How To Rotate Knitting 90 Degrees?

Starting your knitting venture can be challenging. This is especially true if you never have tried knitting before. You might have encountered some confusing terms in your pattern such as cast on and turn 90 degrees.

Many knitting enthusiasts understand your frustrations. Following a knitting pattern can be tricky if you do not know what the pattern means. One of the common instructions in a knitting pattern is to turn your work 90 degrees.

This 90 degrees turning appears often in Garter Tab Cast On. When you make scarves and shawls with a triangular shape, you will encounter much of this 90 degrees turn. But, do not fret. This is a simple command.

When the pattern instructs you to turn your work 90 degrees clockwise. It only means you have to move your work clockwise or to the right. This brings your needle in a position where its tip is ready to pick up the stitches next to it.

In simple terms, turning 90 degrees means moving your work. It can be either in clockwise or counterclockwise positions.

How Do You Cast On Garter Stitch?

There is no hard rule in doing a garter tab cast on. It depends on the instructions given to you in your pattern. But for this part, you will learn the most common Garter Tab Cast On.

1. To begin, cast on 3 stitches.
2. Then, knit 6 rows. After knitting the 6 rows, you should have three ridges. These three ridges are your garter ridges. These are what you are going to work on next.
3. Move or turn your work 90 degrees clockwise. Then, pick up one stitch in every ridge that you created.
4. Insert your active needle into the edge of your garter ridge and knit through the stitch.
5. Again, turn your work 90 degrees clockwise. Pick up 3 stitches on the edge. Once you have picked up these 3 stitches, you will now have 9 stitches.
6. This is your Garter tab cast on.

You may increase the number of your cast on stitches if you want to create a wider Garter stitch edge. All you need to do is add 2 rows of knitting in every extra cast on the stitch you make in step 1.

What Is A Garter Stitch In A Knitting Pattern?

It is understandable if you are not familiar yet with the different terms in knitting. To help you understand the Garter stitch, here are the answers to some of your questions.

When you follow a knitting pattern, you might encounter symbols like “G stitch”, “gst” or “g st”. These symbols denote the Garter stitch.

The Garter stitch may sound too intermediate. But that is exactly the opposite. The Garter stitch is the simplest and most common knitting stitches you will learn.

What makes Garter stitch unique is that it is reversible. Its front and back sides look identical. This happens because purl and knit stitches make the Garter stitch.

How does it happen? Your knitting pattern instructs you to make Knit stitches. When you look at the stitches flat you see the Knits. But when you look at its reverse you see a different kind of stitch.

It means that the front of the Garter stitch are rows of knitting stitches, while the back has purl stitches. Many knitters love the Garter stitch. It produces a fabric that is stretchy both widthwise and lengthwise.

• • Is Garter Stitch Just Knit?

In early discussions, you have learned that Knit and Purl stitches make the Garter stitch.

The Knit stitches make the front side of the Garter stitch. When you look at the Garter stitch on flat needles, you see the Knits. It shows you the flat V-shape.

But Knit stitches are not the only component of the garter stitch. Its reverse side shows rows of Purl stitches.

• • Is Garter Stitch The Same As Purl?

As discussed earlier, the Garter stitch is a combination of Knit and Purl stitches. The Garter stitch has the Purl stitches on its reverse side.

What Is Knit One Purl One Called?

When you read this instruction in your knitting pattern, you are making a Rib stitch. It means you need to make 1 Knit stitch followed by 1 Purl stitch. Do not confuse this with the Garter Stitch.

You may encounter instructions such as knit 1 purl 1 OR k1 p1. These instructions in your patterns mean the same thing. The latter is only the abbreviations of “Knit 1 Purl 1”.

How Do You Start A Triangular Shawl?

Prepare 1 skein of light-weight yarn. For this project you will need about 5.3 ounces (150 g.) skein of light-weight yarn. This measures around 518 yards (473 m.). Your finished shawl will be about 42 inches (106 cm) in width and 32 in (81 cm.) in length.

You may use any color you want. You may also use alternating colors depending on your liking.

• Casting On

1. Begin with a slip knot.
   You need to hold the tip of the yarn then twist it to make a loop. Fold this loop down and get your yarn into the loop. Draw the tip of your yarn loop to tighten the circle.Slide the knot on either a straight or circular US size 8 (5.0 mm) needle.
2. Make a Slip stitch onto your knitting needle, then knit 1 stitch.
   You wrap your yarn over the right needle then insert it inside the stitch from front to back. Again, put your yarn over the right needle then pull the knit stitch up toward the right needle.At this point, you have 2 stitches on the right needle and none on the left.

• Knitting the Body of the Shawl

1. Move or turn the work 90 degrees. This will bring your needle with the 2 stitches in your left hand.
2. Put your yarn over the right needle then use it to knit 2 stitches on the row. Turn the work again and yarn over. Make knit stitches across the row.
3. When you reach the end of a row, move your work 90 degrees. Then, yarn over the right needle.
4. Make knit stitches for the entire row. Continue the process until you reach the right length for your shawl.
5. Wrap your yarn over, then knit across each row to do the garter stitch.
6. Continue doing the Garter stitch until the shawl is about 42 inches (106 cm) wide and 32 inches (81 cm) long.

