Dear Beginning Knitter, So you’ve decided you want to learn how to knit! Congratulations; I think you’ve made a great  choice. Knitting is a centuries-old craft, mostly practiced out of necessity; if you wanted socks or a  sweater, you had to knit it yourself. Today knitting is much more of a hobby, although I think it’s an art form, and some might say  it becomes an obsession! When a new knitter looks at all of the yarn and patterns out there, it can seem overwhelming.  But don’t let it get to you—even the most accomplished knitter was once a beginner.  It might surprise you to know that there are only two stitches used to make any knitted ob- ject: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. The knit stitch is a versatile stitch that is one of the building blocks for all knitted items. When  you knit every row, you’re actually knitting a stitch pattern called “garter stitch.” It’s called that  because of the inherent lengthwise elasticity that made bands of garter stitch good at keeping  stockings up.  When you add the purl stitch, your knitting options open up even more! Knitting one row  and then purling the next row creates the imminently versatile stockinette stitch, used in so  many knitting patterns. We’re going to go through the process of knitting the knit stitch and the purl stitch step by  step, and we’ll also cover things you need to know before you start knitting, and several impor- tant techniques (such as how to start your knitting and how to end it!). At the end of this eBook, you’ll find a pattern for a garter stitch wash cloth, a garter stitch scarf, and  a ribbed scarf. You'll be able to knit all three of these patterns after a bit of practice swatching! Here’s to knitting! * GUIDELINES ONLY: The above reflect the most commonly used gauges and needle sizes for specific  yarn categories.  ** Laceweight yarns are usually knitted on larger needles to create lacy, openwork patterns. Accord- ingly, a gauge range is difficult to determine. Always follow the gauge stated in your pattern. See more at www.craftyarncouncil.com/weight.html.  2 Copyright © 2011 Interweave. As with any craft, there are some basic supplies you’ll  want to have on hand. These include: Yarn is your raw material. As you get more into knitting you’ll see the wide range of fiber types  that are spun into yarn. There’s workhorse wool and luscious llama and everything in between! There are seven basic yarn weights, which essentially tell you how thin or thick a yarn is. The chart  below from the Craft Yarn Council Association details what these weights are and what they mean.  Contents Yarn  Weight Symbol & Category Names Type of Yarns in Category Fingering Sock,  Fingering,  Baby Sport, Baby DK, Light  Worsted Worsted,  Afghan,  Aran Chunky,  Craft, Rug Bulky, Roving Knit Gauge Range* in Stockinette Stitch to 4  Inches 33–40** sts 27–32 sts 23–26 sts 21–24 sts 16–20 sts 12–15 sts 6–11 sts Recom- mended Needle in Metric Size Range 1.5–2.25  mm 2.25–3.25  mm 3.2–3.75  mm 3.75–4.5  mm 4.5–5.5 mm 5.5–8 mm 8 mm and larger Recom- mended Needle U.S. Size Range 000 to 1 1 to 3 3 to 5 5 to 7 7 to 9 9 to 11 11 and larger CYCA Standard Yarn Weight System Categories of yarn, gauge ranges, and recommended needle sizes Before You Start .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Casting On  ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4 The Knit Stitch  ............................................................................................................................................................. 5 The Purl Stitch .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Binding Off  ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Joining New Yarn  ................................................................................................................................................... 7 OOPS! Fixing Common Mistakes  ............................................................................................................ 7 Your First Projects  ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Recommended Reading  .................................................................................................................................. 9 Credits  .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Yarn •  Yarn, wound into a ball if it didn’t come that way •  Needles appropriate to your yarn size •  Measuring tape to measure your progress •  Crochet hook for fixing mistakes •  Pen and paper for making notes •  And a bag to keep everything in! Before You Start