How to Start Knitting: Everything You Need to Know to Cast On and Actually Finish Something
How to start knitting. You’re in the right place.
I learned to knit when I was just a little kid. And then I forgot most of it, the way you do when life moves on and childhood hobbies get packed away. It wasn’t until I picked it up again as an adult that I really understood what I was doing — and why it matters so much to do it right from the start.
Relearning as an adult was humbling in the best way. I had to unlearn some bad habits, ask basic questions I felt like I should already know the answers to, and start with the simplest possible projects before I let myself get ambitious. It worked. And it’s exactly the approach I’d give anyone starting from scratch today.
So whether you’ve never touched a needle in your life, tried once and gave up, or found a skein of yarn in a gift bag and thought — maybe now’s the time — this guide is for you. We’re going to start from zero, go slowly, and get you to the point where your hands know what they’re doing.
Let’s begin.
Heads up: This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you buy through them — at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend things I’d genuinely put in my own knitting bag.
What you need before you begin
Before we talk about stitches, let’s talk about supplies. The good news: you need very little to start.
Yarn: Get a smooth, light-colored worsted weight yarn (labeled #4 on the skein). Light colors because you need to see your stitches. Smooth because fluffy or textured yarn hides what you’re doing. My favorite for beginners is Lion Brand Pound of Love — it’s forgiving, comes in beautiful colors, and has enough yardage to practice for weeks. Caron Simply Soft is another great option. Full breakdown in my best yarn for beginners guide.
Needles: US size 7 or 8, in either straight or circular. Circular needles are more versatile and what I’d recommend — they work for flat knitting too, and you’ll use them for everything eventually. HiyaHiya Sharp circulars are excellent value for a first needle. Full breakdown in my best circular knitting needles guide.
Scissors: Any scissors will do — but if you want an excuse to buy something beautiful, these Gingher Stork Embroidery Scissors are the ones knitters have been passing down for generations. Around $27 and worth every penny. They’ve lived in my knitting bag and I’d never give them up.
A yarn needle: A blunt tapestry needle for weaving in ends when you finish. Usually comes in a pack for a dollar or two — grab them on Amazon.
That’s genuinely it. Don’t buy a full kit, don’t buy stitch markers yet, don’t buy anything else. Get yarn, get needles, get started.
The three things you’re going to learn today
Knitting can feel complicated because there’s so much to it. But to make your very first project — a simple swatch, a dishcloth, eventually a scarf — you only need three things:
- How to cast on — putting the first stitches onto your needle
- The knit stitch — the most basic stitch in knitting
- How to bind off — finishing your work so it doesn’t unravel
That’s it. Those three things will take you from nothing to something you actually made. Everything else — purling, cables, lace, colorwork — comes later. Let’s not think about later right now.
Step 1: How to cast on
Casting on means creating the foundation row of stitches on your needle. It’s the very first thing you do before any knitting can happen.
There are several ways to cast on, but I’m going to teach you the long-tail cast on. It’s the one most knitters end up using forever because it creates a neat, stretchy edge that works for almost every project.
Watch this first — it makes the written steps much easier to follow:
▶ Watch the tutorial: Long Tail Cast On for Beginners — Sheep and Stitch
Here’s how to do it:
1. Make a slip knot. Pull out about 12 inches of yarn from the skein (this is your “tail”). Make a loop, then reach through the loop and pull the working yarn (the yarn attached to the skein) through to create another loop. Slip this onto your needle and pull both ends gently to tighten. Not too tight — you want it snug but still able to slide along the needle.
2. Set up your hands. Hold the needle in your right hand. Drape the yarn over your left thumb (tail end) and left index finger (working yarn end), holding both strands in your left palm with your other three fingers. Your hand will form a sort of slingshot shape with yarn.
3. Make your first stitch. Bring the needle tip down through the loop on your thumb, then up and over to catch the yarn on your index finger, and pull it back through the thumb loop. Let the thumb loop slide off and gently pull the tail end to snug the stitch onto the needle. That’s one stitch!
4. Repeat. Do this until you have as many stitches as you need. For your first practice session, cast on 20 stitches.
Tips for casting on:
- Keep your tension even — not so tight the stitches won’t slide, not so loose they’re floppy
- If the long-tail cast on feels too tricky at first, look up the “knitted cast on” instead — it’s slower but simpler and uses the same motion as the knit stitch
- Practice the motion a few times without worrying about how it looks. It clicks suddenly, and then it’s automatic
Step 2: The knit stitch
Once you have stitches on your needle, you’re ready to knit. The knit stitch is the foundation of everything — if you only ever learn one stitch, this is the one.
The motion is remembered by knitters as: “in through the front door, run around the back, out through the window, off jumps Jack.” Silly, but it genuinely helps.
Watch this before you start:
▶ Watch the tutorial: The Knit Stitch for Total Beginners — Sheep and Stitch
Here’s how to do it:
1. Hold your needles. Needle with stitches in your left hand, empty needle in your right. The yarn should be hanging at the back of your work.
2. Insert the right needle. Push the tip of the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle, going from left to right, front to back. The needles should form an X, with the right needle behind the left. (“In through the front door.”)
3. Wrap the yarn. With your right hand, bring the working yarn counterclockwise around the tip of the right needle. (“Run around the back.”)
4. Pull through. Carefully pull the right needle tip back through the stitch, bringing the loop of yarn with it. (“Out through the window.”)
5. Slide off. Slide the original stitch off the left needle. (“Off jumps Jack.”) You now have one new stitch on your right needle.
6. Repeat. Do this for every stitch across the row. When all stitches have moved from the left needle to the right, switch hands and start again.
