1. CHOOSING YOUR
YA R N
Yarns, garment shapes, and stitch patterns must work together for your
knitting project to be successful. The main areas to consider are:
 Gauge
 Needle size
 Texture and colour of yarn
 Fibre content of yarn

2. YA R N W E I G H T ( T H I C K N E S S )
 The thickness of your yarn (among other factors)
has a huge impact on the look of your knitted or
crocheted fabric — and certainly the amount of time
it takes to complete it. Yarn weight determines how
many stitches it takes to knit 1 inch.
 Although there are no official categories for yarn
weights, many knitting books and yarn manufacturers
use common terms to indicate a yarn’s thickness and
the size of the needle with which you work on the
yarn.

3. H O L D I N G YO U R N E E D L E S
Right hand needle Left hand needle
 Hold the right needle as if you were holding a  Hold the left needle lightly over its top, using the
pencil. When casting on and working the first few rows, thumb and index finger to control the tip of the needle.
pass the knitted piece over the hand between the thumb
and index finger. As work progresses, let the thumb slide
under the knitted piece, grasping the needle from below.

4. CASTING ON
Casting on is when you form the first row of stitches.
 Making a slip knot:

5. METHOD 2
 Casting on with the cable method (two needles)

6. THE BASIC STITCHES
 The knit stitch (k)
 To knit into the back of a stitch (KB1)
 The purl stitch (p)
 To purl into the back of a stitch (PB1)
 The garter stitch
 Stocking stitch
 Reverse stitch
 Ribbing
 Knit one Below (K1B)

7. CASTING OFF
Casting off is the method used to dispose of a number of stitches. It is used during shaping, on shoulder seams
for example and often forms the last row of the work.
Casting off knitwise Casting off purlwise Casting off with a crochet hook

8. F O R E F R O N T O F FA S H I O N
 John Galliano Fall 2011 Collection: Amazing fanciful furs, woollens and silk prints at the John Galliano for Fall
Winter 2011 2012.