Here’s a roundup of instructional videos across the site. Note that a number of the knitting patterns also include demonstration and knit-along videos; you can find those all linked in the Learn to Knit lessons.
Winding and Organizing Yarn for Two at a Time Socks
Learn how to wind your yarn into two equal balls for knitting two at a time socks, and find several tips for organizing your yarn so it doesn’t get tangled while knitting!
How to Knit the Turkish Cast On
Learn how to do the Turkish Cast On, which is my favorite for knitting toe up socks.
How to Knit Wraps and Turns
Learn how to knit wraps and turns, which are common in sock knitting patterns.
How to SSK
Learn how to SSK, which is a common method for decreasing stitches in knitting.
How to Sew the Mattress Stitch
Learn now to sew the mattress stitch, which creates an almost invisible seam between two pieces knitting.
How to Knit the M1L and M1R Increases
Learn know to knit the M1L and M1R knitting increases.
How to Try On a WIP Garment
One of the benefits of hand knitting is you can make everything to fit! In addition to knitting a gauge swatch, one of the best ways to make sure a work-in-progress (WIP) garment is going to fit how you want is to try it on as you go. If you’re knitting with circular needles but…
How to Knit the Circular Tubular Cast on for 2×2 Rib
The circular tubular cast on is very stretchy, beautiful, and invisible. It’s great for a hat, fingerless gloves, or other projects that begin with 2×2 rib. The steps are different than the circular tubular cast on for 1×1 rib, although those instructions are also available on the site. While there are several steps involved, they’re…
How to do the Tubular Bind Off for 1×1 Rib
This tubular bind off is a beautiful and very stretchy bind off that’s great whenever the end of your project is 1×1 rib. I demonstrate how to do this with the Traveller’s Cowl, which I started with the Circular Tubular Cast On and ended with this Tubular Bind Off. This bind off is done with…
How to Knit English Style
Knitting English style (sometimes called throwing) is when you hold the yarn in the right hand. Many people knit this way as their primary knitting style. It’s generally believed that knitting Continental (yarn held in your left hand, or picking) is faster, although almost everyone who wins speed knitting contests knits with the yarn in…
Traveller’s Hat Pattern and Video
The Traveller’s Hat is a very easy beginner knit pattern if starting with the long-tail cast on, or is perhaps an advanced beginner or intermediate project if using the circular tubular cast on, which I recommend. It’s a slouchy hat that works well for both men and women. The hat is knit in wide stripes…
How to Knit the Circular Tubular Cast On for 1×1 Rib
The circular tubular cast on used when knitting in the round (also called the tubular cast on or invisible cast on) is a very beautiful and extremely stretchy cast on. It almost looks like your knitting starts from thin air as the stitches roll seamlessness from the outside to the inside of your project. This…
How to Change Colors and Knit a Jogless Join
It’s very easy to change colors of yarn to knit in stripes. When knitting in the round, one tip is to create a jogless join so the place you change colors isn’t as noticeable. In the photo above, the red and gold scarf was not knit with a jogless join and you can clearly see…
Introduction to Knitting in the Round
Knitting in the round creates a tube shape, such as with gloves, a hat, or a sweater. Essentially you’re knitting in a spiral. This has the added benefit of eliminating any kind of seam, which you would have if you instead knit the piece flat and then stitched it into a tube shape. Joining in…
How to Knit Traditional Magic Loop
The magic loop knitting method allows you to knit projects in the round even if you don’t have exactly the right length of cable needle and/or don’t want to use double pointed needles. The traditional magic loop method uses one very long circular needle. An alternative magic loop method uses two sets of circular needles.…
How to Make a Pom Pom
It’s very easy to make a pom pom with a clover pom pom maker. Once finished, you can use the tails to attach it to your project (such as the top of a hat.) A pro tip is to go back inside the hat and attach it a little more firmly with a needle and…
How to Knit Magic Loop with 2 Circular Needles
Magic loop is a term that refers to knitting a project in the round using a circular needle with a cable that’s much longer than the circumference of the project. The way I like to knit magic loop uses two sets of circular needles (four needles, two cables.) You can use this technique anytime you’re…
How to Wind Yarn
Some yarn comes in a skein and is ready to use. Some comes in a hank and needs to be wound before it’s ready for knitting (otherwise it will tie itself in knots.) You can wind the yarn by hand into a ball; into a cake using a handheld yarn winding stick; or into a…
How to do Duplicate Stitch
Duplicate stitch traces the exiting stitches knit in stockinette. Often used as a decorative accent, it can also be used to mask an error. The trick is sliding the needle behind both legs of the stitch above the one you’re tracing, which can feel counter-intuitive; see image below. A demonstration of how to do duplicate…
How to Knit Front Back (Kfb)
