Category: Knitting

Split & Anchor, Step 1:

Inspect your yarn tail by untwisting it a bit, near your work. Identify the individual yarn plies and count them. Here, you will see a four-ply yarn; the yarn pictured is made of four smaller strings.

Split & Anchor, Step 2:

Use the tip of your darning needle to help you split the plies into two equal sections. With the four-ply yarn shown, the plies should be split so there are two on each side.

Split & Anchor, Step 3:

Gently separate the two halves of the yarn with your darning needle by sliding it out toward the end of the tail. Take care not to break the strands by pulling too quickly or roughly.

Split & Anchor, Step 4:

Once the tail is split in two, set one half aside and thread the other half through the eye of your darning needle.

Split & Anchor, Step 5:

With the darning needle, sew this half of the tail around the knit stitch that it is coming out from under. Do this by bringing your needle tip under and through the other side of the knit stitch.

Split & Anchor, Step 6:

Ensure that the darning needle runs parallel to the other half of the yarn tail before you sew it through.

Split & Anchor, Step 7:

Pull the tail through, only tightly enough to match the pattern of your knitting. Do not pull too tightly.

Split & Anchor, Step 8:

Remove the tail from the darning needle.

Tie Off, Step 1:

Arrange the two halves of the tail so that the ends are pointing in opposite directions, laying one string toward your left side and the other toward your right. Then, set the strings down.

Tie Off, Step 2:

Pick up the strings so that the left-pointing string is in your right hand and the right-pointing string is in your left hand.

Tie Off, Step 3:

Cross the two ends by bringing the yarn in your right hand in front of the yarn in your left hand.

Tie Off, Step 4:

Bring the right-hand string around and behind the left-hand string, then tuck the right-hand string tail through the loop created.

Tie Off, Step 5:

This will cross the ends, forming first small knot. Tighten the knot by gently pulling on both tails of the yarn.

Tie Off, Step 6:

Pull this first knot only tightly enough to allow it to hug the surface of the knitting. Pulling this knot too tightly will cause your work to become misshapen.  

Tie Off, Step 7:

After tying the knot gently to the surface of your work, lay the ends down in the direction you were pulling them. One end should point toward the left, and the other should point toward the right.

Tie Off, Step 8:

Now, grab the ends, switching the hands that held them. So, pick up the left-pointing string in your right hand and the right-pointing string in your left hand.

Tie Off, Step 9:

Cross the strings in the same way as you did in Step 3; bring the yarn in your right hand in front of the yarn in your left hand.

Tie Off, Step 10:

Bring the right-hand string around and behind the left-hand string, then tuck the right-hand string tail through the loop created.

Tie Off, Step 11:

This will cross the ends, forming your next small knot. Tighten this knot by gently pulling on both tails of the yarn.

Tie Off, Step 12:

Pull this second knot as tightly as you can to test if it will slip. If the knot does not move when the two tails are pulled very hard, you can move on to cutting away your yarn tails in the next step. But, if your knot starts to slip when you pull the tails, stop pulling and make one more knot by repeating steps  7 through 12.

Tie Off, Step 13:

Using the sharpest scissors you have available, clip off both halves of the yarn tail, one at a time, as closely as possible to the knot, without cutting the knot itself.

Tie Off, Step 14:

Stretch the corner of your work to help the knot settle into the project. It will hide itself amongst the other stitches.

The next step in learning to knit is to make the purl stitch to start adding texture and patterns to your knitting projects.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 1:

Pick up the loose end you would like to weave in; here we will start with the loose end from the cast-on edge (located at the bottom of the work).

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 2:

Thread the loose end through the eye of a darning needle.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 3:

Examine the edge of your work and try to identify any unfinished parts of the pattern. On the cast on edge, as show here, you will be missing one leg of an imaginary > shape.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 4:

Using the natural holes in your knitting as a guide, insert the darning needle through the edge stitch, which would form the point of the > shaped stitch.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 5:

Pull the tail through, only tightly enough to match the pattern of your knitting. Do not pull too tightly.  

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 6:

Remembering that you are trying to trace around the knit stitches with the tail, bring the darning needle up and under the loop at the edge in the next row up. 

