If you’ve never picked up the needles, here’s how to click-clack your way to knitting knowhow
Knitting is one of those skills that looks terrifying until you’ve tried it. We’ve put together a brief guide on how to get started. If you’re inspired to try more, buy our January issue (in shops now) in which knitting guru Helen Hickman of Nellie and Eve has devised two chunky wool projects to knit on big needles (including the chunky cushion, pictured), ideal for knitting novices or stitching queens who fancy a quick and simple project.
How to cast on
1 Create a slip knot on your left needle and insert the point of the right needle through the knot from front to back (so needles are crossed).
2 Take the end of the yarn and wrap it clockwise over the top of the right needle (behind the left). Keeping the end of the wrapped yarn in your right hand, pull the right needle towards you, bringing the needle tip in front of and above the left needle: this creates a loop on the right needle.
3 Move the right needle to the tip of the left one and transfer the new loop across to the left needle (as you do this, the needle tips should be pointing at each other, not parallel).
4 Adjust the loop size by pulling the end of the yarn. You should now have two loops on the left needle.
5 Inserting your right needle into the new loop, repeat the process until you have the number of stitches required.
Knit stitch
Garter stitch is when all rows are in knit stitch, rather than alternated with rows of purl. The needle with the cast- on stitches should be in your left hand and the yarn at the back of the work.
1 Insert the right needle through the first stitch on the left needle, from front to back (so the two needles are crossed).
2 Take the end of the yarn and wrap it clockwise over the top of the right needle (behind the left needle). Keeping the end of the wrapped yarn in your right hand, pull the right needle towards you, bringing the needle tip in front of and above the left needle: this creates a loop on the right needle.
3 Release the old stitch off the left needle.
4 Repeat steps 1 to 3, until all stitches are on the right needle.
5 Next, swap the needles around and repeat steps above.
This will all make sense if you visit nellieandeve.co.uk/events/videos
Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe
