Cast on, knit the first row, then turn your work to begin row two

Starting a new row means finishing one row of stitches and moving to the next. After you knit across to the end of your current row, you turn your needles around so the working yarn is on the right side again, and you're ready to knit the next row. The motion is straightforward: turn the needles, position your yarn, and insert your needle into the first stitch on the left needle.

The most common mistake is turning your work but forgetting to bring the yarn to the correct side before you start knitting. If your yarn is at the back when you need it at the front (or vice versa), your first stitch will be twisted or too tight. A second mistake is accidentally dropping a stitch at the edge when you turn—this happens when you don't find the last stitch of the previous row before rotating your needles.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn your needles 180 degrees after finishing a row so the needle with stitches is in your left hand and the empty needle is in your right hand.
  • Bring your working yarn to the front of your work if you are about to purl, or to the back if you are about to knit.
  • Insert your right needle into the first stitch on the left needle from left to right, and pull the yarn through to create your first new stitch.
  • The first stitch of a new row is often loose; pulling the yarn snug after you complete it prevents gaps along the edge of your piece.

Turn your work and position the yarn

After you finish knitting the last stitch of your current row, you have one needle in each hand. The needle with all the stitches is in your right hand, and the empty needle is in your left. Rotate both needles 180 degrees so the needle with stitches moves to your left hand and the empty needle moves to your right hand. This is the turn.

Now look at where your working yarn is hanging. If you are about to knit the next row (the most common stitch), the yarn should be at the back of your work, away from you. If you are about to purl, the yarn should be at the front, toward you. Gently move the yarn to the correct position. Do not pull it tight yet—just position it so it is ready to work.

Insert the needle into the first stitch

Hold the left needle (the one with stitches) in your left hand and the empty right needle in your right hand. Look at the first stitch on the left needle—the one closest to the tip. Insert the right needle through that stitch from left to right, going under the left needle. The right needle should pass through the loop of yarn that makes up the stitch.

If you are knitting, the right needle enters from the front and exits toward the back. If you are purling, the right needle enters from the back and exits toward the front. The direction matters because it determines which side of the stitch you are working into, and that affects how the finished fabric looks.

Pull the yarn through and complete the stitch

Once the right needle is through the stitch, hold the working yarn in your right hand (or however you usually hold it—English style or Continental style). Pull the yarn through the loop on the left needle to create a new stitch on the right needle. The old stitch slides off the left needle, and the new stitch stays on the right needle.

The first stitch of a new row is often looser than the others because you have just turned your work and the tension in your yarn is not yet consistent. After you complete the first stitch, gently pull the working yarn to tighten it. This prevents a gap or loose edge along the side of your piece. Do not pull so hard that you distort the stitch, but pull enough that it matches the tension of the stitches around it.

Continue across the row at your normal pace

After the first stitch is complete and tightened, continue knitting (or purling) across the row as you normally would. Insert the needle into the next stitch, pull the yarn through, and slide the old stitch off. Repeat until you reach the end of the row. Your rhythm should feel the same as any other row—the only difference is that you started with a turn and a yarn repositioning.

As you work, keep an eye on the edge stitches. If you notice that the edge of your piece is becoming loose or uneven, it usually means the first stitch of each row is too loose. On your next row, pull the yarn a little tighter after completing that first stitch. If the edge is too tight and puckered, you are pulling too hard—ease up slightly.

Avoid twisted stitches at the row start

A twisted stitch at the beginning of a row happens when the yarn is on the wrong side of your work when you insert the needle. If you knit with the yarn at the front, or purl with the yarn at the back, the stitch will be crossed. The loop will look like an X instead of a V, and it will be harder to work into on the next row.

Before you insert the needle into the first stitch, pause and check: Is the yarn where it should be? For knit stitches, it should be behind your work. For purl stitches, it should be in front. This takes one second and prevents a stitch that will bother you for the rest of the row. If you do accidentally twist the first stitch, you can fix it on the next row by working into the back of the stitch instead of the front, which untwists it.

Practice the turn until it becomes automatic

The turn and the first stitch are the parts of knitting that feel awkward at first. Your hands have to move in a new way, and the yarn has to go somewhere different. After you have started a few dozen rows, the motion becomes automatic—you will turn your needles without thinking about it, and the yarn will move to the right place without you having to check.

If you are working on a small practice swatch, you can repeat the turn and first stitch many times in a short session. Knit five or six rows, then pull out the needles and start over. This repetition builds muscle memory faster than waiting until you are in the middle of a larger project. Within a few hours of practice, starting a new row will feel as natural as knitting a single stitch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I accidentally knit into the first stitch before turning my work?

You have created an extra stitch and your row count is off by one. The easiest fix is to pull out that row and start again. If you do not notice until several rows later, you can drop the extra stitch off the needle and let it unravel back to where it started, then pick it back up and find it. This is fiddly but possible.

Why does the edge of my knitting look loose and wavy?

The first stitch of each row is usually too loose. After you complete the first stitch of a new row, pull the working yarn snug before you move to the second stitch. You can also try a technique called a slip stitch: slip the first stitch of each row onto the right needle without knitting it, which can create a neater edge.

Do I always have to turn my work the same way?

Yes. Always turn so the needle with stitches moves to your left hand. If you turn the other way, you will be working in the wrong direction and your stitches will be backward. The turn is always the same motion, every single row.

Can I start a new row without turning my needles?

No. If you do not turn, you will be knitting in the same direction as the previous row, and your stitches will not form properly. The turn is essential to how knitting works. Some circular knitting techniques skip the turn because you are working in a spiral, but in flat knitting on straight needles, the turn is always necessary.

What is the difference between starting a knit row and starting a purl row?

The only difference is where the yarn sits before you insert the needle. For a knit row, the yarn is at the back. For a purl row, the yarn is at the front. The turn is identical. The motion of inserting the needle and pulling the yarn through is the same—only the yarn position changes.