Tips for the knit stitch:
- Go slowly. There’s no prize for speed. Fast knitting comes from doing it slowly a thousand times, not from trying to go fast
- Keep your yarn tension consistent — not gripping, not letting it go loose
- If a stitch feels really tight and hard to get through, you may have twisted it. Take it off and reinsert the needle
- It’s completely normal for your first few rows to look uneven. Everyone’s does
Step 3: How to bind off
Binding off (also called casting off) is how you finish your knitting so it doesn’t unravel when you take it off the needle.
Watch this before you start:
▶ Watch the tutorial: How to Bind Off for Total Beginners — Sheep and Stitch
Here’s how to do it:
1. Knit two stitches. Knit the first stitch normally. Knit the second stitch normally. You now have two stitches on your right needle.
2. Pass the first stitch over. Insert the tip of your left needle into the first stitch on the right needle (the one further from the tip). Lift it up and over the second stitch and off the needle completely. You now have one stitch on your right needle.
3. Knit one more stitch. Knit the next stitch from the left needle. You have two stitches on the right needle again.
4. Repeat. Keep passing the first stitch over the second, then knitting a new stitch, until one stitch remains.
5. Cut the yarn and pull through. Cut your yarn leaving a 6-inch tail. Pull the tail through the last stitch and tighten gently. Your work is secure.
Tips for binding off:
- Bind off loosely — many beginners bind off too tight, which makes the edge stiff. Try using a needle one size larger for binding off if this keeps happening
- Weave in the tail with your tapestry needle when you’re done — just run it through several stitches on the back of your work and trim
Your first project: a practice swatch
Before you try to make something specific, make a practice swatch. Cast on 20 stitches, knit every row until you’ve used most of your yarn, then bind off.
This is called garter stitch — knitting every row — and it creates that lovely ridged texture you’ve seen on simple knitted items. It’s a real stitch, not just practice. Many beautiful things are made in pure garter stitch.
Use this swatch to:
- Practice your tension until it becomes natural
- Get comfortable with the motions without worrying about a finished product
- Notice what happens as you get more relaxed — your tension will even out
When you feel ready to make something real, a simple dishcloth in garter stitch is the perfect first project. Cast on 30-40 stitches and knit until it’s square. Done. That’s a thing you made with your hands.
Common beginner mistakes — and how to fix them
Your stitch count keeps changing. You’re accidentally adding or dropping stitches. Count your stitches at the end of every row until it becomes second nature. Common culprits: knitting into the same stitch twice, or accidentally bringing your yarn to the front before a knit stitch.
Your edges are loose and loopy. The first and last stitches of each row need slightly firmer tension. Tug the yarn gently after the first stitch of each row.
Your knitting is getting tighter as you go. You’re tensing up as you concentrate. Take a breath. Relax your hands. This gets better automatically with practice.
You dropped a stitch and there’s a hole. Don’t panic. Put your work down. Look up “how to pick up a dropped knit stitch” on YouTube — it’s a 60-second fix once you see it done. Every knitter does this. Often.
Your yarn keeps splitting. Your needles might be too sharp for your yarn, or your tension is too tight. Try loosening up slightly. Also check you’re going through the whole stitch and not splitting it with your needle tip.
What to learn next
Once you can cast on, knit, and bind off confidently, here’s what to add:
The purl stitch — the mirror image of the knit stitch. Alternating knit and purl rows creates stockinette, the classic smooth fabric you see in most sweaters.
Reading a pattern — once you know knit and purl, simple patterns become readable. Start with anything labeled “beginner” or “easy” on Ravelry, the free knitting pattern database.
Increasing and decreasing — how you shape knitting. Essential for hats, socks, and anything that isn’t a rectangle.
But don’t think about any of that yet. Right now, cast on, knit, bind off. Do it until it feels natural. Everything else will come.
One last thing
I knitted my first real project as an adult — not the childhood stuff I barely remember — sitting on my couch on a rainy weekend with no real plan. It was lopsided. The tension was all over the place. I frogged it twice.
I kept going anyway. And somewhere in those uneven rows I remembered why I loved this as a kid. There’s something about working with your hands, watching something grow stitch by stitch, that quiets everything else down.
That’s still why I do it. Not to be impressive or productive — just because it feels good to make something.
I hope you feel that too, somewhere in your first swatch. And when you do — keep going.
Whatever you make, make something beautiful.
Ready to shop for supplies? Check out my guides:
- Best yarn for beginners — what to buy and what to avoid
- Best circular knitting needles — tested and ranked for every budget
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn to knit? Most people can knit a basic swatch within an hour of picking up needles for the first time. Making something you’re proud of — a dishcloth, a simple scarf — usually takes a few sessions of practice. There’s no timeline. Go at your own pace.
Is knitting hard to learn? The basics are genuinely straightforward. The first 30 minutes are the steepest learning curve. After that it gets easier with every row.
Can I learn to knit from a book or guide, or do I need a class? You can absolutely learn from written guides and YouTube videos. A class is helpful if you want real-time feedback on your tension, but it’s not necessary. Millions of people have learned entirely from online resources.
What’s the difference between knitting and crocheting? Knitting uses two needles and works with multiple live stitches at once. Crocheting uses one hook and works one stitch at a time. Neither is harder — they’re just different. Many people do both.
What should my first knitting project be? A practice swatch, then a dishcloth or simple scarf. Anything rectangular in garter stitch. Save hats, socks, and sweaters for after you’ve got the basics solid.
How do I hold the yarn? However feels comfortable. There are two main styles — English (yarn in right hand) and Continental (yarn in left hand) — but start with whatever feels natural and refine it later.