What to Knit

What to Knit

Looking for a way to spend your leisure time? Consider knitting. Knitting is a fun hobby that reflects your creative mind. It helps you to focus while creating amazing projects that you can share with your family and friends.

That said, deciding on what to knit can be overwhelming, whether you are a beginner or an experienced knitter. Let’s delve right in to get ideas about the best beginner knitting projects.

Best First Knitting Project: Knitting Equipment

What do you need to create your first knitting project? The first step to making excellent knitted fabrics is to gather the necessary knitting supplies. The following is a table showing the essential knitting tools and their function.

Knitting Tools	Function
Knitting Yarn	Yarn is a long continuous thread with interlocked synthetic or natural fibers, used to create a knitted fabric.
Knitting Needles	Tools used to produce a knitted garment. They come in three distinct types, including straight needles, circular needles, and double-point needles.
Tapestry Needles	Yarn needles are used to sew pieces of knitted fabrics together. They also come in handy when weaving in loose ends.
Tape Measure	A measuring tape is an indispensable tool that helps determine the length of the knitted project, especially on knits such as scarves and blankets.
Crochet hook	Crochet hooks help pick up dropped stitches, make provisional cast-on stitches or weave in the loose ends on your knit fabric.
A pair of scissors	Scissors are used to cut the yarn when you finish your knitting project or when you want to switch colors.
Stitch markers	Stitch markers are small colorful rings used to hold dropped stitches, mark spots on knitting projects, and keep track of the number of stitches in the knitting needles as you knit.

How to Knit Cool Stuff

Wondering how to start knitting cool stuff? If you are entirely new in the world of knitting, you first need to equip yourself with the three fundamental skills in knitting before deciding the things you can knit for your first project. These essential skills include

• • Casting on
  • The knit stitch
  • Casting off

Casting On

Casting on is the process of turning loose yarn into neat stitches that sit perfectly on your knitting needles. It is the first step in knitting.

Not sure how to cast on knitting? Here is a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Make a slip knot

The slip knot, also known as the running knot, is the first cast-on stitch. To make this knot, you should loop the yarn around the middle and index fingers two times. You should then pull the first loop over the second one.

Next, tug on the yarn tail around the arc’s base to tighten it, then slip it onto the knitting needle. Consider tugging the tail to tighten the slip knot onto the knitting needle. You now have one cast-on stitch.

Step 2: Place the needle with the slip knot onto your right hand.

Step 3: Using your right index finger, loop the working yarn (thread connected to the ball of yarn) over the left-hand needle from front to back. This forms an open loop.

Step 4: Push the right-hand needle into the loop going from the front(closest to you) to the back(the furthest from you).

Step 5: Throw the working yarn over the tip of the right-hand needle and pull the loop on the left-hand needle through.

Step 6: Repeat the process (steps 3-5) until you cast enough stitches for your knitting project. Ensure that you include the running knot in the total number of cast-on stitches.

The Knit Stitch

The knit stitch is the backbone of your knitted project. It helps create the body of your knit garment. So how do you create the most basic knit stitch?

Here is a guide;

Step 1: Hold the needle with the cast on stitches with your left hand. You should always transfer the needle with the knitted work to your non-dominant hand to start a new row.

Step 2: Push the tip of your right-hand needle into the first stitch on the left-hand needle from the front to the back.

Step 3: Loop the working yarn over the tip of the right-hand needle, going from the front to the back.

Step 4: Using the right-hand needle, pull the new loop through the initial stitch on the left-hand needle. Next, let the old stitch ( the first stitch on the left-hand needle) slip off as the new one replaces it on the right-hand needle.

Step 5: Repeat the sequence( steps 2-4) until all your knitted work is transferred to the right-hand needle. 

Step 6: Turn your work around and repeat the same process for the second row. Continue knitting until you get to your garment’s desired length.

