Category: Kids’ Knitting Lessons

Knitting a kids’ coaster is a beginner-friendly knitting skill. In this knitting lesson you will learn how to make a slip knot, cast on, knit every row in garter stitch, and bind off so you can finish your first coaster and feel ready to knit the placemat next.

Knit with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels 🧶

This coaster is Project 1 in the Kids’ Knitting Guide. It is intentionally small, calm, and repetitive, so you can practice one motion until it feels steady.

Video Tutorial

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Before You Start

• Skill level: Beginner (kid-friendly)
• Time needed: One short knitting session (or two)
• What to expect: Your first rows may look uneven. That is normal and improves with practice.
• Goal: Finish your first square project from cast on to bind off.

Skills Used in This Lesson

If any of these skills are new, review those lessons first. Each one is quick to learn and makes this project much easier.

Make a slip knot (the first loop)

Put stitches on the needles (cast on)

Turn your work (to knit flat rows)

Knit stitch (the stitch you will do most)

Take your project off the needles (bind off)

Weave in loose ends on flat knits

Materials Needed to Knit a Kids’ Coaster

Yarn

One 106-yard (6-ounce) skein of super-bulky (No. 6) yarn (shown in Wool-Ease Thick and Quick by Lion Brand Yarn “Bluegrass”), in your choice of color.

• One coaster uses approximately 10.6 yards (0.6 oz.)

*Weights estimated with Wool Ease Thick & Quick by Lion Brand Yarn; other yarn weights may vary.

Knitting Needles

16-inch (41 cm) long US No. 13 (9 mm) circular needle (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Notions

• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Darning needle

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How to Knit a Kids’ Coaster

Step 1: Make a Slip Knot

A slip knot is the first loop that goes on your needle. Make one slip knot and place it on your needle.

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Step 2: Cast On

Cast on until you have 10 stitches on your needle (including the slip knot stitch).

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Step 3: Turn Your Work

When you reach the end of your row, turn your work so the needle with stitches is back in your left hand and you are ready to knit.

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Step 4: Knit Every Row (Garter Stitch)

This coaster uses the garter stitch, which means knitting every stitch in every row.

• Rows 1–18: Knit across all 10 stitches, then turn your work.
• Keep going until your coaster looks like a square.

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If your stitches look uneven, keep knitting. That repetition is how your hands learn the motion. If something looks wrong, start here: When Something Looks Wrong in Your Knitting.

Step 5: Bind Off

When your coaster is square, bind off loosely so the edge does not pull tight.

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Step 6: Finish Loose Ends

Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch (20 cm) tail. Pull the tail through, then weave in loose ends with a darning needle.

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You Completed a Kids’ Coaster 🎉

You finished your first project. Next, you will knit the same calm stitch into a bigger project, so your hands get steadier and your knitting feels easier.

Continue Learning: Your Next Projects

• Next: Super-Bulky Placemat
  Same stitch, bigger project.
• After that: Super-Bulky Knit Scarf
  Practice patience and steady rows.
  

Learn the full kids’ path: Start at the beginning on my Kids’ Knitting Guide, and follow the lessons in order.

Don’t Miss a Stitch! 🧶

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Lesson 7: Tie Up Loose Ends (On Flat Knits)

Weaving in loose ends is a way of tucking your ends into the knitted fabric before trimming the yarn so the ends do not show. In this kids’ knitting lesson, you will learn to weave in your loose ends so you can finish your first knitting project.

When you have finished following a knitting pattern, your project will almost always have extra strings. Knitters call these “loose ends” or “yarn tails.” At the end of a pattern, you will see an instruction that says, “weave in loose ends.” 

Weaving in loose ends is the way knitters get rid of those extra strings without them looking messy or coming undone. There are different ways to weave in your loose ends, but all of them start with threading the loose end onto a darning needle. This lets you sew the ends into the fabric, where they’ll be hidden.

Here, we will match the design of the knitting when we sew the ends into the fabric. Then, we will anchor our ends to a knit stitch and tie a pair of small knots to lock the yarn in place before trimming the ends.

Your last step

Below are both video and written tutorials to help you learn how to weave in the loose ends. Working on the Beginner Coaster? You can check your pattern here.

Kids’ Video Guide: How to Weave in Loose Ends

Kids’ Picture Guide: How to Weave in Loose Ends

After you have finished binding off your project, you will have loose ends to remove. We will weave them into the fabric one at a time using a darning needle.

How to Weave in Loose Ends

Once you have taken all the stitches off the left hand needle, it is time to cut the yarn that connects the knitting project to the ball.

Next, we will tie two little knots to make sure the end of the yarn stays in place.

How to Tie Up Loose Ends

Repeat the steps to weave in and tie up any other loose ends that are still hanging from your project. When your loose ends are all gone, stretch your project to shape it into a more even square.

Great job! You finished your first knit coaster. If your coaster doesn’t look “perfect,” don’t worry: it is perfect. Every first project will have a few wobbly stitches. The more you practice, the more even your stitching will get.

