Innholdsfortegnelse for Beginner's Guide to Knitting i Beginner's Guide to Knitting

1 INTERCHANGEABLE NEEDLE SET Keep your needles with you at all times in a small pouch, for knitting in the round or in rows. Circulars’ long cords make them perfect for hundreds of shawl stitches. KnitPro Zings, £45 per set, www.knitproneedles.co.uk. 2 CHART KEEPER Chart keepers are great for lace knitting. Use the small magnets to hold your chart in place then slide the long ruler up the chart every time you work a row. KnitPro Magma chart keeper, small £15, large £22.75, www.theknittersattic.co.uk. 3 BENT TIP TAPESTRY NEEDLES These bent tip tapestry needles help when working backstitch or mattress stitch, especially with aran yarn or thicker. Clover CHIBI bent tapestry needle set, £4, www.woolstack.co.uk. 4 FABRIC CLIPS Holding knitted fabric together while you sew it up can be a…

PEN METHOD Grab a pair of knitting needles and practise holding them, one in each hand. One of the most popular way to hold a pair of needles is the pen method, shown here. Hold the left needle approx 5cm (2in) from the point, as if you’re about to sharpen it like a pencil. In your right hand, hold the right needle as if you’re about to write with it like a pencil. KNIFE METHOD Alternatively, try holding the right needle like you would hold a knife. Place your index finger further down the needle, away from the thumb. If this doesn’t work for you either, just find a way that does! It may also change as you knit. Some knitters hold their needles like reins, while others even place…

The first technique you need to learn in knitting is casting on. There are many different ways to cast on, but here we’ll show you two easy methods to get started. If you’re right-handed, you’ll cast your stitches on to the left-hand needle. If you’re left-handed, you can either knit ‘right-handed’ and follow the instructions accordingly, or mirror them and cast your stitches on to the right-hand needle. To practise casting on, use double knitting yarn and a pair of 4mm needles, and cast on 22 stitches. When you cast on, the stitches you create should be firm. If they’re too loose, the edge of your fabric will flare; too tight and the bottom of your fabric will pull in and pucker. If you find that your cast-on is tight,…

Knitters tend to describe the specific patterned effect created on the knitted fabric as a ‘stitch pattern’. If you knit every stitch on every row, back and forth, you’ll create what’s called a garter stitch pattern, or a piece of garter stitch fabric. On the right, you can see an example – you’ll see that the pattern creates rows of wavy bumps. Garter stitch looks the same on both sides so it can be reversible. The wavy bumps are nicely spaced out, with rows of small ‘v’ shapes sitting in between each row of bumps. Garter stitch fabric is very easy to create and is the first stitch pattern that every new knitter works. It’s sometimes accused of being boring, but garter stitch is actually very versatile. Also known as…

After all your knitting efforts, it’s worth taking the time to finish your work properly. After casting off, if you’ve done as we advised and left approx 15cm (6in) tail end before you cut the yarn, you’ll have ends at both your cast-on and cast-off corners. These will look rather straggly unless you do something with them. To create a neat finish, patterns will instruct that you ‘weave in ends’. This is very simple and just requires using a large-eyed needle with a blunt tip. There are no strict rules about how to weave in these ends – they just need to be secure, and invisible from the front. It’s a good idea to weave the yarn tail in different directions to prevent it from working its way out over…

So far, we’ve only shown you how to work whole rows of knit or purl stitches. The next step is to learn how to alternate between knit and purl stitches on the same row – this will create a rib stitch pattern, also known as ribbing, used for hems, cuffs and edges. You might have noticed that when you knit stitches, you keep the working yarn at the back of the fabric, and when you purl stitches, the yarn stays at the front of the fabric. When you switch between knit and purl stitches on the same row, you need to move the working yarn into the correct position (back for knit and front for purl), ready to work the next stitch (see below). You’ll need to move the yarn…

