1. No category

Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2009 by Penny Dablin
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be copied, reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of
the author.
You may not re-sell this ebook and/or package it with other products for sale.
Published 2009 Curlew Publishing
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
1.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Contents
PART 1 – OVERVIEW AND REFERENCE ................................................. 4
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 4
THE HISTORY OF KNITTING ..................................................................... 5
BEFORE YOU START ................................................................................ 6
YARNS ........................................................................................................ 7
TOOLS ........................................................................................................ 8
REFERENCE – KNITTING NEEDLE SIZES ............................................... 10
REFERENCE – KNITTING YARN TYPES .................................................. 10
REFERENCE – UK/US TRANSLATIONS................................................... 10
WHAT DOES KNITTING LOOK LIKE? ...................................................... 11
CHECKING TENSION OR GAUGE ............................................................ 14
PART 2 – KNITTING TECHNIQUES........................................................... 16
LONG TAIL CAST ON................................................................................. 16
CASTING ON WITH TWO NEEDLES ......................................................... 18
1. Chain Cast On ................................................................................. 18
2. Cable Cast On.................................................................................. 18
MAKING THE KNIT STITCH ....................................................................... 19
Continental knitting ............................................................................ 20
MAKING THE PURL STITCH...................................................................... 21
Continental knitting ............................................................................ 22
ENDING YOUR WORK – HOW TO CAST OFF (BIND OFF)...................... 23
HOW TO DECREASE STITCHES............................................................... 25
K2tog (knit two together).................................................................... 25
P2tog (purl two together) ................................................................... 26
Skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over)................................... 26
Ssk (slip next 2 stitches knitwise, then knit them together) ........... 27
INCREASING STITCHES............................................................................ 30
Kfb (Knit into front and back)............................................................. 30
M1 (make one) ..................................................................................... 30
HOW TO READ A KNITTING PATTERN .................................................... 32
Sizes..................................................................................................... 33
Reading a stitch chart......................................................................... 34
MAKING DECORATIVE HOLES (LACE KNITTING) .................................. 35
STRANDED KNITTING (FAIR ISLE)........................................................... 36
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
2.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
INTARSIA KNITTING .................................................................................. 38
Creating your own Intarsia designs .................................................. 40
FIXING MISTAKES ..................................................................................... 43
PART 3 – STITCH LIBRARY....................................................................... 45
RIBBING...................................................................................................... 45
K1, p1 rib.............................................................................................. 45
K2, p2 rib.............................................................................................. 46
TEXTURED KNITTING................................................................................ 47
Moss stitch .......................................................................................... 47
Double moss stitch ............................................................................. 48
CABLE KNITTING....................................................................................... 49
Four stitch cable – version 1 twisting to the right (C4B) ................. 50
Four stitch cable – version 2 twisting to the left (C4F) .................... 50
Single chain diamond worked over 8 stitches ................................. 51
PART 4 – PATTERNS ................................................................................. 52
TEXTURED COASTERS............................................................................. 52
Coaster 1 – Simple Chequerboard .................................................... 52
Coaster 2 – Zig-Zag............................................................................. 53
Coaster 3 – Mock Cable...................................................................... 54
PLACE MATS.............................................................................................. 55
Simple Chequerboard Place Mat ....................................................... 55
Zig-Zag Place Mat................................................................................ 55
Mock Cable Place Mat......................................................................... 56
RIBBED HAT PATTERN ............................................................................. 57
CABLE HAT PATTERN............................................................................... 59
BEAR PAW HAT PATTERN........................................................................ 61
KNITTING TIPS ........................................................................................... 62
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
3.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Part 1 – Overview and Reference
Introduction
Hand knitting is a wonderfully relaxing and useful hobby. You can knit while
watching television or chatting with family or friends. And it’s incredibly portable.
Everything you need for a lengthy knitting session can easily fit into one small
knitting bag so you can knit on the train or waiting for a medical appointment.
Whatever has brought you to wanting to knit you have come to the right place. In this
book you will learn everything you need to know to be able to excel at this simple
hobby. Before you know it you will be knitting useful items from the patterns
included, or searching the Internet for one of hundreds of free patterns available.
In this book I will introduce all the basic knitting techniques to get you started. I
introduce simple projects right from the start so that you can practice your new skills.
Like any skill it will take practice and perseverance to master but, rest assured,
knitting is very simple at its basic level. All you need to know is how to cast on, knit
and then bind off. With just those three skills you will be able to make a simple garter
stitch scarf.
And you can learn all three basic skills in just a few minutes by following the
instructions in this book. And if you have any trouble understanding the written
instructions I also have useful videos to help you on my website at
http://www.theknittingsite.com/videos.html.
I have also created a DVD, Learn to Knit, which demonstrates very clearly each
different skill to show you how to knit easily and quickly. If you are more of a visual
learner you might want to check out the details of the DVD at
http://www.theknittingsite.com/knitdvd.htm.
Having mastered the basic skills you then just need to learn how to purl, increase and
decrease and you will have all the skills you need to create a wide range of items from
simple bookmarks to sweaters and baby bootees.
Knitting is far easier to master than playing the piano or even touch typing and you
have in your hands everything you need to get started.
Tip:
Whatever you do, don’t give up! You’ll
get it eventually. Nobody else became a
master knitter overnight so don’t beat
yourself up if you have a few problems to
start with.
Happy Knitting!
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
4.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
The History of Knitting
No one knows for sure when or where knitting started but it was many hundreds of
years ago. Knitted artifacts have been discovered dating back to the 11th century and
even some socks created in a nabeling (a forerunner to knitting) from the 3rd or 4th
century.
One theory is that knitting grew from fishermen making and mending fishing nets –
and they were doing that in Israel at the time of Jesus!
The early knitters were certainly men rather than women and it is thought likely that
knitting was spread by Arabian sailors travelling throughout the Mediterranean area.
The craft is now known all over the world with regional specific designs such as
Aran, Guernsey or Gansey, and Fair Isle knitting representing Ireland, Guernsey in
the Channel Islands and Scotland respectively.
Hand knitting is regaining popularity in the 21st century after a fall from popular
hobbies during the 1970s through 1990s when home knitting machines became very
popular and imported knitwear so inexpensive.
Today you can find many celebrity knitters, particularly actors who have to spend so
much time hanging around on set. Names such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Madonna and
Julia Roberts who stars in the film “The Friday Night Knitting Club”. And, of course,
the wonderful canine star of Wallace and Gromit!
So, you’re in good company when you learn to knit.
Tip:
If you have to put your knitting down in the middle of
a row the yarn should always be on the right hand side
of the work when you pick it up again.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
5.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Before You Start
Before you start to knit you will need to purchase a few basic tools. Very few. You
can get started knitting for less than $10!
Get yourself some cheap acrylic yarn and a pair of knitting needles and you’re good
to go!
While you are learning the basics I recommend you use a ball of acrylic yarn in
double knitting (worsted weight), and a pair of 4mm (US size 6) needles. If you
choose a light color yarn it will be easier to see exactly what you are doing and much
easier to correct any mistakes. I suggest 4mm needles because they are a comfortable
size to work with, neither too thin nor too fat.
Using very large needles and very thick yarn will make the knitting grow very quickly
but they are more difficult to handle initially. Using thin yarn and thin needles makes
the work grow very slowly because it is so much finer than the double knitting yarn.
So learn and practice on the mid-range yarn and then graduate onto thinner or thicker
yarn and needles as you grow in confidence.
When you are ready to knit from a pattern, the pattern will tell you what yarn and
needles you will need. While many patterns are designed with a specific brand of
yarn in mind I have happily substituted yarns of the same thickness to get exactly the
color I wanted, and the results have been fine.
Tip:
If your hands tend to get sweaty and
damp when knitting, dust with baby
powder now and again while
working. It’ll make the knitting
smell nice too!
