Beginers Knitting Part 4: Reading A Knitting Pattern

How to Read a Knitting Pattern

Once you’ve learned the basics of knitting, how to cast on and cast off, how to work the knit stitch and the purl stitch, you’ll be ready to start your first pattern. 

When you are new to knitting, most knitting patterns will seem that they are written in code that only knowledgeable knitters know how to decipher. But with a little help you can learn the basic knitting terms you need to know to read and work your way through your first patterns.

Skill level is often one of the first things you will see on a pattern, after the name and a picture of the finished piece. This is great for beginning knitters because you know right away to skip the ones that say "advanced" or "intermediate." Some companies have a scale of one to four that indicates difficulty; one is the easiest, so stick to those for your first projects.

Size is important if you are making a fitted piece, so you'll want to look at the measurements for a pattern to make sure it will fit you. For sweaters and other fitted items, a range of sizes are given, and the instructions will vary according to the size you want to make.

Gauge you should get into the habit of checking your gauge before you start making garments; you'll be glad you did when your first sweater actually fits.

The gauge of a pattern is indicated by a measurement, something like six stitches and 10 rows equals four inches in pattern stitch on size 13 needles. That means if you were to knit in whatever the pattern stitch is across six stitches and 10 rows, you should get a four-inch square. Try it. If your size isn't quite right a different sized needle can be used to get the right measurement.

The pattern information will tell you what kind of yarn was used in the pattern, what size needles and any other special tools you might need. It will also indicate how much yarn you need to buy. You don't have to use the exact yarn that was used in the pattern, but a yarn of a similar weight or thickness would be helpful for best results. Always buy enough yarn and an extra ball or two at the same time, so you get all the yarn from the same dye lot. If you end up needing more yarn, the next dye lot could be a slightly different colour because of manufacturing variations, even it has the same name and colour on the tag.

Once you've gotten through the introductory material and learned that this is a pattern you would like to make and that fits with your skill level, read the pattern and make sure it makes sense to you.

 In the beginning, looking at a knitting pattern can be very confusing,  as thought its written in a foreign language.
It’s not, but it is the special language of knitting, which uses many abbreviations and terms, which save space and make patterns easier to read. So the first thing you need to do is become familiar with the knitting abbreviations. Some of them are easy to understand, such as  k = knit stitch p = purl stitch, CO = Cast on (This is how you begin each knitted piece.) and BO = Bind off  (This is how you finish most knitted pieces. Binding off is sometimes called casting off. They mean the same thing.)  Inc = Increase -add one or more stitches. The most basic increase is to work in the front, and then again in the back, of the same stitch. This can be done in both knit and purl stitches. Dec = decrease-eliminate one or more stitches. The most basic decrease is to work two stitches together as one. This can be done in both knit and purl stitches. Different ways of increasing and decreasing change the way the project will look, and most designers have a specific method in mind. So usually your pattern will tell you how to do this. Rep = repeat - do the same thing again the number of times stated in the pattern.  A complete list of abbreviations used in knitting can be found on the abbrevation page in this blog.

There is usually a list of abbreviations  pertaining to the particular pattern you have chosen written within the pattern instructions. . Knitted items can be worked back and forth in rows to form a flat piece, or in rounds to form a tube with no seams, such as socks or hats. Special circular or double pointed needles are used to work in rounds. With the abbreviations and terms in hand, you are ready to look at a typical knitting pattern.
First the instructions will tell you to cast on a certain number of stitches.There are many methods of casting on. Some give a nice stretchy edge; others give a firm base. Unless the pattern tells you differently, use the method you were first taught.

So in a typical pattern  CO 15 sts. means that you will first make a slip knot on one needle, then cast on 14 more stitches on the same needle. In knitting, the slip knot always counts as a stitch, unlike as in crochet where  the slip knot never counts as a stitch

Row 1: Knit. That means you will knit all 15 stitches on the needle

Rep Row 1 until piece measures 4” from the beginning. That means that you will keep repeating Row 1 a knit row until the piece measures 4” from the cast on row. To measure, place your piece on a flat surface and do not stretch it out. Place the end of a ruler or tape measure against the needle, and measure down to your initial cast-on row. If your work doesn’t measure what is specified, just keep repeating the rows until you get to the desired length.








You will have created what is called garter stitch, made by knitting every row on a flat piece. This is a reversible pattern, as there is very little difference between the right side and the wrong side. So when a pattern tells you to work in garter st, you will know it means to knit every row.

Row 1 (RS): Knit.  This means that on Row 1, which is the right side of the piece (RS), you will knit all 15 stitches on the needle

Row 2 (WS): Purl.  Then for Row 2, the wrong side (WS) of the piece, you will purl every stitch.

The pattern may now say: Rep Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 4” from the beginning, ending with a WS row.

 That means that you will keep repeating Row 1 (a knit row) and Row 2 (a purl row), in sequence until the piece measures 4” from the cast on row. Since the pattern says to end with a wrong-side row, that means that the last row you work should be a purl (WS) row. When you repeat a knit row and then a purl row for a number of rows, your are creating a pattern called stockinette stitch. This is abbreviated St st. You will see that there is a definite right and wrong side, usually the knit side is the right side, but sometimes the purl side is used for the right side. When this is done it is called reverse St st. So when a pattern tells you to work in St st, it means to alternate a knit row with a purl row.

