Sometimes when you first start knitting, it can look all wobbly or bubbly, even if you’ve counted your stitches correctly. This is because your hands have not yet learned how hard to pull on the yarn as you work with it. There is a certain amount of tension involved in knitting. You need to learn how to pull the yarn tight enough, but still keep your stitches loose enough. If you find that your stitches are consistently uneven, it may be because you are pulling the yarn too tight at random points as you work. Try not to worry too much about how your work looks at this point. Instead, focus on the way that the yarn is moving through your fingers and around your needle. This will help your hands learn how much yarn to work with as you go.
One way you can practice this is to knit a square (just a few inches will do). As you knit slowly, pay attention to the way each stitch is sitting on the needle. Watch as you wrap the yarn around the tip of the needle to make a new loop. If you pull it too tight, you will find the next row difficult to knit into. If you make it too loose, your finished project will be sloppy. You want to allow the stitch to sit on the needle without pulling it tight. Try knitting a few rows, paying attention to this one thing. See if you can teach your hands to do the same thing each time.
One thing that many new knitters do is pull their yarn tight by pulling it backwards after each stitch. This is probably because they believe it will make their stitches look neater. The problem is that if your stitches are too tight, it will make your fabric look stiff, and your rows will start to pucker. Instead of pulling it back, try allowing the yarn to slide across your finger, with just a bit of drag. Try knitting a few rows while thinking about the yarn just floating along between your fingers. This alone can change your tension.
It is better to practice for shorter periods of time than to try to make yourself knit for a long time because you think it will help even out your tension. Practice on a swatch for fifteen minutes or so. Start with a few rows of knit stitches, slowly, while watching how your stitches form. Then stop, and stretch your fingers. Look back at what you have knitted. Are there some loops that look bigger than others? Continue knitting, and pay attention to how you are holding the yarn. Try adjusting your grip a little until your stitches start to look more uniform. This will help your tension get more even, without getting frustrated.
Your tension will get more even with time. As you practice, your hands will start to remember how much yarn to allow for each stitch. Your needles will start to move more evenly, and your rows will start to look more level. Don’t worry if you don’t see immediate results. If you see even the slightest bit of improvement, that means you are getting closer to an even tension. This is what will help you to make beautiful knitting fabric that lays flat and is easy to work with. It is the perfect place to start if you want to master all sorts of patterns and techniques.