There are only two stitches in knitting: the knit stitch and purl stitch. Once you have these two stitches down you can make pretty much anything.
The knit stitch is the most basic and the easiest, so we’ll start with that. I think that the first stitch is always the hardest because it is the loosest. At first your your stitches will be uneven but the key is practice. If you keep knitting, the stitches will become even in space and tension (how tight you knit).
Cast-on the number of stitches needed. I cast-on 40 using size six needles. If you are just practicing and not using a pattern, it doesn’t matter what type of yarn you use. You can cast on less or more, it doesn’t matter, just have a good amount to work on. When knitting every row, it is called a garter stitch.
Once you have the number of stitches needed, then you can start knitting. You need to decide how you want to hold the yarn. There are several different ways to hold the yarn. My Mom, Grandma, and I all hold the yarn different, but they still work. I hold the yarn like this:
They ball of yarn is to my left and I am holding the yarn in my left hand. I hold it so the yarn is under my pinkie, over my ring finger, under my middle finger, and over my pointer finger. I use my middle finger and thumb to hold the needle.
The Knit Stitch
1. Hold the needle, with the stitches you just cast-on, in your left hand. Hold the empty needle in your right hand. Always hold the needle with stitches in your left hand. Your work will be in the middle between the needle. Always hold the empty needle in your right hand. Slide the right needle in the first stitch on the left needle so the stitch is now shared with the left and right needles.
2. Wrap the yarn you are holding in your left hand, around the right needle counterclockwise.
3. You are going to bring the loop you just put the right needle through, over the yarn you just wrapped around the right needle. In other words, bring the bottom stitch over the yarn you just wrapped around the right needle. You use the right needle to help the new stitch go through the old. In the pictures below, I have brought the new stitch through the old stitch and I just need to slide the old stitch off of the left needle.
4. Slide the stitch you just stuck the right needle through, off of the left needle. You have just made your first stitch.
The Bind-Off
The bind-off is used to finish projects. This is the very last thing to do.
1. Knit two stitches. During the bind-off, you should never have more than two stitches on your right needle.
2. Bring the bottom stitch over the top stitch and off the needle. You should now just have one stitch on the right needle. It helps to use the tip of the left needle to bring the bottom stitch over the top stitch. Repeat until the end.
3. At the very end you will have one stitch left. Slide that stitch over to your left needle. Knit that stitch. Cut the thread several inches away from your work, you need a long enough tail to thread into your work. Pull the tail all the way through the loop and tug on it so it is snug.
Thanks to Mom for taking the pictures.
About The Author
Good job Miss Esther! :) I so enjoy knitting! I learned how to knit when I was about 14 I think. ;) I have been getting a little better every year and now enjoy being able to pass on my skills to other young ladies in our area. :) How lovely to have a whole legacy of knitters! :D My mom never learned how, but my grandmother is the one who taught me how. :) It always reminds me of her every time I knit. :) I’m looking forward to reading more of your tutorials and articles! :D
Blessings to you!
~Miss Rachel~
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very good instructions! I love knitting, though I haven’t in a while. I should get my hand wrapped around some yarn soon!
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Thank you, great pictures and well-worded descriptions! I used to knit in college, but hadn’t done it in a long time. Just a few months ago, I started to “re-learn” it, and it’s really nice to be knitting again! I was knitting a scarf, just to practice (my stitches are still nice and even, yay!), but I really don’t need a scarf, so I think I’ll just pull it all out (I was only 1/3 done)and try something fun, like mug cozy’s. I have some cute patterns!
God Bless you,
Lori (aka Plans4You and Serenity in the Suburbs)
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/plans4you
http://www.homesteadblogger.co.....thesuburbs
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Good article! I *really* need to work on the way I hold my yarn! It is not very efficient! I just let it fall, and then use my right hand to wrap it around the needle…it works, but like I said, not very efficient!!!
Jessica
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I love knitting!
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I knit differently. I think my knitting style is called Continental/European Knitting.
I knit a lot. Mostly shawls (love them!) and socks, leg warmers, mittens, scarfs, hats, pullovers, slipovers… Temperature in my country has been below -20 degrees of Celsius for weeks so warm clothes have been needed.
My mother taught me to knit when I was 5-6 years old. She can’t knit anymore (carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands) so I knit her share too. I’m going to teach knitting and crocheting to my possible kids and my godchildren (not the best word for them, but I think the closest English one. We have committed to take care of those kids if something happens to their parents). My husband also wanted to learn to knit and I have been teaching him also. Here knitting isn’t just a feminine craft though nowadays more women knit than men. I have male knitters in my family too, for example my great-uncle knit a lot :)
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