Knitting is one of the best hobbies there is, it can be relaxing, it’s rewarding, it’s beautiful and you usually end up with something useful at the end. But for beginning knitters (and intermediate and even advanced knitters) there are definitely some common knitting mistakes you have probably made at least once that are causing your knitting project to fail.
I’ve made all of these mistakes. I swear, they’re easy to do! And it’s good to keep these common knitting mistakes in mind so you can remember that most of the time, if your knitting project doesn’t quite work out, the problem may not be what you think it is.
Why do people make these common knitting mistakes?
- Rushing – we get SO excited to start a new knitting project that we gloss over details or steps in our rush to get going. But like the old DIY phrase “measure twice, cut once” paying a little extra attention to the details of your knitting project before you start it, will be well worth it in the end. I promise.
- You’re a beginner – We’ve all been there and we’ve all made these mistakes because we’re still learning. I mean making mistakes is actually a valuable way that people learn things. I tell my kids this all the time. There is no shame in being a beginner and you should not be embarrassed in any way if any of these things happen with your knitting projects
We think, “I don’t really need to do that step” – this is a reason more advanced knitters make mistakes. We convince ourselves that experience equals immunity. It does not. - We just do – yep, it happens.
What are the most common knitting mistakes making your projects fail?
- Gauge – Literally every knitting teacher, book and class will tell you that measuring the gauge correctly in your knitting projects is important. And you might think you can skip this step for a variety of reasons including that you’ve knit with this yarn before, or that you think you know your average gauge on certain needles. But you still shouldn’t skip knitting a gauge swatch.
Getting the gauge wrong can make your sweater or other knit item either way too big or way too small and the bigger the project the more an incorrect gauge will affect it. If you want to know more about gauge, what it is, how to measure it and how to knit a gauge swatch, I’ve got you covered! - Yarn Quantity – Unless you’re knitting something small like a hat or a headband, that you’re sure can be knit with a single skein of most yarns, you should double check the yarn quantity required for the size of the item that you’re knitting. There is nothing worse than playing yarn chicken and not knowing if you have enough. Well, actually the only thing worse is actually NOT having enough yarn.
On the other end of the spectrum, when you purchase yarn, make sure you ask about the yarn return policy. Some stores will not take it back at all, some will not take it back if it’s been wound and some might have a time limit on returns. So keep those things in mind when you decide what quantity you need. It’s always better to have more than you need, but not TOO much more! - Yarn Dye Lot – I didn’t know about dye lots until I’d been knitting for a while. Even commercially produced yarns that you buy at the crafts store will have a dye lot. That’s because no matter how carefully yarn is dyed, there can be teeny tiny differences in color in different batches of yarn.
This is another reason purchasing enough yarn is important because if you run out and need to go back and buy more, yarn with the same dye lot may no longer be available.
And some of you are probably thinking, “:will it really make a difference?” Yes. I have seen lots of projects where people thought the colors were fine and then when they looked at their finished project in bright natural light there was a noticeable line where they changed skeins with different dye lots. And then what do you?! - Difficulty Level – Choosing a knitting project with a difficulty level that doesn’t match your experience level is something knitters do all the time. We get super excited by a project and can’t slow down enough to look at which knitting techniques are required to complete the project.
Sometimes in the midst of excitement we can overestimate our skills as well. Try and take a moment and read through the pattern. If there is more than one technique you’re not familiar with or the techniques are a big leap from your skill level (ex. You just learned to knit and the project is in Fair Isle) bookmark it and come back to it when you’re a little more experienced! - Not Following the Pattern – Being a craft and knitting writer is often similar to being a recipe writer where people will email you with a problem and only after asking a lot of questions do you find out that they didn’t follow your recipe/pattern. And that’s why their project is failing.
Don’t substitute yarn or needles from what a knitting pattern calls for and then feel surprised when the project doesn’t work out the way you expected. Even for super advanced knitters, it’s difficult to do this accurately. I promise, I don’t even try. If you feel like you really want to use a certain yarn or needle that is different than what the pattern calls for, look for a different pattern. Really. - Not printing your pattern – I know there are lots of ways to view knitting patterns on devices, but nothing beats being able to look at it on paper. You can make notes, you can mark where you left off and your printed knitting pattern works in the car, or when your battery isn’t charged. Plus you can file it away and not lose it in the abyss of your digital files. It’s so much easier to lose your place or skip a line or row on a pattern on your screen. Plus, screens going to sleep all the time is just annoying. (And if you have your knitting pattern on your screen, how are you going to watch Netflix while you knit??)
- Forgetting to read pattern reviews – Ok, this may not be the most common knitting mistake. But it can help you avoid problems fo sure. The vast majority of knitting pattern designers are awesome! I don’t want to disparage anyone. But don’t think that reading knitting pattern reviews is important only to look for bad patterns. Reviews are also helpful to find out if the pattern has errata, specific techniques or spots that are difficult and reviews even can give you great ideas for color choices etc. Reading knitting pattern reviews before you choose a knitting pattern can only help!
And don’t forget you can even get reviews of free knitting patterns in the comments and often on Ravelry if it has a listing!
What To Do if you make a common knitting mistake
- Assess – can you live with this mistake or will it bother you forever. For example, if your sweater turned out way too small because of a gauge problem you probably can’t live with that (but maybe you can give it to someone else that it will fit). But if you have a problem like a missed stitch pattern because you didn’t read the pattern carefully enough but you’re the only one who will notice, then maybe it’s fine.
- Take a pause – before you scream in frustration and frog everything, take a minute and think about what to do. Do you want to completely start over? Can you frog part of the project and fix the problem? Sleep on it. It’s going to seem way worse at first.
- Think about your skills – Can you fix the problem? Do you know how to adjust the gauge or how to fade colors between different yarn skeins? If so, and you’re willing to, fix it. If not, then think about other solutions. Can you start over, do you have enough yarn to make another. Do you want to frog the yarn and make something else?
How to get help with common knitting mistakes
I wrote a lengthy discussion of what to do if you have a problem with your knitting project but I’ll sum it up here:
- Contacting the designer for help should be your last resort.
- Google is your friend. Someone somewhere has had the same problems you have. Whether it’s a technical knitting question or a problem with a specific part of a pattern (here’s where reading those pattern reviews can help) the internet is your friend when you have common knitting mistakes.
- You might find a YouTube video, an article, or a forum post where someone solved the exact same problem
- Don’t forget Ravelry – From the forums to the pattern and project posts, Ravelry is a wealth of information and someone will help you!
- USE the resource that is your local yarn store – I swear, you might feel weird about it but that is exactly what local yarn stores are for. Some have a specific time to come in for help, others run knit nights, but the people working in a yarn store are knitting wizards and help people with knitting problems all the time. They’ve seen it all!
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- DIY Fire Hydrant and Poodle Costume - October 22, 2024
- Poodle Hat Knitting Pattern - October 22, 2024
- Little Devil Hat Knitting Pattern - October 15, 2024
Candis says
Hi Cassie. Thank you for all the cute patterns. Your little “models” are adorable!
Loved the joke, and yes please include one each week.