Knitting a Garter Stitch Scarf

Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking the time to attempt these instructions. As a part of this project, you will learn how to tie a slipknot, cast on stitches, knit, bind off, and weave in the ends. In addition to written instructions, we have also included photos and a video demonstrating how to cast on and knit. While knitting, it is important to not be discouraged. Take your time and feel free to start from scratch if your work does not feel right to you. This project will most likely take multiple attempts but keep at it and you will soon understand the process. Anyone can knit and you can as well. We hope that this project is your first of many.

Best of luck and have fun creating your garter stitch scarf.

Materials:

Approximately 370 yards (338 m) of acrylic yarn (pictured here: Red Heart “With Love” in Blue Hawaiian)

Size 10 U.S. (6.0 mm) knitting needles

A yarn needle Craft scissors

Glossary of terms:

Working Yarn: the side of the yarn coming from the ball.

Tail Yarn: the side of the yarn leading to the end.

Stitch: a loop of yarn sitting on the needle resulting from a passing of the yarn.

Fabric: the woven yarn produced as a result of knitting.

Step 1: Forming a Slipknot

1.Take a length of yarn and measure 10-12 inches.

2. Wrap the yarn around the middle and index fingers of your left hand.

3. Take the working yarn and push it through the back of the loop formed on your fingers.

4. Pull the yarn through to form a new loop and pull the yarn off of your right fingers (Figure 1).

5. Grab the yarn tail and pull to tighten the knot.

6. Take the loop and place it on the needle with the tail closest to you.

7. Pull the working yarn slightly to tighten the yarn on the needle.

Step 2: Casting On

1. Hold the needle with the stitch on it in your left hand and hold the other needle in your right hand.

2. Hold the stitch in place near the end of the needle with your index finger and insert the right needle underneath the stitch toward the back.

3. Wrap the working yarn around the back of the right needle to bring it down and to the front between the two needles (Figure 1).

4. Slide the right needle downward and catch the working yarn with the tip of the needle to pull it through the loop (Figure 2).

5. Lower the left needle below the right needle and insert it up and through the loop on the right-hand needle (Figure 3).

6. Remove the right needle and tighten by pulling slightly on the working yarn.

7. Repeat this step 30 times for a total of 32 stitches on the needle.

When casting on and knitting, the needles should easily slide into the stitch. If you are having difficulty inserting your needles remove the stitches and try again by not cinching the stitches to the needle as tightly.

Take caution to not split or fray the yarn with your needle. If you do separate the yarn, remove your right-hand needle and reinsert it.

Step 3: Knitting

Note: Steps 1-4 are identical to steps 1-4 in the section labeled, “casting on.”

1. Hold the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand and hold the other needle in your right hand.

2. Hold the top stitch in place near the end of the needle with your index finger and insert the right needle underneath the stitch toward the back.

3. Wrap the working yarn around the back of the right needle to bring it down and to the front between the two needles (Figure 1).

4. Slide the right needle downward and catch the working yarn with the tip of the needle to pull it through the loop (Figure 2).

5. Slide the stitch off of the left needle and tighten by slightly pulling on the working yarn (Figure 3).

6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the remainder of the row.

7. Swap the needles between your two hands and turn the stitches so they face toward your right hand.

8. Continue knitting until the fabric is the desired length.

When knitting and casting on, keep your stitches near the end of the needle, just before the taper toward the point.

Step 4: Binding Off

1. Knit two stitches onto the right-hand needle.

2. Insert the left needle into the top of the bottom stitch (Figure 1).

3. Pull the stitch up to pass it over the other stitch and off the right needle to leave one stitch on the right needle (Figure 2).

4. Tighten, knit another stitch and repeat steps 2-3 until there are no stitches on the left needle and one stitch remains on the right needle.

5. Cut the working yarn to leave a tail measuring 6-8 inches.

6. Remove the last stitch from the needle.

7. Thread the tail through the last stitch and pull tight.

Step 5: Weaving in the Ends

1. Thread the tail through the eye of the yarn needle.

2. Insert the needle through the stitch closest to the tail.

3. Pull the yarn through the stitch (Figure 1).

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 across the fabric three more times for a total of four stitches.

5. Turn the fabric and weave the yarn through the stitches parallel to the initial weave and continue for four stitches.

6. Cut the remaining tail close to the fabric.