Knit Front Back (Kfb) is a method of increasing the number of stitches in a row. To do it, you simply knit the front of the stitch (in front of the left hand needle, like usual) but before you slip the stitch off the left hand needle, knit the back of the stitch (the same…
How to Knit with DPNS (and avoid common problems)
Knitting with double pointed needles (DPNS) seemed a bit like magic to me when I was first learning to knit. But once I gave it a try, I realized it’s pretty straight forward. One trick is to use knitting needles with a little more grip, such as using bamboo and avoiding metal needles. I’m partial…
How to Move Stitches to Scrap Yarn
Sometimes a pattern will call for moving stitches to scrap yarn. For example, when knitting a raglan sweater, the sleeve stitches will be held on scrap yarn until the body of the sweater is finished. Learn how to move stitches to scrap yarn in the video below. You’ll need a small amount of yarn in…
How to Knit Cables
In this video you’ll learn how to knit cables. You’ll either need a cable needle (two different shapes are shown in the picture above) or can simply use a double pointed needle. Your pattern will tell you the “recipe” for the cables you’re going to knit. As a general matter, you will slip some stitches…
How to Block Your Work
Blocking your work can help relax and smooth out your stitches so they look more beautiful, and is essential on larger projects with shaping such as sweaters. Here are the basic steps: Fill a small sink or bowl with cool water; mix with a small amount of Woolite or other soap made for wool,Add your…
How to Add Fringe
Fringe is a fun addition to some projects, like a scarf, shawl, or this Woven Coaster. The great news is it’s also easy to do, especially with a crochet hook. Learn how in the video below. If your fridge isn’t laying flat, a pro tip is to run a hair straightener set to low heat…
How to Sew a Button
Learn how to sew a button, as shown when making the Woven Mug Cozy. You will need a button (the correct size for your project), a toothpick, thread, a needle the correct size for regular sewing thread, and scissors. Check out the video below for step by step instructions:
How to do Jenny’s Stretchy Bind Off
Jenny’s stretchy bind off is a very versatile and, as the name suggests, stretchy bind off that’s great for at the top of socks, mittens, etc. The stretch comes from a yarn over that you do right before each stitch, which gives you three stitches on the right needle. You then pull the yarn over…
How to K2tog and P2tog
K2tog (knit two together) and P2tog (purl two together) are common methods of decreasing the number of stitches in a row. You do exactly as the name implies, inserting the right needle into two stitches from the left needle at the same time, and either knitting or purling them, well, together. This video shows you…
How to Yarn Over (YO)
A yarn over (abbreviated YO in patterns) is one way to increase the number of stitches in a row, or it can be used as a decorative stitch because it creates an eyelet hole in the knitting, as shown above. Essentially a yarn over is when you wrap the right needle with yarn but then…
Using Stitch Markers and Row Counters
I find stitch markers and row counters to be really helpful with my knitting. I actually use a lot of stitch markers for two main reasons, both of which I illustrate in the video below: Stitch markers mean I don’t have to count during a row to keep track of pattern sections, which makes it…
How to Knit the Long Tail Cast On
The long tail cast on is probably the most often used cast on among knitters. It’s very versatile. If a pattern doesn’t specify which cast on to use, the long tail is usually a good choice. One tip is to cast on using a needle two to three sizes bigger than the one you will…
How to Do the Three Needle Bind Off
The three needle bind off helps create a really beautiful and invisible join between two pieces of fabric. It’s often used with the provisional cast on to finish infinity scarves or cowls, although may be used to join two standalone pieces of work, such as the front and back panels of the Stone Point Poncho…
How to do the Provisional Cast On
The provisional cast on leaves the stitches live at the beginning of your project, so they can be joined with the stitches at the end of the work using the three needle bind off. This creates a very tidy, almost invisible seam, as shown in the Weekend Scarf above, that is great is for infinity…
How to Pick Up a Dropped Garter Stitch
Picking up a dropped stitch when knitting garter stitch is a little harder that picking up stitches in stockinette. Learn how in this step-by-step video. A crochet hook will make your repair job easier. You might also be interested in the following post: Learn how to repair other common knitting mistakes Learn how to knit…
How to Rip Back, Pick up a Dropped Row, and Use Lifelines
This video covers how to get your work back on the needles if you lose a lot of stitches, how to tink, frog, and use lifelines to save your work if you have a problem in the middle. To tink (which is knit spelled backwards) is to unknit, one stitch at a time. To frog…
How to Repair Common Knitting Mistakes
The video below shows how to pick up a dropped stitch and go back and fix a mistake in a previous row without having to rip back your work. A crochet hook makes repairs like this a lot easier. Check out the video below, as well as the other recommended posts, to learn how to…
How to Tell if it was a Knit or Purl?
