The knit stitch is the foundation of almost every knitting project
The knit stitch is the most common stitch in knitting. Once you master it, you can make scarves, blankets, hats, and sweaters. The stitch itself is a loop you pull through another loop using two needles and yarn. It takes practice to build muscle memory, but the motion becomes automatic after a few hours of repetition.
You will need two needles (the size depends on your yarn weight), yarn, and a cast-on foundation of loops already on one needle. If you do not yet have cast-on stitches, you will need to learn that first — it is the row of loops that sits on your needle before you begin knitting.
Key Takeaways
- Hold the working yarn (the yarn attached to the ball) in your right hand or left hand depending on your style, and keep tension consistent so all your stitches are roughly the same size.
- Insert the right needle through the loop on the left needle from left to right, wrap the yarn around the right needle, and pull it back through to create a new loop.
- Slide the old loop off the left needle and onto the right needle, then repeat until you reach the end of the row.
- At the end of each row, swap the needles so the needle with stitches on it becomes your left needle again.
Hold your needles and yarn in a comfortable position
There are two main ways to hold yarn while knitting: English style (yarn in your right hand) and Continental style (yarn in your left hand). Neither is better — choose whichever feels more natural to you. Most people in English-speaking countries learn English style first, but Continental style is faster once you develop the habit.
For English style, hold the needle with cast-on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. Keep the working yarn (the yarn attached to the ball) in your right hand, either wrapped around your fingers or held loosely. The goal is to keep the yarn at a steady distance from your needles so each stitch pulls tight the same way.
For Continental style, hold the needles the same way, but keep the working yarn in your left hand. You will use your left index finger to move the yarn into position for each stitch instead of your right hand.
Insert the right needle through the stitch on the left needle
Look at the loop closest to the tip of your left needle. This is the stitch you are about to knit. Insert the tip of your right needle through this loop from left to right — the right needle should go in front of the left needle, then pass through the loop so it comes out on the other side.
The right needle now sits inside the loop, with the left needle still holding it. Both needles are now threaded through the same stitch. This is the moment before you create the new loop.
Wrap the yarn around the right needle and pull it through
Take the working yarn and wrap it around the tip of the right needle, going from back to front (or front to back, depending on your style — the direction stays the same for every stitch). The wrap should sit on the right needle between the two needles.
Now pull the right needle backward and downward, bringing the wrapped yarn through the loop on the left needle. You have just created a new loop on the right needle. The old loop is still on the left needle.
Slide the old stitch off the left needle
Gently push the old loop off the tip of the left needle. It will slide onto the right needle, where the new loop already sits. You have completed one knit stitch.
The new loop on the right needle is now your working stitch. Repeat the entire process — insert the right needle, wrap the yarn, pull through, and slide off — until you reach the end of the row and no stitches remain on the left needle.
Complete the row and prepare for the next one
When you finish a row, all your stitches will be on the right needle and the left needle will be empty. Swap the needles: put the needle with stitches in your left hand and pick up the empty needle with your right hand. You are now ready to knit the next row using the same steps.
As you knit more rows, you will notice the fabric growing downward from your needles. The edge stitches (the first and last stitch of each row) often look looser or messier than the middle stitches — this is normal and becomes less noticeable with practice.
Keep your tension even as you work
Tension means how tightly you pull the yarn as you create each stitch. If your tension is too loose, your stitches will be large and floppy. If it is too tight, your stitches will be small and hard to work with, and your finished piece will feel stiff.
The best way to develop even tension is to knit the same stitch over and over. Knit a swatch — a small square of fabric made from cast-on stitches — and focus only on making each stitch the same size as the last one. After 20 or 30 rows, you will feel the rhythm and your tension will improve on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I drop a stitch?
A dropped stitch is a loop that has slipped off your needle. If you notice it right away, insert your needle back through the loop and pull the working yarn to tighten it. If you dropped it several rows ago, you can use a crochet hook to pull the yarn back up through each row until the stitch is restored.
How do I know if my tension is too tight or too loose?
Knit a small swatch and look at the stitches. If they look like uniform bumps and the fabric drapes gently, your tension is good. If the stitches are very large or the fabric feels stiff and dense, adjust your tension and try again. It takes a few swatches to find your natural rhythm.
Can I knit with my eyes closed?
Once you have practiced for several hours, yes — many experienced knitters knit while watching television. But when you are learning, keep your eyes on your needles so you can see exactly where the right needle goes through each stitch.
What is the difference between a knit stitch and a purl stitch?
A purl stitch is the reverse of a knit stitch. Instead of inserting the needle from left to right, you insert it from right to left. Knit and purl stitches are often combined in patterns to create texture and design.