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I Can Knit

Easy Step-by-Step Instructions

Annie's

Lesson 1

Making a Slip Knot

TO BEGIN

The first thing you do when you start a knitting project is make a slip knot. It attaches the yarn to the needle and creates your first stitch.

Most patterns will not tell you to make a slip knot because it is done every time you start.

To make a slip knot:

Step 1: Make a loop in the yarn.

Step 2: Reach through the loop, pick up the strand; holding both ends of the yarn, pull the strand through the loop to create a new loop.

You now have a slip knot.

Step 3: Put this new loop on the needle and pull the end of the yarn that is attached to the ball of yarn just a little to tighten the knot.

If you pull too hard, the slip knot will be too tight and it will be difficult to knit into it.

You can tell if the knot is tied correctly by pulling on the ends. When you pull on the short end, the loop should get larger. When you pull on the long end, the loop should get smaller.

You want the loop to be large enough so the end of the needle will go through it easily without getting caught.

Practice tying a slip knot before moving on to the next step.

Lesson 2

Casting On

Cast on: putting stitches on the needle

The first thing you have to do is get some stitches on your needle — this is called casting on.

There are many ways to cast on; this is just one of them. It's called a cable cast-on. If someone else shows you a way you like better, use that one.

RIGHT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Start by putting a slip knot on one needle.

Step 2: Holding the needle with the stitch on it with your left hand and the empty needle with your right hand, insert the tip of the right-hand needle into the stitch from left to right as shown in the picture. Make sure the right-hand needle goes behind the left-hand one.

Step 3: Wrap the yarn around the right-hand needle counterclockwise. Be sure to use the end that is attached to the ball — not the short end.

Step 4: Holding the yarn so that it doesn't fall off the needle, pull the tip of the right-hand needle back out through the left-hand stitch, then pull it some more until you have a long loop.

Step 5: Insert the left-hand needle into the front of the loop, then pull the right-hand needle out, leaving the stitch on the left-hand needle. Pull the yarn so that it snugs up next to the first stitch. Don't pull too tight or you won't be able to get your needle in for the next stitch.

You've just cast on your first stitch! You now have two stitches on the needle.

Step 6: Insert the right-hand needle from front to back between the last stitch just placed on the left-hand needle and the one before it.

Step 7: Wrap the yarn around the right-hand needle counterclockwise, then holding the yarn so that it does not fall off the needle, pull the tip of the right-hand needle back out between the stitches. Place this new loop in the left- hand needle. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 until you have several stitches on the left- hand needle. Eight stitches is a good number to practice with.

There is a right side and a wrong side to the cast-on. Can you see that there is a smooth surface facing you and a bumpy surface on the other side of the needle? The smooth side is the right side of the cast-on and the bumpy side is the wrong side.

LEFT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Start by putting a slip knot on one needle.

Step 2: Holding the needle with the stitch on it with your right hand and the empty needle with your left hand, insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the stitch on the right-hand needle, from right to left as shown in the picture. Make sure the left-hand needle goes behind the right-hand one.

Step 3: Wrap the yarn around the left-hand needle clockwise. Be sure to use the end that is attached to the ball — not the short end.

Step 4: Holding the yarn so that it doesn't fall off the needle, pull the tip of the left-hand needle back out through the right-hand stitch; then pull it some more until you have a long loop.

Step 5: Insert the right-hand needle into the front of the loop, then pull the left-hand needle out, leaving the stitch on the right-hand needle. Pull the yarn so that it snugs up next to the first stitch. Don't pull too tight or you won't be able to get your needle in for the next stitch.

You've just cast on your first stitch! You now have two stitches on the needle.

Step 6: Insert the left-hand needle from front to back between the last stitch just placed on the right-hand needle and the one before it.

Step 7: Wrap the yarn around the left-hand needle clockwise, then holding the yarn so that it does not fall off the needle, pull the tip of the left-hand needle back out between the stitches. Place this new loop in the right-hand needle. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 until you have several stitches on the right-hand needle. Eight stitches is a good number to practice with.

There is a right side and a wrong side to the cast-on. Can you see that there is a smooth surface facing you and a bumpy surface on the other side of the needle? The smooth side is the right side of the cast-on and the bumpy side is the wrong side.

Lesson 3

The Knit Stitch

Bind-off: securing stitches when finishing the knitted fabric

Garter stitch: fabric made by knitting every row

K: knit

St or sts: stitch or stitches

MC (main color): the color you choose to have the most of in a project

CC (contrasting color): the color that you choose to use as an accent in a project

Tog: together

NOW LET'S KNIT!

