How-To Lesson

What is Knitting?

Knitting is a traditional style of weave used to create textiles and clothing. Typically performed on knitting needles (of which there are many kinds!), knitting can also now be done on machines. Many large corporations use knitting machines in factories to quickly and cheaply mass produce clothing. However, nothing beats the satisfaction of a functional, handmade item!

The image to the left is the very first sweater I ever knit for myself. For my first sweater project, it was very ambitious, considering the cable twists and diamonds, so it is full of mistakes. But completing it was incredibly satisfying and I'm proud of myself for following through with the whole project.

Getting Started

Getting started with knitting is much easier than it seems. The only tools you need to knit anything are knitting needles and yarn of your choosing. As you continue to knit, you will realize that certain types of yarn work better with certain kinds of projects. Similarly, more advanced pieces require specific types of needles. But for the basics, a simple set of straight needles and yarn will do the job.

In the world of textile and fiber arts, the steps taken to complete a project are called a pattern. Patterns can be written in many different ways, however, there are certain universal symbols used by pattern makers that can be helpful to learn. Similarly, certain abbreviations are used to signifiy different actions in the pattern. This varies by region, and is largely known as UK vs US terminology. They cannot be used interchangeably.

This pattern will teach you how to cast on to your knitting needles - basically, how to get your yarn on the needle so you can knit with it - and how to perform the basic knit stitch, also called the garter stitch. In order to complete this pattern, you will need:

Knitting needles
1 ball of yarn
Measuring tape

I am using Loops and Threads Soft Classic yarn and 4.5 mm needles, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. In the future, especially when knitting garments, the type of needle and yarn you use together will be very important, but it isn't necessarily relevant to this. Balls of yarn will typically have a recommendation for what size needle to use with the specific fiber, and its a great way to start gauging what works well together.

Casting On

Casting on simply refers to getting your yarn onto the knitting needle so that you can knit with it. There are many different kinds of cast on, and each is better suited to specific garments or other items. For this sake, we will use the long tail cast on, named as such because you cast on with the tail of the yarn.

First, measure out the length of yarn you will need for the stitches you are casting on. I typically eyeball one inch per every two stitches, plus an extra three inches of tail. Today, I casted on 15 stitches, so around 11 inches of yarn in total for my tail. Here, I tie a slip knot, sliding one of my knitting needles through the hole of the knot. Then, I hold my needle sideways and make sure my "tail" is resting on top the yarn coming out of the skein, and hold the two threads between my middle and ring finger. Then, I insert my index finger and thumb between the two threads, and flip my hand over in that position. To cast on the first stitch, I bring my needle under the first thread around my thumb and over the first thread around my index finger. Continue to do so until you have casted on all of your stitches!

First, make your slip knot.

Then, make sure the tail of your yarn is closest you as it hangs off the needle. Hold the two threads between your middle and ring finger.

Insert your thumb and index finger in the space between the two threads. Follow the steps as directed above to cast on your stitches.

When you have casted on all of your stitches, they should look like this on the needle. The diagonal ridge denotes the "cast on end" of your project.

Knitting Your First Stitch

When you begin to knit your first stitch, its important to make sure that the yarn you are knitting with is the yarn coming out of the skein and not the tail of your cast on. In the picture to the left, the shorter strand is the tail, and the longer one is coming out of the skein. Make sure that you are knitting with yarn coming out of the skein, or you will run out after a few stitches and have to start over!

First, insert your needle into the base of the first cast on stitch. There should be a bump there - that should tell you where to insert the needle. Depending on your tension (how tightly you were holding your yarn) it may be a little difficult to start your first row.

Push the needle all the way through, holding it in place with your right thumb. Now, you can wrap the yarn coming out of the skein around your pinky and index finger to help you hold it as you knit. This will also help you keep an even tension and give you a smooth knit.

Once your needle is fully pushed through the casted on stitch, bring the yarn in your right hand over the needle in your left hand, wrapping it around the entire way. Then, drag your needle down and push it through the space in between the yarn wrapped around the needle and the stitch it is pushed through. You will have knit your very first stitch!

Repeat the third step for every stitch. If you drop a stitch, unravel it and keep going or undo all of your stitches to cast them on again. Messing up is part of the process!

Eventually, once you have knit your first row, it should look something like this.

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