You’ve got needles and a ball of yarn, and you want to knit something. Good for you! But how do you get the yarn on your needles?
The trusty cast on!
Every knitting project starts with the cast on, so limber up your fingers. You’re going to learn an easy way to cast on in this video.
You’ve learned how to put stitches on the needle with the cast on. Good job! But we can’t just let them sit on the needle like bumps on a log. We’ve got to knit them up!
The knit stitch is the most basic and fundamental stitch – after all, it’s the namesake of the whole craft! Master the knit stitch and you can official call yourself a Knitter.
You’ve learned the knit stitch! How does it feel? You’re a Knitter now!
Now, you’re ready to meet its doppelgänger, the purl stitch. The knit and purl stitches make up the foundation of knitting. Master these two stitches and you can take on a world of stitch patterns!
With the cast on, knit and purl stitches under your belt, you’ve probably knit yourself a little swatch. Cool! At some point, you’ll want to get that swatch off your needle.
Enter the cast off.
The cast off is awesome because it means your project is done! All grown up and ready to enter the world!
Look at you! You’ve learned the four essential knitting techniques. Now, you’re ready to knit something you can wear! Test out your new skills by knitting…
1. Simple Garter Stitch Scarf Using your new skills, knit a garter stitch scarf by casting on a number of stitches and knitting all of them, back and forth, until you’re happy with the length. Then, cast off. Once you’ve cast off, weave in your yarn ends.Then, you’re officially done with your garter stitch scarf! Woohoo! (Difficulty level: easy)
OR
2. The Cushy Cowl Build on these four techniques by introducing another essential skill – knitting in the round! – to make the cushy cowl, a seamless circle of garter stitch that you can loop around your neck. This option includes a free pattern and tutorial that walks you through all the steps involved, including knitting in the round and garter stitch in the round. (Difficulty level: slightly harder)
I have been looking for a place to learn how to knit! I’ll try this out with my daughter this weekend.
Awesome! Knitting is such a great thing to do with family. I hope you have a great time with your daughter! Let me know if you encounter any hiccups!
oh my goodness… i was just tellin my mom today how i wish i knew how to knit. im so excited to try.
You can do it, Monica! Any hiccups, let me know!
This is great … my daughter and I have just started and needed to learn how to purl. (Guess what we’ll be doing obsessively this weekend?!) Thanks for a lovely site!
How fun! I love the idea of you and your daughter knitting together. I’ve had so many people tell me what a great bonding experience it was to learn how to know with their mothers or grandmothers. Have a wonderful weekend together!
very nicely designed website, and great looking videos as well – can’t wait to try it out!
Aww. I was really excited to watch these, but the videos won’t show up for me. 🙁
Hi Kiersten,
I’m sorry about that. The videos are hosted off of YouTube and embedded here, so you can try watching on YouTube right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bufF8e24JY&list=PLSZARCc5KSoTCb-GLUOufzJpMClbq3yUW&feature=share
Thank you! I got them to play, I just had to update my plug-ins. These tutorials are absolutely perfect. Can’t wait to get started! 😀
Awesome to hear!
Thanks to you, I finally know how to knit! Yay! Awesome video tutorials! Thanks so much! 🙂
High five, Firda! That’s awesome!
oh, i could pick up new hobby!
thanks ^^
You’re welcome, Rina!
Wow! I have been trying to learn to purl for the longest time, so when I saw your website I thought, why not? At first I was a bit confused, but I rewatched the video a couple times and finally figured it out! It felt like such an achievement :). Thank you sheep and stitch: you just made my day!
Hi Millie, You’re very welcome! I’m glad the videos helped you out! And thanks for this Joe Cool-esque unicorn!
Im in love! Im getting better at crochet, and now inspired to try knitting…
Thanks for making and sharing these vids
Hi Jenell,
I’m so glad you’re in love! It’s a good feeling, right? All the best in your knitting journey!
Yea, it is a great feeling, just knowing u have a skill, and I love being creative with my hands, I’m a crafty girl! 🙂 keep doing what ur doing, I look forward to spending hours on ur page, following and knitting.
Every time a friend says “I wish I could learn how to knit” I direct them to this site! Your videos and explanations are not only super clear but truly encouraging! Makes you feel like you can accomplish everything you wish 🙂 thank you so much for sharing!
Hey Constance! That’s what I’m here for! I’m so glad you enjoy the site. Keep on knitting, and thanks for spreading the word about Sheep & Stitch!
Finally a website that shows clearly how to knit! Thank you so much 🙂
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you’re learning how to knit!
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve wanted to learn for a while now 😀
I love this website ^_^ thxz!!
I was looking at the instructions for the honeycomb cowl and nowhere could I see what “tbl” means. I can understand most knitting and crochet instructions but this one stumps me. Please email response because I want to make this for a present this christmas. Thanks.
Hi Christine, TBL means “through back loop,” so instead of knitting through the front loop of your stitch as normal, you would knit through the back loop of the stitch.
