About

Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
30 mins

A few projects and a few materials..
Seeing as Nobody else has put one up, I thought I'd do my best at a little knitting lesson, especially for DeLightfulfreak <3
There are tons of Tuts on the net, check out the youtube vids, they might make more sense than pics.

This is the basics, I might do a tut on ribbing and eyelets and buttonholes etc, but i think this is everything you need for my Pullip patterns :P

I'm very sorry this is so long, so here is the index!

5......Cast on
13....Knitting
18....Purling
26....Casting off
28....Decreasing
29....Increasing (knit)
31....Increasing (purl)

I learnt from a kit a few years ago, and then a couple of good techniques from books and from trial and error.
This is Written from a right-handed point of view, so Lefties can either knit like this with difficulty? or find another tut, I know there are others online, and also some good vids on youtube.

Posted by FoixyLady from Nottingham, England, United Kingdom • Published See FoixyLady's 4 projects »
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  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 1
    Step 1

    You really don't need much to start knitting, just a ball of yarn and a pair of needles. Charity shops often have lots of yarn very cheap, and pots of knitting needles, so don't be afraid to ask as they often keep the majority out the back. Of course, there are also highstreet shops that sell all sort of yarn, and if you know exactly what you want or need lots of matching yarn for a jumper etc they are good for that, but obv a lot more expensive.

    Anyway, I recommend a plain wool and smaller needles than I have here, but not the tiniest, 5mm maybe, but whatever you are comfortable with. The plain wool will show up any mistakes so you can see where you went wrong, but as soon as you get the basic idea, and your fabric holds together use some fancy yarn thats quite furry or exotic somehow, then if you make a mistake it wont show at all and it will be pretty even if you are limited to a very basic pattern :)

    Gosh, I do go off on one dont I? sorry, I'll try and be briefer :P

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 2
    Step 2

    Right, if you can tie this knot then skip to 5, this is a guide to the initial knot: make a loop like that <-

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 3
    Step 3

    Pull a loop through the loop like that <-
    It doesn't matter which way you do this, officially I think I've done this backwards, but it really doesnt matter.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 4
    Step 4

    Pull it tight. You should have a loop that you can make tighter and looser.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 5
    Step 5

    Slip it over a needle and tighten it.
    Now you can start to cast on.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 6
    Step 6

    Push the other needle through the loop like that, from the bottom at the back. This will obv loosen the knot again a little.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 7
    Step 7

    Take the yarn (you can see two tails hanging from the work here, one is from the knot, ignore that from now on, it is excessively long and i would probable cut it or weave it in usually. The yarn refers to the wool that is still connected to the ball) and wrap it around the back of the right hand needle and between the two.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 8
    Step 8

    Right, this picture is deceptive. It would be easier with different coloured needles, but trust me, th vertical needle in the picture above is the right hand needle (RHN), here it is the left hand needle (LHN).

    You put the point of the RHN against the side of the LHN and slide the yarn that is between them across into a loop. If you lose the connection the yarn can escape between them and you will have to go back to step 6.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 9
    Step 9

    Put the LHN through the new loop on the RHN, from the top at the back, and then remove the RHN.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 10
    Step 10

    You should now have two loops on the LHN.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 11
    Step 11

    Repeat from step 6 in the new loop: push the RHN through from the bottom to the back, yarn around the back and down between, bring the RHN to the front with the yarn on it, move the new loop across and start again..

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 12
    Step 12

    once you have cast on however many stiches, here there are 9, you cant start knitting.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 13
    Step 13

    Start as if you were starting another cast on stitch, from the bottom to the back..

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 14
    Step 14

    ..take the yarn around the back and down between..

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 15
    Step 15

    a clearer view of step 14

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 16
    Step 16

    .. bring it through..

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 17
    Step 17

    BUT DON'T SLIP IT ACROSS!!
    instead of moving the new stitch to the LHN, leave it on the RHN and slip the stitch you started with, the one you pushed the RHN through, off the LHN (be careful not to pull any other stiches off with it), then start a new stitch, going from the bottom to the back..

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 18
    Step 18

    After a row of knitting you can start to purl. You don't have to, and if you are using a fancy yarn that obsures the stitches you can knit every row. This is called garter stitch.

    A purl stitch starts by pushing the needle from the _top_ in front.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 19
    Step 19

    The yarn comes from the front, and goes between the needles towards the back and around the RHN

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 20
    Step 20

    Slip the RHN to the back, taking the loop with it that way

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 21
    Step 21

    Slip the starting stitch off the needles.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 22
    Step 22

    this is the 'wrong side' of the work after a few rows of knitting and purling alternate rows (stockinette stitch)

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 23
    Step 23

    Right side of the stockinette stitch.
    the needles are too big for the yarn for a traditional fabric..

