Section

Techniques

How a method works, when to use it, and when to pick something else.

• How to use circular knitting needles

  A circular needle is two short needle tips joined by a flexible cable. It knits flat and in the round.

  7 min read

• Continental vs English knitting

  Continental holds the working yarn in your left hand; English holds it in your right. Learn whichever your hands take to first.

  6 min read

• How to fix a dropped stitch

  Secure the loose loop first, then use a crochet hook to pull it back up through each ladder rung in turn.

  7 min read

• Mattress stitch: how to seam knitting

  Mattress stitch joins two pieces side by side, picking up the bar between stitch columns so the seam vanishes into the fabric.

  7 min read

• How to knit ribbing

  Alternate knits and purls within the row, then stack them: knit the knits and purl the purls on every following row.

  6 min read

• How to weave in ends

  Follow the path of the existing stitches with a tapestry needle for about two inches, then reverse direction for one inch. The change of direction is what stops it working loose.

  5 min read

• How to join a new ball of yarn

  For most projects: stop at the start of a row, drop the old yarn, knit the next stitch with the new ball, and weave both tails in afterwards.

  5 min read

• Stretchy bind-off

  Add a yarn over before each stitch, then pull it over along with the previous stitch. That extra loop is the stretch.

  6 min read

• Three-needle bind-off

  Hold two sets of live stitches together, knit one from each needle at a time, and bind off as you go. Seam and bind-off in a single pass.

  5 min read

• How to get neat knitting edges

  Slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with the yarn in back. That single change turns a loopy edge into a smooth chain.

  5 min read