Now we’ll have a quick look at the symbols that are used in knitting patterns. These too are used to save space and to make the pattern easier to read. They may be confusing at first, but you will soon learn to follow them. Knitting patterns may have a series of steps that are repeated several times across a row. Rather than writing out these steps time after time, asterisks (*) are used to indicate the repeats. You will find asterisks used in many different patterns, such as ribbing. Ribbing is that stretchy pattern often used at the bottom and cuffs on a sweater to provide flexibility. Here is a typical ribbing pattern.

CO 18 sts.

Row 1: *K2, P2; rep from * across, end K2.
That means that you will knit the first two stitches, then purl the next two stitches; then you will knit 2, then purl 2, again, and repeat the steps following the asterisk all across the row until the last two stitches which you will knit.
Row 2: *P2, K2; rep from * across, end P2.
Note that you will be purling the sts you knitted on the preceding row, and knitting the sts you purled on the preceding row. Many times patterns will say: knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches. You will be creating ribbing by repeating these two rows in sequence.

Brackets [ ] are also used to enclose a group of stitches that are to be repeated a specified number of times. The number immediately following the brackets tells you how many times to do the step. For instance, [k1, K2tog] 6 times means you will knit 1 stich, then knit 2 stitches  together, then do that again 5 more times..Parentheses are sometimes used in the same way.

When you knit your first garment, you may run into some terms that confuse you. Here are some examples and what they mean.

Left Front  or Left Sleeve: The piece that will be worn on the left front and left arm of your body.

 Right Front or Right Sleeve: The piece that will be worn on the right front and right arm of your body.

Work same as Left (or Right) piece, reversing shaping: This can be difficult for a beginner. Let’s say you have worked a series of decreases on a left shoulder. Instead of telling you exactly how to do this for the right shoulder, in order to save space the pattern may just tell you to: Work same as left shoulder, reversing shaping. That means you have to figure out what to do! It will be easier if you take pen and paper and sketch out what you did the first time; then do this in reverse for the other piece. For example, the armhole decreases on a left front are worked at the beginning of right side rows. To reverse it for the right front, work the decreases at the end of the right side rows.

This should help to get you started with your first pattern so begin with a basic pattern to get you used to the terms and abbreviations working up as you become braver. A good place to start is a basic baby cardigan as featured in a previous post of this blog and there is a page of abbreviations and there meanings on a separate page on this blog.
Tip: When following the row by row instructions it is helpful to check off a row as you are finished. It is also a good idea to place a ruler under each row, so that your eye follows the exact row, and not one above or below. I use a postit note as the sticky strip means it won't move accidentally. This is extremely important especially when you start adding colours, or designs that need exact counting.

If you're looking at more advanced patterns and don't understand what they mean, in tomorrows post we'll work our way through translations for many more knitting abbreviations.

Enjoy your knitting!

Beginers Knitting part 2. Cast on and first stitches.

Slip knot and Cast On:

The slip knot is the stitch to start all stitches, the one that anchors the yarn to the needles and makes it possible to cast on. Before starting the slip knot, decide which method of casting on you want to try. If you choose the long-tail cast-on method, leave approximately an inch for every stitch that you’re about to place on the needle. For the knitted cast-on, leave eight to ten inches between the end of the yarn and the slip knot.The knit cast on is an easy way to get stitches on the needle to begin to knit. It's one of the first cast on methods I teach because it basically teaches you how to form the knit stitch at the same time that you're learning to cast on. This cast on isn't just useful for beginners, though; it's also a great choice when you're casting on a lot of stitches and don't want to risk having too short of a long tail, or when you're adding stitches in the middle of a row.
Like all cast ons, the knit cast on begins with a slip knot.

Leave about a 4″ tail and flip the tail over the yarn coming off of the yarn ball.

Flip the tail under the loop that was created so that it is going down the center of the loop from behind.

Pull the tail slightly through the loop.

Place one if your needles into the new top loop created (the smaller of the two loops).

Pull the loop tightly around the needle and this is your slip knot, ready to cast on the first row.

Once you've made your slip knot, put the needle with the slip knot in your left hand and the empty needle in your right.

To begin the cast on: Holding the needle with your slip knot on it in your left hand, push the needle in your right hand through the slip knot and behind the other needle.

Wrap the yarn coming from the yarn ball around the right hand needle and between the needles.Hold the yarn loosely in your right hand as you do this. This is known as English knitting, right-hand knitting or "throwing," which is different from Continental or left-hand knitting, in which the yarn is held in the left hand. Be careful not to loop the yarn over both needles, and don't pull too tightly or your stitches will be hard to work. Your loops should be tight enough to stay on the needle, but loose enough to slide the second needle through with ease. This is a concept known as tension, and like in other parts of life, too much tension is bad. As you become a more experienced knitter, you'll learn what feels like the right amount of tension in your work.

