What am I doing wrong with my circular needles?

[knitname]

Been knitting less than a year, so I'm sure the answer is obvious. I'm knitting my first afghan, and am trying to do it with circular needles. From everything I've read, I should be able to knit every row, and end up with stockinette stitch. That's what I've been doing, but I keep getting garter stitch!

What am I doing wrong? I hold the empty needle in my right hand, knit to the end of the row;switch the full needle to my left hand, hold the empty one in my right, and knit another row. Does the "knit every row = stockinette" rule work only if you're knitting in the round?

[MMario]

correct. If you are knitting back and forth knitting every row will give you garter stitch.

[lauraknits]

Does the "knit every row = stockinette" rule work only if you're knitting in the round?

Yes! A knit stitch is a knit stitch on the right side. If you look at it on the wrong side, it is a purl stitch. And vice versa for the purls. So the reason you get stockinette knitting every stitch in the round is that you are always working on the right side. So if you are knitting flat, you have to turn your work and alternate right side/wrong side. Then, you are alternating the side on which your stitch looks like a knit. Does that make sense?

[knitname]

Yes that makes sense. Looks like I just made up my own knitting rule (insert eye-rolling emoticon) and ripped out a bunch of knitting because of it. Alas; live and learn.

Thanks!

[ecb]

any day you don't learn someting is a day wasted

this is a good day for you

ecb