I’ve wanted to try my hand at knitting for a long time and I finally acquired a cute, little, learn-to-knit box last weekend. However, when I tried to make a start I found I was utterly hopeless and couldn’t get the hang of it at all, so I found someone to help…
“Hello readers of Goodnight Boutique!
My name is Nazima and I am a full-time devoted knitter and a part-time university student. I sell my lovingly hand created knitted items and a few vintage pieces on my humble Etsy shop: Namazknitsandbits.
I was contacted by the lovely Laura to provide an introduction on How to Knit.
I must admit I’m no expert, nor am I the most skilled and experienced knitter alive, however, in this post I aim to share the basics of knitting through my step by step guide and hopefully inspire you to pick up the needles and to convey your inner creativity!
What basic tools will I need?
• Knitting needles (preferably wooden/bamboo easiest for beginners)
• A pair of scissors
• 1 ball of yarn
• Darning needle
Remember: The diameter of the needle should match the thickness of your yarn, look at the label of your yarn to see which size needles you require for what you wish to knit.
Let’s begin!
Step 1: Slip knot
The first step in knitting is to make a slip knot in order to attach your yarn to the needle.
1. Pick up the yarn – approximately 30 cm from the end – and create a loop by crossing the long end of the yarn and placing it over the shorter piece.
2. With your left thumb and forefinger, hold the point where the yarns cross and with your right hand take the end shorter piece of the yarn and put it under the loop.
3. & 4. Pierce one of the needles through the loose loop and gently pull both threads of yarn to close the loop over the needle.
Step 2: Cast on
This method enables you to add the required number of stitches to the knitting needle, the width of the item increases as you add more stitches.
5. Grasp the shorter piece of yarn with your right hand and wrap around your thumb (as the picture shows)
6. Take the needle under the loop your thumb is in and place this loop on the left needle. Pull the shorter piece of yarn and remove the stitch off your thumb so that it is transferred to the needle.
7. There should now be two stitches on the left needle
8. Continue until you have 15 stitches.
Step 3: Let’s knit
9. Push the right hand needle through the first loop and behind the left hand needle.
10. Hold the yarn securely with your right hand and wind it round the back of the right hand needle in an anti-clockwise direction.
11. & 12. Catch the yarn with the right needle; pull a loop of the yarn through the first stitch, bringing the right needle in front of the left needle.
13. Now pull the top stitch off the left needle by pulling on the right needle, you will end up with a loop on the right needle and all the stitches on the left needle.
Continue until you have transferred all the stitches from the left hand needle onto your right hand needle.
Step 4: Cast off
15. On a knit row, knit the first two stitches on the right needle.
16. Pick up the first knitted stitch on the left needle with your thumb and forefinger and place on the left needle.
17. Pull this stitch up and over the second stitch and then completely off the needle (The other stitch should remain on the right needle).
18. You will end up with one stitch on the right hand needle, as shown below.
19. Knit another stitch, and then repeat the steps until you have one stitch remaining on the right needle.
20. 21. & 22. The final step is to cut the yarn (leaving about a 10cm of thread) and weave in the thread so it becomes invisible within your knitted piece.
There you have it!”
I’m going to have a Guest Post every weekend – ideas & suggestions welcome!
Head over to http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/ for other crafters & wonderful makes!
What a great set of instructions – bet you get lots of hits on your blog as this will be so popular. Hope you have a good week.
That looks really clear and easy – I might be back! It’s decades since I knitted and I’m not sure I ever learned to cast off!!
What a cute kit!
I have never managed to have a go at knitting but after this I think it might be time to have a go (well add it to my ever increasing list of things to try!!) xXx
Well done on starting to learn to knit… it is such good fun especially the point at which you knit without looking… and that won’t be much longer 🙂
What fun – doesn’t it make a difference when everything comes together in a cute suitcase – very inspiring! Well done for getting going – there are tutorials that have a rhyme – ’round the fence, over the gate’ or something – have a look on You Tube! I’ve used them when teaching students sometimes.
thanks for sharing! its something just right for me as im trying to learn how to knit myself!
love the yarn box and wooden needles!they look so comfy!
I haven’t knitted for quite a few years now-this makes me want to start again!
Brilliant instructions and knitting is so therapeutic
What a really good tutorial. The learn to knit box is a really good idea and a great gift for someone. Mich 🙂
Great tutorial, I learned to knit as a little girl but only a basic knit stitch, anything more complicated and it totally goes over my head! x
A great guest post. Good luck on your knitting, the gift box is a really neat idea. You need to keep us posted on your progress :o)
Jan x
Bookmarked as I’ve wanted to try again, having had some (left handed) knitting disasters earlier in life!
Alison x
ooh good post, my friend started knitting before Christmas and she is doing really well. To me I’ve tried but find hand knitting hard. I used to be good at machine knitting when at Uni but that’s as far as I got!
I am saving this! I ordered a kit to knit and since I haven’t knitted in over 35 years I will need a little refresher! Bless you for this! 🙂
Knitting kits are lovely, aren’t they? 🙂
You make it look so easy! Gonna bookmark this post. Should be very useful… I keep forgetting which way the needles go lol
So do I, hahah 🙂
OMG – I’m so excited!! I could knit when I was young but only because my Grandma used to cast on for me…. Now I may be able to do it myself!
Not that I have any time (or money for supplies at the mo either!) but I am keeping this post for future reference! Thank you for this – the knit box looks great and the tutorial very easy to follow.
Ali x
Glad it was helpful 🙂