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
6.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Yarns
Yarns come in many different fibers – there’s wool or wool mix, acrylic, cotton and
silk. There are also specialty yarns such as chenille, boucle, mohair and angora; and
there are fun yarns such as eyelash yarn or fun fur.
If you are allergic to wool then the acrylic yarns available today are a very good
substitute.
Tip:
Don’t use the ‘fun’ yarns until you’re much more
experienced. They are difficult to knit with and it’s
virtually impossible to correct mistakes because you
can’t see what you have done.
I would strongly recommend you do not try to knit with the fun yarns until you are
much more confident with your knitting skills. I find it very difficult to see when I
have made a mistake and it is virtually impossible to correct a mistake or undo a few
stitches.
Yarns also come in a variety of thicknesses. 2 ply or 3 ply (known as baby or
fingering in the US) is probably the thinnest yarn you will find in your local yarn
shop. It is often used for baby items or fine work such as shawls. 4 ply (sport) is a
little thicker and often used for gloves, socks, sweaters and particularly children’s
garments. Double knitting (worsted) yarn is used extensively for sweaters, scarves,
hats etc. Then there are the thicker yarns: Aran (fisherman or medium weight),
chunky (bulky) and super chunky (super bulky). These yarns are used to make thick
Aran sweaters, ponchos and generally heavier, thicker garments.
When you purchase the yarn for a particular project do make sure you buy enough to
complete the project you have in mind. Dye lots can vary a little between batches and
any variation will show up in the finished garment. When you buy the yarn check the
dye batch on the ball wrapper and ensure all your balls are from the same dye batch.
The pattern will tell you how much you need for the size you are going to knit up.
Tip:
When knitting a long piece of work, mark
every ten rows with a small safety pin or a
small piece of contrast yarn then you can
easily count up your rows later.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
7.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Tools
All you need to get started is one pair of knitting needles. However, you will soon
find you want to add to your toolkit!
A tape measure, sharp scissors and a tapestry needle for darning in your ends are the
next important items to acquire if you don’t already have them. As you progress and
start to knit garments you will probably want to get a cable needle and stitch holders.
You may also want to buy some yarn bobbins if you are planning to knit intarsia
designs.
Your selection of knitting needles will also grow as you find you need different sizes
for different projects.
Knitting needles are made of plastic, metal or wood/bamboo. Metal needles tend to
be cold and slippery – when you’ve gained experience this can help you knit more
quickly but in the beginning they will be more diffficult to work with and more prone
to falling out of the work giving you dropped stitches and lots of frustration!
Bamboo needles
If you have any sort of arthritis in your hands then bamboo needles seem to be much
easier on the hands, they are comfortable and easy to work with.
Plastic needles tend to be less expensive and do the job. The choice is yours.
In due course you will want to try knitting in the round and at that point you will need
double pointed needles or circular needles. Double pointed needles (dpns) are sold in
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
8.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
sets of 4 or 5 and you knit onto one end and off the other end so they need double
points.
Circular needles have needle points at each end joined by a length of nylon wire. The
pointed ends come in the standard knitting needle sizes.
You may also want to get a knitting needle gauge to check the size of your dpns or
circular needles as the size is not marked on them.
Knitting graph paper will come in useful when you are creating your own charts or
designing shaping. You can download special rectangular graph paper from my
website at http://www.theknittingsite.com
Please don’t use ordinary square graph paper to make charts as the proportion is
wrong and what looks lovely on the paper will knit up squashed and our of shape and
be a disappointment to you.
You may also find a row counter useful to keep track of the number of rows you have
knitted while following a pattern. These slip onto the knitting needle at the stop end
out of the way of the knitting and need to be turned on after each row. Personally I’ve
never been successful in using one because I get distracted and forget to turn them on
at the end of the rows. Then I have to go back and count the rows by eye on the work
itself!
Cable needle
Circular needle
Tip:
Stop knitting and stretch out your
shoulders, neck and hands when you start
to get stiff.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
9.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Reference – Knitting Needle Sizes
US
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10½
11
13
15
Metric
2mm
2.25mm
2.75mm
3mm
3.25mm
3.5mm
3.75mm
4mm
4.5mm
5mm
5.5mm
6mm
6.5mm
7mm
8mm
9mm
10mm
Old UK
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Reference – Knitting Yarn Types
Australia/UK
1 ply
2 ply, 3 ply
4 ply
8 ply, double knit, DK
10 ply, Aran
12 ply, Chunky
Super chunky
US
Lace weight
Baby, fingering
Sport weight
Worsted weight
Fisherman, medium weight
Bulky
Super bulky
Reference – UK/US translations
UK
Rip back
Cast off
Stocking stitch
Reverse stocking stitch
Moss stitch
Double moss stitch
US
Frogging
Bind off
Stockinette
Reverse stockinette
Seed stitch
Double seed stitch
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
10.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
What does knitting look like?
I know you know what knitting looks like. You’ve seen knitted sweaters, hats and
scarves throughout your life. However, it is important that you are able to recognize
the types of stitches when you see them in your own knitting.
Many times patterns will just say “knit the knits and purl the purls”, paricularly on
back rows when you have a complex pattern. So you need to be able to recognize a
knit or a purl when you come to them.
Imagine a college scarf draped round a student’s neck. The back of the neck is how
the purl stitch looks and the front with the scarf ends coming down is how a knit stitch
looks.
It’s also important to be able to recognize a twisted stitch so you can correct it as you
knit so as not to get a twist in the finished garment.
This picture shows knit stitches on the needle, all the correct way round.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
11.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
This picture shows a twisted stitch as the next stitch to knit
In order to correct the twisted stitch you can knit into the back of that stitch. The
alternative is to take the stitch off and turn it back round the right way before knitting
normally.
This picture shows purl stitches on the needle, all the correct way round
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
12.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
This picture shows a twisted purl stitch as the next stitch to be worked
Again, the way to correct the twisted stitch is to work into the back of it, or take it off
the needle and correct the lie of the stitch before purling normally.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
13.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Checking tension or gauge
It’s vitally important to check your knitting
tension or gauge before knitting up a project.
Otherwise your finished garment could be
either too small or too big. When I was a lot
younger I spent hours and hours knitting
myself a pullover only to find it was about 3
sizes too big when it was finished and had to
be completely ripped back. That’s very
disheartening and can be avoided by measuring
your knitting tension before you start.
Tip:
Always check your tension/gauge.
It’s heartbreaking to have to rip back
a whole garment because it’s the
wrong size. Checking your tension
will save you hours of time and all
that heartache.
The tension in patterns is normally given in terms of stitches and rows to four inches.
Being lazy and not liking to do tension squares I tend to knit them small enough to
just measure 2 inches in both directions.
The tension square needs to be a few stitches and a few rows more than the area you
are going to measure. So if the tension is quoted as 20 stitches and 26 rows to 4
inches you will need to work over at least 16 stitches to measure a 10 stitch, 2 inch
section in the middle. In the same way you would need to work at least 20 rows to be
able to measure accurately a 2 inch section in the middle.
You can use any cast on method to start your tension square then knit in stockinette or
stocking stitch for the required number of rows.
Lay the tension square out on your ironing board and pin it flat without stretching it.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
14.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Mark the start and end of a 2 inch (or 4 inch if you’re doing a bigger square) distance
across the middle and up and down the tension square so that you have marked the
extremities of the area you need to count.
Count the number of stitches across and the number of
rows up between your marker pins and compare that
number with the tension stated in the pattern.
Tip:
Never stretch your
knitting when measuring.
Remember, if you are measuring over 2 inches and the tension is quoted over 4 inches
you will need to double the number you have counted. And you may count a half
stitch, which doubles up to a whole stitch.
If the number of stitches in your tension square is more than the number quoted in the
pattern you could try using a size larger needles. Reknit the tension square with the
larger needles and check again.