RIGHT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand, and insert the right-hand needle into front of the first stitch from left to right. Make sure the tip of the needle goes all the way into the stitch until the thickest part of the two needles cross.

Step 2: With the yarn coming from the back of the work, wrap the yarn counterclockwise around the right-hand needle; pull the needle back out through the stitch, making a loop on the right-hand needle.

Step 3: Keeping the yarn around the right-hand needle, slide the stitch off the left-hand needle.

You've knit a stitch!

You now have one stitch on your right-hand needle and the remaining stitches on your left-hand needle.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1–3 until you have knit all the stitches across the row.

Step 5: Turn the needle with the stitches around and put it into your left hand. You are now ready to knit the next row.

Practice Steps 1–5 until you are comfortable with the knit stitch.

Knitting every row makes a garter-stitch fabric.

LEFT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Hold the needle with the stitches in your right hand, and insert the left-hand needle into the front of the first stitch from right to left. Make sure the tip of the needle goes all the way into the stitch until the thickest part of the two needles cross.

Step 2: With the yarn coming from the back of the work, wrap the yarn clockwise around the left-hand needle; pull the needle back out through the stitch, making a loop on the left-hand needle.

Step 3: Keeping the yarn around the left-hand needle, slide the stitch off the right-hand needle.

You've knit a stitch!

You now have one stitch on your left-hand needle and the remaining stitches on your right-hand needle.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1–3 until you have knit all the stitches across the row.

Step 5: Turn the needle with the stitches around and put it into your right hand. You are now ready to knit the next row.

Practice Steps 1–5 until you are comfortable with the knit stitch.

Knitting every row makes a garter-stitch fabric.

Lesson 4

Binding Off

t!p

You will need a large tapestry needle for sewing pieces together. This kind of needle has a blunt tip and a large eye so thick yarns will fit through it. To thread a tapestry needle, fold the yarn over the needle. Pinch the fold and slide it off the needle, insert the pinch into the hole.

RIGHT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

When your knitted fabric is as long as you want it to be, you need to get the stitches off the needle and secure them so that they don't unravel. This is called binding off.

Step 1: Knit the first two stitches of the row.

Step 2: Insert the left-hand needle into the stitch on the right-hand needle that is farthest from the tip.

Step 3: Lift this stitch over the stitch to its left.

Step 4: Knit another stitch — you now have two stitches on the left-hand needle again.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 2–4 until just one stitch remains and is on the left-hand needle.

Step 6: Cut the yarn about 6 inches from the needle. Pull the end of the yarn through the last stitch.

Step 7: To make your work neat, weave the end of the yarn through the back of the fabric.

Do the same thing with the tail of yarn left at the beginning of the knitting.

LEFT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

When your knitted fabric is as long as you want it to be, you need to get the stitches off the needle and secure them so that they don't unravel. This is called binding off.

Step 1: Knit the first two stitches of the row.

Step 2: Insert the right-hand needle into the stitch on the left-hand needle that is farthest from the tip.

Step 3: Lift this stitch over the stitch to its right.

Step 4: Knit another stitch — you now have two stitches on the right-hand needle again.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 2–4 until just one stitch remains and is on the right-hand needle.

Step 6: Cut the yarn about 6 inches from the needle. Pull the end of the yarn through the last stitch.

Step 7: Make your work neat by weaving the end of the yarn through the back of the fabric.

Do the same thing with the tail of yarn left at the beginning of the knitting.

Headband

You will need size 8 knitting needles and worsted-weight yarn. Our headband was made with Premier Yarns Deborah Norville Everyday Soft Worsted in Azure.

INSTRUCTIONS

Cast on 10 sts.

Knit every row until the band fits around your head when it is slightly stretched. It will probably be about 14 inches long.

Bind off and cut yarn, leaving a 10-inch tail.

Use the tail to sew the ends of the band together.

Weave in ends.

Fingerless Mitts

You will need size 8 knitting needles and worsted-weight yarn. Our fingerless mitts were made with Red Heart Soft Yarn in Lilac (MC) and Grape (CC).

INSTRUCTIONS

With CC, cast on 23 sts, leaving a 12-inch tail.

Knit 2 rows.

Change to MC and knit all rows until piece measures 4 inches, ending when the cast-on yarn tail is at the left (or at the right if knitting left-handed).

