Knitting for beginners, one stitch at a time
Clear, beginner-friendly knitting tutorials: how to cast on, knit, purl and bind off, the essential stitches, and easy first projects with every abbreviation explained.
A clear roadmap for complete beginners: the five things to buy, the four skills to learn in order (cast on, knit, purl, bind off) and a first project you can finish.
Learn the long-tail cast-on from the slipknot to a full row of stitches: how much tail to leave, how to hold the yarn, the four moves for each stitch and how to keep the edge loose.
Learn the knit stitch in four motions: In, Around, Through, Off. Covers how to hold the needles, where the yarn goes, how to turn at the end of a row and how to fix tight or extra stitches.
Learn the purl stitch step by step: yarn in front, needle in from right to left, wrap, push through and slide off. Also covers stockinette stitch and switching between knit and purl in one row.
A plain-English glossary of the knitting abbreviations beginners meet first, from k and p to k2tog and ssk, plus how asterisks, brackets and stitch counts work in a pattern row.
Learn how a knitting pattern is laid out and how to decode it: materials, gauge, abbreviations, asterisks and parentheses, with a row from a real beginner pattern worked through in plain words.
Learn the basic bind-off: knit two stitches, lift the first over the second, and repeat across the row. Also covers fastening off the last loop, keeping the edge loose and binding off in pattern.
Knit a stretchy 2x2 rib headband flat on two needles, then seam it into a loop. Includes how to measure your head, the full row-by-row pattern, binding off in pattern and simple size changes.
Knit an 8-inch cotton dishcloth with a smooth stockinette center and a garter-stitch border. The pattern uses about 60 yards of yarn and practices both the knit and the purl stitch.
Knit your first scarf with only the knit stitch. This pattern gives the yarn, needle size and stitch count, with notes on casting on, keeping edges straight, joining a new ball and binding off.
Learn how to knit garter stitch flat, why knitting every row makes ridges on both sides, how to count rows by ridges, and how to fix the most common beginner problems.
Learn how to knit stockinette stitch flat by alternating knit and purl rows, how to tell which row comes next, why the edges curl, and which borders keep the fabric flat.
Learn how to knit 1x1 and 2x2 ribbing: how many stitches to cast on, how to move the yarn between knit and purl stitches, and how to avoid accidental holes and extra stitches.
Learn how to knit seed stitch on odd and even stitch counts, how to read your stitches so you always know what comes next, and how seed stitch differs from 1x1 ribbing.
Knit a garter stitch lap blanket in bulky yarn using only the knit stitch. Covers how much yarn to buy, why a circular needle is used flat, the 104-stitch pattern and how to join new balls.
A four-step ladder of first knitting projects, from a dishcloth to a chunky cowl, with the yarn, needle size and stitch count for each and a short list of projects worth saving for later.
Make a chunky garter-stitch cowl from one large skein of bulky yarn. You knit a flat rectangle on US 10.5 needles and seam the short ends into a loop, with an optional seed stitch version.
Learn how to hide yarn tails so they stay put through wear and washing, on both stockinette and garter stitch, and how to join a new ball of yarn at the start of a row.
Learn the two decreases behind most beginner shaping: k2tog, which leans right, and ssk, which leans left. Includes numbered steps, how to pair them and a practice swatch.
Step-by-step instructions for the three increases beginners meet first: knit front and back, make one left and right, and the yarn over, with how each looks and when to use it.
Learn how cotton yarn differs from wool, how to keep your stitches even with a fiber that has little stretch, and three small warm-weather projects: a washcloth, coasters and a light headband.
Four warm, simple things to knit for cold weather: a ribbed headband, a chunky cowl, a garter scarf and a lap blanket. Also covers worsted versus bulky yarn and how wool, acrylic and blends compare.
Knit a garter stitch lap blanket in bulky yarn using only the knit stitch. Covers how much yarn to buy, why a circular needle is used flat, the 104-stitch pattern and how to join new balls.
A four-step ladder of first knitting projects, from a dishcloth to a chunky cowl, with the yarn, needle size and stitch count for each and a short list of projects worth saving for later.
Make a chunky garter-stitch cowl from one large skein of bulky yarn. You knit a flat rectangle on US 10.5 needles and seam the short ends into a loop, with an optional seed stitch version.
Knit a stretchy 2x2 rib headband flat on two needles, then seam it into a loop. Includes how to measure your head, the full row-by-row pattern, binding off in pattern and simple size changes.
Start with one ball of yarn and one pair of needles, learn the knit stitch, and move on at your own pace. Every tutorial on the site is free to read, no sign-up needed.
