Basic Knitting Instructions

Casting On

The instructions below will show you how to cast on and to make a knit stitch,
also known as garter stitch.

What you need:

Yarns
Ball of double knitting wool or cotton.

Needles
1 pair of 4mm (No.8) knitting needles

Step 1: Make a slip knot on the shaft of one needle.
This counts as your first stitch.
Step 2: Place this needle in left hand.
Hold other needle in right hand to control the yarn.
Insert point of right needle,
from front to back, into the
slip knot and under the left needle.
Step 3: Hold left needle still in left hand, and move left
fingers over to brace right needle.
Step 4: With right index finger, pick up the yarn from the ball.
Step 5: Release right hand’s grip on the needle, and use index
finger to bring yarn under and over the point of right needle.
Step 6: Return right fingers to right needle,
and draw yarn through stitch with point of right needle.
Step 7: Slide point of left needle into back of new stitch, then remove right needle.
Step 8: Pull ball yarn gently to make the stitch fit snuggly on needle.
You have now made one stitch (called casting on), and there are two stitches on left needle.
Step 9: Insert point of right needle, from front to back, into stitch just made, and under left needle.
Repeat Steps 5 through 9 until you have 30 stitches on the left needle.
This completes the cast-on row. 		 
First Knit Row
Step 1:
Hold needle with stitches in left hand; insert point of right needle in first stitch, from front to back, just as in casting on.
Step 2:
With right index finger, bring yarn from ball under and over point of right needle.
Step 3:
Draw yarn through stitch with right needle point.
Step 4:
This step now differs from casting on: Slip loop on left needle off, so new stitch is entirely on right needle.
This completes one knit stitch. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 in each stitch still on left needle. When the last stitch is worked, one row of knitting is completed.
Begin next knit row as follows: turn right needle and hold it now in left hand. With free needle in right hand, work Steps 1 through 4 of First Knit Row in each stitch. Again take needle with stitches in left hand, and work another row of knit stitches. Work rows of knit stitches until desired length.
When it is at your desired length, cast off all the stitches.
Casting Off
Step 1:
Knit the first 2 stitches; insert left needle into stitch you knitted first, and pull it over the second stitch and completely off the needle.
One stitch is now casted off.
Step 2:
Knit one more stitch, insert left needle into first stitch on right needle, and pull it over the new stitch and completely off the needle. Another stitch is casted off; don’t work too tightly.
Step 3: Repeat Step 2 until one stitch remains; now cut yarn from skein, leaving a 5cm end. With needle draw end up and through last stitch to secure it. Thread yarn end into yarn needle and weave end into several stitches to secure it.

If you are left handed and would like more help, click here for information.

For list of websites for left handed knitters click here

If you have have any good tips to help a left handed person learn to knit click here

For information about getting started click here