Sometimes you’ll find a pattern that asks you to decrease on the purl rows, so it’s important that you’re able to work purl decreases as well as knit decreases. The easiest decrease to make when you’re purling is p2tog, which means ‘purl two stitches together’. This reduces your stitch count by one. The technique is worked in the same way as a purl stitch, but the right-hand needle is inserted into two stitches on the left, rather than just one. This stitch creates a decrease that slopes to the right when you look at stocking stitch fabric from the right side, so it’s best used at the start of a purl row. You will also see p2tog used in lace patterns and complex repeats, in the middle of rows. Cast…

Another simple increase is M1, which means ‘make one stitch’. This increases your stitch count by one. You can see below that the technique involves knitting into the strand of yarn that lies between two stitches. The M1 technique is a type of raised increase, so-called because you raise up the strand of yarn and then knit into it. Try to work the M1 increase as loosely as possible, otherwise you can create a small hole in the fabric around the increase. (If you want to make a decorative hole, knit into the front rather than the back of the stitch at point 3.) The basic M1 increase slants to the left, so it’s often used at the beginning of a row, but it is used mid-row in some patterns…

At the end of every knitting project, there are always yarn ends to weave in, but with colourwork projects there can be so many more to deal with! Every time you change colours, you create two tail ends of yarn that have to be hidden and secured. Weaving in colour ends might be time-consuming, but it’s very simple. The method we recommend is really no different from when you’re weaving in ends on a solid colour fabric, but you need to remember to match your weaving with your yarn colours if you’ve used more than one. So in a pink and cream striped jumper, the pink ends must be woven into the pink stripes and the cream ends into the cream stripes. Otherwise, you risk the yarn ends being seen…

The easiest cable technique, and the one most people learn first, is the Cable 4 Front (C4F). This twists the stitches to the left and creates the ‘twisted rope’ effect that you’ll recognise from jumpers you see on the high street. To practise this cable stitch, we recommend you use a smooth wool or acrylic-based DK yarn and a pair of 4mm needles. Cast on 22 stitches and on the first row, purl 9 stitches, knit 4 stitches, purl 9 stitches. This will be the right side of the fabric. Work the second row: K9, P4, K9. This will be the wrong side. On the next row, you can start cabling! Work the row as follows: P9, C4F, P9. It might help you to place a stitch marker on both…

Bobbles are another great way to add texture to your knitting and you’ll often find them used in patterns together with cables. Working bobbles in your knitting is very simple, once you know how, and it’s actually a lot of fun! Different bobbles are worked in different ways, but they usually involve rapid increases and decreases of stitches, so before you try bobbles make sure you’ve practised the increasing and decreasing stitches in the Shaping Knitting chapter (from page 51). To practise making bobbles, we recommend you use a smooth wool or acrylic-based DK yarn and a pair of 4mm needles. Cast on 22 stitches and work in stocking stitch (alternating knit and purl rows) for a few rows. When you’re ready, try working a bobble using the easy technique…

The easiest way to start knitting in the round is to use a circular needle. Practise by following our steps below, using DK yarn and a 4mm circular needle. Choose a pair with a cord that’s not too short to start with, to make it easier to bring the needle tips together. Try using a 40cm (16in) length and cast on 120 stitches. This will ensure you have enough stitches to comfortably go all the way around your circular needle. There are various ways to join your knitting into the round. You can just start knitting, as we’ll show you below. When you use this method, when you finish your project, you will need to pull the end of the yarn you started with to tighten it, and then weave…

When you work in the round, every round is worked on the right side of the fabric. So if you knit each stitch, you’ll get stocking stitch – purling each stitch creates reverse stocking stitch. Make tubes of the four main stitch patterns (below) to see how they work. When working any stitch pattern in the round, you’ll find that at the join point of the round, where it starts/ends, there’s a slight jarring of the stitch pattern. This is normal and nothing to worry about when you’re starting out. The ‘jog’ in the fabric is more obvious in some stitch patterns, such as garter stitch. There are ways to combat this, but don’t worry at this stage. If you’re getting a ladder, move the stitch marker each round so…