Great tutorials! I wish I had started with these videos. Any chance of making some videos of common mistakes and how to fix them?
Hey Liz, ask and ye shall receive! https://sheepandstitch.com/3-beginner-knitting-mistakes/
We have a Knit and Knatter club each week and this is a great resource for our beginners, will certainly be showing your page and your fabulous helpful tips…x
love it!
Trixie
x
Hey Trixie! Thanks! Knit and Knatter is a superb name for a knitting club – well done!
Ever since I stumbled upon your videos on youtube, I’ve been watching your knitting tutorials and they look so fun and detailed. Now I just found an idea for my 2nd year anniv gift for my bf, Thanks Davina!
You’re welcomed, Cindy! What a lucky boyfriend 😛
Finally got around to watching the videos & about to break into my ball of yarn! Great music too 🙂
Thanks Janice!
I’m teaching myself to knit and was having some issues when I found your site. It has been such a help, thank you.
I love you site, Davina! One question, is there a place where I can find what needles and yarn you use in the videos?
Hi Emily,
I bought this yarn at Michaels, which is a big crafts chain store in North America. It’s a cheap chunky acrylic yarn. If you head to a crafts store in your area, you should be able to find a comparable yarn. Another alternative is Lion Brand Yarn’s Thick and Quick: https://lionbrand.com/yarns/we-thick.htm
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop online, https://www.yarn.com/ has a nice selection of yarns and needles. Hope this helps!
I am a new knitter and I’m itching to make the coushy cowl. The yarn you are using for this cowl looks exquisite and other than ordering it from away, I can’t get my hands on it. Do you have a suggestion for a substitute yarn that would give me similar results?
Hey Holly! The yarn is Malabrigo Rasta. It’s a lovely merino one-ply. You *should* be able to purchase it from your local yarn store (not a Michael’s or a Joanne’s) since it’s quite popular. Otherwise, you can order it online! The Martta the Merino yarn that we have in our shop is very similar in weight, and we’ve got 12 colors to choose from! Hope that helps!
it is really useful and hope that I will make this a hobby.
Thank you so much for posting these videos! They were a big help! I’ve been trying to learn hot to knit for months, and every video I’ve watched has just been confusing. This was simple, broken up, and easy for me to learn! I just finished knitting my first piece! It was a little square like you did, but I did the stitches too loose so it was humongous and there were a bunch of holes! But, however, practice makes perfect, right? I’m so proud, even though it looks hideous. Atleast I learned! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hey V! That’s awesome to hear! You’re right – practice really does make perfect! Keep that little garter stitch square. It’s so exciting to see your first piece of knitting, and as you grow as a knitter you’ll look back on that square with so much fondness!
Google brought me here… you just taught me how to knit! Thank you!
Davina, thank you. Your videos have helped me so much. I am working on the garter stitch scarf and will work my way through your map.
I ordered your Super Snood kit and can’t wait to get it. Can’t wait to try the Cushy Cowl. It’s so beautiful!
Hey Tammie! Thanks so much for your order! I’m excited for you to try your hand at the snood! For now, take it easy with your garter stitch scarf. I love a nice garter stitch. It’s so relaxing. Let me know if you encounter any hiccups!
Thank you for your quick reply~ I am trying to take my time and this morning a stitch slipped off my needle! I put it back on and it doesn’t look right. Which video explains how to fix that? 🙂
Hey Tammie! I’ve actually *just* made a video to explain twisted stitches! It will be live later today. The best way that I can explain it is that the stitch has probably been twisted. Usually, if there’s some resistance from your needle when you try to push it into your stitch, chances are that it’s twisted.
To remedy this: take the stitch off your needle (either with your fingers or with your needle) and twist it around and place it back on your left needle. It should lay nice and flat and be untwisted. It’s a bit difficult explaining in the words, but the video will do a better job of illustrating this! I’ll post the link here when it’s ready.
ETA: the video is now up! You can watch it here: https://sheepandstitch.com/how-to-untwist-a-twisted-stitch/
I watched the videos over and over again, and still, I have no idea how to knit. Anybody got any tips? I really have no idea how to start off or how to do the knit stitch??
Hey! I’m so sorry it’s not working out as smoothly as you’d hoped 🙁 I’m coming out with a more in-depth “How to Knit” video this week (fingers crossed!), so do check back for that. In the meantime, where are you getting tripped up? Is it at the cast on phase? If so, are you able to get the slipknot down? How about the whole making a gun and turning your hand?
My friends know how to do basic knitting, so they taught me a few things. I’m pretty much a beginner, but here is how to do it. You do a slip knot, and here is the fastest and possibly easiest way of casting on. It’s a bit difficult in words. I twist the yarn to form a loop, place the loop on my needle and pull it tight. And so on till you have all your stitches. Stick your needle into the top stitch. Yarn over (pull yarn over needle, but that was crochet terminology) and use the point of the needle to pull the yarn through the stitch (loop). You will see that the loop you just made is attached to the top stitch. Pull the top stitch off the needle (or slide it). Repeat with all the stitches and if it is right then you will end up with all your stitches on the other needle. If you want to cast off, watch the video. I’m not very good at explaining how to cast off.
