LEARN TO KNIT
SO YOU WANT TO KNIT?
The only important items you really need are a pair of knitting needles and a ball of yarn. The rest is up to you and your hands.
In this tutorial, you will be show how to knit from begininng to end. If you follow the instructions as written, you will have the knowledge to create your first scarf!
So sit down, get comfortable, and get to knitting!
LEARN TO KNIT
Casting on is the first step to any knitting project, but it can be confusing.
First, measure out a long tail of yarn, allowing 1/2"-1" per stitch. Make a slip knot on your right-hand needle, making sure the cut end of your tail is facing you.
With the needle in your right hand, hold both strands in your left hand, with the short end around the outside of your thumb and the long end around the outside of your index finger.
Insert your needle through the outside of the thumb loop, pick up the inside of the index loop, and exit back out the thumb loop. This creates the stitch on the needle. Tighten it down until it's snug (you should be able to move it up and down the needle fairly easy). Repeat these steps until you have your desired number of stitches, or however many your pattern calls for.
DON'T WORRY! Soon this will become second nature to you!
LEARN TO KNIT
When you have your desired number of stitches cast on, you are ready to knit your first row.
Switch the needle with the stitches to your left hand, and hold the empty needle in your right. Using the illustration above as a guide, stick your right needle from front to back into the first stitch on the left. Then, wrap your yarn counter-clockwise around the tip.
Gently pull the right needle out towards you, catching the yarn you just wrapped, and pulling it through the stitch on the left needle.
Slide the left needle stitch off the needle completely and pull your yarn snug. This completes the knit stitch! Continue this same sequence until you have no stitches left.
LEARN TO KNIT
After you've completed a row of knitting, it's time to learn to purl. Purling is essentially the opposite of knitting, and combined, they create amazing things. By knitting a row, and then purling a row, we create Stockinette Stitch.
Holding the empty needle in your right hand like before, insert it kind of sideways into the front of the first left hand stitch. Make sure your right hand needle is angled towards you, the opposite of the knit stitch.
Wrap your yarn counter clockwise again, and this time push the needle away from you and catch the stitch from the back.
Just like before, slide the left needle stitch off the needle completely and pull your yarn snug. This completes the purl stitch! Continue this same sequence until you have no stitches left.
LEARN TO KNIT
The final step is binding off. This is closing all your open stitches, so you have a nice finished edge.
To start, knit two stitches from your left needle. Pass the first stitch you knit over the second one by lifting it up with your left needle tip and carrying it over the right needle tip.
Next, knit another stitch from the left needle and slip the existing stitch over it. Repeat this sequence until only one stitch remains on your right needle.
Cut your working yarn, leaving a medium length to work with. Slip your last stitch off the needle, taking care to keep it wide open so it doesn't come apart. Thread the tail of your yarn through the loop and pull tight. Weave any yarn tails into the stitches using a large needle, and you're done!
KNIT STITCH
Using the illustration above as a guide, stick your right needle from front to back into the first stitch on the left. Then, wrap your yarn counter-clockwise around the tip.
Gently pull the right needle out towards you, catching the yarn you just wrapped, and pulling it through the stitch on the left needle.
Slide the left needle stitch off the needle completely and pull your yarn snug. This completes the knit stitch!
PURL STITCH
Using the illustration above as a guide, stick your right needle sideways into the front of the first stitch on the left. Then, wrap your yarn counter-clockwise around the tip.
Gently push the right needle out away from you, catching the yarn you just wrapped, and pulling it through the stitch on the left needle.
Slide the left needle stitch off the needle completely and pull your yarn snug. This completes the purl stitch!
K2tog decrease
This is a right leaning decrease, used to shape flat pieces of knitting. It is the same as the regular knit stitch, only two sitches are being knitted instead of one, decreasing the number of stitches by one stitch for every k2tog you do.
Insert your right needle into TWO stitches, and wrap the yarn as with a regular knit stitch.
Gently pull the right needle out towards you, catching the yarn you just wrapped, and pulling it through the TWO stitches on the left needle.
Slide the TWO stitches off the needle completely and pull your yarn snug. This completes the k2tog stitch!
SSK decrease
This is a left leaning decrease, used to shape flat pieces of knitting. It is similar to the regular knit stitch, but two sitches are being twisted and knitted from the back. Like k2tog, this stitch will decrease the number of stitches by one stitch.
