Contents. Knitting 101

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3 Knitting 101 Contents Introduction... 1 How to Cast On... 2 The Knit Stitch... 8 Garter Stitch Purl Stitch: Little Purls of Wisdom Stocking Stitch Moss or Seed Stitch Ribbing for your pleasure How to Cast Off: The Beginning of the End Understanding patterns and knitting terms Knitting & Crochet Resources... 29

4 Introduction 1 Introduction Here's a stitch, here's another stitch, now knit a scarf! I m going to let you in on a secret: there are only two basic stitches in knitting knit and purl. Once you ve got the hang of these stitches then there are loads of things that you can make. But what of garter stitch? I hear you cry. Stocking stitch! calls somebody else. Garter stitch is the name given when you knit every stitch and every row and stocking stitch is when you alternate a row of knit stitches with a row of purl stitches. Ever heard of seed or moss stitch? There s nothing complicated there either, that s when you knit a stitch and then purl a stitch until the end of the row. So you see the knit stitch and the purl stitch really are the foundation stones of all knitting. Know your needles There are three main types of knitting needles: single pointed, double pointed and circular. Their sizes are measured in mm and range from 1mm up until 25 mm and they vary in length. Single pointed needles are sold in pairs and are what are most commonly used; all the projects in this book are knitted on single pointed needles. Double pointed needles are sold in packs of four or five and are used for knitting circular items such as socks or gloves. Circular needles are also used for knitting circular items (unsurprisingly!) and you can learn some nifty tricks such as knitting two pairs of socks at once using one long circular needle. The size of the needle determines the gauge of your finished item and should also be appropriate for the type of yarn that you are using. As a general rule of thumb the thinner the yarn the smaller needle size. However some interesting and holey effects can be created by mixing this up a little and using chunky needles and thin yarn for example. Your yarn label holds a wealth of information including which size needles it recommends for use with that particular yarn.

5 2 Knitting 101 How to Cast On So how do you get started? Setting up the number of stitches that you need for your project is called casting on. When you have finished knitting your item you then finish your work by casting off (also known as binding off ) so that your work does not unravel. There are many different ways of casting on however the neatest way to cast on which I have found is a method called a Long-tail cast-on. Long-tail cast-on Using one needle and a ball of yarn, we are going to cast-on 20 stitches. A quick and dirty way of working out how long your tail should be is to wrap it around your needle the same amount of times as the number of stitches that you want. We want to cast on 20 stitches so leaving a few centimetres tail before you start, wrap your yarn around your needle 20 times, holding your yarn between finger and thumb at the appropriate length to mark it. I usually add a little bit extra for luck, say 2 cm. 1. Here s a really cute way to make a slip knot to start casting on your stitches. With your needle in your right-hand, bring the end of the working yarn over your left index finger (remember the working yarn is the one that is still attached to the ball of yarn). Wrap the other end of the yarn over and under your thumb.

6 How to Cast On 3 2. Hold the needle in your right hand and insert the point of the needle from left to right through the loop on your thumb. 3. Hold both the strands of wool with three fingers in your left hand whilst you insert the point of your needle under the strand on your index finger.

7 4 Knitting Keep this strand on your needle point and bring it towards you through the loop on your thumb. Slip your thumb out of the loop. 5. Using your thumb, gently pull on the strand of wool which is closest to you until the slip knot is close to the needle. Make sure that you don t pull the knot too tight as you need to be able to slip it up and down your needle and get the tip of your other needle in to make the stitches!

8 How to Cast On 5 6. With the yarn still around your thumb, index finger and now connected to the slip knot on your needle, bring the needle downwards so that it forms a V shape this bit is a little like cat s cradle! Now bring the needle to the front of your thumb and to the left of the strand of yarn to make a loop on the thumb. 7. Holding both the strands of yarn, insert the point of your needle from left to right through the thumb loop.

