Knitting Stitch Guide: Garter Stitch

Garter Stitch Swatch 4.5"x 4.5"

Garter stitch is usually the first stitch you would learn when knitting.  It is stretchy, lays flat and reversible making it a great stitch for things like scarves and shawls or anything you want to be reversible.  It is even the stitch used in my beginner scarf pattern.

This stitch pattern can be any amount of stitches.  While working flat all the rows are the same, but when working in the round it is a two row repeat.

Garter Stitch (Flat)
All Rows: Knit all Sts

Garter Stitch (In the Round)
Round 1: Knit All Sts
Round 2: Purl All Sts

Beginner Guide to Knitting Part IV: Knitting

Now that you have stitches on the needle its time to learn to knit! This is the fun part. In this guide I am going to show you the continental style of knitting. What this means is that you will hold your yarn in your left hand, and "pick" the yarn with your right hand needle. The other popular style is English knitting, where your yarn is held in you left hand and wrapped around the needle.

Hold the needle with your stitches in your left hand and your empty needle in your right hand. Wrap your yarn around your left index finger. Insert your right hand needle into the first stitch on your left hand needle. Insert your needle front to back from the left side of the loop, as seen in photo below.


Wrap yarn around right hand needle.


Pull wrapped yarn through stitch on left hand needle creating a loop on the right hand needle.


Slip loop off of left hand needle.

There you have it the a knit stitch. Continue in this manner till there are no more stitches left on your needle. When you have done this you have completed one row of knitting. Switch you needles in your hands and begin your second row.

Beginner Garter Stitch Scarf
Garter stitch is the result of knitting all of your stitches on each row. Its a great way to become framiler with the knit stitch
Using the backwards loop cast on, Cast on 20 stitches
Knit all
continue knitting until your scarf measures 60" or desired length.
Bind Off (check back next Tuesday for a look at how to Bind Off)

Knitting Resources
Which Style Should You Learn?
Learn to knit: knit stitch, video tutorial
Knitting-Basic Knit Stitch (continental), video tutorial