Casting Off

Casting off is the process of removing your knit fabric from the knitting needles. Now, it is worth noting that casting off is a game of two, which means that you should only have two stitches on the right-hand needle to cast off, no more, no less!

The following is a guide on how to cast off knitting;

Step 1: Knit two stitches as if working on a regular knit stitch.

Step 2: Push the left-hand needle into the first stitch( the second stitch from the tip) on the right-hand needle. The working yarn should be behind your work.

Step 3: Use the left-hand needle to bring the first stitch up and over the second one so that you only have one stitch on the right-hand needle.

Step 4: Knit one more stitch as usual so that you now have two stitches on the right-hand needle.

Step 5: Use the left-hand needle to lift the first stitch over the new stitch on the right-hand needle to have only one stitch on the right-hand needle.

Step 6: Repeat this sequence until you bind off the entire row. You should then weave in the loose ends to secure the cast-off edge to prevent unraveling.

What is The Easiest Thing to Knit: Knitting Stitch Patterns

You should familiarize yourself with the various stitch patterns before choosing the best first knitting project. The following are some stitch knitting patterns for beginners.

• • What’s The Easiest Thing to Knit: The Garter Stitch Pattern

Image source: Studio knit

This stitch pattern is perfect for beginners as it is reversible, so each work side looks the same. The garter stitch pattern is used to create thick, solid, and stretchy fabrics such as blankets and scarves.

To create this pattern, you should cast on, knit all stitches on all rows for both the right and wrong sides, and then cast off knitting.

• • The Seed Stitch Pattern

Image source: Dummies

The seed stitch pattern is a reversible knit design, meaning that the right and wrong sides of the knitted fabric look the same. To create this knitting pattern, you should alternate two knit stitches with two purl stitches for every two rows, then reverse the sequence.

The seed stitch pattern is perfect for various knitting projects, including washcloths, baby hats, neck warmers, and knitted baby booties, to mention a few.

• • The Stockinette stitch

Image source: New Stitch a Day

 Unlike the garter and the seed stitch, the stockinette stitch has a right and a wrong side. Often, fabrics made with the stockinette stitch curl at the top and bottom edges towards the front or smooth side.

To create the stockinette stitch, you should alternate a knit row with a purl row until you reach your project’s desired length. The stockinette stitch is perfect for various knitting projects, including socks, sweaters, scarves, hats, and blankets, to mention a few.

What to Knit for Beginners

Wondering what to knit for your first knitted project? Here are some of the best knitting ideas that require simple knit stitch patterns. 

1. 1. What shall I Knit? Bow Headbands

Image source: diys.com

Headbands provide a fantastic way to keep your ears warm in the winter. They further help keep hair from falling onto your face and are great alternatives for head hats that come with a tight cap.

To knit this unique headband, you first need to master the simple seed stitch pattern. Watch this video to learn how to knit bow headbands for your first knitting project.

      2. Finger Knit Bunny

Image Source: Pinterest

As a beginner, you should first learn how to finger knit as it helps make knitting with needles more straightforward. But what can you knit using your fingers? Consider this amazing finger knit bunny.

For this knitting project, all you need is yarn and your fingers, and you are good to go!

Watch this video to get a visual guide on how to finger knit a bunny.

      3. What should I Knit? Dishcloth

Image source: Instructables craft

What can I knit? Consider this easy-to-knit washcloth. A dishcloth is a perfect beginner project as it only requires the basic knitting techniques: casting on, knit stitch, and casting off, to mention a few.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to knit this simple washcloth.

Step 1: Cast on four stitches

Step 2: Knit 4, for row 1

Step 3: Knit 2, yarn over, then knit across row 2. You should then repeat row 2 until you have 45 stitches on your knitting needles.

Step 4: For row 3, you should knit 1,  knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, and then keep knitting till you get to the end. Next, repeat row three until you have four stitches on the knitting needles.

Step 5: Cast off

      4. Baby Hat

Image source: Ravelry

A knitted hat is a great gift to give a loved one who just had a baby. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to knit a hat for a baby using straight needles.

