How to Knit

- Why knit?: Many people knit for relaxation and fun. Some do it because they want the item itself--a specific hat or scarf, for instance.
- Who knits?: While the image of a 'knitter' is often an old woman in a rocking chair, knitters vary wildly in age, background, social status, and religious or political belief. They can be any gender or sexual orientation. The one thing they all have in common is knitting itself. [[Stephanie Pearl-McPhee]], aka "The [[Y...
- Is knitting beneficial to health and wellness?: Scientific studies have proven that knitting can create the same kind of brain activity as meditation or yoga. Some knitters see changes in their blood pressure, and knitting can often let a person focus during lectures or meetings. It is especially beneficial to people who 'fidget'; even children with ADHD have been shown to calm down and focus more while knitting. http://www.prlog.org/10179509-knitting-a...

Introduction
right (Photo by Jenny Bannock)
- Knitting is a relaxing and enjoyable pastime that comes with an added benefit—you get something fun to wear or use at the end of your labors.
- Remember that as a new knitter, your hands may not automatically do what you want them to do. Knitting is a skill that takes practice. Knitting for just 10 minutes per day will be enough to get you comfortable with needles and yarn. Once you are used to knitting, try purling. If you can knit and purl, you can do the vast majority of knittng patterns.
This page contains detailed instructions on how to cast on and do the knit stitch.
What You'll Need to Begin
- If you are a beginner, you will need to collect some basic tools:
1. Yarn
  - A good one to start with is a plain, solid-color, worsted weight yarn in wool or wool blend. It is a medium-thickness yarn that will make your stitches easier to see.
  - Do NOT start with a novelty yarn. While it may be pretty or interesting, it will not show your stitches very well and may be difficult to manage.
  - Use a wool or wool blend yarn instead of acrylic if possible. If you have an allergy to wool, then try a cotton or cotton blend yarn instead.
  - Buy the best quality you can afford. You often get what you pay for--a huge $2 skein of yarn is usually far lower quality than a medium skein that costs $6. Spend the extra money and get the better yarn.
2. Knitting Needles
  - Needles come in many sizes, the numbers of which refer to the thickness of the needle. The two main sizing methods are US, a numbered system, and European, which uses the diameter in millimeters.
  - While there are smaller and larger sizes, most companies make needles from size 0 or 2.0mm (the smallest), up to size 19 or 15mm (the largest).
  - The needles you use will depend on the thickness of the yarn and how loose or tight you want your fabric to be.
  - For your first attempt at knitting, use a size US8 or US9 needle with your worsted weight yarn.
3. Scissors
4. Tapestry needle or Yarn needle
Before You Begin
- For most knitting projects, you'll choose a pattern to follow. Any pattern you choose will follow three basic steps:
- These steps are explained in the following sections. If you're a novice knitter, just try making a knitted square for your first project. This way you'll develop a feel for knitting, without having to worry about any mistakes along the way.