9 6 Knitting Use the tip of your needle to pick up the strand on your index finger and bring it through the loop on your thumb, removing your thumb as before. 9. Again, use your thumb to pull down gently on the front strand and tighten your second stitch so that it lies close to the first stitch on the needle.

10 How to Cast On Repeat points 7 to 10 to cast on the rest of your stitches. When you have all your stitches cast on, put the needle with all stitches on in your left hand and pick up your other needle and get ready to learn the knit stitch! Tip: Casting-on using this method can seem quite tricky at first and takes a bit of practice. Once you ve got into the swing of it though the movement forms a nice rhythm and can be quite soothing. It s also a very impressive way to cast-on. Knitters and non-knitters alike will look on with awe if you cast-on using this method! There are a lot of videos on the internet showing how to do the long-tail cast-on so try searching for it on You Tube or on other knitting websites (see Resources for more details).

11 8 Knitting 101 The Knit Stitch 1. Hold the empty needle in your right hand as if you were holding a pencil and pick up the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand. 2. Wrap the end of the working yarn over your index finger on your right hand, under your middle finger, back over your third finger and under your little finger. Relax your hands on the needle and the yarn. You need the yarn to flow freely from the ball so that it can pass smoothly and easily through your fingers.

12 The Knit Stitch 9 3. Start by inserting the point of the right-hand needle into the front stitch on the left-hand needle from left to right, so that they make a cross shape. 4. The point of the right needle is now behind the point of the left needle, now using the strand of yarn which is over your index finger bring the yarn under and over the point of the right-hand needle to make a loop.

13 10 Knitting Bring the point of the right needle down and under the left needle towards the front. This will draw the loop on the right hand needle through the stitch on the left hand needle. 6. Slip the stitch (which you just drew the loop through) off of the left hand needle and take a breath well done, you ve just knitted your first stitch!

14 The Knit Stitch Move onto the next stitch by inserting the point of the right needle into the front of the next stitch on the left needle, left to right and repeat the actions (3-6) to complete this and all the stitches until the end of the row. 8. When you get to the end of the row swap the needles over so that needle with all the stitches you just knit is in your left hand, with your empty needle in your right hand. Knit all the stitches in the next row as you did previously in steps 3 6.

15 12 Knitting 101 Garter Stitch As the knitting starts to grow in length you will see that it has a ridged or waffley appearance. When you knit every row in this way it is called garter stitch. Keep knitting rows of knit stitch until the piece of fabric which you are knitting is approximately as long as it is wide. Don t worry about being exact this is just your practice knitting. Beginner knitters often worry about not being able to get the hang of things first time. I always say, would you expect to sit down at a piano for the first time and play Bach? Don t be so hard on yourself, these things take practice! Pour yourself a drink of your choosing, put on some music, sit down and get comfy then just experiment with your needles and yarn. The great thing about knitting is that it s easy enough to just slip the stitches off the needles, unravel them, roll your yarn back into a ball and start again if things don t go how you d like!

16 Purl Stitch: Little Purls of Wisdom 13 Purl Stitch: Little Purls of Wisdom Now it s time to learn how to purl! Cast on twenty stitches and set your needles up as you did to start the knit stitch with the needle with all the stitches on in your left hand and the empty needle in your right. Wrap the yarn around your fingers in the same way: Wrap the end of the working yarn over your index finger on your right hand, under your middle finger, back over your third finger and under your little finger. 1. Bring the wool to the front of the right-hand needle. 2. Insert the point of the right needle from right to left through the front of the first stitch on the left needle.

17 14 Knitting Bring the wool back between the points of the needles then bring it down and under the point of the right needle to the front of needle. 4. Bring the point of the right needle back through the first stitch. The point of the right needle is now behind the point of the left needle. It will have the stitch on it formed by the strand of yarn which you just brought through the loop on the left needle.