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 24
    Step 24

    this is the right side of a more traditional balance of needle and yarn, with distinctive V shapes

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 25
    Step 25

    ..And the wrong side
    These two pics are what your firat attempt should look like, roughly.
    although i say 'wrong side', you can use this.
    Garter stitch looks like this but a little looser.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 26
    Step 26

    when you have finished knitting you need to cast off
    to cast off: knit two stitches, then slip the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. Knit another stitch so the second stitch becomes the first stitch which you slip over the new stitch.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 27
    Step 27

    you don't have to cast off the entire row, but if you do, when you have only one stitch left on the RHN cut the yarn and hold the work and pull the end through by pulling the RHN away, so it makes a knot.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 28
    Step 28

    I know this is getting crazy long, but just a couple more, increasing and decreasing.
    Decreasing is easy: knit (or purl) two stitched together, as if they were one stitch.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 29
    Step 29

    Increasing (knit)
    This is quite complicated, so don't be discouraged if it takes you a few goes.
    Make a stitch, but dont slip the starting stitch off the LHN, instead put the RHN through from the top at the back.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 30
    Step 30

    Wrap the yarn around the back and down the middle, and bring the RHN to the front, through the hole..

    <- here, the big one

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 31
    Step 31

    Increaseing (purl)
    there is a little hole that looks like a soup bowl in the middle here

    ....____
    <- \__/

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 32
    Step 32

    Stich the LHN through this hole from the back.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 33
    Step 33

    ..and then treat it like a normal purl stitch with the RHN, coming from the top infront and bringing the yarn around. it may feel a little tight, but thats normal.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 34
    Step 34

    The scarf on the right is a good project for a begginer, as the furry yarn disgiuses any mistakes, and you dont need to increase/decrease at all.
    The hat is to the pullip hat design, with knitted flowers. the thin long scarf is 6 stitches wide stockinette, with a fancy yarn wraped around and sewn in. the white was the start of a mitten, but shows the contrast between the wrond side and the right side of the stockinette stitch.

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 35
    Step 35

    this is a quite thin yarn on my biggest needle, which makes a pretty scarf

  • How to knit . Knitting Tutorial - Step 36
    Step 36

    this is a beautiful fabric, which is made with a very thin yarn with normal sized needles. its beautiful, but takes forever to make..

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Comments

FoixyLady
FoixyLady · Nottingham, England, GB · 4 projects
I've just re-read this again for the first time since I wrote it - and Jeez my grammar was awful! There are some dreadful typos in there, but I'm really really glad so many of you have managed to ignore them and find it comprehensable! It makes me really happy to hear that it's helping other people learn/re-learn such a brilliant craft. Happy Happy knitting!
Reply
Spobret
Spobret · Loughborough, England, GB · 3 projects
I learnt to knit many years ago, but my sister or mum always cast on for me. Now i've decided to take it up again, and i've tried pictures, videos, a special DVD and all sorts to learn how to cast on, all with no luck. And now you, madam, have taught me in under two minutes Happy I wish to marry you ^_^
Reply
Pinocchio
Pinocchio · U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, US · 30 projects
I love you...
Reply
FoixyLady
FoixyLady · Nottingham, England, GB · 4 projects
Thanks for all your sweet comments and faves guys Happy *happy dance*
Reply
Rewrite
Rewrite · Tallahassee, Florida, US · 6 projects
OMG. I want to try knitting now! My friends who know how say they learn from youtube, but I can't even load youtube on my laptop. =__=""" And online tutorials skip the basics! Thanks!!
Reply
Adele B.
Adele B. · Lincoln, England, GB · 3 projects
Just found this - Thank you! Haven't knitted for years but definitely feel inspired now to give it another go Happy
Reply
Shona S.
Shona S. · Belfast, Northern Ireland, GB · 1 project
Ha, you just reinspired my to find my knitting from last year and finish it. It WILL be teddy bear. Lol
Reply
DeLightfulfreak
DeLightfulfreak · U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, US · 1 project
Thanks for putting this up sweetie!
It'll take some and practice for me to learn but I'll keep trying ^^
Reply
KMOM14
KMOM14 · Fort Wayne, Indiana, US · 378 projects
I am sure there are other out there, like me, that only have dial up and watching videos on Youtube is not a viable option and you make it look doable. Thanks for sharing this tutorial with us!
Reply
FoixyLady
FoixyLady · Nottingham, England, GB · 4 projects
Thanks! I thought the lenght would put people off, but I did want to make it clear and accesable to everyone Happy
Knitting is easy, once you know how.
Trust me Tongue
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