Learn the basics of knitting with Carla Scott, the editor of Knit Simple and Vogue Knitting magazines. Carla will teach all of the essential skills a beginner needs to know, from casting on to binding off and troubleshooting mistakes. Best of all, you’ll learn how to read knitting patterns, so you can take the information you’ve learned here and try it out on any beginner’s project you please. Everything included in this information-packed class is used by the Craft Yarn Council to educate new knitters, providing a perfect foundation for anyone who wants to learn how to knit, or simply needs a refresher.

To knit, you really only need needles and yarn. But there are whole worlds of options within those two categories. Debbie shows you different kinds of needles (straight, circular and double pointed). She also reviews different kinds of yarn fibers, weights and how to read yarn labels. Finally, she shows you what’s in her knitting tool kit.

You don’t always have to use the yarn suggested in patterns — but if you do stray from the recommended yarn, you’ll want to keep a few guidelines in mind. Debbie Stoller shares sage advice for substituting yarn, such as using a yarn in a similar gauge and weight and sticking to the same fiber family. Also important, you’ll learn how to calculate yardage requirements for your new yarn so you won’t run out in the middle of the project (or buy far more than you actually need).

All knitting begins with a cast-on, which creates the foundation stitches for any project. There are many different kinds of cast-ons, and some are more appropriate for different kinds of projects. Debbie teaches you her favorite four cast-ons: the long tail, knit, cable and provisional cast-on.

When you knit anything, you are creating fabric by making interlocking loops of yarn – and the knit and purl stitch are how you create those loops. These two stitches are the foundation of all knitting. Debbie teaches you the knit stitch and the purl stitch, in the English and Continental styles, which are different ways of holding the yarn.

Once you know how to knit and purl, you can combine these stitches in an almost endless combination of stitch patterns. Debbie teaches you the most common patterns, from garter and stockinette stitch to ribbing, stripes and many more.

Knitting the round means knitting a tube of fabric instead of knitting back and forth and back and forth to create flat fabric. Knitting in the round is used for hats, socks, sweaters and much more. There are two different ways to knit in the round – with circular needles and double-pointed needles. Debbie shows you how to do both.

As knitters, we all make mistakes. In this class, knitting pro Debbie Stoller teaches you easy ways to fix the most common culprits. You'll learn how to unknit a few stitches, rip out whole rows, turn knits into purls (and vice versa), and how to pick up dropped stitches with a crochet hook. Once you know how to fix your mistakes, you can move on with your knitting like nothing ever happened.

Once your piece is done, you need to get it off your needles so you can start using it and show off your creation. Debbie shows you a couple different ways to bind off and secure your stitches to finish your project.

The last part of any knitting project is called finishing, when all your hard work comes together into one magnificent creation! Debbie covers some of the most common finishing techniques – including seaming pieces together, the Kitchener stitch, working away yarn ends, blocking and much more.

If you're new to knitting, there's no better place to start than a garter stitch hat project. Worked as a flat piece in knit stitch (no purls required!) and seamed up at the end, this color-blocked hat is gender-neutral and anything but boring. You'll learn how to make a gauge swatch, cast on and bind off, change colors and seam – all in one little hat! Creativebug’s resident knitter, Faith Hale, designed this technique-packed cap to be worked on straight needles, making it easy for the beginner knitter. Keep the look of this hat graphic with two colors, or keep it simple with one bold solid. Either way, it looks great on both men and women, and is a quick-to-knit handmade gift.

Looking for another great garter stitch project? Learn how to make the Easiest Garter Stitch Slippers.

Keep your toes toasty with this easy-to-knit weekend project! The delectably simple slipper pattern was designed by Creativebug’s resident knitter, Faith Hale, and requires knitting just one rectangular piece. Simple increases and just two seams give the slipper its shape, making it a great project for last-minute gifting.

Looking for another great garter stitch project? Learn how to make the Easiest Garter Stitch Hat.

When it comes to knitting in the round, there are lots of ways to get the job done. Joy Macdonell teaches all of the essentials, including how to work with circular needles, double-pointed needles and with the Magic Loop method (to name a few). She demonstrates all of these techniques on two different knitted hats—a slouchy beanie with I-cord accents, and a pompom hat with I-cord edging—both of which are ideal for putting all of these techniques to use.
 

If you’re new to knitting, baby projects are a great place to start. Not only are they small and quick to knit, but with just a few techniques, you can create a beautiful, cuddly heirloom. In this class, Maggie shows knitters how to make a simple striped baby blanket. She walks new knitters through all of the basics, including casting on, knitting and purling, and binding off. Once you weave in the tails at the very end, your baby blanket is ready for snuggles!