My grandma taught me to slip the first stitch and knit into the back of the last stitch. I always have a neat edge

This was my biggest problem and almost made me stop knitting. i never could understand what I was doing wrong. Now that I understand the problem I am a happy camper. Thank you so much for helping me and other solo knitters!

Working the edge stitches at the tip of the needle--this is what saved me. This was the answer. I can't believe something so simple makes SUCH a huge difference. Thank you so much! This was driving me bonkers!!!

My mum taught me the "second stitch tug" technique for evening up my edge tension. You knit the first stitch, put your needle into the second, wrap the yarn and give it a gentle tug. This tightens up the first stitch nicely, and then you carry on as usual. I found it really helpful as a beginner (when I was terrified of dropping stitches and would never have dared to knit on just the needle tips!). Hope this is helpful to someone :D Stacey, your videos are amazing. Every time I have to learn a new technique, or am having difficulty with something, verypinkknits is my first port of call. You have taught me SO much. Thank you.

She is SPOT ON! Pretty much everything that she said was the wrong way to knit...I was doing. THANK YOU for clearing this up for me. I knew I was doing something wrong, but I couldn't figure out what that could be and how to fix it. I was starting to get very frustrated. 💛💛💛👏🏾 I'm so happy I found your channel.

Very helpful!!! I didn’t realize what an issue this is for me until I started a project that requires very good edge tension for a polished finish knit. Thank you!!

Thank you SO MUCH! This is the best tutorial I've seen on knitting so far for so many reasons!

After watching this, I saw immediate results with my edges. Thank you!

I'm exactly at this point... New knitter that has a terrible tension, specially at the edges. Thanks for the video

I love the way you explain things and show them up close. This is so helpful to me. You're amazing!

Thank you. What a huge difference that makes.

Thank you! I have always had problems with the tension in my work, both in knitting and crocheting. i did not realize that the way I held my needle or hook would make a difference in how my stitches came out. I love watching your videos. Your instructions are clear, but never boring.

I'm a new knitter and this video helped my edge and overall tension so much! THANK YOU!

Even foks that have been knitting for years can learn from this video. Thanks!

Already I can tell the difference in my edges. Thanks for more great knitting and tension tips!

Because this issue I stop knitting for a while but found your tutorial and I love every tip you give us, thanks, be safe and healthy Blessings

All your tips help me so much in my knitting journey. Thanks!

Your mistake piece looks like my projects.

Thank you! Seeing you intentionally make my mistakes and then how to NOT make my mistakes was so helpful. I’m ready to try again now- hopefully with a more even tension throughout!

Thank you for making this video I've been knitting off and on for 25 years and I still on occasion make the mistake of making my first stitch to loose at the beginning of a row. Thank you for sharing your tips on how to prevent a messy looking edge.

Thank you very much for the edge tension video. I often have a loose stitch on the first stitch. Now I know why and can knit without having that loose stitch at the beginning. Your videos are so helpful.

This is the best video I've seen for edges. I like that you show why the work might be messy. My edges have been baffling me as to why they're so loose. I can't wait to try these tips.

Thank you! I'm an OCD crafter and tips like these are gold..

Perfect timing for this video! I was helping my 95 yr. old friend, who only knits garter stitch and was having trouble with loose stitches on the edges. She forgets to slip the first stitch for neater edging, so this was a perfect explanation of where any how to keep stitches tighter for uniform edges. Thanks you for your well-filmed, well-explained videos!

Every tip here was useful! Even the overall tension. I thought it didn't matter that much and I focused on my lose edge stitches, but they never looked neatly. So after watching your video I tried also to tighten all the stitches and suddenly not only the edge stitches looked nicely but all the work looked more professional. Thanks a lot! As always, your video helped me again :)

You are an excellent teacher! Thank you for these super helpful videos!

Thank you! This explains EXACTLY what I'm doing wrong. I am both stretching that first stitch and holding onto the stitches on the needle. Fortunately, I've never made the mistake of carrying the yarn over the needle and increasing a stitch, though. Apparently that's the only mistake I havent been making. Now that I've identified the mistakes, I can correct them. Your video tutorials are tremendously helpful and have made incredible improvements in my work. Thanks again!!

