I have been a very dedicated crocheter for 15+ years. However, knitting has always been a dream of mine. I finally bucked down and decided to learn. At first i had a serious tension issue that almost caused me to quit. I FINALLY after 2 years fixed that. Then i noticed my stitches where twisted which looked cool but wasnt what i was going for. I fixed that now i am using some old yarn i had lying around with a few stains on it i knew i would never use for an actual project and started to practice 1x1 ribbing. The project is coming out straight but the stiches look like they have a slight zig zag slant going on. Can anyone tell me what is happening?
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since ribbing is looser than other knit stitches, maybe it’s that.
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It might be as is suggested above, or, are you accidentally working through the back loop of your knit stitch?
Try a two by two ribbing and let’s see how your stitches look then?
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I believe you are knitting correctly! I’m a more predominant crocheter, but I do know the basic basics of knitting (Cast on, knit stitch, purl stitch, cast off).
Follow the arrow to the closest row before the line. Do you see it kinda looks like a chain, in a way? Your stitches aren’t super different in sizes from each other, as you know from crocheting your tension, yarn over size (tho that has to do with tension as well), and many other things are factors in the sizes of your stitches. I can tell it’s getting more and more even as you progress, keep up the great work!! 
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One more thing, if you are not using this, bind off, block and see what it looks like after it’s dey 
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blocking will take care of some unevenness. there are some good knitting tutorials on youtube. because you are a crochets 1st, look up combined continental knitting, it will be easier for you to learn.
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I can’t be positive from just this picture, I would need to see both sides, but I think it’s something in the way you are doing the purl in your 1x1 rib.
Whether you use the front loop or back loop when knitting and purling will depend on how you wind the yarn for the stitch you made on the row before… This is not wrong, this is your way of knitting and you don’t have to change it, just be aware of it and adjust accordingly
Here is a poorly sketched picture that explains my meaning*** bottom left is supposed to say “back loop purl”
Being aware of front and back loop changes are vital if you are knitting on top of purls or purling on top of knits, like seed stitch
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I think youre working a twisted rib. I am not a master knitter but i had that problem. Look up a video for the twisted rib and see if that matches what you’re doing. Then look up a video for the two by two rib and copy that.
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After a little research, I think it is either how you are working your purl stitch, or how you are moving your yarn when you switch between your knits and purls (and back again) that is only twisting certain stitches
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my stitches lay like the bottom one, when I knit that is how it sets up my stitches for the next row, except in circular knitting, it sets up my stitches the other way and I have to knit or pearl in them the other way.
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Same here, because I wrap counter clockwise in the front for knit and clockwise in the back for purl… In the round, you never purl so the wrap doesn’t change
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oops, I had to grab my knitting (working on a hat in the round), naturally (not in the round) my stitches lay like the top stitches and I knit from the front through the stitch on the back of needle and my purl goes through from the back of the front leg. Wow, knitting is harder to explain than doing! when I knit in the round, it reverses my set up for me as it twists when going around, but I just know I need to knit from the front of the now twisted stitch facing me or purl through the back of the stitch on the back side of the needle, because I’ve been knitting for 50 years. knitting like crochet is a lot of muscle memory, mostly your fingers just know through repetition what you are suppose to do ;). I knit combined continental, holding my yarn like a crocheter and pick the yarn through rather than wrapping.
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It is MUCH harder to explain than it is to show. It is also nothing like crochet while looking like it is the same.
I mostly knit in a modified Scottish style, it’s how I was taught. It is also called Irish or cottage or lever.
It is insanely fast and easy on the joints, and usually not done with the left hand unless you are left handed.
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I’ll have to check that style out! the combined continental is also very fast and purling is very easy, I’ve often wondered why those who knit throwing style (English?) hated purling because in my style it’s as easy as the knit stitch. But after knitting in the round and it setting my stitches in the opposite direction I may understand a little bit, tho I don’t hate purling lol, and it’s still fast.
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Check out YouTube “Irish cottage knitting with yarn harlot”
Much faster and easier
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I am “upper body blessed” and find holding the needle in my armpit difficult, so I usually brace it in that fold at the top of my thigh when sitting. I rarely use circulars (grew up calling them knitting pins or skirt needles) but when I do, I hold the right needle like the bottom chopstick. and use something more like flicking style.
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that is fast, would take me a while to get use to holding the needles that way coming from using 2 hands, but it’s very intriguing!
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Won’t a back loop knit and or purl cause a twisted stitch? I knit and purl in the front loops.
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It all depends on which way your stitches are sitting… My picture has a mistake on the lower left, but yeah… I was taught that you take the leg that wants to go first, back or front has no bearing on it being a knit or a purl, the direction of your needle and where your yarn is determined if it’s a knit or a purl. If you put the needle in, you should see what looks like a staple, not a closed loop… A closed loop will make a twisted stitch.
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