If the number of stitches in your tension square is less that the number quoted in the
pattern you should try using smaller needles. Again, you will need to reknit the
tension swatch and recheck the numbers.
Tip:
When measuring the length of a piece of
knitting while still knitting (e.g. to armhole
shaping) measure from the cast on edge to
the underside of the knitting needle holding
the work.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
15.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Part 2 – Knitting Techniques
Long tail cast on
With this method of casting on, the stitches are created from the tail of the yarn.
Consequently you need to allow a long enough tail to make all the stitches you need
before you start.
To estimate the amount of yarn you need, allow for approximately ½ inch to 1 inch
per stitch, plus 6 inches or so for sewing in. You will need a longer tail if you are
knitting with thicker yarn such as some of the chunky yarns that are available.
Start by making a slip-knot in the yarn so that pulling from the ball end tightens the
loop. Place this slip-knot on the right hand needle and tighten the loop.
Hold the stitch with the first finger of your right hand with the tail end to your left and
the ball to your right.
Touch the pads of your left thumb and first finger together and place between the two
strands of yarn. Bring the other three fingers of your left hand to close on the two
strands whilst moving your thumb and first finger apart. There should be a little
tension in the whole set up.
Once you are holding the yarn correctly making the stitches is quick and easy.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
16.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
With the point of the knitting needle go up under the loop of yarn that is nearest your
body. Carry that loop over the farther thumb loop and over the upper finger loop.
Catch the upper finger loop and draw it back towards your body. Hook this loop of
yarn through the gap by your thumb and allow the yarn on your thumb to drop off.
Pick the yarn back up with your thumb tightening the stitch that you just made and
setting up for the next stitch. You have just cast on your second stitch (the first stitch
was the slip knot).
Repeat this step until you have cast on the desired number of stitches on the right
hand needle.
Tip:
The tail end of the yarn that is over your thumb
will tend to untwist as you work. You will need to
release this and allow it to retwist after every few
stitches.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
17.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Casting on with two needles
1. Chain Cast On
Tip:
When casting on a lot of stitches
for a large project, place a slip
knot of contrast yarn every 20
stitches. This makes it much
easier to count the stitches. If you
then slip the markers across every
row it will help you keep track of
your place in the pattern.
Start with a slip knot on the left hand needle.
Make the slip knot so that pulling on the ball
end of the yarn tightens the loop against the
needle while pulling on the tail end tightens the
knot itself.
Hold the needles as if they were a knife and
fork so your hands are over the top of the
needles. Place the ball end of the yarn over
your left hand first finger and give the thread
some tension by either wrapping it through
your other fingers or holding it against the body of the needle.
Insert the point of the right hand needle into the slip knot stitch from the front towards
the back passing under the left hand needle. Using the point of the needle catch the
thread from over your finger by moving from right to left. Pull that loop through the
first stitch and place it onto the left hand needle.
Repeat the action by putting the point of the
right hand needle through the stitch you have
just made, catching the yarn again and
pulling a new loop through that stitch to
make a new stitch. Place that new stitch on
the left hand needle. You should now have
three stitches on the left hand needle.
Continue in this way until you have cast on
the number of stitches you require.
Tip:
Take care when you insert the point of
the right hand needle, pull up the yarn
to tighten the previous stitch while it is
held open by the right hand needle.
This way you will get an even tension
and the cast on edge will not be too
tight.
2. Cable Cast On
The cable cast on is very similar to the chain cast on but instead of putting the point of
the right hand needle into the stitch, you put it between the next two stitches on the
left hand needle. Then you catch the yarn from your left hand first finger and pull it
through and put it onto the left hand needle.
Again, ensure the right hand needle is in place before tightening up any slack yarn
from the previous stitch to ensure an even edge that is not too tight.
This gives a firmer edge than the chain cast on method and is my preferred method of
casting on.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
18.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Making the knit stitch
To make a knit stitch the working yarn must be at the back of the work.
Place the point of the right hand needle into the first stitch on the left hand needle
from left to right and from front to back. Push it through ½ inch or so.
Take the yarn and wrap it around the point of the right hand needle from behind and
left towards the front and right resting between the points of the two needles.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
19.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Using the point of the right hand needle draw the yarn through the stitch to form a
loop on the right hand needle and allow the original stitch to drop off the left hand
needle.
In this way you will transfer the whole
piece of knitting one stitch at a time
onto the right hand needle making a
new stitch for every stitch along the
row. At the end of the row transfer the
knitting into your other hand ready to
start the next row.
Tip:
When knitting the first stitch of the row be
sure to pull it very firmly tight to avoid loops
at the edge of the work. If you still tend to
get loops try slipping the first stitch of every
row rather than knitting it.
Continental knitting
With this style of knitting the working yarn is held in the left hand over the first finger
with tension created by wrapping the yarn round the other fingers or holding it against
the needle according to preference. When making a knit stitch you then only need to
‘catch’ hold of the yarn from the first finger with the point of the right hand needle
through the stitch, and pull it through to make the stitch.
Garter stitch – knit every row
Tip:
To keep your edges neat always slip
the first stitch of every row and knit
the last stitch of every row. This
gives you a very neat edge that is
easy to sew up or to pick up stitches
from.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
20.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Making the purl stitch
Before making a purl stitch you must ensure the working yarn is to the front of the
fabric.
Then insert the right hand needle into the front of the stitch on the left hand needle
from the back right toward the front left.
Take the yarn and wrap it around the point of the right hand needle over away from
you between the needles and then under toward you.
Using the point of the right hand needle draw this loop through the stitch to create a
new stitch on the right hand needle. Allow the old stitch on the left hand needle to
drop off.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
21.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Continental knitting
When holding the yarn in your left hand you
will need to take the yarn to the front for
every single purl stitch. Catch the yarn with
the right hand needle so that it follows the
same path as outlined above and draw the
loop through.
Tip:
Always pull a length of yarn off the ball
before knitting so you are not tugging
against the ball as you knit.
Stocking stitch or stockinette –
knit 1 row, purl the next row
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
22.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Ending your work – how to cast off (bind off)
When you have knitted to the end of your piece of work you will need to cast off or
bind off. This is done in a similar way to the slip1 knit1 pass slipped stitch over
decrease but you keep going. And if you have been knitted a pattern such as rib the
instructions will usually call for you to cast off in pattern.
Slip the first stitch onto the right hand needle with the yarn at the back if it’s a knit
stitch and at the front if it’s a purl. Work the next stitch (knit if it’s a knit, purl if it’s a
purl).
Taking the point of the left needle, insert it into the slipped stitch on the right needle,
from the front and from left to right. Carry that stitch forward over the second stitch
on the right hand needle and off.
You have just cast off the first stitch.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
23.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Now you need to knit the next stitch so that there are two stitches back on the right
needle.
Again, using the left needle, pick up the first stitch and lift it over the second stitch
and off the needle. You have just cast off your second stitch.
Work the next stitch and pass the first stitch over the second stitch to leave just one
stitch on the right hand needle again.
Work along the whole row until you are left with just one stitch on the right hand
needle and no stitches on the left hand needle. Cut off the yarn leaving a length to
sew in and pull the stitch open to pull the end thread through to fasten off.
Tip:
Keep your ball of yarn in a pot or bag to
keep it clean and stop it rolling all over
the floor. Empty tissue boxes work well.
What you may find is that there is a small loop left at the edge of the work. This can
be avoided by casting off the last two stitches together. In this case work until you
have 2 stitches left on the left hand needle and one on the right hand needle.
Work both the last two stitches. You now have 3 stitches on the right hand needle.
Take the middle stitch and pass it over to the left, then take the right hand stitch and
pass it over to the left. Cut the yarn and pull it through as before.
Tip:
To avoid the loop at the end of the
binding off, bind off the last two
stitches together.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
24.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
How to Decrease Stitches
As soon as you start to knit anything more complicated than a scarf you are likely to
need to know how to increase and decrease the number of stitches you are working
with.