Your Next Project

Using everything you’ve covered in the Kids’ Knitting Lessons so far, you can now make a placemat and a scarf. These flat projects are made with the same skills as your coaster, but they’re just bigger. Making these next projects gives you a chance to practice your knit stitches. The more you practice, the better your stitches will look.

Or, if you are ready to learn the next skill, you can move straight from knitting your coaster to knitting your very first wearable hat! Move to the next lesson (Kids’ Lesson 8) to start learning to knit in a circle (“knit in the round”) to make a seamless hat that will keep you cozy and warm.

Up Next

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.

Lesson 6: Bind Off (Ending Flat Knits)

Binding off is a way of taking your stitches off the needles so your work does not come unraveled. In this kids’ knitting lesson, you will learn to bind off so you can finish your first project.

Bind off is the knitter’s way of saying that it’s time to take the stitches off the needles.  

At the end of your project, you’ll need to take the stitches off the needles in a way that keeps them from coming undone. A bind off links the stitches together, so they don’t unravel when you take out the needle. 

For this bind off, you will knit two stitches, then link them together before knitting the next stitch. There will never be more than two stitches on the right-hand needle when you are binding off. 

Your last row

Below are both video and written tutorials to help you learn how to bind off. Working on the Beginner Coaster? You can check your pattern here.

Kids’ Video Guide: How to Bind Off

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Kids’ Picture Guide: How to Bind Off

Before you cut the yarn, you will knit a bind off row to connect your last stitches together.

How to Bind Off

Once you have taken all the stitches off the left hand needle, it is time to cut the yarn that connects the knitting project to the ball.

How to Cut the Yarn

Now, you have taken your first knitting project off the needles. The very last step is to get rid of the two loose ends that are still connected to your project.

Up Next

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.

Lesson 5: Make the Knit Stitch

Once your cast on stitches are in your left hand, you will be set up to make the next row in your knitting project and to learn your next skill: the knit stitch.

The knit stitch is a way to loop yarn around knitting needles to make fabric out of yarn. In this kids’ knitting lesson, you’ll learn how to make the knit stitch so you can make your first knitting project.

A knit stitch is the most used skill in knitting and all the projects in the Kids’ Knitting Guide are made of knit stitches.

Below are both video and written tutorials to help you learn how to make the knit stitch.

Working on the Beginner Coaster? You can check your pattern here.

Checking the coaster pattern, our next instruction says: “Rows 2 – 18: Knit 10. (10 stitches) Turn.” This means we will be knitting every stitch in every row of the project. First, we will learn to make a knit stitch, then practice by repeating it until the project is ready to come off your needles.

Kids’ Video Guide: How to Make the Knit Stitch

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Kids’ Picture Guide: How to Make the Knit Stitch

Now that you’ve made your first knit stitch in your coaster, you can use the skills you have learned to finish your project. To finish the row, knit 9 more stitches in the same way. When you come to the end of the row, turn your work and start knitting the next row. Once you have knit 18 rows, your project will measure about 4 inches long. Then, you can take the project off the needles by “binding off.” 

Up Next

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.

Lesson 4: Turn Your Knitting

Now that you have cast on all your stitches, you are ready for the next step. Following our coaster pattern, we’ve now cast on all 10 stitches, and the pattern says: “Turn.” Turning your work after each row lets you knit a flat square or rectangle.

Turning your work in knitting means flipping your knitting over so you can make the next row in a flat project. In this kids’ knitting lesson, you’ll learn how to turn your work to keep going on your first project.

Turning your work is a simple hand switch. You’ll flip the knitting needle that is full of stitches from your right hand to your left hand, so the tip is facing right. This will set you up to make your first knit stitch and start knitting in flat rows.

Below are both video and written tutorials to help you learn how to turn your work. Working on the Beginner Coaster? You can check your pattern here.

Kids’ Video Guide: How to Turn Knitting

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Kids’ Picture Guide: How to Turn Knitting

Once you are holding the needle with stitches in the left hand and the empty needle in the right hand, you will be set up to start making your first knit stitches.

Up Next

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.

Lesson 3: Cast On (The Long Tail Cast On)

The long-tail cast-on is a way of creating your first knitted row of stitches. In this kids’ knitting lesson, you will learn the long-tail cast on so you can knit your first project.

“Cast on” is knitter-speak for putting your first stitches on the needles. There are a lot of different ways to cast on. Here, you’ll learn the “long tail cast on.” It’s called this because you pull a long piece of yarn (or “tail“) out of the ball before you start. Using that long tail, you will make loops that wrap around your knitting needle. These “cast-on stitches” make the base of your knitting project.

Check your knitting pattern to see how many cast-on stitches you need for every new project. Since we will make a coaster first, you can start by making ten (10) cast-on stitches.
Grab your knitting needles and your yarn. It is time to cast on your first knitting project!

