By Sofia Alvarez 
Arts & Crafts
Paint a Watercolor Flower for Beginners
4 steps45 min Beginner
By Sofia Alvarez 4.7
Your very first knitting project: a cozy garter-stitch scarf in chunky yarn that grows fast. You will learn to cast on, do the knit stitch and bind off, with a photo of each hand position.
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1 Step 1
Pick a chunky wool or wool-blend yarn in a light color, which makes your stitches easier to see. Match it with 10 mm needles: wood or bamboo is grippier and kinder to beginners than slippery metal. Check the yarn label's suggested needle size.
Pro tip: Avoid very dark yarn or fluffy mohair for a first project. You cannot see your stitches.
2 Step 2
Make a slip knot about 15 cm from the end and place it on the needle. Use the long-tail cast-on: wrap the tail around your thumb and the working yarn around your index finger, then scoop through to make each new stitch. Cast on 20 stitches for a medium-width scarf.
Pro tip: Keep the stitches loose. A tight cast-on makes the first row very hard to knit.
3 Step 3
Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand. Push the right needle through the first stitch from front to back, wrap the yarn around it, pull the loop through and slide the old stitch off. Repeat across the row, then turn your work and keep going. Knitting every row creates the classic ribbed garter stitch.
Pro tip: Count your stitches at the end of each row for the first few. It helps you catch mistakes early.
4 Step 4
Knit every row until your scarf is about 150 cm long or you have around 1 metre of yarn left. Checking length often is easier with the work laid on a flat surface. Take breaks and stretch your wrists. It is a marathon you will enjoy.
Pro tip: Shift your hands often. A relaxed grip keeps stitches even and your hands comfortable.
5 Step 5
Knit two stitches, then lift the first stitch over the second and off the needle. Knit one more and repeat across the row. Cut the yarn leaving a 15 cm tail, pull it through the last loop, and weave both tails into the scarf with a tapestry needle. Give it a gentle steam to relax the stitches.
Pro tip: Bind off loosely so the edge matches the cast-on and the scarf does not curl.
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Sofia Alvarez
Textile and watercolor artist
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