Knitting help needed, please?

[Daisy]

I think I mentioned somewhere that GD1 has asked me (haha) to teach her to knit. So I thought I'd get in a bit of practice first.

I'm trying to knit a little coaster from a "beginner's" pattern, and I'm stuck on the first row!!! It says

Row 1(WS) in blue K21, slip 1, K2tog, psso, K21 (43 sts)

I was ok with K21. Does "slip 1" mean you just pass that stitch onto the other needle without knitting it (it says do it purlwise, which I 'get'). I managed K2tog, but don't know how to psso (Described as Decrease: Pass the slipped stitch over).

If anyone can very simply explain what that means, I'd be really grateful. I don't know what to pass it over.

[Plantaholic]

Not sure why you are attempting to start with something other than cast on and knit a square. Psso means you lift it over the slip stitch and slip it off the needle. Might I suggest that you look on Utube. Just a tip, when I used to teach children to knit I always sat behind them. Good luck!

[Oma]

Plant that’s good advice on both ,
Its so long since I knitted anything I’m not sure I could explain without showing really ,

[Enfys]

Psso (pass slip stitch over) means you take the stitch you have previously slipped from one needle to the other and lift it over the stitch you have just knitted. As Plant says there are lots of helpful videos in YouTube. It’s much easier when you’re watching someone. Good luck.

[Daisy]

Thank you so much, Plant, Oma and Enfys!

Plant I thought this was just pain knitting when I started! I've got the makings of 3 dishcloths in a little pack for GD1. I'd wondered about where to sit in relation to each other. GD1 is left-handed so I was wondering if sitting opposite her, so she has a mirror image might work. What do you think? Her other gran, who is teaching her to sew is also left-handed so it hasn't been a problem so far!

Enfys - I might need some luck with it. I really didn't think this little coaster (square, by the way) would have problems! Thanks for the advice from you and Plant about YouTube videos. I need to do my homework!

I'll report on progress.

[Gemini]

Even reading it makes my head spin !

[Plantaholic]

Just re-read my advice and my explanation of PSSO is a bit misleading Enfys’s explanation makes more sense. GD being LH makes it a bit harder for you to teach her. Perhaps GD could follow it better on UTUBE, I am sure they have instructions for LH knitters. I think it is a good skill for everyone to learn. Good luck GM

[Daisy]

Plant, thank you for the advice. Experienced knitters like you, Enfys and others on here make it look so easy!!!

The idea is that it's something GD1 and I do together. She was learning guitar in junior school, and I used to tune it for her and help with reading the music, but she's not able to fit music lessons in to her long days at this school, so we thought knitting was something to do together. She knows I'm not an expert (haha) but if we've had fun doing it it doesn't matter too much if our efforts are "quirky". I think I've seen a couple of YouTube videos for left handers - I'll go back and have another look.

[Grauntie Mag]

Could she learn to knit right handed Daisy? I’m a leftie and I found it much easier to learn to do things right handed, ie. crochet, knitting, sewing etc. (sewing I do with either hand) .

[Daisy]

Grauntie - I had wondered that. Thank you for adding the voice of experience.

She sews left-handed, but as her other gran who is teaching her is also a leftie that wasn't a problem. I'll suggest it to her and see what she thinks. She uses scissors right-handed. I'm so impressed that you can sew with either hand - that must be really useful.

[Plantaholic]

I always knew you were special Grauntie, sewing with either hand, wow.

[Grauntie Mag]

😆 My Mother was a leftie, but had that beaten out of her at infant school. I just had to copy whoever was teaching me. The person who I was apprenticed to was right handed so I cut hair with my right hand. Everything else I can do with either hand. Tell GD to try to do things with her right hand, it makes life simpler.

[Daisy]

Grauntie - you really are ambidextrous! GD2 does some things with her right hand - like using scissors and playing guitar - but not much else.

Your poor Mum. It was awful that children were made to use their right hands at school.

[Grauntie Mag]

She lived in Scotland as a child and was given the strap if she used her left hand to write with. Barbaric! 😬

[Daisy]

She lived in Scotland as a child and was given the strap if she used her left hand to write with. Barbaric! 😬

Grauntie - that's horrendous. Did it put your poor Mum off school, or writing or anything she wanted to use her preferred (left) hand for?