Lesson 1..
Casting on
I use a method of casting on, that's easy for me to do, there are different ways to cast on, and different ways to knit.
Slip knot..first we start with a slip knot.
To make a slip knot, hold the yarn so that the tail of the yarn ball is hanging in front of your hand.
Wrap the yarn loosely behind your first two fingers of your left hand. The yarn should loop all the way around your fingers clockwise.
Take the part of the yarn that's attached to the ball and slip it back under the loop behind your fingers
Then slide this off your fingers, pull to tighten slightly, and slip it over the needle.
Casting on...second, we begin to cast on...
Once you've made your slip knot, put the needle with the slip knot in your left hand and the empty needle in your right.
To begin the cast on, loop the yarn around your left hand thumb so that the tail of the yarn is on the upper part of your hand, and the yarn attached to the ball of yarn is over the lower of your thumb. Insert the needle beneath the yarn on the lower part of your hand, and pull through. This will create a loop on your needle.
Here is a good example of this, using the right thumb, not the left.
Lesson 2...
Knitting stitch
1. With the yarn at the back of the work, insert the right hand needle from left to right through the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle.
2. Wind the yarn over the right hand needle
3. Pull through a loop
4. Slip the original stitch off the left hand needle
Repeat until all the stitches have been transferred from the left to the right hand needle.
Lesson 3...
Purl stitch
1. With the yarn at the front of the work, insert the right hand needle from right to left through the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle
2. Wind the yarn round the right hand needle
3. Draw a loop through to the back
4. Slip the original stitch off the left hand needle
Garter stitch
The garter stitch is formed by working every row as a knit row, the first row usually being the right side, this can also be achieved by purling every row instead
Stocking stitch
Stocking stitch is made up of one row of knit stitches followed by one row of purl stitches, starting with a knit row, which is the right side of the work.
Reverse stitch
Reverse stocking stitch is made up of one row of purl stitches followed by one row of knit stitches, starting with a purl row, which is the right side of the work.
Ribbing
Ribbing is an elastic fabric which is often used for garment edgings. The two most usual types are 1x1 rib, which is formed by alternating 1 knit stitch and 1 purl stitch and 2x2 rib which is formed by alternating 2 knit stitches and 2 purl stitches. Care must be taken to purl the stitches which were knitted on the previous row and vice versa. Making sure you count the stitches and rows will help in keeping the rows uniform.
Casting off..
What to do when you're done with your knitting project...
Casting Off
Casting off is the method used to dispose of a number of stitches. It is used to form the last row of the work. Always cast off in pattern, i.e. when working on stocking stitch cast off knitwise on a knit row and purlwise on a purl row and when casting off ribbing, do so as if you were continuing to rib. Most pattern stitches can be followed when casting off.
Casting off knitwise
Knit the first two stitches. * Using the left hand needle, lift the first stitch over the second and drop it off the needle. Knit the next stitch and repeat from *
Casting off purlwise
Purl the first two stitches. *Using the left hand needle, lift the first stitch over the second and drop it off the needle. Purl the next stitch and repeat from *
Casting off with a crochet hook (my preferred method)
It saves a lot of time if you use a crochet hook to cast off. Treat the crochet hook as if it were the right hand needle and knit or purl the first two stitches in the usual way. *Pull the second stitch through the first, knit or purl the next stitch and repeat from *.
This method is particularly useful when a loose, elastic cast off edge is required, as you can gently loosen the stitch still on the crochet hook to ensure that the elasticity is retained.
Project 1
Using the basics...
1 skein of yarn, I suggest a light color so you can easily see the stitches
1 US size 7 needle
Cast on 40 stitches, and knit until you reach the end of the row, turn, and continue knitting until you get a 9x9 square, then cast off.
You can use this as a dish cloth, or knit it into a rectangle for a scarf, or, you can make multiple squares and sew them together for a blanket.
If you have any questions, please comment below.
*please note*
The link posted above is not my own, and I cannot stress enough, that with the internet being so available there are several how to videos out there teaching step by step instructions on knitting and crochet. I highly suggest you go to youtube or use a search engine to find videos if my instructions aren't enough. I use them as well, they're a great tool to put in your crafting tool box :D
The best advice I can give you is this...don't give up, if you get frustrated, set it aside, and come back to your project. Most of all...HAVE FUN! This isn't supposed to be stressful, and after you've gotten confident with the first project, branch out. There are a ton of free patterns for all kinds of knitting and crochet projects out there on the net. Soon, you'll find that the most difficult issue, is picking which one to try!
Thank you for visiting my blog!
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