Beginning To Knit

This Lesson is reprinted by permission Pull down on both ends of the yarn to tighten the knot.
of TNNA and contains portions of the Diagram 21.
“How to Knit” book published by The Diagram 21
National NeedleArts Association (www.
TNNA.org). Find full details for the new
knitter in the complete “How to Knit”
book available at your local yarn shop.

Casting On - Double Cast On Method

Measure off a length of yarn allowing one inch for each

stitch you will cast on. Your pattern instructions will To cast on the second stitch, and all subsequent stitches,
indicate this number. Make a slip-knot, it will be your hold the needle with the slip-knot in your right hand.
first stitch. To make a slip-knot, make a pretzel shape Drape the short end of yarn over the thumb and the
with the yarn and slip the needle into the pretzel as yarn from the ball over the index finger. Gently pull the
shown. Diagrams 19 & 20. two ends of yarn apart to tighten the loop. Take care
not to tighten it too much. The stitch should glide
easily over the needle. Both strands of yarn should rest
Diagram 19 in the palm of the left hand, with the last two fingers
holding them down. Diagram 22.
Diagram 22

Diagram 20

How To Knit
Pull the needle downward, then insert the point of the Drop the thumb loop, then pull on the short end of
needle up through the loop that is on your thumb. yarn with your thumb. This will tighten the stitch. You
Diagram 23. now have two stitches on your needle.
Diagrams 26 & 27.
Diagram 23
Diagram 26

Diagram 27
Move the point of the needle over, then around the
“index-finger” strand of yarn. Diagram 24.
Diagram 24

Repeat this process until the desired number of stitches

Bring the point of the needle back down through the have been cast on.
thumb loop. Diagram 25.
NOTE: Remember not to pull your foundation row
Diagram 25 stitches too tightly. They should glide easily over the
needle and be elastic. If you find that you cast on too
tightly, go up a needle size for your cast on row.

Holding the Yarn and Needles

At first, the knitting needles will feel awkward in your
hands. Here’s a comfortable way to hold them and
the yarn.

Hold the needle with the cast on stitches in your left

hand supporting the needle with your fingers and palm.
Diagram 28.

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Holding the Yarn and Needles Left-Handed Knitting
At first, the knitting needles will feel awkward in your Many left-handed knitters have learned to knit the
hands. Here’s a comfortable way to hold them and right-handed way. However, if you are not comfortable,
the yarn. and are having difficulty interpreting illustrations, place
them facing a mirror. This will reverse the pictures. If
Hold the needle with the cast on stitches in your left you are following word instructions, substitute the word
hand supporting the needle with your fingers and palm. right for left and the word left for right.
Diagram 28.

Diagram 28

Insert the right needle into the first stitch as shown.

Diagram 29. Hold it there with your left hand.
Diagram 29

Wind the yarn that comes from the skein through the
fingers of your right hand. Drape the yarn over your
index finger, under the middle and ring fingers and
around your pinky. This creates the proper tension in
the yarn which is necessary for creating stitches that are
not too loose or too tight. Diagram 30.
Diagram 30

It is important to learn good habits early, so they will

stay with you. Try to use this method of holding your
work from the very beginning.

How To Knit
 The Stitches
Knit Stitch (K) Diagram 33

Knitting uses only two basic stitches – the knit stitch old stitch
and the purl stitch. It is the variations and combinations
of these two stitches that create all the different stitch
patterns which are possible in knitting. First you will
learn the knit stitch.

Holding the needle with the stitches in your left hand,

insert the right needle into the front of the first stitch
from left to right. The needle tip points towards the
back, and the yarn should also be in the back of your old stitch
Diagram 34
work. Diagram 31.
new
stitch
Diagram 31

Slip the old stitch off the left needle. Be careful to slip
only the one stitch that was worked off the left needle.
Do not allow any others to slip off. Diagram 35.
Diagram 35
old stitch
Wrap the yarn around the right needle from back to
new stitch
front, so that it rests between the two needles.
Diagram 32.
Diagram 32

The new stitch is now on the right needle. Diagram 36.

Diagram 36

Slide the right needle down, then bring the point for-
ward through the stitch, bringing the yarn with it.
Diagrams 33 & 34.

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Repeat the above steps for each stitch on the left needle. Work each stitch in the row as before. Additional rows
Notice that at the beginning and end of each stitch, the are worked in the same way. Diagram 38.
yarn is at the back of the work. At the end of the row,
Diagram 38
all the new stitches will be on the right needle, and the
left needle will be empty.