Thank you!! I’ve been having this problem for years, and I hope your tips will improve my work.

So glad you made this video. I have always struggled with that huge stitch at end and could not figure out why. Thanks.

Thank you! You certainly explained what I needed to fix my big loops!

Hi Gillian! Thank you for sharing your mum’s tip. That simple tug on second stitch worked! I’m using bulky yarn on size 15 needles and couldn’t tighten the first stitch until now. 🥰

This is one of the few things I do correctly. Thank you for the validation.

that is what I am facing on and on but i will not surrender i will go on. i always follow your videos for two years ago esp. the square Blankett project.

Really appreciate your instructions. My work looks like the one with the right tension. Glad I have it right. Thanks 🧶

Thank you so much! My first stitch is always loose and now I know what I'm doing to stop it!

Thank you so much for this perfect explanation, you've answered all the questions I had about why my edges are so terrible and also why I sometimes end up with a higher number of stitches.

I'm finding your videos SO helpful, Thank you so much for sharing.

Now, I realize what I am doing. Placing my needle to far into the opening of the stitch. I will have to become more aware of that. Thank You Staci.

You say that once you have good tension in the middle, that edge tension will occur naturally, but in my case, once I fixed my edge tension (thanks to this video), the REST came together and I think that's what you meant. My middle tension was pretty decent (not great but decent), but my edges were a TOTAL disaster. NOW however, it's ALL improved and I have you to thank. :) I've tried other methods, but this one made it all come together for me.

Staci you're videos are awesome! This was very clear and informative! Thank you so much for all of your videos. I can't imagine WHY anyone would give you a thumbs down. No one in their right mind would. Makes me think this person just goes around to all videos just giving thumbs down without even watching the video because they don't have anything better to do. I wish I could take that thumbs down away. Anyway, I hope those don't effect you too much, and you keep doing your videos because they are all awesome.

Hey there, nice to see you back,looking good as ever. Thanx for this video. Geraldine.

I was making this mistake for ages, thank-you, I couldn't figure out why my ends looked a total mess but the rest looked good.

that was wonderful, thank you for posting.

That explains ALLOT!!! Thanks so much! 💕💕💕

COOL!!! This has always bugged me, and I could never figure out what to do about it. THANKS! LOVE your tips and tuts.

Thank you Stacey, this helped me know what I've been doing wrong with that very first stitch! That was driving me crazy!

THANK YOU!!!! been having trouble since i taught myaelf to knit a month ago now i think i can make it work

Thank you so much! I am a new knitter and just found you on you tube. You are so good

Excellent. Thank you!!

Thank you so much for this tip. I've been knitting for two years and the look of my edges have bugged me for awhile but I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I think this will help.

Thank you so much! I now know what I was doing wrong and have corrected my mistakes.

Thank you for the much needed advice! ( especially the uneven edge issue). I’ve made all these beginner mistakes🥴

O! that is where I make my mistake. The first stitch I put the needles to far in too soon. Great video and explanations.

Thank you! This helped a lot. I could not figure out what was wrong. This fixed my issues. 🙏

Thank you so much for this video , I always have that problem with the loopy first stitch and never knew what caused it

Thank you, that was helpful as a brand new knitter!

Oh thankyou so much for lovely clear vid, it will make so much difference to my work now, especially when i come to sew up, shall have beautiful nice neat edges, 😀

Thank you, much appreciate the video. ❤️🙏❤️

Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!!! I am working on my first blanket and couldn't figure out why my edges were looking so sloppy had extra stitches!!!! I watched numerous videos and did A LOT of reading and I was getting so frustrated with not figuring it out!! My end stitches were too loose and I was flipping it around to the back to tighten it, added the extra stitch. You are a saviour!! THANK YOU!!!

Thanks so much! I'm teaching myself by books and videos and yours are very informative!

Great tips! Thank you!

I love your videos, you are so good!!!!!!!

Delightful and helpful. THANK YOU

Phewww I'm relieved to have learned this 😅 I was wondering why my edges were not neat, my first stich of every row was longer than the rest 🤦🏾‍♀️ I'm on my first knitting project and I'm learning lots Now I know how to fix it 😊 Thank you

Love it! So helpful thank you.