Here's the only tricky part in mastering the knitted cast on and knitting, push the right hand needle against the left hand needle and pull the yarn you just wraped around through the slip knot loop.

Now you should have the slip knot loop still in the left hand, and another loop around the right hand needle (so one loop on each needle).

Push both loops to the top of the needle by keeping hold of the yarn with your right hand so it doesn't get away from you. Slowly slide the right-hand needle down so the loop gets close to the tip of the needle, but does not slide off. At the same time the right-hand needle will be coming out from behind the left-hand needle. When the right-hand needle just comes out from behind the left-hand needle, give the right needle a little push with your left index finger to push the needle in front of the left needle.

 You're almost done! Now all you have to do is slide the loop that's on the right-hand needle onto the left-hand needle, above the slip knot loop. 

Now you should have two loops on the left hand needle.

For the next loop, wrap the yarn around the right hand needle again.

Pull the yarn through the first loop on the left hand needle again so that you have one loop on the right hand needle.

Transfer the right hand loop to the left needle so you now have three loops on the left hand needle.

Continue doing this until you have casted on as many stitches across as you would like. For this tutorial I have casted on 20 stitches (not including the slip knot).

Knit Stitch:

After you have casted on your first row, you pretty much have just been knitting already, but it is slightly different after you get the loop on the right needle so I’ll go through the first regular row.




The first step in forming the knit stitch is called opening the loop. With the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand, the working yarn should be to the back of the work. The stitches are facing you, with the bumpy part of the loops facing in toward you body. Make sure you're working through the single loop, and not the bumpy part, when you form your stitches.Slip the tip of the right-hand needle into the first loop, from front to back, just like you did in the knitted cast on.




Once you've got the needle in place, simply carry the working yarn over the right-hand needle, going counter-clockwise around the needle and making sure the working yarn slides between the two needles. It is this yarn that makes the new loop that enables your knitting to become a full project. What you're doing is sliding the right-hand needle from the back to the front of the left-hand needle, keeping the loop of yarn on the left-hand needle for now but punching through with the working yarn so that it makes a loop on the right-hand needle.To do this, just slide the right-hand needle down so that the loop gets close to the tip of the needle but doesn't slide off. When the tip of the needle gets close to the edge of the left-handle needle, give the right-hand needle a little push so it can move in front of the left-hand needle. 




Pull the yarn through the loop so it is on the right needle (like above).




Once you've gotten this far, actually finishing the knit stitch is easy. All you have to do is slide the right-hand needle up so that the first loop on the left-hand needle slides off. That stitch is now "worked."




Now you’ll have less stitches on the left needle, and one on the right.




Now move on to the next loop on the left-hand needle and do the exact same thing, repeating until you are out of stitches.




Once all of the stitches are off of the left needle and on the right needle, that row is done.You just knitted your first row!
One of the biggest questions people who teach themselves how to knit often have is: how do I keep going once I've finished the first row?
When all the stitches are gone from the left-hand needle, how do you continue? Actually, it's very easy and it's a concept called turning the work.



 All you have to do is literally flip the work over. The side that you just had in front of you becomes the back temporarily. Move this needle from your right hand back to your left hand and you'll see you're right where you started again.




Continue stitching the next row as you did the first.




When you have the next row done, you will begin to see the pattern forming.

Purl Stitch:

For the next row I’ll be showing you how to do a purl stitch. You can alternate between knitting and purling in the same row as well as in different rows to form different patterns.




The main difference between a purl stitch and a knit stitch is that the right needle is put in front of the left needle instead of behind. So to start, hook the right needle into the first loop on the left needle, but in front of the left needle this time.




Wrap the yarn around the right needle counter clockwise , but this time in front of the back needle and around the front one. Just remember that you will always be wrapping the yarn counter clockwise around the needle in your right hand.




Pull the yarn through the first loop in the left needle, creating a new loop on the right needle.
Continue this same technique down the row.




When all of the stitches are off of the left needle, that row is done.




Continue stitching, rotating between the knit and purl stitch as you’d like so you can see the patterns they will form.

Knitting is a wonderful craft because even when you are first starting to learn to knit, you can make projects.

Even if all you know is how to make a knit stitch (and cast on and cast off, of course) then you can make a project. Don't believe me? Try this.

Get some worsted weight yarn, or whatever kind of yarn you've got lying around the house. If it has a label, find some knitting needles close to the size recommended on the label. If not, pick up some needles somewhere in the range of size 4mm to 6mm.

Cast on 30 stitches. Knit every row until you've got basically a square (it should be about six inches all around). Bind off.

Congratulations! You've just made your first ever knit project! And what can you do with it? Use it as a washcloth or a hot pad, send to Lily,or make a bunch of them and stitch them together into an afghan.

This tiny project might not seem very impressive until you learn that this "pattern" (knit every row) is so popular it actually has a name: garter stitch. So now whenever you see "garter stitch" in the title or instructions for a pattern, you know that's just a fancy way of saying knit every row.

Tomorrow we'll learn to cast off and follow our first pattern.