18 Purl Stitch: Little Purls of Wisdom Slip the loop off the left needle and you will now have one purl stitch on the right needle. 6. Continue to work the stitches on the row until they have all been purled.

19 16 Knitting 101 Stocking Stitch Now, if at this point you turned your work and purled the next rows you would start to notice that you were in fact making the waffley fabric of garter stitch. So as you already know how to do that, let s learn something different. When you reach the end of your first purl row, turn your work but then work the next row in knit stitches. For the next row work in purl stitches, followed by another row of knit stitches. Continue to alternate rows of purl with rows of knit. You will notice that you have created a fabric which is flat on one side (the knit side) and ridged on the other side (the purl side). The smooth knit side is considered the right side or the front of your knitting. This is how you knit in stocking stitch.

20 Moss or Seed Stitch 17 Moss or Seed Stitch Now, I know that you re fingers are itching to get going so I m going to teach you one more stitch: the seed stitch, also known as moss stitch. This stitch is made up by working one knit stitch followed by one purl stitch in the row, but over an odd number of stitches. For this example, cast on nineteen stitches then knit the first stitch, purl the second, knit the third etc. Repeat the alternating knit and purl stitches until you reach the end of the row. You will end with a knit stitch. If this row was written in a pattern it would read: Knit 1, *Purl 1, Knit 1. Repeat from * to end. Once you reach the end of the row, turn your work and repeat the same row again: Knit 1, *Purl 1, Knit 1. Repeat from * to end. After several rows you will notice that your knitted fabric has a bobbley texture and this is the moss or seed stitch! Ribbing for your pleasure Ribs can be worked in either single or double ribbing and are made up by alternating knit and purl stitches over an even number of stitches in the row. Single ribbing also known as 1x1 ribbing is made by alternating one knit stitch with one purl stitch on one row, followed by one purl stitch then one knit stitch on the following row. You would then repeat these alternating rows to build up the ribbing. A pattern would show this as: 1 st row - *K1, P1, rep from * to end. 2 nd row - *P1, K1, rep from * to end. Double or 2x2 ribbing is made by knitting 2 stitches then purling two stitches all along the row and then alternating starting with purling 2 stitches then knitting two stitches. As before, you repeat these two rows to build the rib. A pattern would show this as: 1 st row - *K2, P2, rep from * to last 2 stitches, P2. 2 nd row - *P2, K2, rep from * to last 2 stitches, K2.

21 18 Knitting 101 How to Cast Off: The Beginning of the End Ok, so you ve got your lovely piece of waffley knitted fabric which is about as long as it is wide. Of course you could just keep going until it is long enough to wrap around your neck a few times and you ve got yourself your very own garter stitch scarf! However, for the purposes of this example we re going to cast off now so that we ve got a knitted square. Casting off Set yourself up so that you re ready to knit the first stitch of a new row (needle with stitches on in your left hand, empty needle in your right). Knit the first two stitches as usual. 1. With your two stitches that you just knit on the right-hand needle and the rest of the stitches on the left, insert the point of the left-hand needle from left to right through the front of the first stitch on the righthand needle (the second stitch on the right-hand needle).

22 How to Cast Off: The Beginning of the End Lift the first stitch over the next stitch and over the point of the needle. Success you have cast off your first stitch! 3. You will now have one stitch left on the right needle. Knit the next stitch on the left needle making two stitches on the right needle again.

23 20 Knitting As in steps 2 and 3 above, insert the tip of the left needle into the stitch farthest away from the tip of the right needle and lift it up and over the other stitch, and off the needle. Now you ve cast off two stitches! 5. Carry on knitting one stitch and casting one stitch off until all the stitches in the row have been cast off. You will be left with one stitch on the right hand needle. Cut your yarn leaving approximately 10 cm tail, then draw the end of this tail through the loop, dropping the loop off the needle. The loop will close around the tail securing your knitting.