Cast on 8 sts. Row 1 Sl 1, K1, *yo, p2tog, (K1, P1, K1) into next st; rep from * once more. [12 sts] Row 2 (K3, yo, p2tog) twice, K2. Row 3 Sl 1, K1, (yo, p2tog, K3) twice. Row 4 Cast off 2 sts knitwise (1st remains on right-hand needle), yo, p2tog, cast off next 2 sts knitwise (4 sts on righthand needle), yo, p2tog, K2. Repeat these 4 rows to desired length. Cast on 16 sts. Row 1 (RS) SI 1, K15. Row 2 SI 1, K1, P12, K2. Rows 3-4 As Rows 1-2. Row 5 SI 1, K1, C6B, C6F, K2. Row 6 As Row 2. Rows 7-12 As Rows 1-6. Rows 13-14 As Rows 1-2. Rows 15-16 As Rows 1-2. Row 17 SI 1, K1,…

There are all sorts of fastenings you can use on your knitting – poppers, zips, a hook and eye – but buttons are a classic and stylish method and probably the most popular. Sewing them onto knitted fabric is very similar to sewing them on to your clothes, but there are some things to remember when you’re using yarn. If you’re using buttons as fastenings rather than just as decoration, it’s a good idea to choose your buttons before you start knitting. That way, you can make sure that your buttons aren’t too big for the buttonbands you’ll be knitting, and that the buttonholes you work are the right size for the buttons. It’s usually best to match the size of the buttons to the weight of the yarn; for…

Feathery fringing can turn a plain blanket into a favourite bedtime accessory, or reinvent a boring old garment as a striking fashion statement. It’s also a really quick and easy way to give a scarf a feminine finish, or for simply adding a new lease of life to last year’s winter warmer! As with other finishing touches, such as pompoms or tassels, a fringe can be made from leftover yarn from a project or in a contrasting colour so it really stands out. If you do want contrasting colours, it’s a great way to use up short lengths of yarn from your stash that you can’t use anywhere else. You’ll need to select an appropriate size of crochet hook to use for your project, depending on the yarn you’re using.…

Sometimes, you may need to decrease on the wrong side of your fabric. We’ve already looked at p2tog (on page 55), which produces a left-leaning slant when you’re looking at the purl side of the fabric, or it will give a right-leaning slant if you’re looking at the knit side. To produce a purl decrease that slants in the opposite direction (right-leaning on the purl side, left-leaning on the knit side), you can work the p2tog through the back loops of the stitches. You will also sometimes see p3tog tbl, which you work in the same way as below, just inserting the right needle into the next three stitches rather than the next two. This is a fiddly stitch to work – but once you’ve got the hang of this,…

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The world of yarn is huge, and one of the joys of knitting is using different types of yarn – there are many fibres, thicknesses, textures and colours of yarn, each one more beautiful than the next! Note that knitters (and crocheters!) call it ‘yarn’: the word ‘wool’ specifically means the fibre spun from a sheep’s coat. When it comes to deciding on the yarn you need, size does matter. Yarn comes in different weights, or thicknesses, from the finest 1ply lace to the widely-used DK yarn, up to thick super-chunky yarns. The yarn thickness will affect the look, feel and weight of your knitted fabric. You’ll always get the best results if you use the yarn quoted in a specific pattern, although as you gain confidence, you’ll find it’s…

You’ll find that knitting patterns are presented differently in every publication. All the different components can look quite confusing, with what seems like a code to be cracked before you can knit! Don’t worry, though – everything is really quite simple. Below are the key elements that should appear on every pattern and what they mean. It’s a good idea to take the time to read through a pattern before you start, to give yourself an idea of the techniques involved and how any separate knitted pieces will fit together to create the final item. Make sure you’ve got everything you need and check your tension! CABLE GILET Note The Gilet is worked in 3 pieces from the bottom up. The cabling starts on Row 1. CHARTS CHART A (MAIN…