Step 1: Cast On
- In order to start knitting, the yarn needs to get on the needle—this is called casting on. There are many ways to cast on, but an easy one for beginners is a backward-loop cast on: http://feeds.craftstylish.com/item/13937/constructing-a-simple-knitted-buttonhole
1. Make a slip knot and put the loop on one needle.
2. Hold the needle in your right hand and the yarn in your left.
3. With the yarn, make a loop so that the part connected to the needle is in back and the working end of the yarn is in the front.
4. Place the loop on the needle and gently tighten it so the yarn is snug but not too tight.
5. Repeat until you have the desired number of loops on the needle. Each loop is counted as one stitch.
- For the purposes of this tutorial, cast on 24 stitches.
Step 2: Knit a Row of Stitches
- The knit stitch is the basis of all knitting. It consists of simply making a new loop linked into a loop from the row below. Knitting means you keep making rows of these loops back and forth using two needles.
1. Insert your right needle into the first loop on the left needle. Do so from the left side of the front of the loop to the right side of the back of the loop.
2. Wrap the yarn counterclockwise around the right needle.
3. Holding the wrapped yarn snug around the right needle, bring the right needle from behind the left needle to the front, by going under the left needle.
  - It helps to keep the tip of the right needle always touching the left needle so the new loop stays on.
4. You now have a new loop on your right needle and can slide the old loop off the left needle.
5. Repeat for each loop on the left needle.
6. Knit all the stitches from the left needle to the right needle.
7. Switch the needle from your right hand (the one with all the knitting) back to your left hand and repeat!
Step 3: Test Your Gauge
Knitting patterns almost always list a "gauge" number, which is how you can tell that your item will turn out the same size and shape as the pattern suggests. Gauge usually isn't important for things like dishcloths and scarves, but it is VERY important for sweaters, socks or any other item that must fit a certain way. To find your gauge:
1. Knit a swatch, which is usually a 4"x4" square.
2. Using a ruler (the best kind for this is found on most needle gauges), count how many stitches across there are in an inch or two. Do the same thing for how many stitches there are in a vertical column.
3. Be sure to include fractions of stitches! Don't round up or down if you have 4 1/2 stitches in an inch, for instance; that half stitch can add up to lots of extra stitches when making something like a sweater.
4. Your gauge equals the numbers you came up with. So, if a recommended gauge is 16sts and 16 rows over 4 inches, that means you need 4 stitches per horizontal inch and 4 rows per vertical inch.
If you come up with a different number than the recommended gauge, you can do one of several things.
1. Go up or down a needle size. If your numbers are higher than needed, go down a size. If your numbers are lower, go up one.
2. You can also try to knit more tightly or more loosely, which has a similar effect to changing your needle size. This is harder to do, however, and should only be attempted if you aren't knitting something big. Be sure to double-check your gauge if you do this. Also, don't knit TOO tightly or you may cause wrist strain.
3. Try another type of yarn. Be sure you're using the yarn called for in the pattern.
Step 4: Bind Off Stitches
- When you have knit as much as your project calls for it is time remove the knitting from the needles and secure the last row of "live" stitches (loops on the needle). This is called binding off (or casting off) the stitches.
1. Knit two stitches as you normally would.
2. Insert the left needle into the first loop you knit (farthest right)
3. Stretch the loop a bit if needed.
4. Pass the right loop over the left loop and slide it off the left needle.
5. One loop will remain on the right needle. Continue knitting one stitch and repeat passing the right loop over the left stitch on the right needle.
6. Continue until there is one loop remaining.
7. Stretch the loop just a bit.
8. Cut the working yarn with about 4 or 5 inches remaining.
9. Pull the tail back through the loop (kind of like knitting another stitch, but pull the yarn all the way through)
10. Pull the loop snugly closed.
11. Thread the tail through a needle and sew in the end to hide and secure the yarn.
12. Repeat for the tail.
Step 5: Pick a Project
- Now that you've successfully cast on, knit a row of stitches, and bound off your stitches, you're ready to pick a pattern. Knitting patterns can range from very easy to advanced. For your first outing, you might want to pick something simple, like:
1. How to Knit a Scarf
2. How to Knit a Shawl
- As your skills progress, you will be able to make your knitting more interesting and use more advanced patterns.
- Then, if you are really adventurous, you can make up your own designs!
Hints

As you knit each stitch, try not to pull them too tightly. Conversely, don't knit too loosely, either. You want the yarn to be snug against the needle but still moveable. This is called your tension or gauge and will improve over time.

Knitting takes time and practice to master. It is not a talent, but a skill and it CAN be learned. Just as you had to learn how to tie your shoes or to drive a car, you need to let yourself learn how to knit as well. Many people get frustrated when their first attempt is 'too hard' or doesn't turn out as expected. Don't give up!

The material your needles are made from will affect how your knitting behaves. For a beginner, try bamboo or wood instead of aluminum. The wood-type needles have a better grip that works well with wool fibers. Aluminum is very slippery and your yarn can be hard to handle. However, metal needles work very well with acrylic and other synthetic yarns.
Knitting Glossary
- Knitting has its own vocabulary. Most patterns will explain the terms used in the pattern, but if you need further enlightenment, use a knitting glossary, such as the ones from:
1. Better Homes and Gardens Knitting
2. DIY Network Knitting
3. KnittingHelp.com: Video tutorials
Equipment: Beyond the Basics
- As you get more experienced, and work on more complex projects, there may be other tools you find useful. http://www.bhg.com/crafts/knitting/basics/a-basic-knitting-toolkit/
Other Advanced Techniques