K2tog (knit two together)
The easiest way to decrease is to knit two stitches together or to purl two stitches
together. Both of these create the effect on the knit side of a decrease sloping to the
right such as you would use on the left hand side of your garment, for example on
raglan shaping.
To knit two stitches together you insert the right
hand needle into the next two stitches together. Put
the point of the needle into the 2nd stitch as if to knit
and then follow through into the first stitch. Then
pass the yarn around and pull through to leave just
one stitch on the right hand needle allowing both the
stitches to drop off the left hand needle.
Tip:∫
Make your increases or decreases
at least one stitch in from the
edges of the work to keep the
edges neat and even.
Position of needles for k2tog
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
25.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
P2tog (purl two together)
Sometimes you will be required to decrease on a purl row using purl two together
(p2tog). This is done by putting the right hand needle through the first stitch as
normal when making a purl, then continuing on to put it through the next stitch as
well. Then wrap the yarn around and pull the loop through as you would for a normal
purl stitch letting both the stitches on the left hand needle drop off.
Position of needles and yarn for p2tog
Skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over)
To make a decrease that slopes to the left uses the slip one, knit one, pass slipped
stitch over method of decreasing. You would use this on the right hand side of a
piece of work.
Slip the first stitch over onto the right hand needle knitwise. That is put the point of
the needle into the stitch as if to knit it and allow it to slip onto the right hand needle
without putting the yarn round at all. Then knit the following stitch. Both stitches are
now on the right hand needle.
With the point of the left hand needle lift the slipped stitch over the top of the knitted
stitch and off the right hand needle.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
26.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Ssk (slip next 2 stitches knitwise, then knit them together)
This decrease is used in lace knitting to form a travelling knit stitch up the side of a
series of holes. It has the effect of travelling to the left as you face the work.
Slip the first stitch onto the right hand needle knitwise. Then slip the next stitch onto
the right hand needle knitwise. Take the point of the left hand needle through the
front of both these stitches from left to right. At this point it will look as though you
are knitting two stitches together through the back of the loops. Knit the two stitches
together.
Tip:
Make sure the yarn over stays on the right
hand needle and doesn’t slip off or you will
have lost the hole.
The difference between ssk and k2tog tbl (knit 2 together through back of loops) is
subtle but important. With ssk the resulting knit stitch is open whereas with k2tog tbl
the knit stitch is twisted at the bottom. Going back to the analogy of a scarf around
the neck it’s the difference between the scarf hanging loosely or being crossed across
the chest.
Slip first stitch knitwise – notice the yarn over on the right hand needle.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
27.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Slip second stitch knitwise.
Place left hand needle back through both those stitches
and knit them together.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
28.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
End result – the yarn over makes a hole and ssk is the matching decrease.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
29.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Increasing Stitches
There are two different ways to make an extra stitch while you are knitting, one (kfb)
leaves a little bar on the front of the work, the other (M1) is virtually invisible.
Kfb (Knit into front and back)
Knit into the front of the stitch in the normal manner but don’t let the stitch slip off
the left hand needle. Then knit that same stitch again through the back of the loop
and then allow it to slip off. You will have two stitches on your right hand needle and
have only used up one on the left hand needle. This will leave a small bar across the
work where you worked into the back of the stitch. This makes it easy to count the
increases up a piece of work.
M1 (make one)
Patterns often call for you to make one when changing from a ribbed border to the
main fabric of the garment. This increase is virtually invisible.
To make one, pick up the loop between the stitch you have reached and the one you
have just knitted by inserting the point of the left hand needle under the loop from
front to back. Place the loop on the left hand needle and knit into the back of that loop
to twist the stitch and fill the hole that has formed by picking up the loop.
Pick up loop from row below
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
30.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Place the loop on the left hand needle ready to knit.
Knit this loop into the back in order to twist it.
The twist will fill the hole that would otherwise form.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
31.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
How to read a knitting pattern
Knitting patterns tell you how to knit the pattern and
the shape for the garment you want. Many
commercially available patterns are written out row by
row using shorthand and abbreviations. You will soon
get to know how to read these. The alternative, which
is often used in knitting magazines to save space, is to
use charts to pictorially represent the pattern stitches.
In my opinion charts are more useful to the
experienced knitter who is able to translate the images
into actual knitting.
Tip:
Look through the pattern before
you begin and check you
understand what you are going
to be doing.
Row by row patterns use abbreviations and the common ones you will come across
are k – knit, p – purl, k2tog – knit 2 together. Where the pattern calls for special
stitch patterns such as C6B these will be explained in the abbreviation section of the
pattern. Be sure to read these carefully through as there is no single standard for
abbreviations.
Common shorthand phrases that you will come across:
Cont as set
Continue to work as previously stated. This would be used where you had knitted
several rows of pattern and have reached the pattern repeat. Rather than rewrite the
instructions over and over, the phrase cont as set tells you to continue in pattern as
set. For example: Row1 k Row2 p.Cont in st. st. as set. This means knit the first row,
purl the second row then continue knitting in stocking stitch (stockinette) as set.
Keeping patt correct
Continue working the stitch pattern correctly over the correct number of stitches
while doing something else that may interfere with the pattern, usually shaping. For
example, if you are knitting an Aran pattern with a moss stitch (seed stitch) at the
edges, when you decrease for the armholes the moss stitch pattern section will be
shortened but you must continue to keep the pattern correct as you move across and
into the cable design section.
At the same time
This is where you will need to do two things at the same time so keep your wits about
you. An example would be decreasing on a cardigan front at the neck edge and the
armhole edge at the same time.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
32.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Work straight until
Continue to knit the work without any decreasing or increasing. Usually this is until a
particular length is reached.
Work as given for
With garments the front and back are often very similar so to avoid rewriting all the
instructions the pattern will state ‘work as given for back until’ and then there is
usually a mark made of asterisks (***) or it may be ‘work as given for back until’ a
particular length is reached.
Reverse all shaping
The left hand side and the right hand side of a garment are usually mirror images of
each other. In the pattern the shaping for the first side will have been written out in
full and the other side must be worked to be a mirror image of it. For example, the
two fronts of a cardigan will be mirror images of each other.
Repeat from * to *
This is where a small number of stitches have been described setting a pattern. That
set (between to *s) should be repeated right across the row.
e.g. *k2,p5,k3,p2* repeat from * to *
Sizes
Knitting patterns usually accommodate several different sizes. The instructions are
presented in brackets with the smallest size outside of the brackets and the larger sizes
inside. For example: 32[34:36:38]. Usually the brackets are square brackets and the
numbers are separated by colons but I have seen patterns with round brackets and the
numbers separated by commas: 32(34, 36, 38).
Once you have decided which size you are knitting you will always find your
instructions in the same position within the brackets. That is the smallest size will
always be outside the brackets, the second size will always be the first inside the
brackets and so on.
Examples of instructions:
Cast on 100[106:112:118] stitches
Repeat pattern 2[2:3:3] times
Dec 2[0:2:4] sts. If your size states 0 then do not work that instruction at all.
Where only one figure appears then it refers to all sizes.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
33.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Reading a stitch chart
A stitch chart will tell you how to create a particular pattern. This is done through a
series of symbols. Imagine you are looking at the front of the piece of work, each
symbol on the chart represents the stitch as it appears on the knitting. Each square
represents one stitch on your needles.
The chart is then read from the bottom right hand corner. Right side rows are read
from right to left and wrong side rows from left to right. And the symbols for knits
and purls are reversed between right and wrong side rows. A dot or dash in a square
indicates a purl on the right side and a knit on the wrong side. A blank square
represents a knit on the right side and a purl on the wrong side.
Once you are confident with your knitting you will find charts can be very helpful.
For example, if you want to create your own design instead of the one detailed in the
knitting pattern you could combine different charts for different stitch patterns from
one of the excellent stitch collection books that are available.