HOLD THE YARN When you first start knitting, you’ll probably hold the yarn a bit like this, grasping it with all your fingers or resting it in the palm of your right hand. You’ll probably take your right hand off the right needle to move the yarn around the needle. This is called ‘throwing’ your yarn and it’s fine to do this when you’re starting out, although you might find it leads to a tight and uneven tension in your stitches (there’ll be more on this later). WEAVE THE YARN Once you feel a bit more confident working the knit stitch, try weaving the yarn around your fingers, more like this. If you’re doing a lot of knitting, this method will help your fabric grow faster and more easily. Most…

Once you’ve learned the knit stitch, you’ll find the purl stitch easy peasy. To make purl stitches, you just reverse the action of making plain knit stitches. To practise the purl stitch, cast on some stitches onto your left needle (if you’re right-handed). We recommend you use double knitting (DK) yarn, a pair of 4mm needles and about 22 stitches to practise with. Follow the instructions below, then once you get to the end of the first row, all your stitches will be on the right-hand needle. Swap the needles over and you’ll be ready for the second row. Purling will feel different because you’re working at the front of the needles rather than at the back, so keep going until you feel happy that you’ve got it and you’re…

Rib is a combination of regular numbers of knit and purl stitches knitted along the same row. The simplest rib is usually a 1x1 rib, which you can practise (see left). You’ll usually see it written in patterns as ‘Work in a 1x1 rib’ or ‘*K1, P1; repeat from *’. Rib patterns usually (though not always) extend across the whole row. BACK AND FORTH As your piece of rib knitting grows, the knit and purl stitches will form defined columns. Don’t forget, whichever row you’re on, you will need to move your yarn to the front of the work before you purl, and then take it to the back again before you do a knit stitch. If you think you’ve gone wrong, just look down the column or ‘rib’ to…

You can make many different stitch patterns using just knit and purl stitches – moss stitch and its variations are among the most attractive. Moss stitch (also known as seed stitch) is reversible and produces a beautiful texture. The close, balanced arrangement of knit and purl stitches creates a relatively thick fabric that lies flat, so it’s ideal for borders, edgings, necks and cuffs, where you don’t want the curl of stocking stitch or the stretch of a rib. It’s also strong and very hard-wearing, so accessories and garments that are going to get a lot of use will work well in moss stitch. ODDS AND EVENS You can knit a basic moss stitch on an odd or even number of stitches. Cast on an odd number of stitches, work…

The world of knitting would be a very different one without increasing and decreasing techniques – all we’d knit would be flat, straight shapes, such as squares and rectangles. By learning simple shaping stitches, you’ll be able to knit all sorts of shapes, including garments. So what are increasing and decreasing stitches? How do they change the shape of your knitting? At the beginner stage, you usually work the same number of stitches on every row to keep the sides straight. When you work decrease stitches, you will reduce the number of stitches in a row and narrow the width of the knitted fabric. Working increase stitches adds more stitches to a row and widens the fabric. Both decreasing and increasing create sloped rather than straight sides on your fabric.…

Another simple decrease is the SKPO, which means ‘slip one stitch, knit one stitch, then pass the slipped stitch over’ (also abbreviated as Sl1, K1, psso). This reduces your stitch count by one and forms a left-sloping decrease, so it’s best used at the start of a row. You’ll also see this decrease used a lot in toy patterns and in some lace patterns, so it’s a great one to have under your belt. So what are slipped stitches? To slip a stitch, you insert the right needle into the stitch on the left needle, as if to knit it, but just move the stitch across to the right needle, without knitting it. On a knit row, this means slipping the stitch knitwise, which will twist the stitch as it…

The easiest increase to make when you’re knitting is kfb, which means to knit into the next stitch twice – first into the front loop and then into the back loop. This increases your stitch count by one. You can see below that the first half of the technique is worked in the same way as a knit stitch, but without dropping the stitch from the left-hand needle. The right-hand needle is then inserted into the back loop of the stitch on the left needle to knit into the back loop as well. This kfb increase is a type of bar increase, so-called because it creates a small bar or bump where you’ve made the increase. Kfb doesn’t leave a hole or create a loose stitch, like other increases can,…