I’m so happy I found your videos! I taught myself to crochet{with help from a book} 3yrs ago, and have since wanted to learn to knit. Bought some needles and a few skeins of yarn and took off! Thank you!
Awesome!!
I found you on SkillShare and have to say of all the videos and knitting instructions I’ve seen, yours are the clearest and easiet for me to follow! By far! I’m making a scarf and ran out of yarn–how do I add more to my existing project? (I don’t even know if you’ll get this-worth a try) 🙂
Hey Marti! To join a new ball of yarn to your work, you can use two methods that I cover in this video: https://sheepandstitch.com/joining-a-ball-of-yarn/ Hope that helps! And thanks for your nice comment!
Excuse me, but where are the instructions for dealing with these EVIL, DASTARDLY, VILE, HATEFUL circular needles?!?!? Is there a secret potion for soaking out the packaging warp? I bought everything for the Big Hat, and after one row the stitches are all over this spiral of thin, plastic connecting material, and I am so frustrated I could scream.Should I heat with with a hair dryer and try to straighten it out?
Thanks,
Lu
Hi Lu!
I know I’m not supposed to find your comment funny, but I really do because I’ve also had really evil circular needles that would twist around in horrible ways. These were pretty old (like, from the 70s), so I figured it might have something to do with age, but I guess it happens with new ones too!
Maybe yours were left in a hot warehouse for a long time and that ended up “setting” their shape. Whatever the reason, the best way to straighten out a circular needle gone awry is to soak the cable in very hot water (not boiling or it might melt!) for about 5-10 minutes and then gently pull the cable straight (don’t pull the needles or they may pop out from the cable if not joined too securely). If your cable is extremely unyielding, you can heat it up with a hair dryer as you suggest while coaxing it straight.
If your needles are wood or bamboo, try to not to get them wet while soaking. Just soak the cable. If your needles are metal or plastic, it shouldn’t be a big deal soaking them in the water.
Hope this helps you tame your cables!
Thanks for posting these videos! They have helped me learn how to knit and now it has become one of my favorite things to do in my spare time??
Hi Davina. I can’t really say how happy I am for learning about knitting from the video that I saw. Thanks so much for this. It’s a big step for me and I am going to give it a try
Just discovered your site – a ten-year-old in my knitting class had your bag today and I was intrigued; seems her granny had bought her a kit.
I’d like to add you to my list of resources – I teach years 4-6 and they always want links that help them with clear instructions!
Thank you!
That’s so sweet that your student made you a card! Please do share the site to your students. I hope it helps them. I taught my 6 year-old niece to knit this winter, and she absolutely loved it. It helped her calm down, concentrate and also problem solve when she dropped stitches. It’s a deep belief of mine that kids should knit, so rock on with your teaching!
Wow! Such great videos. I finally know how to knit!:)
Hi, can you teach us how to make an infinity scarf?
Hey Dominica! You can check out the Cushy Cowl, which is a big chunky infinity scarf: https://sheepandstitch.com/learn/how-to-knit-a-cushy-cowl-2/ Enjoy!
Hi can not knit yet but I wood like to make a scaf at hobbycraft for £10.99
Just found your site. Love it. I am a long-time crocheter and am determined to be a long-time knitter. Love the tutorials! Thanks
I’m 16 and this website taught me how to knit, I was very excited because I live in the middle of no where now very different from Charlotte and I had nothing to do so this is my new hobby, next I must crochet.
Awesome! Happy knitting!
This website taught me to knit too! It’s super great!R
That ‘R’ at the end is a typo.R
I did a quick search, apologies if I missed it, but is there someplace where you show how to add a second skein of yarn? I think I’ve Googled enough to know I shouldn’t just tie them together and keep going, but I’m not sure I get when, where, how to best knit on a new skein. Thanks!
Hey Beth! Here’s a video on two ways to join a new ball of yarn: https://sheepandstitch.com/joining-a-ball-of-yarn/
I am new to knitting and am having trouble keeping my first row of stitches tight once I have cast on my stitches. Please help!
Hey Alicia! Sometimes this can happen when you cast on using the backward loop cast on (aka. the easy cast on). This is a great cast on for beginners because it’s easy to do, but it’s not the tightest or stretchiest cast on. To get a neat cast on, you can try the longtail cast on, which is a bit more difficult, but it’s a great all-purpose cast on that works for all projects: https://sheepandstitch.com/longtail-cast-on/
Hi i was wondering how con i buy the whole kit on line
Hi Hashim, unfortunately the knitting kits and the TJOCKT yarn are all sold out and won’t be restocked. I’m in the process of updating the shop to reflect these changes. Sorry about that!
Hi Davina,
Your videos are great! Is there one gauge?
Hey Dorothy! There’s no video on gauge *yet*, but there’s a blog post on gauge here: https://sheepandstitch.com/what-is-knitting-gauge/ Hope that helps!