Key:
Squares with a dot: purl on right side, knit on
wrong side.
Squares without a dot: knit on right side, purl on
wrong side
This chart is for a four stitch check textured design.
Four stitch check
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
34.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Making decorative holes (Lace knitting)
Lace knitting produces delicate fabrics with decorative holes. The all over patterns
are always a combination of holes and decreases to create different effects. The holes
are always created with a yarn over paired with a decrease. The yarn over gives an
extra stitch so the decrease is necessary to keep the work straight.
To create a yarn over, make as if to knit the next stitch but without putting the right
hand needle through any stitch. Just pick up the yarn so it forms a loop over the right
hand needle. Then work the following stitch as normal – if it’s a purl stitch you will
need to bring the yarn to the front of the work before working the stitch. Make sure
the yarn over doesn’t come off the needle as you bring the yarn to the front of the
work.
On the following row you will work the loop as if it is a stitch, either knitting or
purling depending on the pattern.
Tip: When you are knitting lace patterns it is
very important to keep checking you still have
the right number of stitches on your needles as
it is only too easy to miss a decrease and make
more and more stitches with the yarn overs.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
35.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Stranded Knitting (Fair Isle)
Stranded knitting is knitting with two colors in the same row. The color that is not
being worked is carried loosely along the back of the work creating ‘floats’.
Traditional Fair Isle designs are very small and the colors change frequently so there
are never very long floats. If you knit up a design where the unused color has to span
more than 5 stitches you will need to catch the loop into a center stitch or two to keep
the floats short. This is termed ‘weaving in’.
When stranding or weaving in
there may be a tendency for the
unworked color to pull the fabric
in a little more tightly than the
knitting should be. This will
cause puckering and the piece of
knitting will not lie flat. To avoid
this happening keep spreading the
stitches out along the needle to
maintain the correct tension.
To keep your floats neat and tidy
and prevent lumps or colors
getting twisted and tangled, it is
important to always lie one color
over the other on the reverse of
the work.
Because you are only using two
colors in any single row you do
not need to wind off short lengths
of yarn, just work straight from
the balls.
As you work remember to turn the
work in opposite directions to
avoid tangling the yarns. For
example, always turn the work in
a clockwise direction at the end of
a knit row and in an anticlockwise
direction at the end of a purl row.
Stranded knitting example
You will also need to always carry both colors to the ends of every row by catching
the unused yarn into the last stitch. If you don’t do this, the fabric will be thinner at
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
36.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
the edges and there will be a tendency to holes where the yarn pulls back in the other
direction on the next row.
As you knit, the main color should always be picked up over the second color while
the second color is always picked up from below the main color. This will keep the
floats lying correctly and avoid tangles.
Stranded patterns are always charted and the charts are read from the bottom right
hand corner with knit rows read from right to left and purl rows read from left to
right.
Tip:
Keep a pad of Post-It notes and a pencil
in your knitting bag – always useful if
you need to mark the pattern or make a
note to yourself about the knitting.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
37.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Intarsia knitting
Intarsia knitting is picture knitting – these can be actual pictures or abstract designs.
The key is that multiple colors are used in each row and the colors are never stranded
across the back of the work. Each color change uses a separate length of yarn.
Usually intarsia designs are knitted in stocking stitch (stockinette).
The resulting fabric is single thickness with lots of loose ends to finish off from each
different color change.
Intarsia design from Patons
Intarsia designs are always drawn out on a chart. The chart is read starting with a knit
row, from the bottom right hand corner. Knit rows are read from right to left and purl
rows are read from left to right.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
38.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
If you were to knit the kingfisher design above then on row 1 of the design you would
need to introduce a second skein of the background color to take over after the first
stitch of the twig the kingfisher is standing on. On the second row that second skein
of background would knit up to the kingfisher’s tail and another short length of
background color would be needed to fill the gap between the tail and the twig.
New colors are brought in from below the existing color and knitted as normal. On
the next row make sure to twist the old and the new color around each other in order
to ensure there are no holes.
As you are knitting you may want to
Tip:
wind a few yards of each color onto a
When you knit with several different colors
bobbin to hang at the back of the work.
of yarn keep them separate and untangled by
Or you can wind up small bobbins on
using small amounts of color wound onto
your fingers to pull from the inside to
bobbins.
keep the yarns tidy. It’s important to
keep the different colors separate from
each other or they will soon twist and
tangle and be unworkable.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
39.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
To wind bobbins on your fingers: leaving an end about 6 inches long, wind the yarn
into a figure of eight around your thumb and little finger (pinkie). Cut the yarn from
the ball and use the end to tie round the figure of eight. You can then work the color
using the long end and it will unravel from the middle.
Always keep the tail ends of the yarn at the back of the work.
When you have finished knitting the
piece it will be necessary to darn in all
the loose ends. These can be threaded
up the join between two colors or
woven in so as not to show on the front.
Where you have started and finished a
color there may be a small hole, use the
ends to close up any of these holes as
you darn them in.
Tip:
Don’t attempt to knit intarsia in the
round. By the second time round the
ends of your colors will be on the
wrong side of the work and will have to
be cut and rejoined in.
Intarsia tiger design
Creating your own Intarsia designs
You can create your own pictures to knit by drawing them out on special knitting
graph paper. Please do not use ordinary graph paper or your design will knit up out of
proportion.
Knitting stitches are rectangular, not square, so it is important to create your design on
rectangular graph paper.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
40.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Tip: You can download rectangular graph paper free
from my website at http://www.theknittingsite.com
Once you have the rectangular graph paper you can either draw your design straight
onto the paper or find an image you want to knit and trace round it onto the paper. I
find it helps to hold the picture I want to copy up against a window in daylight to do
the tracing.
You then need to ‘square off’ the design. Where you have drawn diagonal lines or
curves they will not sit exactly on the grid of the graph paper. You will need to work
round each area of color making it fit to the rectangles that represent each stitch. In
this way you will create a knitting chart you can follow to create your design. This
was exactly the process I used to create the kingfisher design above and the bear paw
below.
Bear paw hat
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
41.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Chart for the bear paw design
The pattern to knit up the bear paw hat can be found on page 61.
Tip:
When following a chart pattern take a photocopy
and mark off each row as you complete it. Or
place the chart in a plastic wallet and mark off
each row on the plastic wallet. This keeps the
original pattern clean and helps you keep your
place as you knit.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
42.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Fixing Mistakes
When you are knitting you may find that you drop a stitch off between the needles.
Normally this will only just pop down one row and can be quite easily picked up in
place and worked with the loop of yarn that has dropped. Make sure to pick the stitch
up the right way round with the front edge leading and then work it either purl or knit
depending on the stitch.
Sometimes you will find that a stitch has laddered undone and dropped down several
rows. In this case the easiest way to pick the stitches up is to use a crochet hook from
the front of the work for knit stitches and the
back of the work for purl stitches. Make sure
Tip:
you have caught the bottom stitch of the ladder
Use a crochet hook to pick up
safely onto your crochet hook and then work it
dropped stitches and work back
up the ladder, one rung at a time, remaking the
up into place.
stitches. When you have picked up the final
ladder place the stitch back onto the left hand
needle ready to work.
At other times you may realise you have made a mistake after you’ve knitted on half a
row or maybe a couple of rows. In this case you might want to carefully unwork the
piece back to the mistake so that you can correct it. Don’t just pull the knitting off the
needles and unravel it. You will find it very difficult to pick the stitches up correctly.
Instead unravel the work one stitch at a time by placing the point of the left hand
needle into the loop below the stitch on the right hand needle from front to back.
Allow the stitch to drop off the right hand needle and pull out the yarn. You should
have undone the stitch and transferred it to the left hand needle.
When you reach the end of the row and you need to undo a further row you can turn
the work around and undo it in the same way. Or you can work from right to left
undoing the stitches in the same way but transferring them back to the right hand
needle as you undo them.
