HELP!! Big HOLE when switching from knit to purl

[cajcaj2]

Hi Everyone!

I'm really stumped about the following problem I've been having...hope someone can help!!

I'm knitting a skirt in the round, in stockinette stitch, except for a back panel which is done in purl.  The problem I've found is that on one side of the panel when i switch from knit to purl stitches, i'm left with a fairly big gaping hole.  The other edge of the panel somehow is perfect. 

Anyone had a similar problem before?  Any ideas on how to prevent this?  THANKS!

[sassy-pants]

You may be accidentally creating a yarnover when you switch from knit to purl.  Be careful that you are moving your yarn inbetween your needles and not over one of them when you switch stitches.  Check out http://knittinghelp.com for close up videos on how to do each stitch and how to move between the two.

Hope this helps!

[brideOFkniterstein]

oh thank god!!!!!!!

i thought i was the only person who had that problem

i'm knitting a scarf that done is a 3x3 rib. when i switch from my 3 knits to my 3 purls, there is a definite difference from when i go from my 3 purls to my 3 knits.

i'm trying to knit the last knit and purl the first purl TIGHT.
i just decided to give this a try. i'll let you know how it goes... a few more rows before i can tell if it's going to work.

i'm going to keep my eyes on this thread to see if anyone has come up with a proven method to fix this

[yarnhag]

I, too, would bet you're creating an accidental yarn over. Definitely make sure you move your yarn under your needle when switchig to your purl stitches.

Also, are you confident that your knit stitches are not twisted?

[Rain_]

A lot of knitters find they get a bigger gap when going from knit to purl than from purl to knit, it's because of the way the stitch is formed. Try wrapping the yarn clockwise instead of anti-clockwise for the first purl stitch. This will twist the stitch so you will have to knit into the back of it on the next row (or take it off the needle and put it back on the right way before you knit it).

[cajcaj2]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I'm pretty sure I'm not doing YOs by mistake or twisting my stitches, but I'll investigate that further.

Thanks Rain_ I will definitely have to try that...  I cant remember w/o looking at it if the holes appeared when i was going from K to P or the other way round...

[Thesingingllamas]

It is normal for doing it in ribbing, and I think I just learned to tigheten the first stitch up a bit when switching. But yeah ribbing is totally ok, sometimes(but rarely b/c they use machines) you can even see it in commercially made items. It is how the stitch is formed and how it naturally wants to go, it is one of the things that makes ribbing stand out instead of looking like garter stitch. It is a little hard to describe, but there is more yarn when you go from the yarn being behind when you do the knit stitch and bringing it forward to do the purl than from forward to back.