The perfect accompaniment to the M1 increase, M1B means ‘make one stitch back’. This increases your stitch count by one. You can see below that the technique involves knitting into the strand of yarn that lies between two stitches. Like M1, M1B is a type of raised increase because you raise up the strand of yarn and then knit into it. And as with M1, try to work the M1B increase as loosely as possible, otherwise you can make a small hole in the fabric around the increase. These are subtle, almost hidden increases. The M1B increase slants to the right, so it’s best used at the start of a row, although for items such as gloves you may see it used elsewhere. We recommend that you practise working the…

Once you’re happy with changing yarn colour, you’ll be filling your knits with stripes! The only drawback with stripes is that they can create so many yarn ends to weave in that finishing off your project becomes a mammoth task. However, it is possible to work stripes without cutting off the different yarn colours at the end of their stripe. This technique is called ‘carrying colours’ and involves twisting together the different yarn colours up the side of your knitted fabric. Simply twisting one yarn over the other will bring the yarn you’re not using up to the same level as the one you are knitting with at the moment. We’ll show you how to do it below This is a simple technique that will save you time and create…

Twisting your cables in the other direction is just as simple. When you work the Cable 6 Back (C6B) technique, you’ll create a twist that leans to the right. Working the cable over six stitches instead of four will also give your cable a chunkier look. To practise this cable stitch, we recommend you use a smooth wool or acrylic-based DK yarn and a pair of 4mm needles. Cast on 22 stitches, and on the first row purl 8 stitches, knit 6 stitches, purl 8 stitches. This will be the right side of the fabric. Work the second row: K8, P6, K8. This will be the wrong side. On the next row, you can start cabling! Work the row as follows: P8, C6B, P8. To help keep track of the…

What feature really defines lace knitting? The holes, of course! Lace knitting’s beauty is in how these delicate holes are placed deliberately, and the easiest way to create these is with a yarn over. This stitch creates an extra loop of yarn around your needle, which you work into on the next round as if it were just another stitch. It’s an increase, because you’re making a new stitch that wasn’t there before, and adds one to your stitch count. Since it’s a new stitch and there was no pre-existing stitch under it, a ‘yo’ also creates a hole in your fabric. You’ll find a number of different terms used for yarn overs, such as ‘yarn forward’ (yf) or ‘yarn round needle’ (yrn). These generally mean the same thing, though…

Working in the round on double-pointed needles uses the same techniques as working on a circular needle, plus a few more. Knitting on DPNs can be a bit fiddly to start with, but practice makes perfect and you’ll soon be able to knit hats and socks with ease! When casting on to work with DPNs in the round, you don’t have to cast directly on to three or four DPNs. Many knitters find it easier to cast on all the stitches onto one straight needle, as usual, and then transfer them to DPNs – we’ll show you how to do this below. If you don’t have too many stitches, you can cast on to one of the DPNs – you can always use a point protector if you’re worried about…

Knitting in rounds is very similar to knitting in rows, but if your pattern includes a chart that’s worked in the round, there are a few things you need to know to be able to follow the chart and ensure you knit the item successfully. Just like when you’re working stitch charts in rows (see page 20), each square represents a specific yarn colour or type of stitch, with a key to tell you which colour or stitch to work. Along the bottom, the numbers still represent the stitches you’ll work, and each row of squares represents a round of knitting. The main difference between a stitch chart worked in rows and one worked in rounds is the numbers along the side, which represent the rounds you’ll work. On a…

Picking up stitches along an edge of knitting might seem tricky at first – but it’s really not! It’s actually much simpler than casting on, and once you’re done you just knit the stitches as normal. As you work, you essentially treat the holes (or loops) in your fabric just as you would treat stitches lined up on a left-hand needle. Push your needle into them, loop your yarn round and pull through – et voilà, you have a new stitch. If you’re finding it tricky to pull the yarn back through to the front of the fabric, try using a crochet hook to grab it and pull it through, then slip it onto your needle. You’ll use this technique when making buttonbands and necklines on garments, and if you’re…