Change to CC and knit 2 rows. Bind off and cut yarn, leaving a 12-inch tail.

Fold piece in half. Using the yarn tails, sew side seam, leaving an opening for your thumb.

Make a second mitt to match.

Lesson 5

Increasing & Decreasing

Dec: decrease

Inc: increase

K1: knit one stitch (a "k" followed by a number means that you should knit that number of stitches)

Knit front and back (kfb): a type of increase

Knit two stitches together (k2tog): a type of decrease

Slip (sl): Transfer a stitch from one needle to the other without knitting or purling it. To slip a stitch purlwise, insert the working needle into the stitch as though you were going to purl the stitch. To slip a stitch knitwise, insert the working needle into the stitch as though you were going to knit the stitch.

Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): a type of decrease

Rep: repeat

Now that you can knit, you can learn to shape things by increasing and decreasing.

INCREASING

One way to increase is to turn one stitch into two stitches. The increase shown here is called a "knit front and back (kfb)" increase.

RIGHT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Insert the right-hand needle into the front of stitch you want to make the increase in, wrap the yarn, and pull the needle back through, but don't slip the stitch off the left-hand needle.

Step 2: With the stitch still on both needles, insert the tip of the right-hand needle from right to left into the back of the stitch on the left-hand needle.

Step 3: Wrap the yarn around the right-hand needle again, and pull the needle back through.

You now have two loops on the right-hand needle.

Step 4: Slide the stitches off the left-hand needle.

LEFT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Insert the left-hand needle into the front of the stitch you want to make the increase in, wrap the yarn, and pull the needle back through, but don't slip the stitch off the right-hand needle.

Step 2: With the stitch still on both needles, insert the tip of the left-hand needle from right to left into the back of the stitch on the right-hand needle.

Step 3: Wrap the yarn around the left-hand needle again, and pull the needle back through.

You now have two loops on the left-hand needle.

Step 4: Slide the stitches off the right-hand needle

KNIT TWO TOGETHER DECREASING

To decrease a stitch, you must turn two stitches into one stitch. The decrease shown here is called a "knit two together" (k2tog) and it makes a decrease that leans to the right if using the right-hand method and to the left if using the left-hand method.

RIGHT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Insert the right-hand needle from left to right into both of the next two stitches on the left-hand needle.

Step 2: Wrap the yarn and pull it through both stitches at the same time.

Step 3: Slide the stitches off the left-hand needle.

LEFT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Insert the left-hand needle from right to left into both of the next two stitches on the right-hand needle.

Step 2: Wrap the yarn and pull it through both stitches at the same time.

Step 3: Slide the stitches off the right-hand needle.

SLIP, SLIP, KNIT DECREASING

The decrease shown here is called "slip, slip, knit" (ssk) and it makes a decrease that leans to the left if using the right-hand method and to the right if using the left -hand method.

RIGHT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Slip the first stitch on the left needle onto the right needle as if you were going to knit it.

Step 2: Slip the next stitch on the left needle onto the right needle as if you were going to knit it.

Step 3: Insert the tip of the left needle in the front through both slipped stitches

Step 4: Knit these two stitches together.

LEFT-HAND INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Slip the first stitch on the right needle onto the left needle as if you were going to knit it.

Step 2: Slip the next stitch on the right needle onto the left needle as if you were going to knit it.

Step 3: Insert the tip of the right needle in the front through both slipped stitches.

Step 4: Knit these two stitches together.

Tech Tote

You can make this little bag in any size to fit your electronic devices. You may want to make the bag a tiny bit long and sew a snap at the top when you are finished.

You will need size 8 knitting needles and worsted-weight yarn. Our project was completed with Annie's Choice yarn in Jewel Tones.

INSTRUCTIONS

Cast on 3 sts, leaving an 8-inch tail.

Row 1: Knit across.

Row 2 (inc): Kfb in the first st, then knit to the end of the row; there are now 4 sts on your needle.

Rep Row 2 until there are 17 sts on the needle, or until one side of your triangle measures about 2 ½ inches or desired width.

Next row: Kfb in first st, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog; there are still 17 sts on your needle.

Next row: Knit across.

Rep these last two rows until the longest side of your rectangle measures 9 inches, or twice the desired length.

Next row (dec): K2tog, then knit to end of row; there are now 16 sts on your needle.

Rep this row until there are 3 sts on the needle.

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Excerpted from I Can Knit by Edie Eckman. Copyright © 2012 Annie's. Excerpted by permission of Annie's.
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