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 7:

Pull the tail through with the darning needle, and once again, pull only as tightly as needed to match the knitting work. 

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 8:

Sew the darning needle tip down and under the next stitch, moving from the edge of the work into the project. 

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 9:

Pull the tail through, again ensuring you are neither pulling too tightly nor leaving the thread too loose.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 10:

Sew the needle tip up and through the next stitch, doing your best to follow the winding pattern of the knitting.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 11:

Bring your needle down and under the third stitch bump in the second row.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 12:

Pull through, but not too tightly.

Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 13a:

Remove the tail from the darning needle. Do not cut your tail at this point if you want to secure it with a knot. Move on to the instructions for “How to Tie Off Loose Ends” that follow this section.

OR Weave in Cast-on Tail, Step 13b:

Or, if you do not wish to tie a knot in your work, weave in the tail for several rows. Angle diagonally toward the center of your project, as illustrated by the purple line. After weaving two to three inches of tail into your project, remove the tail from the darning needle. With scissors, clip the excess loose end away. You are now ready to weave in the bind-off tail.

Knot in Yarn Tails:

I always tie my yarn tail onto one of my knit stitches with a tiny, strong, and almost invisible knot. Learn how to knot in your yarn ends before you trim them away. Go to full tutorial.

Weave in the Cast-on Tail:

A long-tail cast on, like most other cast ons, will always leave a tail. Learn how I weave in then tie off this loose end on flat knitting projects.

Go to full tutorial.

Weave in the Bind-off Tail:

The standard bind off will also leave a tail. This tail can be used to fix odd edges at the same time they are being woven in. Find out how to finish off your bind off edge with the loose end.

Go to full tutorial.

Knot in Yarn Tails:

I always tie my yarn tail onto one of my knit stitches with a tiny, strong, and almost invisible knot. Learn how to knot in your yarn ends before you trim them away.

Go to full tutorial.

The next step in learning to knit is to make the purl stitch to start adding texture and patterns to your knitting projects.

Option 1:

Wrap a loop around your pointer finger using the working yarn that is coming from the needles.

Option 2:

Wrap the yarn coming from the needles around your last three fingers and then up and over your pointer finger.

Option 3:

Wrap the yarn coming from the needles around your last three fingers and then up and over your pointer finger.

After you’ve chosen a comfortable way to hold your yarn, you will be ready to make the knit stitch.

Turn Your Work, Step 1:

After you have cast on (or finished working a row), your stitches will be on the needle held in your right hand. The tip of the needle will be pointing toward the left.

Turn Your Work, Step 2:

To turn your work, flip your knitting needle over, so the tip points  toward the right, then place it in your left hand.

After you’ve learned to turn your work when knitting, you will be ready to learn how to hold your yarn to make the knit stitch.

Slipknot, Step 1:

Hold the yarn with the tail end in your right hand. Drape the working yarn over the palm of your left hand, from your pinkie up toward your pointer finger. Wrap the yarn up and over your left pointer finger, then bring the yarn down behind your left hand.

Slipknot, Step 2:

Loop the yarn around all four fingers by bringing it around your pinkie and up to your pointer finger.

Slipknot, Step 3:

Bring the tail of the yarn behind the loop you created on your left hand. Pinch the part of the yarn that is laying across your knuckles and lift it just slightly.

Slipknot, Step 4:

Begin to push the tail side of the yarn through the loop on the back of your left hand, but do not pull the tail completely through.

Slipknot, Step 5:

Form a loop around your right pointer finger with the part of the yarn you have just pushed through the loop on the back of your hand.

Slipknot, Step 6:

Gently remove your left hand from the loop.

Slipknot, Step 7:

Pinch both the working yarn and the yarn tail with your left hand and pull to begin tightening the slipknot around your right pointer finger.

Slipknot, Step 8:

Once the slipknot has formed, remove it from your finger and hold it in your left hand.

Slipknot, Step 9:

Pick up a knitting needle with your right hand. Move the slipknot onto your knitting needle, positioning it in the same way it came off your finger.

Slipknot, Step 10:

Pull the tail-side of the slipknot to gently tighten it onto your knitting needle.

After you’ve mastered making a slipknot, you will be ready to learn the long tail cast on and start your first knitting project.