Once you’ve finished knitting, the next steps are to make sure your pieces are finished off in a professional way. First, you will need to weave in any tail ends of yarn, which we showed you how to do on page 36. Before you sew up your finished item, you’ll get the best results if you take the time to block and press each piece of fabric. It might be a time-consuming when you’re in a hurry to be done, but it makes a big difference. Some knits, especially lace and also cables, can look crumpled when they come off the needles. The process of blocking will transform these pieces and make sure the stitches are even and flat. However, there are a few exceptions. It’s important not to block…

Fluffy pompoms are a fun extra touch on a range of projects, whether you’re decorating the top of a hat or the toe of a slipper. You can even craft with pompoms alone by making loads from leftover yarn and stringing them together to create eye-catching bunting for a special occasion. You can use just one colour, or use several colours wrapped around the card or maker for different effects. Make a few in different sizes, stitch them together and suddenly you have a dog, cat or hamster pompom pet! For a few pounds, you can buy a special pompom-making gadget to speed things up (handy if you’re making hundreds!), but it’s easy to whip up any size of pompom with just a pair of scissors and a piece of…

This stitch does sound a bit complicated, because it has a few stages to it, but really it’s just one step up from the skpo you’ve already tried on page 56. The sk2po stitch is essentially a mirror of the k3tog stitch, and you’ll often see them used together on a row to balance each other out visually. This stitch decreases your stitch count by two stitches, which creates a sharp slope when used for shaping. It’s generally balanced out by working two yarn overs elsewhere in the row when used in lace. The finished stitch leans to the left, mirroring the k3tog’s lean to the right. As with many lace stitches, it’s easier to work the sk2po if you’re using knitting needles with sharp points to them – in…

Once you get more confident with knitting, you’re likely to come across patterns that include a chart (or several charts). This might be a stitch chart, where each square represents a specific type of stitch, with a key to tell you which stitch to work. Or it could be a colour chart, where each square represents a specific yarn colour, with a key to tell you which colour to work, plus written instructions to tell you the stitch pattern to work while you’re changing colours. As with patterns, you’ll find that charts can be presented in different ways. There should be notes to explain how to use the charts included with the pattern, but usually you’ll need to start from the bottom right-hand corner. The rows on the chart should…

When you get down to the very basics, knitting is simply a series of loops, all pulled through one another to create a fabric. So the first loop, the slipknot, is very important to get right and give you a good foundation. A good knit relies on a good knot! But don’t worry, it’s not hard, and you may even have made slipknots when you were younger. Take your time and practise making a few – it may seem monotonous but it will pay off in the end. When you create slipknots for casting on, make sure you leave a fairly long tail of yarn at the end, at least approximately 10cm (4in) in length. This way, you can be sure it won’t unravel and it will be easier to…

Once you’ve learned to cast on some stitches, you can practise knitting them. If you know a knitter, ask them to cast on for you so you can try knitting before learning to cast on. The knit stitch is the most important stitch you’ll learn. It forms the basis of every other stitch, there are plenty of patterns that use nothing else, and the good news is that it’s really easy! To practise the knit stitch, you’ll need to have cast on some stitches onto your left-hand needle (if you’re right-handed), or your right-hand needle if you want to knit left-handedly. We recommend you use double knitting (DK) yarn and a pair of 4mm needles. About 22 stitches is a good number to cast on and practise with. When you…

Now you’ve learned how to cast on, you’ve mastered the knit stitch and made some garter stitch fabric, it’s time to finish off your piece of knitting to give a neat edge – this is called casting off, the opposite of casting on. Some patterns will call it ‘binding off’ instead – these are usually US ones. When you come to the end of your knitted item, it’s important to cast off properly, to make sure all the knitted loops you’ve worked don’t unravel. There are lots of different ways to cast off, but the one shown below is the simplest cast-off technique and the one that you’ll use most. To practise casting off, you’ll need to cast on some stitches onto your left needle – about 22 stitches is…