Now count your stitches. It is a good idea to count your

stitches at the end of each row while you are learning,
to catch mistakes early. Later on, as you gain experience,
you will only need to count your stitches every few
rows. After the first few rows, if you make a mistake,
you can correct it, following the instructions in the
section of this book titled CORRECTING
MISTAKES.

As you work, you are actually transferring all the

stitches from the left needle onto the right needle. To
prevent the stitches from pulling or dropping off the
needles while you are knitting, pull the stitches back
onto the right needle using your index finger and Garter Stitch
thumb. To move the stitches forward on the left needle, Knitting every row forms a pattern called garter stitch.
push them up with the thumb, index and middle finger. It has a bumpy texture, looks the same on both sides,
When you come to the end of a row on straight and does not curl along the edge, as some other stitch
needles, all your stitches should be transferred to the patterns do.
right hand needle. For the next row, switch needles, One ridge is equal to two rows of knitting. Written
transferring the “full” needle back to your left hand and instructions will often tell you to work a certain number
start another row. of ridges instead of rows when you are working garter
stitch, because the ridges are easier to count.
Second and All Other Rows Diagram 39.
Switch the needles with the new stitches over to your Diagram 39
left hand. Pick up the empty needle in your right hand.

Insert the needle into the first stitch as shown.

(Sometimes the last stitch from the previous row is a
little loose, and this may be confusing. Be sure to insert
your needle into the new stitch, not the old one. The
Ridge {
old one should remain beneath the needle.)
Diagram 37.

Diagram 37

Purl Stitch (P)

A purl stitch looks just like the back of a knit stitch.
If you purl every row, you get a bumpy texture which
is exactly like a knitted garter stitch. (However, if your
knitting instructions call for garter stitch, you can
assume that you are supposed to knit every row, unless
the instructions state differently.) Following are the
step-by-step instructions and diagrams for creating the
purl stitch.

How To Knit
Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left Diagram 43
hand. Make sure the yarn is in front of the needle.
Insert the right needle into the front of the first stitch
from right to left. Diagram 40. old stitch

Diagram 40

new
stitch

Work additional rows by switching the needle with the

stitches to your left hand, then beginning to purl the
new stitches.

Wrap the yarn around the right needle. The yarn will Stockinette Stitch (St st)
still be at the front of your work. Diagram 41.
Stockinette stitch is one of the most common stitches.
Diagram 41
It is created very simply by knitting one row, purling
the second, knitting the third, purling the fourth and
so on. In a finished piece of stockinette fabric, one side
is smooth. It is called the “stockinette” or knit side.
The other side is bumpy and is known as “reverse-
stockinette” stitch. It is also called the purl side.
As you are working stockinette stitch, if the purl side
(horizontal ridge) is facing you, you should work purl
stitch to maintain the pattern. If the knit side (vertical
rows of “V”) is facing you, you should knit the stitches.

Binding Off Stitches

Slide the right needle down, then bring the tip from
front to back through the stitch, bringing the yarn with When you have finished knitting a piece, you will still
it. Diagram 42. have a row of loops on your needle. You must bind off
(fasten down) these loops, or your work will unravel.
Diagram 42
There are several methods of binding off stitches, but
old stitch the following method is the one used most frequently.

Knit the first two stitches of the row. Using the point
of the left needle, lift the first stitch up and over the sec-
ond stitch and off the end of the right needle. Diagram
74.

Slip the old stitch off the left needle. You now have a Diagram 74
purl stitch on the right needle, and the yarn is in front.
Continue purling across the row, following the above
steps. Notice that at the beginning and end of each
stitch, the yarn is at the front of your work.
Diagram 43.

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One stitch has been bound off and one stitch is
remaining on your right needle.

Work the next stitch in the row. You will now have two
stitches on your right needle. Lift the first stitch over
the second and off the needle. Continue in this way
across the row.

NOTE: It is very important to work your bind-off row

loosely. It needs to be elastic, just like your knitting. If
you have difficulty keeping your bind-off row loose,
you may wish to use a larger size needle only for the
bind-off row.

Finishing Off the Yarn

At the end of the row, you will have one stitch
remaining on your right needle. Cut the yarn (leave
at least three inches) and pull the tail of yarn through
the last stitch. You can leave a longer tail if desired, for
stitching together the finished project. This is called
“finishing off ” the yarn and will prevent the work from
unraveling. Diagram 75.

Diagram 75

The same procedure would be followed for binding off

in purl, except that the stitches are purled instead of
knitted. Always follow the stitch pattern of your work
whenever you are binding off.

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