To determine where you are in the middle of the row and which way you should be
knitting remember that the working yarn always sits on the right hand side of the
needles.
You will find if you have unravelled so the stitches have been transferred from the left
to the right then you have probably twisted every stitch. It’s very important to check
each stitch as you knit it back up and correct the twisting where necessary.
When you come across a stitch that is twisted you will notice that the leading edge of
the stitch is to the back of the work rather than the front. To correct this, work into
the back of that stitch rather than the front.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
43.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
To knit into the back of a stitch place the point of the right hand needle into the stitch
from the middle towards the back, put the yarn round and pull the stitch through as
normal. This will correct the twist.
To purl into the back of a stitch put the yarn to the front then place the point of the
right hand needle into the purl stitch from the back towards the front and out of the
middle of the stitch. Wrap the yarn as normal, pull through and off.
Tip: If the fabric you are knitting is
wider than the length of your needles,
knit half a row across before measuring
the width of the work.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
44.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Part 3 – Stitch Library
Included below is a small sample of different stitch designs. I don’t have space here
to detail the hundreds of different designs that are possible with simple knit and purl
stitches. I suggest you practice the designs here and then experiment or check out one
of the excellent books available with many, many more stitch designs.
My personal favorite book is The Knitter’s Bible by Claire Crompton
Ribbing
Ribbing is created by alternating columns of knit and purl
stitches, usually 1x1 or 2x2. It is springy and elastic and is
used for the waist, cuffs and neckbands of jumpers and for
hats.
Tip:
Knit thin elastic thread in
with your yarn for ribbing
cuffs.
K1, p1 rib
This is also known as single rib and is normally worked over an odd number of
stitches.
Knit the first stich with yarn at the back
Purl the second stitch (remember to bring the yarn to the front for the purl)
Repeat along the row to the last stitch, which should be knitted
That will set the pattern for the rib. On the next row just knit the knit stitches and purl
the purl stitches.
Repeat in this manner until you have ribbed as many rows as required.
k1, p1 rib
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
45.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
K2, p2 rib
Cast on an even number of stitches, usually a multiple of 4 plus 2. A multiple of 4
stiuches will mean that the front of the work starts with 2 knits and ends with 2 purls.
A multiple of 4 stitches + 2 extra stitches will ensure that both edges of the work are
columns of 2 knits.
Knit 2, purl 2 all the way along to the end. This sets the pattern for the rib. On the
second and subsequent rows knit the knits and purl the purl stitches until you have
completed as many rows as required.
k2, p2 rib
Tip:
When knitting a new complicated pattern
for the first time have another knitter
read the instructions out loud to you as
you work through the steps. This avoids
you misreading and helps you understand
because you hear the instructions, which
often helps unblock a difficult passage.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
46.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Textured Knitting
With the knowledge of how to knit and purl there are now a huge variety of textures
that you can knit.
The stitches known as moss stitch and double moss stitch are often used as interesting
background stitches on Aran type garments. They are very easy to knit and are based
on k1, p1 rib.
Moss stitch
Cast on an odd number of stitches or work over an odd number of stitches.
Row 1: K1, *p1, k1 repeat from * to end of row
Repeat this row as often as required. You will always be knitting the purls and
purling the knits as you work.
If you have an even number of stitches:
Row 1: K1, *p1, k1 repeat from * to end of row
Row 2: P1, *k1, p1 repeat from * to end of row
Repeat these two rows. Again you will always be knitting the purls and purling the
knits as you work.
Moss stitch (seed stitch)
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
47.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Double moss stitch
When knitting double moss stitch you knit 2 rows of k1, p1 rib and then change over
so that you are knitting p1, k1 rib. Every front row knit the purls and purl the knits;
every back row you knit the knits and purl the purls.
With an odd number of stitches:
Row 1: k1, *p1, k1 repeat from * to end of row
Row 2: p1, *k1, p1 repeat from * to end of row
Row 3: as row 2
Row 4: as row 1
These 4 rows are then repeated as often as necessary.
With an even number of stitches:
Row 1: *k1, p1 repeat from * to end of row
Row 2: as row 1
Row 3: *p1, k1 repeat from * to end of row
Row 4: as row 3
These 4 rows are then repeated as often as necessary.
Double moss stitch (double seed stitch)
There are hundreds of different textured patterns that can be created by a combination
of knit and purl stitches.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
48.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Cable Knitting
Cables are a feature of Aran garments. They are formed by twisting knit stitches
around each other as you knit them. They tend to be created from knit stitches on a
background of reverse stocking stitch (stockinette) as that makes the cable stitches
stand out from the background.
Many different effects and patterns can be created using different numbers of stitches
and different ways of twisting them.
It’s fairly important to double check the abbreviations on the pattern you are using as
some designers will use a term such as C4B while others will use the term C2B to
mean exactly the same thing.
The teddy bear jumper above is worked with double moss stitch at the edges and two
four stitch cable ‘ropes’ up each side of the central diamond pattern. The ribbing is
2x2 rib. As everyone’s teddy bear will be a different size it’s just not practicable to
include the full pattern for the jumper. It’s included here to inspire you to create your
own designs!
The individual cable patterns are described below.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
49.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Four stitch cable – version 1 twisting to the right (C4B)
C4B – slip the next 2 stitches onto a cable needle together without twisting them. Put
the cable needle to the back of the work. Knit the next 2 stitches. Knit 2 stitches
from the cable needle.
Worked over 4 knit stitches on background of reverse stocking stitch
Row 1: (right side of work) K4
Row 2: P4
Row 3: C4B
Row 4: P4
Repeat these 4 rows
C4F is on the left, C4B is on the right
Four stitch cable – version 2 twisting to the left (C4F)
C4F – slip the next 2 stitches onto a cable needle without twisting them. Put the cable
needle to the front of the work. Knit the next 2 stitches. Knit 2 stitches from the
cable needle.
Worked over 4 knit stitches on a background of reverse stocking stitch
Row 1: (right side) K4
Row 2: P4
Row 3: C4F
Row 4: P4
Repeat these 4 rows.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
50.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Single chain diamond worked over 8 stitches
Abbreviations:
T2L – Twist 2 to the left. Slip the next stitch onto a cable needle and place to the front
of the work. Purl the next stitch. Knit the stitch from the cable needle.
T2R – Twist 2 to the right. Slip the next stitch onto a cable needle and place to the
back of the work. Knit the next stitch. Purl the stitch from the cable needle.
C2B – Cable 2 back. Slip the next stitch onto a cable needle and place to the back of
the work. Knit the next stitch. Knit the stitch from the cable needle.
To work the diamond:
Row 1, p3, C2B, p3
Row 2 and every wrong side row following: Knit the knits and purl the purls
Row 3: P2, T2R, T2L, p2
Row 5: p1, T2R, p2, T2L, p1
Row 7: T2R, p4, T2L
Row 9: k1, p6, k1
Row 11: T2L, p4, T2R
Row 13: p1, T2L, p2, T2R, p1
Row 15: p2, T2L, T2R, p2
Row 16: k3, p2, k3
These 16 rows create the pattern and can be repeated right up the garment.
The sample above shows the diamond pattern flanked by moss stitch borders
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
51.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Part 4 – Patterns
Textured Coasters
Materials: Any double knit yarn, pair size 6 (4mm) knitting needles.
Abbreviations:
K – knit the stitch
P – purl the stitch
() – repeat the instructions in brackets as many times as written
You can use this pattern to experiement with different textures made with just knits
and purls. The basic pattern is 24 stitches wide with a border of 4 rows garter stitch
top and bottom and 2 stitches of garter stitch at both ends of every row. The center 20
stitches are for the textured design.