You may add more stitches if you want your shawl longer.

• Casting Off

1. Knit 2 stitches. Then, use your finger to get the first stitch over the second stitch. At this point, you now have 1 stitch on your right needle.
2. Knit one more stitch and get the first stitch over it.
3. Continue binding the stitches until only 1 stitch remains on the needle.
4. Trim the working yarn, but leave at least 2 inches (5 cm) tail. Then, slide the needle out of the last stitch.
5. Pull your working yarn into the loop. Tighten it to create a knot, then weave the tail.

How Do You Knit A Baby Blanket With A Garter Stitch?

Here is a simple baby blanket pattern that you can do using the Garter stitch.

Materials

Eight skeins about 1,200 yards (1097.3 m.) of two different colors of Pure Wool yarn
Size 13 US circular needles with the longest cable you can find
Pair of scissors
Knitting needles
Pattern Gauge and Size

Gauge: 11 stitches and 21 rows in garter stitch with two strands held together.

The finished blanket will be about 45 inches (114 cm.) square. There will be some excess yarn, so you could extend its length if you want.

This baby blanket is ideal for knitting starters. It is the simplest pattern you can do using the Garter stitch. In this project, you only knit to know how to make Knit stitches, and you’re good to go.

In this pattern, you will use two strands of yarn of the same color.

1. Hold both colors of your yarn.
2. Start with casting on 120 stitches on your first color.
3. Make Knit stitches for the first 10 rows.
4. Then, do another set of 10 rows using your second color.
5. Continue the process until the project reaches 45 inches (114 cm.).
6. Bind off the project using the last color of your stitches.

Trim the extra yarns and weave its remaining ends

How Do I Change Colors When Knitting?

The following steps will guide you on how to switch yarn colors as you knit. Learning this technique will help you make alternating colors in your design.

Materials
2 Skeins of yarn in different colors
2 Knitting needles
1 Darning needle
1 Scissors

• • Drop the First Color and Start the Second

To start the process, cast on and knit as many rows as you want using your first color of yarn.

If you are using the Garter stitch, it is a smart idea to switch colors at the start of the right-side rows. This creates a straight and neat color change.

After you make the cast on with your first color, drop this color and take the second color.

Leave at least 6 inches (15 cm.) tail of your second color. This makes it easier to weave the ends when you finish knitting.

• • Knit the First Stitch with the First Color

Insert the needle inside the first stitch. Hold the end while you loop the second yarn over the right needle. Now, you finish the first stitch.

You will notice that the stitch will look loose at first knit it, but that is fine. You can tighten the stitches by pulling the yarn tails.

• • Knit the Entire Row

When you have changed colors, knit across the row. Continue knitting with the second color until you want to swap colors again.

• • Take Colors on the Edges

When the stripes are short and you will use the same color again, bring the unused yarn up to where you need it.

To take the yarn, twist the edges of both colors on each row or so. This prevents the taken yarn from getting loose.

• • Take the Second Color

As you bring the yarn along the edge, pull it tight to wrap the ends of the rows. This will keep the edges neat and straight.

• • Switch Colors Back to the First

When you want to switch back to your first yarn, drop the second color. Then, knit the first stitch of this row like what you did with the first color swap.

• • Weave the Ends

When you finish all your color switches, thread a piece of yarn into a darning needle. Then, weave the ends. Tuck in the excess tail using your scissors.

What Is The Stocking Stitch In Knitting?

The Stocking stitch or Stockinette is also one of the basic stitches in knitting. You make this stitch by making alternate rows of Knits and Purls. You can use this stitch in knitting socks, scarves, and more.

• • Stocking stitch has distinct right and the reverse side

The right side is the smooth part of the fabric. This part shows small Vs stitches. The rough and bumpy part is the reverse side.

• • Stocking stitch fabric coils on the edges

The horizontal edges of your fabric tend to bend or coil toward the smooth of the front side

How Do You Change The Color Of The Middle Of A Row In Knitting?

Here is an easy technique to insert a new color of yarn into your design. Assume that you are going to start a new row in the middle.

Put your right needle inside the adjoining stitch. Then, put the new color of yarn on the tip of your right needle. Make sure to leave a yarn tail of around 10 cm.

Pull the twisted yarn and continue to make a new stitch. This time, you are now working on the new color. You may trim the old or the first color, but leave a yarn tail of 10 cm. that you can weave on the edges.

Learning the basic Knit and Purl stitches can level up your knitting skills. These stitches will allow you to create projects you thought were impossible. These two stitches allow you to do Garter and Stocking stitches without you realizing it. Isn’t that fascinating?

With the Garter stitch alone, you can make a lot of beautiful creations. From scarves, blankets, to triangular shawls, your choices are almost endless.

These stitches may sound intimidating, but they aren’t. They are only variations of the basics. Once you get the hang of these stitches, you are on your way to making more exciting projects.

Also check: 

Can you knit a 3-ply or 4-ply pattern with wool?