That was so helpful, thank you!

Thank you!! This is so helpful

This was a great help thank you 😊😊😊

Very helpful. Thank you

I remember you recalled your determination to not put down your needle, also gave you the self-confidence in how to knit and built the musicales In your hands to accomplish that. I think you knit a whole skein to prove knitting without dropping the needle was possible. Some people may need to work over several days at 10 minute intervals to find they gain success. I gave up knitting for years due to arthritis. When I found a diet which relieved most of it, my hands were still crippled and wow did my knitting look bad at first. So I just knit garter till that looked good. In the process my fingers got better, eating differently was not enough. For rehabilitation, I tried many methods of knitting. Some methods gave me shocking pain. But I can do them now. I learned English Flicking from my mother who never put her right needle down. I did not know it was unique, a variation of English method. I also knit Continental now. When I've seen teachers knit this way, their edges often look terrible. I can now knit as well in one as the other as in order to keep the arthritis at bay, it is what helps my hands to remain useful. (I could barely sign my name 10 years ago.) Working small projects like dishcloths, working with cotton, ah, he worst! If one can make knitting in cotton look good, you are a good knitter. You have beautiful knitting and are an excellent teacher. Thank you for all you do. Knitting is a skill which pays your back in having a peace like meditation without medications. It teaches patience.

This was very helpful, thank you. 😊

THANK you so much for this!

Ahhhh thank you! This was very helpful!

thanks for this, I didn't know what to ask and I searched into KZfaq 'how to stop the saggy loop at the end of knitting' and I think you've answers my question aha

you are the best 💜

OMG! Now I know how I've been increasing my stitch count! Newbie knitter and that yarn over is exactly what I've been trying to fix the loose last stitch!

This did help. Thank you

it helps a lot! thank you

Thanks again🌸🌼🌹

Thanks for these tips. Ever since i switched to knitting in the Portuguese style, I've found that I get much neater edges due to the way I tension the yarn. Knitting in the Portuguese style produces tighter stitches. I used to slip the first stitch when I knitted in the English style, but I never need to do that in the Portuguese style.

Amazing ❤️

Thank you! I'm always having trouble with that first stitch being tight enough.

Awesome work💝💛😃♥🌹

Thank you so much his helped me a lot

Thank you so much!!

Thank you sooo much 🙏🏾

Thank you!

I want to knit like you so much! I am a beginner and my work looks nice after the second row. The second row is loopy. I feel like giving up but I won’t!

Thank you 😊

I'm a seasoned knitter and learnt something new! Thank you :)

This roundabout answered a question I had. I was always wondering if you were supposed to tighten the edge stitch or let it be loose... guess I've been doing it right! Hurray

Nice video

Hi Staci. I love your videos. One thing though...You used to have samples of your knitting in the videos...a sweater or shawl or something off in the back corner of your video. I miss seeing your work...it was inspiring. I often would see something and go look for the pattern and make it.

ive noticed my edge stitches were always lose and wondered by but i stumbled upon this video out of curiosity and BAM I find out why my edges were all gross and loose looking. Haha

thanks! I still do the put the yarn at the back of the work and create 2 loops when I'm tired and not paying attention. I find out after a couple of rows when I count my stitches again and get mad loll

Thank you. I’m going to work on this. Seems I have it happen more when I’m slipping my first stitch to make a clean selvedge. Do you have a video showing how to make a clean edge on a sweater so when it’s put together it can be done easier. Hope this makes sense.

I would love to see a full video just showing the projects you have especially your blankets.

I always slip the first stitch. But still struggle with "baggy" edges. I'll try this technique on my next knitting project.

OH WOW!!!

aha found my issue with just knitting in general. When i cast on i guess the first stitch i cast on must be too loose because always at the end of the first row i get that wonky loose stitch that I want to twist the yarn around but know I shouldn't, so i frog the whole thing and get frustrated. So now to see how i can fix that cast on tension. So far it never looked loose before going to knit, but ill keep a closer eye on that then