First, slip two stitches by inserting your right needle tip into the front of the left needle stitch and slipping the stitch off the left needle and on to the right needle. Repeat this one more time.
Insert your left needle into the front of the two stitches you just slipped. Wrap your yarn around the right needle(in the back) counterclockwise as always. Pull your needle tip forward and catch the wrapped yard, just as you would with a regular knit stitch.
Slide the two stitches off the needle completely and pull your yarn snug. This completes the ssk stitch!
STOCKINETTE stitch
Stockinette Stitch is the classic grandfather of all knitting stitches. It basically has come to define what people recognize as "knitting". It produces a flat, orderly stitch characterized by rows of "V" shapes stacked on each other. Be aware though, knitting a flat piece in stockinette will cause the edges to curl, and it's recommended to knit a garter or other non-curling stitch edge around the stockinette stitch. Reverse stockinette is when the purled side is shown on the front side of a piece or fabric.
INSTRUCTIONS
ROW 1: Knit all stitches.
ROW 2: Purl all stitches.
Repeat these two rows.
SEED stitch
Seed stitch combines alternating knit and purl stitches to create a thick and bumpy texture. Because of the density and weight, this stitch is ideal for hats, scarves, or sweater accents and cuffs. Because it is simply knitting into the purl stitches and purling into the knit stitches, seed stitch is very easy to remember. It is worked over a multiple of 2 +1 stitches.
INSTRUCTIONS
ROW 1: [K1, p1]*, k1.
ROW 2: [K1,p1]*, k1.
* Repeat pattern in the brackets.
RIBBED stitch
Ribbing is an incredibly versatile stitch. Alternating strips of stockinette stitch create a very stretchy ribbed texture that tends to crimp in on itself. Ribbing can be any combination of numbers. Common sets are 1x1, 2x2, and 4x2. Here I have demonstrated 2x2 ribbing. Ribbing is usually seen as cuffs for sweaters, hats, or gloves, but it can be used anywhere. Just remember to do the math and make sure your number of stitches evenly splits up into how many "ribs" you want.
INSTRUCTIONS
ROW 1: [K2, p2]*
ROW 2: [K2, p2]*
*Repeat these rows.
CABLE stitch
Cables are a great way to add decoration and flair to a project. A cable is when a section of stitches crosses over another section of knitting, creating a braid-style twist in the fabric. In order to cross these stitches over each other, you need a double-pointed needle or special cable needle. Like ribbing, cables come in different sizes, from small tiny tight cables, to big loose oversized ones. Cables are worked by panels, with the cable in the center, and reverse stockinette around the outside. For this tutorial, I'll start with a classic 6x6 left cable with 3 stitches of reverse stockinette on either side.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEFT CABLE
ROW 1: K3, p6, k3
ROW 2: P3, k6, p3
ROW 3: K3, p6, k3
ROW 4: P2, slip 3 sts to cable needle and hold in front; k3, k3 from cn, p2.
ROW 5: K3, p6, k3
ROW 6: P3, k6, p3
Repeat these 6 rows until cable is desired length.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR RIGHT CABLE
ROW 1: K3, p6, k3
ROW 2: P3, k6, p3
ROW 3: K3, p6, k3
ROW 4: P2, sl 3 sts to cn and hold in back; k3, k3 from cn, p2.
ROW 5: K3, p6, k3
ROW 6: P3, k6, p3
Repeat these 6 rows until cable is desired length.
HAT PATTERN
This is a pattern for a simple stocknitte stitch hat. To make stripes, change your yarn after every 10 rows.
US 8 circular, worsted weight yarn
Cast on 80 stitches.
Rows 1-10: K1, P1 ribbing
Rows 10 and on: K all stitches
Once hat measures 6 inches, begin decreasing
To end: K10, K2tog*
*Repeat until 10 stitches left, thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight. Tie the yarn to a stitch on the inside.
And now you have a hat!
SCARF PATTERN
This is a pattern for a beginners garter stitch scarf. Color, needle size, and yarn weight are up to you, different combinations will create different looks and feels. Smaller needles and thicker yarn will produce a dense fabric, larger needles and thinner yarn will make a loose, airy scarf.
Any size straight needles, any weight yarn
All Rows: Knit every row until you reach your desired length
Binding off: Knit 2 stitches and pass the first one over the second one, removing it from the needle. Continue this until one stitch remains. Cut the yarn and thread it through the remaining stitch, pull tight and weave in the ends.
And voila! A scarf!
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