Even if they’ve been knitting for years, every knitter makes mistakes and has to ‘rip back’ or undo their knitting (also known as ‘frogging’ – ‘rip it’ – geddit?) sometimes. But knowing what to do to fix your mistakes will make it much less scary when you do make an error. Every now and then, you’re bound to drop a stitch and find yourself with a sneaky little hole or even a long ladder in your fabric. If you notice it straight away that helps, but even if not, never fear – just follow our simple guide below to put things right. In no time at all, no one will be any the wiser and you can get on with your knitting! How can I find my place again? As…

The easiest decrease to make when you’re knitting is a k2tog, which means ‘knit two stitches together’. This reduces your stitch count by one stitch. You can see below that the technique is worked in the same way as a knit stitch is worked, but the right-hand needle is inserted into two stitches on the left needle, rather than just one stitch. This stitch creates a decrease that slopes to the right, so it’s best used at the end of a row, although you’ll also find it used in lace patterns, where it’s often used in pattern repeats all along the row. Cast on some stitches, with double knitting (DK) yarn and a pair of 4mm needles. About 22 stitches is a good number to practise with. Knit the first…

Similar to SKPO, another simple decrease is SSK, which means ‘slip one stitch, slip one stitch, knit the two slipped stitches together’. This reduces your stitch count by one stitch and creates a decrease that slopes to the left, so it’s best used at the start of a row. You’ll often see SSK paired with k2tog in lace patterns, and sometimes they will be worked one stitch in from the edge of the row for neatness To work the SSK decrease, you need to slip one stitch knitwise, and then another, separately. You can see below that you then knit these two stitches together through their back loops. To practise working this stitch, cast on some stitches with DK yarn and a pair of 4mm needles. About 22 stitches is…

Sometimes you’ll see patterns include the abbreviation tbl, which means ‘through back loop’. Normally when you work stitches, you insert the right-hand needle into the front loop of the stitch on the left-hand needle, then pull a new stitch through the front loop. Working a stitch into the back loop is just as easy. You just insert the right-hand needle into the back loop of the stitch instead. For a knit stitch, you insert the right-hand needle into the back loop from right to left. For a purl stitch, you insert the right-hand needle into the back loop from left to right. Working stitches in the back loop is useful for creating all sorts of different effects in your knitted fabric. The technique will twist the stitch you’re working into,…

Whether you’re changing colour or you’ve simply run out of yarn and need to start a new ball, you can use the same simple technique to join in new yarn. Some knitters just knot the new yarn to the old yarn at one edge of the fabric, and then carry on knitting. However, this method can create a bulky knot that might be a pain when you’re sewing up, and could wear against the fabric. The yarn-changing method we’ll show you below is just as easy and we think it gives a neater finish. The idea behind it is that you knit the first stitch of the new row with both the old and new yarns together, securing the new yarn to your knitting with a stitch. When you have…

After stripes, you might like to try some of the other colour techniques out there. Fair Isle, intarsia and Swiss darning allow you to add all sorts of patterns, motifs and characters to your knits, transforming them from drab to fab! But there is a simpler way to create amazing colour effects, which produces some truly amazing results. Slip stitch colourwork techniques can create a similar effect to Fair Isle, but much more simply. Non-knitters won’t know the difference!. All you need to do is change colours and slip stitches – this is where you pass stitches from the left to the right needle without knitting them. The key thing to remember is not to pull too tightly on your ‘floats’ (the strands of loose yarn that run behind the…

You’ve probably seen cabled knits on the high streets and you might even have a cabled jumper, hat or scarf in your wardrobe. But did you know how easy it is to do it yourself? Cabling is the word that knitters use to describe any technique that crosses a set of stitches over other stitches. Crossing stitches allows you to create all sorts of textured effects, including twists, braids, rope-like patterns and chunky cables. To work traditional cables, you need to place a set of stitches temporarily onto a cable needle, and hold them at the front or back of the fabric while you work another set of stitches. You then work the stitches on the cable needle. This moves the cable needle stitches to the left or right, creating…

