The knit stitch is the brick with which all knitting is built! There are several ways to move your hands while making knit stitches, but here are two of the most common: right-handed English (throwing) style, and left-handed Continental (picking) style.

Right-handed knit stitch (English, or throwing style)

Step-by-Step written instructions with pictures:

Start with your work (stitches to knit) in your right hand and your empty needle tip and yarn in your right hand. As you look at them, your stitches have a "front leg" and "back leg" over the needle, and the front leg should be to the right.

1. Insert your right needle tip into the first stitch under the front leg, and end up with your right needle tip behind the left needle tip inside the stitch.

2. Wrap your yarn counterclockwise (outside) the back needle, ending up with the yarn between the needles.

3. Using your right needle tip, bring the yarn through the stitch to the front of the work.

4. Take the old stitch off the left needle.

Repeat steps 1 - 4 until you reach the end of the row. Treat the last stitch just like the others, and you're done!

Left handed or finding this awkward? Try the Continental style of knitting instead...

 

Left-handed knit stitch (Continental, or picking style)

 

Step-by-Step written instructions with pictures:

Start with your work (stitches to knit) in your left hand and your empty needle tip in your right hand. As you look at them, your stitches have a "front leg" and "back leg" over the needle, and the front leg should be to the right. Pick up the yarn with your left hand in a manner that feels comfortable and like you can control the tension.

1. Insert your right needle tip into the first stitch under the front leg, and end up with your right needle tip behind the left needle tip inside the stitch.

2. Wrap your yarn counterclockwise (outside) the back needle, ending up with the yarn between the needles. This can also feel like picking the yarn up with your right needle tip.

3. Using your right needle tip, bring the yarn through the stitch to the front of the work.

4. Take the old stitch off the left needle.

Repeat steps 1 - 4 until you reach the end of the row. Treat the last stitch just like the others, and you're done!

 

These are only two of many ways to make the knit stitch, but they are the most commonly used in America. Click here to explore some other techniques.

 

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