Coaster 1 – Simple Chequerboard
Cast on 24 stitches
Knit 4 rows
Row5: k2, (k4, p4) twice, k6
Row6: k2, (p4, k4) twice, p4, k2
Row7: as row5
Row8: as row6
Row9: as row6
Row10: as row5
Row11: as row6
Row12: as row5
Repeat row5 to row12 twice more
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
52.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Repeat row5 to row8 (32 rows in total)
Knit 4 rows
Bind (cast) off
Coaster 2 – Zig-Zag
Cast on 24 stitches
Knit 4 rows
Row5: k2 , p5,k5, p5, k7
Row6: k3, p5, k5, p5, k6
Row7: k2, p3, k5, p5, k5, p2, k2
Row8: (k5, p5) twice, k4
Row9: k2, p1, k5, p5, k5, p4, k2
Row10: k7, p5, k5, p5, k2
Row11: as row9
Row12: as row8
Row13: as row7
Row14: as row6
Repeat row5 to row14 once more
Repeat row5 to row12 (32 rows in total)
Knit 4 rows
Bind (cast) off
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
53.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Coaster 3 – Mock Cable
Cast on 24 stitches
Knit 4 rows
Row5: k2, (p4, k1, p1, k4) twice, k2
Row6: k2, (p3, k2, p2, k3) twice, k2
Row7: k2, (p2, k2, p1, k1, p2, k2) twice, k2
Row8: k2, (p1, k2, p2, k2, p2, k1) twice, k2
Row9: k2, (k2, p3, k3, p2) twice, k2
Row10: k2, (k1, p4, k4, p1) twice, k2
Repeat row5 to row10 three times
Repeat row5 to row8 (32 rows in total)
Knit 4 rows
Bind (cast) off
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
54.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Place Mats
These place mat designs match the coaster designs above.
Materials: Any double knit yarn, pair size 6 (4mm) knitting needles.
Abbreviations:
K – knit the stitch
P – purl the stitch
() – repeat the instructions in brackets as many times as written
These place mats match the textured coaster patterns.
Simple Chequerboard Place Mat
Cast on 68 stitches
Knit 6 rows
Row5: k8, (p4, k4) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row6: (k4, p4) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row7: as row5
Row8: as row6
Row9: as row6
Row10: as row5
Row11: as row6
Row12: as row5
Repeat row5 to row12 six times more (total 62 rows)
Repeat row5 to row8 (66 rows)
Knit 6 rows
Bind (cast) off
Zig-Zag Place Mat
Cast on 68 stitches
Knit 6 rows
Row5: k4, (p5, k5) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row6: k5, (p5, k5) to last 3 stitches, k3
Row7: k4, p3, (k5,p5) to last 11 stitches, k5, p2, k4
Row8: k7, (p5, k5) to last stitch, k1
Row9: k4, p1 (k5, p5) to last 13 stitches, k5, p4, k4
Row10: k9, (p5, k5) to last 9 stitches, p5, k4
Row11: as row9
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
55.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Row12: as row8
Row13: as row7
Row14: as row6
Repeat row5 to row14 5 times more (total 66 rows)
Knit 6 rows
Bind (cast) off
Mock Cable Place Mat
Cast on 68 stitches
Knit 6 rows
Row5: k4, (p4, k1, p1, k4) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row6: k4, (p3, k2, p2, k3) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row7: k4, (p2, k2, p1, k1, p2, k2) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row8: k4, (p1, k2, p2, k2, p2, k1) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row9: k4, (k2, p3, k3, p2) to last 4 stitches, k4
Row10: k4, (k1, p4, k4, p1) to last 4 stitches, k4
Repeat row5 to row10 nine times more (total 66 rows)
Knit 6 rows
Bind (cast) off
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
56.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Ribbed Hat Pattern
Yarn
I used some double knitting acrylic yarn out of my stash. Any double knit weight of
yarn will be fine for this hat as long as your tension gauge is reasonably close.
Tension / Gauge
24sts and 26 rows to 4" over K2, P2 rib slightly stretched. I used 5mm needles (US 8).
Pattern:
Cast on 96 stitches.
Note: if you want to make a smaller hat reduce the number of stitches you cast on in
multiples of 4 stitches.
Row 1: *(K2, P2) Repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 following: Repeat row 1.
Continue in pattern until piece measures 9½" ending with a Right Side row.
Shaping for top:
Next row: *(K2tog, P2)repeat from * to end of row.
Next row: K2 *(K2tog, K1) repeat from * to last stitch, K1.
Next row: *(P2, P2tog) repeat from * to last stitch, P1.
Next row: *(K1, K2tog) repeat from * to last stitch, K1.
Next row: *(P2tog, P1) repeat from * to last stitch, P1.
Next row: *(K2tog) repeat from * to last stitch, K1. (9 stitches remain)
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
57.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Making up
Cut yarn leaving about 20" for sewing up. Thread a tapestry needle with the tail end
of the yarn and pass through all the remaining stitches. Draw up tight and sew in. Sew
up the side seam of the hat. Darn in the tail from the cast on edge
If you want you could work a bobble and sew it onto the top of the hat.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
58.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Cable Hat Pattern
Yarn: Double knitting weight
Needles: 5mm (US size 8)
Tension: 24sts and 26 rows to 4 inches over pattern
Fits adults
Cast on 98 stitches.
K2, p2 rib for 4 inches (10 cm) ending with a k2, p2 row
Row1: p2, t2b, *(p2, C4F, k2, (p2, t2b) 3 times) repeat from * 4 times, p2, C4F, k2,
p2, t2b, p2
Row2 and every back row: knit the knits and purl the purls
Row3: p2, t2b, *(p2, k6, (p2, t2b) 3 times) repeat from * 4 times, p2, k6, p2, t2b, p2
Row5: p2, t2b, *(p2, k2, C4B, (p2, t2b) 3 times) repeat from * 4 times, p2, k2, C4B,
p2, t2b, p2
Row7: as row3
Row8: knit the knits and purl the purls
These 8 rows form the pattern
Continue working keeping pattern correct until work measures 9½ inches ending with
a Wrong Side row.
Shaping for top:
Row1: P2tog, k2, *(p2tog, k6, (p2tog,k2) 3 times) repeat from * 4 times, p2tog, k6,
p2tog, k2, p2tog
Row2: k1, p2tog, *(k1, p6, (k1, p2tog) 3 times) repeat from * 4 times, k1, p6, k1,
p2tog, k1
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
59.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Row3: k1, k2tog, *(k2, k2tog) repeat from * to last stitch, k1 (48 stitches)
Row4: Purl
Row5: k1, *(k2tog) repeat from * to last stitch, k1 (25 stitches)
Row6: Purl
Row7: k1, (k2tog) repeat from * to end of row (13 stitches)
Row8: Purl
Row9: k1, *(k2tog) repeat from * to end of row (7 stitches) (7 stitches)
Cut yarn leaving about 20" for sewing up. Thread a tapestry needle with the tail end
of the yarn and pass through all the remaining stitches. Draw up tight and sew in. Sew
up the side seam of the hat. Darn in the tail from the cast on edge
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
60.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Bear Paw Hat Pattern
This is by far the most difficult pattern in this book so I would advise you not to
attempt it until you are very confident in your knitting skills.
Yarn: Chunky weight (bulky)
Needles: 4½ mm (US size 7) for rib, 5½ mm (US size 9) for main hat
Tension: 9sts and 14 rows to 2 inches
Abbreviations:
K – knit
P – purl
K2tog – knit 2 stitches together
Cast on 82 stitches using smaller needles
K2, p2 rib for 4 inches (10cm) ending with a k2,p2 row
Work 8 rows stocking stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row)
Knit 31 stitches, knit 20 stitches from chart row1 (see page 42), knit 31 stitches
Continue in stocking stitch working from the chart over the central 20 stitches.