Step 1: Cast on the desired number of stitches and make a brim. You could cast on 72 stitches and make a brim up to 3 inches from the cast edge. End this stage with a wrong side row.

Step 2: Knit the hat up to the desired length. Remember to end with the wrong side row.

Step 3: Decrease the size of your hat to make the top cap. You can do this by knitting two stitches together as you go up until you get to the last row.  You should then cut the yarn off

Step 4: Seam the hat.

      5. Colorful Afghan Blanket

Image source: Smiling colors

If you’re a beginner knitter looking for easy knitting projects, a knit blanket is a great place to start. Using just knit and purl stitches, you can create a cozy and stylish chunky knit blanket using some of the softest yarn available. One project idea could be a striped baby blanket, which is perfect for practicing color changes and creating a beautiful finished product. So grab some chunky yarn and your knitting needles, and get started on your first knit blanket!

So, What can you make knitting? A colorful Afghan blanket. This knitting project is perfect for beginners who want to learn how to knit a blanket as it uses a single stitch, the garter stitch, throughout. It also helps you learn how to change colors in knitting.

Here is a guide on how to knit a colorful Afghan blanket.

Step 1: Gather the necessary supplies. To knit the Afghan blanket, you need circular needles and yarn.

Step 2: Cast on the desired number of stitches depending on the target length of your blanket.

Step 3: Knit the body using the garter stitch. You can keep changing colors as you knit.

Step 4: Cast off. Once you get to the desired blanket length, bind off your knitting and weave in the loose ends to secure the cast-off edge.

      6. Beautiful Knitted Scarf

Image source: Spruce crafts

A knit scarf is one of the best knitting projects since it has a simple design, especially when knitting using the basic garter stitch. Don’t know how to knit a scarf? Here is a guide.

Step 1: Cast on. You should cast on the desired number of stitches depending on the target length of your scarf.

Step 2: Knit the body. Start knitting the body of your scarf using the garter stitch until you get to the desired length. You could add a new color of yarn as you knit the body to decorate your scarf.

Step 3: Bind off. You should cast off stitches and leave a tail of about 6 inches.

Step 4: Weave in the loose ends. Using a crochet hook or tapestry needles, weave in the loose ends of your garment to secure the cast edges.

Step 5: Block the scarf. Finally, block the scarf to give it an attractive appearance and shape. 

      7. Dog Sweater

Image Source: All free Knitting

What better way to keep the man’s best friend nice and warm than a knitted dog sweater? Learning how to knit a sweater is one of the best knitting projects since it allows you to create a fabric that perfectly fits your canine companion.

To knit a dog sweater, follow this simple guide.

Step 1: Measure the dog.

 Using a measuring tape, determine the size of the dog’s chest and length.

Step 2: Purchase the knitting supplies.

 Depending on the size of your dog, you should buy enough yarn for your knitting project and suitable knitting needles.  You should then create a gauge sample to determine the true size of the dog sweater to avoid making mistakes.

Step 3: Knit the back piece

You should cast on stitches depending on the size of your dog. Next, knit 7 to 16 inches of the sweater in garter stitch: 7 inches for a small sweater and 16 inches for a larger one. You should then start decreasing the rows to narrow the piece.

 Next, knit three rows using the garter stitch, then decrease one row. You should then alternate garter stitch and decreasing rows until you get to the desired back piece length and then bind off.

Step 4: Knit the Underpiece

Cast on stitches depending on the size of the sweater. For a tiny sweater, cast on 11 stitches and 17 stitches for an extra-large one. Next, knit  4 1/2 to 10 3/4-inches using the garter stitch, then work a decreasing row.

You should then knit the next four rows using the garter stitch then work another decreasing row. Next, alternate garter stitch and decreasing rows until you get to the desired under piece length and then bind off.