Your first row

Below are both video and written tutorials to help you learn how to cast on stitches. Working on the Beginner Coaster? You can check your pattern here.

Kids’ Video Guide: How to Cast On

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Kids’ Picture Guide: How to Cast On

After you have made and placed your slipknot, follow the steps below to hold your yarn and needles so you can start making cast-on stitches. Then, you’ll begin adding cast-on stitches to form your first row.

How to Hold the Yarn for a Cast On

Once you are holding the yarn and needles correctly, you will start making cast-on stitches.

How to Make Cast-On Stitches

While continuing to hold the yarn in the same way, repeat cast on steps one through five to make as many stitches as your pattern instructs. For our coaster, stop casting on stitches when you have 10 on the needle.

Up Next

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.

Lesson 2: Making a Slipknot

A slipknot is the first loop you will put on a knitting needle to begin a project. In this kids’ knitting lesson, you’ll learn to make a slipknot to start your first guided knitting project.

To start knitting, you will make a slipknot as your first stitch. Wrap the yarn around your hand, bring a bit up and under to create a loop with a knot at the bottom. This loop starts big and then slips tighter when you pull the end of the string.

Your first stitch

Below are both video and written tutorials to help you learn how to make a slipknot. Working on the Beginner Coaster? You can check your pattern here.

Kids’ Video Guide: How to Make a Slipknot

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Kids’ Picture Guide: How to Make a Slipknot

Up Next

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.

Lesson 1: Choosing Yarn and Needles

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to choose yarn, needles, and knitting tools so you can start your first knitting project.

As a new knitter, you’ll discover an exciting world of yarn and knitting needles. To keep things simple, we are going to start with just one type of yarn and one pair of knitting needles. They will be the perfect set of kids’ knitting tools to learn the basics and make all five knitting projects.

Kids and beginners looking for a fast project should choose extra-thick yarn and knitting needles, plus a few small gadgets to help finish up. Use the affiliate links here to shop on Amazon or you can usually find these knitting supplies at your favorite local yarn shop.

Video Guide: Knitting Supplies for Kids & Beginners

In this video, I’ll walk you through the knitting supplies for this series of lessons. Then, keep reading below to find everything you’ll need.

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Yarn

The thickest, squishiest yarn that is still easy to handle is called “super-bulky” or “No. 6” yarn on the label. This fluffy string knits up in a flash. Here, we will use Wool-Ease Thick & Quick by Lion Brand Yarn. I worked in the color “Bluegrass,” but there are lots of choices. Choose your favorite! You will need seven balls of yarn to make every pattern in the Kids’ Knitting Guide. Or start with one ball of yarn for your first project.

Knitting Needles

Each yarn size has knitting needle sizes that match. For our super-bulky yarn, we’ll use a thicker needle. The size of needles is shown on the package with a US number and millimeter number. To learn with this series, look for a needle that is labeled US 13 (9 mm).

Instead of using the two sticks you might imagine when you think of knitting needles, we are going to use a “circular knitting needle.” This knitting needle has a bendy cable between the two pointy sticks. It will let you knit both flat things, like scarves, and round things, like hats. The cords can be long or short. For now, choose a circular needle that is 16 inches (41 cm) long.

The last thing you’ll need to choose from a knitting needle is material. They often come in metal, wood, and bamboo. When you’re learning, choose bamboo. It helps keep your yarn from slipping off your needles. Plus, it’s a little quieter to work with.

Other Kids’ Knitting Tools

Now that you have yarn and needles, you’ll just need a few more small tools.

A measuring tape is helpful for your whole project. You’ll measure your yarn and your knitting projects to make sure they are the right size.

A stitch marker is a small ring that you can slip onto your knitting needles. This will help you keep track of where you are in your knitting projects.

Darning needles look like big sewing needles, but they are not sharp. These let you sew the yarn ends back into the knitting project. Make sure you get a darning needle with a large opening (called the needle “eye”) for our big yarn.

Scissors clip the leftover yarn away. These are make just for kids, but all scissors are sharp! (Kids, be careful and adults, make sure you help or supervise.)

Below, you’ll find a complete shopping list. Gather your tools and we can start knitting!

Your First Knitting Shopping List 🧶

1. One ball of Wool-Ease Thick & Quick by Lion Brand Yarn in your choice of color. (Shown in the color “Bluegrass.”)
2. One circular knitting needle that is 16 inches (41 cm) long in size US 13 (9mm). (Shown in Clover Takumi brand bamboo needles.)
3. One measuring tape.
4. One large stitch marker. (Shown in ChiaoGoo brand circle stitch markers.)
5. One large-eye darning needle.
6. One pair of scissors.

Next

Find your first knitting pattern. Here we will make a coaster. Open the coaster pattern, and also open your first lesson: Making Your First Stitch. The lessons will teach you how to use a pattern and make your first knitted thing.

This will be fun! Let’s get started.

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.