Once you’ve cast on, it’s time to knit! A brief overview: there are only two stitches in knitting, the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Both are methods of pulling loops through loops to create a fabric, and both are worked in rows from right to left on your needle.

In general, there are two basic methods of knitting, English and Continental. The difference is that English knitters hold the working yarn in their right hand and Continental knitters hold it in their left. Here you’ll learn the English method. If you’re left handed, don’t fear. Righties and lefties are all the same when it comes to knitting! Here’s our knit stitch tutorial where we show you how we do it… 

Click To See Video Transcript

I’m going to show you how to do a knit stitch. First I’m going to show you the basic actions involved. With my working yarn coming off the back of my right needle, I’m going to use the tip of my right needle and insert it into the front leg of the first stitch on the left needle in an away from me motion.

I’m going to use my right hand and take my working yarn and wrap it counterclockwise around the tip of my right needle, creating a loop. I’m going to pull that loop and my right needle towards me through that first stitch on the left needle, turning that loop into a stitch. I’m going to let that original stitch I worked into fall off that left needle. And here we have our new stitch on our right needle. 

Let’s do that again. With my working yarn in back, insert my right needle into the front leg of the first stitch on my left needle. With my right hand, wrap the working yarn counter clockwise around the tip of the right needle. Pull the tip of the right needle towards me through that first stitch on the left needle, creating our new stitch, and letting that old stitch fall off the left needle. Here, we have another new stitch on our right needle.

We’ll just do these steps slowly a few more times.

Now that I’ve shown you the basics of knit stitch, I’m going to show you how to knit the first stitch of a new row of stitches. I’m going to move this needle with all, holding all of my stitches into my left hand, and move the empty needle into my right hand. The working yarn is coming from the right end of this left needle.

Just as before, you want your working yarn behind your work in order to make knit stitches. Be sure to not take your working yarn over the top of the needle. Take it under the needle to the back of your work. With the tip of your right needle, insert it into the front leg of the first stitch on the left needle. With your working yarn, wrap counterclockwise around the tip of the right needle, pull the right needle towards you through that first stitch on the left needle, creating this new stitch and letting that old stitch fall off the left needle.

Then you can carry on just as you learned earlier in the basic section of this video. If you knit every single row you’ll create garter stitch. Garter stitch is a really wonderful fabric with these beautiful ridges and it’s extra, extra warm. It’s a great place to start learning how to knit.

Here’s the same information as our video, but shown with a photo and text…

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When you start a new row always hold the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand, with the working yarn at the right end of the needle. The needle that will make the stitches is in your right hand.

Insert the right needle through the first stitch on the left needle with an away-from-you motion.

Use your right hand to bring the working yarn up around the back of the right needle, wrapping it counter clockwise around the tip of the right needle.

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Pull the loop that is on the right needle through the stitch on the left needle in a toward-you motion.

And with a new stitch on the right needle, allow the stitch to fall off the left needle.

To knit the next stitch, make sure the working yarn is coming from the side of the needle that is away from you (i.e. from behind the work) and repeat the above steps. Insert the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle.

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Wrap the yarn counter clockwise around the right needle.

Pull the loop on the right needle through the stitch on the left needle.

Remove the stitch from the left needle, and observe a new stitch on the right needle!

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Continue to knit in this manner across the whole row of stitches.

When you’ve knit all of the stitches from the left needle, place it in your left hand with the working yarn at the right end of the needle.

Start the new row with the usual knit stitch, inserting the right needle into the first stitch of the left needle. Keep in mind that the first stitch on the needle is always a bit loose. That’s okay, just don’t mistake it for two stitches!

Knit Stitch | Purl Soho

Working every stitch of every row in knit stitch results in a stitch pattern called “garter stitch.” It is the easiest stitch to learn, but it is also one of our favorites! It looks the same on both sides, lies very flat, and has a lovely, lofty texture, making it an ideal stitch for scarves, blankets, collars, and button bands.

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!