24 How to Cast Off: The Beginning of the End Sit back and admire your handiwork look, you ve knitted a square! You could knit lots of squares using oddments of yarn that you might have lying around or that you can pick up cheaply from charity shops. Stitch your squares together and you ve made yourself a classic knitted square blanket. Don t you feel proud of yourself? Casting off tips: Once you ve progressed beyond the basic knit and purl stitches and are knitting patterns and all sorts it s useful to know that casting off is usually worked in the stitches that will have been established in the pattern. The cast-off edge should be worked in the same tension as the knitting unless the pattern states to cast off tightly or loosely. A good tip to help you cast of tightly is to use a needle one size smaller than the one you are working with. Similarly, to help you cast off loosely try using a needle one size larger than the one you are working with.

25 22 Knitting 101 Understanding patterns and knitting terms Now you re beginning to get to grips with the knitting basics there are a few more things you need to know before you go stitching merrily on your way. Lots of people are scared of following knitting patterns but once you ve learnt the jargon you ll soon see there s nothing to be scared of. One thing to remember before you start deciphering the various terms is that it is called a knitting pattern for a reason there will always be a pattern of repeating stitches. Once you ve worked out what that pattern is you just keep repeating it, as directed by the instructions. The following is a list of knitting terms and instructions that you might encounter in a knitting pattern and some useful tips such as how to unravel your knitting (also known as frogging because of the repeated mantra rip it which, to some, sounds like the noise a frog would make) and how to pick up dropped stitches. Dec. decrease. Inc. This means that you need to increase the number of stitches on your needle. To do this you need to knit into the back and then into the front of the next stitch before slipping it off the needle. This is sometimes written as kfb in knitting patterns meaning knit front and back. K. knit. K2tog Knit two together is a way of decreasing your number of stitches. Knit two stitches together by putting the point of the right-hand needle through the next two stitches and then knitting them in the same way you would knit a single stitch. KB knit into the back of the stitch. M1. - This is another way of increasing and it means Make One. You do this by picking up the loop of yarn which is between the stitch that you just worked and the following stitch. Place the loop on the left-hand needle and knit into the back of the loop. P. purl.

26 Understanding patterns and knitting terms 23 P2tog Purl two together is also another way of decreasing, like K2tog. You do this by putting the point of your right-hand needle through the next two stitches on the left-hand needle as though to purl them and working them as you would normally purl a single stitch. PB purl into the back of the stitch. PSSO Pass slip stitch over is another decrease method worked by slipping a stitch (see explanation for Sl.) and knitting the following stitch. Then using your left-hand needle pass the slipped stitch over the stitch you just worked on the right-hand needle. Sl. Slip a stitch by putting the point of your right-hand needle through the next stitch on the left-hand needle as if you were going to purl, then draw the stitch off the left-hand needle without working it. Sl. 1 P slip one purlwise. St. stitch. Sts. stitches. Tog. together. YO Yarn over means that you place the yarn over the point of the righthand needle before continuing with the pattern. Tips and tricks CHANGING COLOURS for stripes and other colour details can be done from whether you are working on the right or wrong side. To prevent a hole from appearing in your work then pick up the new colour strand from underneath the dropped strand. Carry the colour you are not currently using loosely across the back of the work.

