Learn How to Knit for Beginners
How to Knit with This Yellow Farmhouse
I love teaching others to knit. From my kindergartener to my friends in person and online, I’m always begging to teach beginners how to knit.
People want to knit oversized scarves and wooly socks, but first they need to know how to cast on their stitches!
So I decided to create this simple and free knitting course for beginners!
It’s a simple five video series that will walk you through everything you need to cast on, knit, and bind off a cozy scarf.
When you’re first learning how to knit, it’s important to use chunky yarn that you can see easily. It’s also always best to start with squares or rectangles for first knitting projects.
When you’re done with this course, you’ll be able to knit your very own scarf. Then you can move onto so many more simple knitting projects!
How to Knit Free Online Knitting Course with This Yellow Farmhouse
How to Knit: Lesson 1
Show Notes and Resource Guide With Time Codes:
1. (:28) Materials: Yarn: 1 ball/skein of Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn in the Dallas Gray Color- https://amzn.to/3ivMOzt Needles: Clover US Size 13 straight- https://amzn.to/2PI5GiD
2. (1:04) Slip knot
3. (1:35) Casting on
4. (2:36) Knit stitch
5. (5:37) Knit row 2
6. (6:47) Bind off
7. (8:11) Tie it off
8. (8:51) Weave in your ends
9. (9:12) Visit my knitting pattern library https://thisyellowfarmhouse.com/shop/
Once you can do those three things, you can officially call yourself a knitter!
How to Knit: Lesson 2
Show Notes and Resource Guide With Time Codes:
1. (:30) Yarn company
2. (:33) Yarn name
3. (:51) Net weight
4. (1:01) Length
5. (1:09) Fiber
6. (1:38) Yarn weight
7. (1:49) Needle and hook size
8. (2:02) Gauge
9. (2:21) Care instructions
10. (2:39) Dye lot number
11. (2:57) Color
12. (3:03) Measurements
13. (3:29) Always check under the label for more information
How to Knit: Lesson 3
Show Notes and Resource Guide With Time Codes:
1. (:31) Cast on
2. (1:25) Knit
3. (2:40) Purl
4. (3:41) Right side/wrong side
5. (4:28) Stitch
6. (5:12) Row
7. (5:50 K2tog
8. (6:56) P2tog
9. (7:47) Bind off
10. (8:46) Swatch
11. (9:16) Gauge
How to Knit: Lesson 4
How do you weave your ends in when you’re done knitting? This video will teach you how to hide those ends securely into your knitting. If you want to learn how to easily and quickly weave tight ends, watch this free step-by-step tutorial.
How to Knit: Lesson 5
Now let’s put it all together to learn how to knit a scarf from start to finish!
Click here to grab the free downloadable PDF.
You can knit clothes, accessories, home decor, toys…the list goes on! With knitting, once you get started learning you’re constantly inspired to make more and more cozy things.
Materials
Thankfully, knitting doesn’t require much to get started, but you will want to gather a couple of basic supplies before you begin.
Yarn
My favorite yarn if you’re just starting out is something thick but not fuzzy or unraveling, and in a light or bright color. Bigger yarn and larger needles make it easier to hold the project, and lighter colors make your stitches easier to see and knit. I recommend Lion Brand Hometown USA, and in my examples here I used the Dallas Gray color.
Tip: Buy some cheap acrylic yarn for the inevitable mistakes you’ll make while learning how to knit. Save the special splurge yarn for once you have a better grasp on it and don’t need to stop and restart your practice knitting, causing your yarn to kink and unravel.
Needles
Learning how to knit for beginners is easiest when you have the right needles. Your best bet is to start with wooden or bamboo. My absolute favorites that I use for everything are Clover Takumi bamboo needles that you can find in most craft stores and on Amazon. Because they’re less sleek, wooden or bamboo knitting needles hold the yarn on better. That way, you don’t have a slipping mess of things like with metal needles. If you chose Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn, you’ll want a set of size 15 needles.
Tip: If you notice that your wooden or bamboo needles are too rough and your yarn is getting stuck, try rubbing some oil on them! You can buy knitting needle oil, but in all honesty, I just rub mine through my hair at the end of the day when it can be a little more oily! If you use store bought oil, make sure you read labels and do your research so you don’t stain the needles and discolor your yarn!
How to Knit
1. Cast on
You’ve ordered your needles, picked your yarn color, poured your coffee, and found a cozy and quiet place to begin. This is where the magic happens!
Now you need to get the yarn onto the needles by creating a series of small loops. This is called casting on.
And that’s it!
2. The knit stitch
Great job! You cast on all of your stitches! You’re ready to start the knit stitch.
The knit stitch is the most basic stitch and you can use this stitch and only this stitch to create all of the knitted projects I mentioned earlier.
3. Cast off
Once you’ve knit a bunch of rows (try practice knitting for about 4 inches) you’re ready to tie off your knitting, or cast off!
Casting off is when you pull your stitches off your needle one at a time.
Tip: When casting off, you’ll always work with two stitches at a time until you get down to one last stitch.
Oh happy day, you can knit!
Congratulations, you did it! You’ve officially learned to knit, and that knowledge can take you far.
Like with anything, it’s going to continue to feel strange and you’re going to run into problems you didn’t even know could happen in knitting. This is about the time after I learned when I found myself asking, “now how did I end up with an extra stitch on my needle?!“.
Please don’t get discouraged.
Just keep learning, keep practicing, and keep that excitement, joy, and pride in learning a new cozy skill! Muscle memory will kick in shortly, and you’ll find yourself knitting that entire ball of yarn before you know it.
Then, when you’re well on your way and feeling comfortable with things, shop my knitting patterns right here at This Yellow Farmhouse. I designed plenty of relaxing beginner level projects (I recommend starting with learning how to knit a dish cloth).
Find inspiration
Oh boy, you’ve caught the knitting bug!
When I first learned how to knit out of college, I was so excited to find this world of creating cozy things. In fact, because I was ready to go all in, the very first project I started was a huge blanket! I was and still am in love with knitting. It’s truly been an amazing creative outlet for someone who loves coziness as much as I do.
Here are some of the next basic knitting projects in order to:
- Beginner’s guide to knitting a scarf
- How to knit a blanket
- Chunky hat knitting tutorial
And if you’re looking for more knitting to cast on, these are the actual resources I use daily! They’re helpful in finding your next favorite project:
And of course, right here at the TYF Pattern Library!
There are some incredibly beautiful modern patterns out there these days. Eventually, you’re going to see something knit in a store or on a TV show and be able to recreate it yourself without a pattern! You could also find yourself years down the road beginning a new slow living career in selling your knits or designing patterns yourself!
Learning how to knit is life changing. Now that you know how to cast on, knit, and bind off your project, you’re well on your way to a slower and extremely happy hobby and lifestyle.