Step 5: Assemble the sweater

You should equip yourself with various sewing room ideas to assemble your dog sweater. You should line up the back and under pieces and sew them together using a tapestry needle.

 Remember to leave open spaces for your pup’s legs. You can also add embellishments such as buttons, collars, pom poms, felt flowers, or small bells, to mention a few if desired.

Want a visual guide to make knitting a sweater for your pup more straightforward? Watch this video. 

Best Beginner Knitting Projects	Knitting Stitch Pattern
Baby hat	Stockinette stitch
Bow headband	Seed stitch
Colorful Afghan blanket	Garter stitch
Knitted scarf	Garter stitch
Dog sweater	Garter stitch
Dishcloth	Seed stitch

Best Knitting Websites for Beginners

There is a surge in the number of knitting websites online; therefore, it can be overwhelming to choose the best site to follow, especially if you are a beginner. For this reason, we’ve put together some of the best knitting websites to improve your knitting journey and experiences.

Let’s delve right in!

1. 1. Super Label store

The super label store is your one-stop site for high-quality woven labels for your knitted garments. The super label store helps you design personalized labels, logos, and tags with different sizes, shapes, and looks to help you change your newfound knitting hobby into a lucrative business. The super label store will also avail care labels to provide care instructions for your knitted fabrics.

Now, whether you are a beginner or a veteran knitter, the super label store further provides detailed blogs with the best knitting ideas to help you improve your knitting journey. Want to learn more about how to knit different projects and order customized woven labels? Visit the super label store today.

      2. Ravelry

Ravelry comes in handy when looking for fantastic patterns to use on your knitting project. With this site, you can find tons of free and paid patterns to help you create incredible fabrics, whether you are a beginner or a veteran knitter. It also provides a favorable environment to start selling your beautiful and easy knitting patterns.

What’s more? Ravelry has a vast knitting community you can interact with to help with your knitting journey, no matter your level of proficiency. And thanks to its notebook feature, you can add notes about your knitting project to gauge your progress and write down new ideas.

      3. AllFreeKnitting

Allfreeknitting is one of the best websites to visit when deciding what to knit as it provides a wide range of free knitting patterns that you can add to your collection. Get detailed free knitting ebooks and videos on Allfreeknitting to guide you on your knitting journey whether you want to knit men, ladies, baby, or pet fabrics.

Conclusion 

Knitting is a fantastic skill to have. You will be surprised by the amazing projects you end up with. You could knit a baby hat, a washcloth, a dog sweater, or a colorful Afghan blanket once you plunge and get started. 

That said, ensure that you gather the necessary knitting supplies, familiarize yourself with the basic knitting skills and stitch patterns and visit the various knitting websites to make your knitting journey more straightforward.

Got ideas on what to knit on your next project? 

 

Frequently asked questions

What projects should I start with as a beginner?

For those who are new to knitting, it’s recommended to start with small and uncomplicated projects that assist in mastering the fundamental knitting stitches. Scarves, dishcloths, and hats are some excellent beginner projects to consider. These projects can help you build confidence and become comfortable with the knitting basics.

What are the challenging projects for experienced knitters?

Numerous knitting projects can be highly demanding, and you can pick one based on your interests and proficiency. For instance, you may consider challenging projects such as Fair Isle or intarsia knitting, intricate lace shawls, or cable-knit sweaters.

How do I choose the right yarn for my project?

When selecting yarn for your knitting project, it’s important to consider the fiber content, weight, and color. The pattern you’re following will typically provide instructions on what weight and fiber content to use, and you can choose colors based on your own preferences or the recipient’s taste. It’s crucial to check the yardage of the yarn you’re considering to ensure you have enough for your project.

What can you knit in a day?

The amount of knitting that can be accomplished in a day depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the pattern, the type of yarn used, and the individual’s knitting speed and experience. You can do these simple projects like.

• Easy fringed scarf knit with 3 strands of different color yarn
• Slippers
• Afghans and Throws
• Slouchy Hat