-shaped stitches. Each V is one row which makes our row count four. Reverse Stockinette Stitch Rows
Lastly, the reverse stockinette stitch. This stitch looks a lot like a garter stitch, except it curls just like a stockinette stitch. The reverse stockinette stitch is made by purling stitches on the right side. In the image above, we’ve marked four arcs in blue. Each arc represents one row. Sheep Thrills Knitting in Lauderhill, FLAre you a beginner knitter? Do you need one-on-one help to get started with your projects? At Sheep Thrills, we offer private lessons for knitting, crocheting, or weaving during open hours. If you’d like a private lesson, call us today at 954-742-1908 to schedule. You can also visit our website to shop online for the materials you need and find more information about shopping in-store. |
