The instructions below will show you how to cast on and to
make a knit stitch, also known as garter stitch. If you follow them exactly, you'll
complete a 7 by 9-inch block, which will be great practice and help a good cause:
Warm Up America! Learn how your block can be joined with others to create an afghan
to warm up someone in need. With these basics, you can make a scarf, hat, pillow, bag or any
number of projects. What you need:
- Worsted-weight yarn, any color or colors
- Size 8, 14-inch knitting needles
- Yarn
needle with big eye
- Small scissors
Casting On
Beginner Knit Block
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| | 1. Make a slip knot on the shaft of one needle. This
counts as your first stitch.
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| | 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.
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| | 3. Hold left needle still in left hand, and move left
fingers over to brace right needle.
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| | 4. With right index finger, pick up the yarn from the
ball. |
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| | 5. Release right hand's grip on the needle, and use
index finger to bring yarn under and over the point of right
needle. |
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| | 6. Return right fingers to right needle, and draw
yarn through stitch with point of right needle.
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| | 7. Slide point of left needle into back of new
stitch, then remove right needle.
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| | 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 (slip knot is counted as a stitch). 9. Insert point of right needle, from front to back,
into stitch just made, and under left needle. Repeat Steps 5 through 9, 26 more
times, until you have 28 stitches on the left needle. This completes the cast-on
row, which is the way all knitting is begun.
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| | First Knit Row 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.
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| | 2. With right index finger, bring yarn from ball
under and over point of right needle.
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| | 3. Draw yarn through stitch with right needle point.
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| | 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. Now measure your work. It should be about 7" wide. If
it is too wide, start over and cast on fewer stitches; if it is too narrow, start
over and cast on more stitches. When the width is correct, 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 block measures 9" long. To complete
the block, now bind off all the stitches.
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| | Binding Off 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.
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| | One stitch is now bound off.
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| | 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 bound off; don't work too tightly.
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| | Repeat step 2 until one stitch remains; now cut yarn
from skein, leaving a 6" 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. |
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