The Best Beginner Knitting Project is Not What You Think

Conventional wisdom says that the best beginner knitting project is a scarf.

I used to recommend a scarf as well!

A scarf was my first knitting project, so I continued the tradition of recommending a scarf to new knitters.

But now I realise I was wrong.

After teaching hundreds of students how to knit, I’ve found that the best project for beginners should have three features.

It should be:

quick
accessible
satisfying

A scarf is not a quick project. It takes weeks of repetitive knitting to complete a scarf.

While this repetition is great for practicing the knit stitch, it also gets really boring fast.

Boring = not satisfying = you’re likely to quit

In my experience, a lot of new knitters quit their scarves before they’re even halfway done.

This is incredibly demoralising for the new knitter.

Not to mention, a scarf requires quite a lot of yarn. So it’s an investment of money, time and energy.

For this reason, a scarf is not my recommendation for a brand new knitter. (Even though I’ve created a whole post all about scarf knitting!)

An exception to the rule: the only time I’d recommend a scarf to a new knitter is if it’s knit with a super bulky weight (here’s an explainer on yarn weight) and needles that are 10mm or larger.

Thicker yarn makes the knitting go by a lot faster. But having said that, it’s still quite a lot of knitting!

The Best Project for Beginner Knitters

So, what’s the best beginner project?

In my opinion, it’s a pot mat!

A pot mat is a thick square-ish fabric on which you place a hot pot.

It prevents the pot from burning the table or countertop.

A pot mat is a quick project that allows you to practice the knit stitch and condition the muscle memory of your hands.

But it won’t take an eternity to finish and can be completed with one or two balls of yarn.

So a pot mat hits the three requirements of being quick, accessible and satisfying!

How to Knit a Pot Mat

Materials:

25 yds Wool & the Gang Crazy Sexy Wool in color Raspberry Pink (or 40 yds of chunky or bulky yarn)
10mm knitting needles (exact needle size will depend on the recommended needle size for your yarn)
tape measure
tapestry needle (I love this multi-needle set)
scissors
10-15mm crochet hook (optional)

Yarns

Cotton or wool are ideal for knitting a pot mat as they won’t burn under direct heat.

Never use acrylic as it can burn and melt with direct heat!

Yarn Weight:

I’m using 20 yds/18 m (45 grams) of Wool & the Gang’s Crazy Sexy Wool in color Raspberry Pink. This is a super bulky weight wool yarn.

I recommend using a yarn weight that’s chunky weight or thicker (like bulky or super bulky weight). This creates a nice thick fabric that can absorb heat from a pot.

Yardage:

Gather at least 40 yards of chunky or bulky yarn or 25 yards of super bulky yarn to knit a pot mat that measures 6.5’ x 6.5”.

To knit a larger pot mat, you’ll need more yardage.

What Needles to Use

Your needle size will depend on the yarn you’re using. Refer to the yarn label for their recommend needle size.

My yarn label suggests a needle size of 12mm, so I’ll use 10mm needles to get a tighter fabric.

Knitting Instructions:

How many stitches should you cast on?

Let’s work backwards.

I want the finished pot mat to be 6.5 x 6.5” (16.5 x 16.5 cm)

Cast on a number of stitches and stretch them out. Measure the width of the stitches.

When the cast on width measures roughly 6.5” (16.5 cm) when stretched, then that’s how many stitches to leave on the needle.

Why do you need to stretch out the cast on stitches?

When you knit into stitches, they will naturally widen and stretch out.

Stretching out the stitches provides an approximate width of the finished knitting.

For my yarn, I cast on 14 stitches and stretched them out as wide as they can go.

14 stretched-out cast on stitches measures 6.5” (16.5 cm). So I’ll stick with 14 stitches for my cast on.

Your number of cast on stitches may differ from mine, especially if your yarn is thinner!

Now it’s time to knit!

I like to keep my edges neat and tidy, so I slip the first stitch of every row.

Watch the video below for a demo on how to slip the first stitch of every row.

Pot Mat Tutorial Video

Knit the pot mat until the piece measures 6.5” (16.5 cm).

Cast off and you’re almost done!

Optional Crochet Chain Loop with Crochet Hook:

To make a little loop at the corner of the pot mat, use a 10mm-15mm crochet hook to make a crochet chain that measures roughly 5-6”.

Leave a tail that measures 6” and cut the yarn loose.

Then draw the yarn into the last crochet loop to secure it.

Fold the crochet chain in half to create a loop and weave in the tail end to the other side of the pot mat.

View the tutorial video above for a demo.

Optional Crochet Chain Loop with Hands:

If you don’t have a crochet hook – never fear!

You can easily make a crochet chain with just your fingers.

Create a chain that measures roughly 5-6”.

Leave a tail that measures 6” and cut the yarn loose.

Then draw the yarn into the last crochet loop to secure it.

View the tutorial video above for a demo.

Finishing:

Weave in ends with a tapestry needle.

Now you’re done!