The ‘k2tog, yo’ is a classic pairing in lace knitting – the knit two together is a simple decrease positioned next to a yarn over. The stitch count will remain constant, so you won’t get any shaping in your knitting just using this combination – this is perfect for a straight piece of fabric such as a scarf. Although this stitch often forms part of a larger lace pattern, used on its own it’s also a great way to create simple eyelets in a piece of stocking stitch fabric. In this case, the k2tog decrease will appear almost invisible next to the hole created by the yarn over, so all you’ll see is a small, stable hole in the knitting. This combination is a basic component of lace knitting, so…

Can you knit in rows? Then you can knit in the round! There’s no great mystery to it and we’ll show you how in this chapter. Knitting in the round will enable you to create seamless circular fabric and open up a world of possible projects including hats and socks. The easiest way to knit in the round is with a circular needle, so we recommend you try this first. You’ll need to work with quite a lot of stitches, so that the stitches cover the entire circumference of the circular needle. By practising knitting in the round with a circular needle, you’ll quickly get the hang of the technique. Then you can move on to using double-pointed needles (DPNs). Using a set of these will enable you to knit…

Once you’ve cast stitches onto your set of DPNs, it’s time to knit the first round. Before you start, add a stitch marker to show you where the end of the round is, just like you did on the circular needle. Then check, check and check again that your stitches really aren’t twisted! Using the ‘spare’ needle as the working needle, knit the first stitch of the first round, pulling the yarn tightly for an invisible join. Knit all the stitches from the first DPN until that needle is empty. The empty needle now becomes the working needle. Continue like this all the way to the end of the round. Every time you change to a new DPN, pull the yarn tightly again. Some knitters prefer to cast on stitches…

After blocking and pressing, you’ll be ready for the most exciting part – sewing up! This will turn a few oddly-shaped pieces into a garment you can wear. There are many different ways to sew up or seam your knits. We’ve covered the two most-used methods below: mattress stitch and backstitch. There are plenty more, including oversewing or ladder stitch. For an oversewn seam, pin the fabrics together as for the backstitch method. Working as close to the edge of the knitting as possible, insert the needle from front to back, taking the yarn over the two seams, then repeat over again. Leave a gap of a row between stitches as you work along the seam. Whichever method you use, you’ll need a large-eyed, blunt needle and matching yarn, approx…

Tassels are a really simple way to add a stylish touch to many projects, from clothing to homewares. Perk up a cushion with a tassel on each corner, or give a beanie hat a funky finish with a colourful tassel on the top! If you’ve got a bit of yarn left over after you’ve completed a project then this is a great way to use it up – and a handy way to avoid the problem of accumulating lots of not-quite-long-enough-for-anything-else leftovers in your stash! That said, a tassel in a contrasting colour can look really striking, too – don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades, or even make tassels that are more than one colour (see how in step 2, below). Aside from your yarn, all you need…

Back in the Shaping chapter, you might remember that we included a couple of left-slanting decreases for you to try – and the k2tog tbl (knit two together through back of loop) is another to add to your repertoire. You might wonder why you need so many different decrease stitches to achieve the same outcome, but each variation does look subtly different, and designers will use each of the stitches in a variety of different ways and patterns to create particular effects in their designs. When you work through the back loop of any stitch (the part of the stitch loop that sits at the back rather than at the front of the needle), you’ll twist the stitch as you work. When used on single knit stitches, the result is…

DYEING YARNS If you’ve had a go at spinning your own yarn (see page 140) you might fancy dyeing it too, for a totally hand-crafted garment. That said, it’s perfectly possible to dye shop-bought undyed yarn as well. There are various ways of dyeing yarn, the easiest being commercial dyes that you can apply in the washing machine or by hand (and which tend to give a very even finish). You can also have a go at making your own dye, using ingredients found in your house or garden – from the natural green of nettles to the bright yellow of turmeric. Even the soft drink Kool-Aid can be used if you fancy some really vibrant colours! Home-made dyes can give an uneven finish, or fade over time, but this…