How to Knit: The Basics

How to Knit: The Basics Slipknot, Casting on, Knit stitch, Casting off. While the following guide by no means encompasses everything there is to know about knitting (that could fill an entire book!), these simple steps will help you get off the ground. 

Once you’ve purchased your yarn and the needle size that matches it, the absolute first step of any knitting project is making a slipknot.

1. To make a slipknot, pull a length of yarn from your ball and twist it so it makes a loop. Then, pull a another loop of yarn from the open end of your strand through your first loop. The result should look like the image above.

2. Insert one of your knitting needles through the loop of your knot and pull the strands of yarn on either side to tighten. Make sure there is about one foot of yarn on the end that isn’t attached to your ball. You’ll use this length of yarn to cast on your stitches.

Casting on is the next step in setting up your knitting project. The amount of stitches you cast on for your project will determine its overall starting width. When making a scarf, for example, I usually cast on about 20 stitches.

1. With your knitting needle in your right hand, wrap a loop of yarn from your open strand around your left thumb as pictured above.

2. Insert your knitting needle under the loop on your left thumb.

3. Pull a piece of the strand from the side attached to your ball of yarn over the top of your knitting needle as shown above.

4. With your left hand, lift the loop made by your left thumb over the piece of yarn you just placed over it.

5. Pull your left-hand strand to tighten it. That’s it! Repeat the last five steps for each stitch you want to cast on. When you’re done, there will be a little bit of yarn hanging off the end of your needle. That’s fine. You’ll be able to weave it through your design or cut it off at the end of your project.

The knit stitch is the most basic stitch of the knitting process. Stitching is essentially the process by which you turn a ball of yarn into a length of knitted fabric.

1. With your cast-on needle in your left hand, insert your other knitting needle’s point under the first stitch at the top of your cast-on needle.

2. Bring the strand from your ball over your right-hand needle as shown above.

3. With your right-hand needle, bring your strand underneath and through the top stitch. With this new loop of yarn secured on your needle, lift the top stitch off your left needle.

4. Pull the strand of your working yarn tight to secure the stitch. Repeat until each stitch from your left-hand needle has been brought to your right-hand needle. Continue this process until your fabric has reached your desired length.

Casting off is the final step needed to complete your knitting project. It binds off all your stitches and prevents your project from unraveling.

1. Knit two stitches onto your right-hand needle.

2. Push your left-hand needle’s point under the second stitch from your right-hand needle’s point as shown above.

3. With your left-hand needle, pull the second stitch on your right side over the first stitch.

4. Pull the second stitch off the needle and tighten your working yarn. You’ve now cast off one of your stitches. Repeat steps 1–4 of this section until all your stitches are cast off. Cut your project from your ball of yarn and knot the remaining strand through your final stitch to secure it. Cut off the excess strands from either side of your project or weave them through a few rows of stitches on your project. Ta-da! That’s it! Knitting 101 completed!