Work 8 rows stocking stitch
Next row: [k2tog, k2] repeat to last 2 sts, k2tog
Next row: purl
Next row: k2, [k2tog, k1] repeat to last 2 sts, k2tog
Next row: purl
Next row: k1 [k2tog] repeat to end of row (11 sts remain)
Cut yarn leaving 15 inches or so
Thread yarn through all the stitches on the needle and pull up tight
Sew in firmly and sew up seam. Remember the ribbing will be turned up so you
might want to sew it up from the other side of the work.
Finish off all the loose ends and close up any holes in the design as you do so.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
61.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
Knitting Tips
My thanks go to the visitors to my website, www.theknittingsite.com who generously
shared the following tips.
1. Store your patterns in plastic wallets in a ring binder. This keeps them clean
and makes them easy to look through when you’re looking for a new project.
2. When you put your work down always push the stitches down the needles
away from the points so the stitches don’t drop off.
3. Carry an old wine bottle cork to poke the end of your needles into. This will
stop the stitches falling off.
4. If you are unsure you have enough yarn to finish a row, lay the yarn across the
width of the knitting. If the yarn reaches across four times or more then you
should have enough to get to the end of the row.
5. Join a new ball of the same color yarn at the end of a row.
6. Use the Continental method of knitting, it’s much faster and makes it easier to
watch TV or read while you are knitting.
7. Use bamboo or plastic needles when learning. Your stitches are much less
likely to accidentally slip off than with metal needles.
8. If your cast off edges are too tight, use a size larger needle in the right hand to
cast off.
9. When you’re learning to knit, count the number of stitches you have after
every row until you are confident you’re not making extra ones, or losing
stitches as you knit.
10. Keep a small pencil pouch in your knitting bag to hold your crochet hook, tape
measure, scissors, darning needles, etc.
11. When winding yarn from a skein into a ball keep it loose. I wind the yarn
with two or three fingers inside the wrapping, taking them out and resetting as
necessary. If you wind the ball too tight you’ll lose some of the ‘give’ in the
final garment.
12. If you are changing colors in any work make sure to cross the second color
over the first or you’ll end up with pieces not a whole product.
13. Always check for errata when you purchase knitting books.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
62.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
14. If your knitting isn’t going right don’t get frustrated with it. Walk away if you
have to and come back to it another time.
15. Choose colors you like and yarn you like the feel of wherever you can. You’ll
be working with it until the project’s finished.
16. Run a contrast thread through a row with a darning needle at intervals as you
knit. If you have to rip out then you will have the stitches saved ready to pick
up from the contrast yarn. When you’ve finished the threads will pull straight
out.
17. If you know how to crochet it can be a quick and easy way to join the seams
of a garment.
18. When casting on stitches, leave a length of yarn sufficient to sew the seam
when finished.
19. Make a copy of the patterns so that you don't have to worry about destroying
or losing the originals by folding them up, marking them up, and carrying
them around in your knitting bag.
20. When working in the round when you have used the long tail cast on so that
the tail and the working yarn are at the same end of the row, knit the first one
or two stitches with both the working yarn and the tail held together and snug
them up. When you reach the beginning of the second row, treat those
doubled strands as a single stitch(es). This allows for really snugging up those
first and last stitches of the first round without the gap that can result when
only using the working yarn.
21. Use jump rings purchased in the craft store as stitch markers.
22. If you need to use stitch markers, attach a length of embroidery floss (about 12
inches) with a clove hitch knot so that there is a doubled length of about six
inches of floss dangling from the stitch marker. The floss gets held in your
stitches as you are knitting up so that if your marker should happen to fall off
your needle, it cannot go flying across the room.
23. If you have to put your knitting down in the middle of a row the yarn should
always be on the right hand side of the work when you pick it up again.
24. If your hands tend to get sweaty and damp when knitting, dust with baby
powder now and again while working. It’ll make the knitting smell nice too!
25. Don’t use the ‘fun’ yarns until you’re much more experienced. They are more
difficult to knit with and it’s virtually impossible to correct mistakes because
you can’t see what you have done.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
63.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
26. When knitting a long piece of work, mark every ten rows with a small safety
pin or a small piece of contrast yarn then you can easily count up your rows
later.
27. Stop knitting and stretch out your shoulders, neck and hands when you start to
get stiff.
28. Learn to knit on two straight needles. Leave the circular needles or the double
pointed needles until you are a more experienced knitter.
29. Never knit in the same room as a kitten!
30. Always check your tension/gauge. It’s heartbreaking to have to rip back a
whole garment because it’s the wrong size. Checking your tension will save
you hours of time and all that heartache.
31. Never stretch your knitting when measuring - the garment will end up too
small!
32. When measuring the length of a piece of knitting while still knitting (e.g. to
armhole shaping) measure from the cast on edge to the underside of the
knitting needle holding the work.
33. When casting on a lot of stitches for a large project, place a slip knot of
contrast yarn every 20 stitches. This makes it much easier to count the
stitches. If you then slip the markers across every row it will help you keep
track of your place in the pattern.
34. When casting on with two needles, take care when you insert the point of the
right hand needle, pull up the yarn to tighten the previous stitch while it is held
open by the right hand needle. This way you will get an even tension and the
cast on edge will not be too tight.
35. When knitting the first stitch of the row be sure to pull it very firmly tight to
avoid loops at the edge of the work. If you still tend to get loops try slipping
the first stitch of every row rather than knitting it.
36. To keep your edges neat always slip the first stitch of every row and knit the
last stitch of every row. This gives you a very neat edge that is easy to sew up
or to pick up stitches from.
37. Always pull a length of yarn off the ball before knitting so you are not tugging
against the ball as you knit.
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
64.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
38. Keep your ball of yarn in a pot or bag to keep it clean and stop it rolling all
over the floor. Empty tissue boxes work well.
39. To avoid the loop at the end of the binding off, bind off the last two stitches
together.
40. Make your increases or decreases at least one stitch in from the edges of the
work to keep the edges neat and even.
41. Look through the pattern before you begin and check you understand what
you are going to be doing.
42. Many knitters will underline their size throughout a pattern before starting to
knit. This helps keep you on track. If you don’t want to damage the pattern
then take a photocopy and mark up the photocopy.
43. Keep a pad of Post-It notes and a pencil in your knitting bag – always useful if
you need to mark the pattern or make a note to yourself about the knitting.
44. Don’t attempt to knit intarsia in the round. By the second time round the ends
of your colors will be on the wrong side of the work and will have to be cut
and rejoined in.
45. When following a chart pattern take a photocopy and mark off each row as
you complete it. Or place the chart in a plastic wallet and mark off each row
on the plastic wallet. This keeps the original pattern clean and helps you keep
your place as you knit.
46. Use a crochet hook to pick up dropped stitches and work back up into place.
47. Knit thin elastic thread in with your yarn for ribbing cuffs.
48. When knitting a new complicated pattern for the first time have another knitter
read the instructions out loud to you as you work through the steps. This
avoids you misreading and helps you understand because you hear the
instructions, which often helps unblock a difficult passage.
49. To uncoil circular needles, soak in hot water for a few minutes. This will
straighten them out and make them much easier to use.
50. When casting on, leave a tail end long enough to sew up the whole seam.
As you become more experienced with knitting you will find your own favorite ways
to do things. As one of my correspondents wrote: “There is no wrong way, if it works
for you, use it!”
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
65.
.
Knitting101
Penny Dablin
Everything you need to know about knitting
_____________________________________________________________________
And whatever you do, don’t give up! You’ll get it eventually. Nobody else became a
master knitter overnight so don’t beat yourself up if you have a few problems to start
with!
I hope you have found the information in this book useful and that you are now much
more confident with your knitting skills.
There are videos on my website at http://www.theknittingsite.com/videos.html which
will help with most of the techniques explained in this book.
Also available: Learn to Knit on DVD
Soon to be released: Intarsia 101 – How to Design and Knit Intarsia Patterns (DVD)
_____________________________________________________________________
© 2009 Penny Dablin
www.theknittingsite.com
66.
.