27 24 Knitting 101 COUNTING STITCHES WHEN CASTING OFF can be a little confusing until you get the hang of it. When the instruction reads cast off 7 sts, for example, start by knitting 2 stitches. Next, insert the tip of your left needle under the first stitch on the right needle. This means that you have cast off one stitch. Knit another stitch and continue to cast off by lifting the old stitch over the new stitch on the right hand needle, six more times. This will mean that you have cast off seven stitches as directed, although eight stitches will have been knitted. One stitch, already knitted, remains on the right hand needle. Cut your yarn tail and draw up through this final stitch and off the needle as per the instructions on page 21. Sometimes you will be instructed to cast off from within a row (when you making buttonholes for example). Knit the required number of stitches up until the point where you need to cast off then knit the next 2 stitches in order to cast off the first stitch. Cast off the required number of stitches and remember that one stitch has already been knitted after the cast off stitches. When the instructions read knit until 7 stitches after the cast-off stitches this means that you only need to knit six more stitches or until there are seven stitches after the cast-off stitches. FROGGING (or UNRAVELING YOUR WORK) is an action which every knitter is familiar, however experienced they are. It is one of the joys of knitting and the reason why I say that knitting teaches you patience! How does that work? Well, at all stages of your knitting life you will knit some work and need to unravel it, whether it s for a very obvious blooper or just something that only you would notice but you know that you can t live with. So why do I say that frogging is one of the joys of knitting? Well, when your learning a new stitch or technique you can practice away and then if it all goes a bit pear-shaped, you can take the stitches of the needles and pull until your work is unravelled and no-one need ever know!

28 Understanding patterns and knitting terms 25 If you ve made a mistake and only need to rip down a few rows then take your work off your needles and rip back the work, stitch by stitch and row by row until you get to the place you need to correct. As you are unravelling slip each stitch onto a fine needle, as if you were going to purl it, and then knit them (or whatever the pattern calls for) back onto the right-size needle. This is the part which calls for patience especially if you re ripping back a cardigan for the second, or fifth, time that you ve been knitting for years, as in my case! As a pre-emptive measure, I sometimes use what are called lifelines. To insert a lifeline into your work, run a contrasting piece of yarn (or I like to use dental floss!) through your stitches on your needle at appropriate intervals or at the start of an area where you are not sure of how to work it. Then if you make a mistake you only need to frog back to where your lifeline is, rather than going all the way down. This technique literally saved my sanity when I was knitting a pair of lacey knee socks! One last note of explanation on why it is called frogging. It s because of the action that you need to do in order to unravel your work Rip it. To some, it sounds rather like the noise a frog makes! INSERTING MARKERS is done when you need to mark your place in a pattern. The pattern will tell you where to place your marker and the instruction often reads something like sl a marker on needle. You can buy markers from haberdashery stores however a safety pin or paper clip work equally well. If you need to mark a row or stitch then you can tie a contrasting piece of thread around the end of the row or stitch. JOINING THE YARN needn t be a nightmare. There are a couple of ways that you can do this, firstly, if possible, try and join the yarn at the beginning of a row. The easiest way is to make a slip knot with the end of the old ball of yarn and the beginning of the new ball of yarn. Draw the new yarn up over the needle and continue working as before. When you have finished making your garment then use a knitters needle (which looks like a big sewing needle with an eye big enough to get your yarn end through) and run it through the edge of the fabric to secure it.

29 26 Knitting 101 The other way of joining the yarn is to pick up both threads, the new and the old, and knit with them both for a couple of stitches. This weaves in your new yarn into your knitting and you can then secure the ends of the yarns as detailed above, with the knitters needle. LEFT-HANDED KNITTERS needn t worry about having to learn any special techniques they just need to follow the diagrams in the pages above, remembering that all the actions done by the right-hand are done by their left-hand, and vice-versa. If you are finding the diagrams tricky to follow then if you put a mirror along the bottom edge you will find that the reflection has reversed the hands for you! You can also use this technique if a right-handed knitter is demonstrating a technique to you. Ask them to place a mirror under their hands on the table or on their lap and then you can follow the movement of their hands in the mirror. MEASURING YOUR WORK is best done by laying it flat on a surface and spreading it out to the correct width. Measure the length of your work at the centre. ONE SIZE DOESN T FIT ALL unless of course, it s a one size pattern. However, many patterns come in multiple sizes so that you can make the size you need. The first figure refers to the first size (usually the smallest) with the following sizes being contained in brackets. Take care to make sure that you re using the right set of bracketed figures for the size you want to make. You might like to highlight the correct figures before you start to help you identify the correct instructions.