A common question from beginning knitters is how to tell if a stitch was a knit or purl? If just below the loop on the needle, the yarn is horizontal, like a frown, that was a purl stitch.If just below the loop on the needle, the yarn is more vertical and/or you can see a…
How to Knit a Tidy Rib Stitch
Rib stitch is made by alternating knit and purl stitches, usually knit 1 purl 1 (K1P1 or one-by-one rib) or knit two purl two (K2P2 or two-by-two rib). It makes a very stretchy fabric such as at the end of a pair of gloves, top of a pair of socks, edge of a hat, or…
Knit Stitch Troubleshooting
This video gives a slow motion breakdown of some common things that can go wrong for new knitters learning the knit stitch, and how to avoid them.
Garter Stitch Coaster Pattern and Video
A Garter Stitch Coaster is great for a would-be-knitter’s very first project. It’s relatively simple while still teaching several important skills that all knitters use. This one uses the continental cast on, knit stitches to make garter stitch fabric, and a simple bind off method. The pattern is available to download, and the video below…
How to Start a Yarn Skein
This video shows how to pull the yarn from the center of the skein, which will help it keep from getting twisted while knitting or crocheting your project:
How to Tie a Slip Knot
Most knitting cast on methods start with a slip knot. The following is a slow motion demonstration of how to tie a slip knot. The steps are repeated several times so you can practice along with the video.
How to Hold Your Yarn for Knitting (Continental Style)
Everyone holds their yarn a little differently when knitting. Two main camps are divided between knitters who hold the yarn in their left hand (Continental Knitters or “Pickers”) and those who hold the yarn in their right hand (English Knitters or “Throwers.”) Even within those groups, there is much variation. The following notes and the…
Which Way to Wrap the Yarn
New (and even experienced) knitters can sometimes wrap the yarn backwards, which results in twisted stitches. The video below shows how to wrap the yarn the correct way around your needle when knitting or purling. Spoiler: always wrap counter-clockwise. You may also want to check out these tips for yarn and stitch orientation.
How to Do the Continental Cast On
Casting on is how you get the yarn into loops and onto the needles at the beginning of a project so you can start to knit. There are many different methods of casting on. Perhaps the easiest for new knitters is the Continental Cast On, which is very similar to simply knitting. Check out the…
How to Make a Knit Stitch
There are two main stitches in knitting: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. When looking at fabric knit in stockinette, the side with the “v” shaped columns is the side that was knit; the purl side is the one with the “bumps,” which are sometimes described as “smiles and frowns.” Note that the back…
How to Knit Garter Stitch
To knit in garter stitch simply means you knit every row when making a flat piece of fabric. (When knitting in the round, you would need to alternate between knit rows and purl rows in order to create garter stitch fabric.) This creates a kind of ripply fabric that’s the same on both sides. The…
Where to Hold the Yarn After Turning Your Work
New knitters sometimes have a hard time understanding where the yarn should be positioned after turning the work, particularly after completing a knit row. If you don’t do this correctly, you can end up accidentally adding a stitch. The following video shows where to hold the yarn after turning your work to be positioned correctly…
How to Bind Off
Binding off is what you do to take your project of the needles when you’ve finished knitting the pattern. There are several different ways to bind off your work. With the simple or traditional bind off, you knit two stitches and then pass the first stitch over the second and off the needle. Here are…
How to Weave in the Ends
To weave (or sew) in the ends is usually the last step of a project. At the very least, one usually needs to weave in the tail end of the yarn from where the first slip knot was made to start the project, and the very last tail end of yarn that remains after binding…
How to Slip Stitches
Knitting patterns often direct the knitter to “slip a stitch,” perhaps with additional instructions such as to “slip knitwise.” In short, to slip a stitch is to move a stitch from one needle to the other without getting new yarn and making a new stitch. In the following video, we’ll learn about slipping stitches.
How to Make a Purl Stitch
There are two main stitches in knitting: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. When looking at fabric knit in stockinette, the purl side is the one with the “bumps,” which are sometimes described as “smiles and frowns.” The side with the “v” shaped columns is the side that was knit. Note that the back…
Twisted Headband Pattern and Video
This Twisted Headband is a great beginning knit project knitted in garter stitch. The pattern is below (free PDF download at the bottom of the page), and you can watch a video that walks you through the whole project step-by-step. You only need to know how to cast on (I suggest the Continental Cast On),…
Cushion of Joy 