my knitting tension is absurdly tight and I don't know what to do about it. Does anybody have any advice?
My knit stitches are ok, but when it comes to purls or cables its real bad. I try to keep my grip relaxed and not pull my stitches too tight, and I often use needles a size or two bigger than what's called for to compensate, but by the time I get a few rows in its always become so tight that it becomes a struggle to get my needles in and my fingers get so sore from forcing the stitches. Sometimes they feel bruised after a knitting session because I was using so much pressure
It doesn't seem to make a difference what kind of needles I'm using either. Metal, bamboo, circulars, dpns, its all the same. I've actually been scared I would snap my bamboo dpns because of how bad it is - I haven't, yet, but I've stopped using them for projects I'm afraid will be too tight
Should I do some exercises that isn't a project so that I'm forced to focus on my technique instead of the project? Should I use even bigger needles? Are there different purl techniques that help with tight tension? I knit continental style, so maybe I should give other styles a try? Are some types of yarn more forgiving? Sometimes it's so bad that it discourages me from knitting when I otherwise want to because it's such a struggle and I don't like being held back by that :(
Thank you so much to anybody who has any advice. I'll take any suggestions
