Before you can start knitting, you have to cast on the yarn. When casting on, you only need one of your knitting needles. Start by making a loop knot. Keep in mind that the tail is used to form your first row. Slip the needle through and tighten the knot. This is your first stitch. Next, lay the loose end across your opposite hand and wrap it around your thumb. Trap it with your fingers and bring the needle under the loose strand. Then, take the ball end of the yarn and wrap it around the needle from behind. You should now have a loop. Bring the needle through and pull the loose end to tighten your second stitch. Repeat until you have the necessary amount of stitches for your project.
Knit:
"Insert the right needle into the first stitch of the left one, going from front to back. Pass yarn under and up the front of the right needle. Draw it through the stitch with the right needle. Drop the stitch from the left needle. The stitch on the right needle is your knit stitch" (Ham 13).
Continue until you reach the end of the row. To start a new one, all you have to do is move your work back into your left hand and continue knitting.
Purl:
"Position the yarn in the front of your work. Insert the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle, going from back to front. Pass the yarn over, down the back, and under the right needle. Draw it through the stitch to the back. Drop the stitch from the left needle. The stitch on the right is your purl stitch" (Ham 13).
For the current project I'm working on, it requires me to knit four (K4) and purl four (P4). I chose to start with this one because it provided good practice for learning the basics. As you can see, the pattern alternates. The part that comes out is from the purl stitches and the ones that are flat are the knit stitches. If you were to flip it to the other side, the knit stitches would then be coming out and the purl stitches would be flat because they're opposites of each other.
Ham, Catherine. Knitting 20 Simple & Stylish Wearables for Beginners. New York: Lark, 2003. Print.
I really enjoyed your blog Janna, and the color you chose to knit with is very nice! I got a knitting kit when i was about 13, I'm 16 now but i would always try to knit and it was such a struggle for me and i would give up and start over and over and over. So my first experience of knitting didn't go so well and it also takes a lot of time and I'm not the most patient person. After reading your blog post though i may take the time to start knitting again. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes if i start and please tell me how your scarf turns i'm excited to see final result!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kierra! With lots of practice, knitting can be a very fun hobby. As for your patience, you'll find that it changes with the amount of time you spend knitting. Don't give up! It may be hard at times but the end result is rewarding!
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ReplyDeleteHi Janna! You have a really great blog, with really great quality pictures. When I first learned how to knit I was around 7 years old and I really enjoyed it. I remembered it being really easy, but as I started learning new stitches and patterns knitting got pretty difficult. Janna, have you had any difficulty while knitting any of your projects? If so, how did you solve them?
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie! Knitting has certainly become harder as I've continued to learn more stitches. While learning anything new, you'll always face obstacles. To solve them, you have to practice and never give up. The more effort you put into it, the better the outcome.
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