30 Understanding patterns and knitting terms 27 PICK UP AND KNIT EDGE STITCHES is sometimes needed when joining parts of your work together or adding a border to an item. From the right-side of your work, insert the needle into the edge of the work, wrap the yarn around the needle and finish it as a knit stitch. When you are picking up stitches on a cast-on or cast-off edge then pick up and knit one stitch in each stitch, going through the two loops at the top of each cast-off stitch. If you are picking up stitches on the front or side edges, pick up and knit one stitch in each knot which you will see on the edge of each row. PICKING UP DROPPED STITCHES is a very useful skill to learn as a beginner knitter! I used to be terrified that as soon as any stitches fell off my needles that the whole thing would just unravel before my eyes. As a more experienced knitter I have picked up and rescued many a dropped stitch and it is for this reason that I keep a crochet hook with all my knitting projects. If you do drop a stitch, take out your crochet hook and in stocking stitch work from the knit side of the work (the smooth side) and use your hook to pick up the loop of the dropped stitch. Work from the front to the back of the work with your hook facing upwards. Pull the horizontal thread of the row above stitch through the loop on the hook. Repeat this until you have worked your way back to the top of your knitting and then slip the stitch back onto your needle and carry on knitting, cool as a cucumber. TENSION AND GAUGE are two words which can scare the hardiest of knitters! When you are first learning to knit I always advise beginners not to worry too much about their tension. Tense hands on the needles lead to tiny tight tense stitches, so give yourself a break and freedom to play around with your knitting when you re first learning. There s plenty of time to worry about getting the perfect tension and gauge when you re further along your knitting journey. However, to ensure that you re fully equipped for your knitting journey let me give you a brief overview on what they both are.

31 28 Knitting 101 Tension is the name for the correct number of stitches and rows in a given square, often 10cms or as indicated by your yarn label. You can measure your work by laying it flat on a table, marking out the area of measurement using pins and then counting the number of stitches and rows. If your tension is too loose you can try knitting on a thinner needle, and if it s too tight then try using a wider one. Gauge is the number of stitches to a certain measurement as directed in the pattern, using the recommended yarn and needles. The size directions will be given based on the measurements from the gauge given in the pattern. It is for this reason that you are advised to knit a tension square using the needles and yarn you intend to use for this pattern. Every knitter has their own tension when they knit which is individual to them. Identifying your tension before you start a project is worthwhile the elimination of stress on discovering that your carefully crafted item is too big or small! If you tension is to tight or loose then try using a different size needle WORK EVEN means continuing to work in the same stitch (e.g. if you were knitting in stocking stitch you would carry on knitting a row following by purling a row) without increasing or decreasing.

32 Knitting & Crochet Resources 29 Knitting & Crochet Resources Coatscrafts.co.uk: Free projects, tutorials and inspiration. Craftleftovers.com: Excellent blog, free patterns and very useful tutorials on all things crafty. Knitrowan.com: The website from Rowan yarn, includes how-to's, free patterns and a forum. Knittinghelp.com: Excellent videos on every aspect of learning to knit. Indispensable, bookmark now! Knitty.com: Free patterns and how-to's. A gem of a site featuring loads of cool, new designers. Mochimochiland.com: Really cute amigurumi patterns created by Anna Hrachovec, free patterns, tutorial and shop. I featured her knitted amigurumi heart pattern in the first kit I created for the East London Craft Guerrilla craft night Hearts for the Heartless in September Ravelry.com: a knitting and crochet community on the web, you may have to wait to sign up but it's worth it. You get forums with all the help, advice and procrastination you could need, free patterns as well as ones you can buy, an online notebook for storing all details of your projects, a place to record your yarn stash and much more. Vogueknitting.com: Free patterns, How-to's including beginner basics knitting and crochet 101 and a great stitch library. You Tube good for general searching on all things knitting and crochet related