Learn the Knit Stitch for Beginners (Step-by-Step Guide)

Learning to knit starts with one essential skill: the knit stitch. It’s the foundation of countless beginner-friendly projects, from scarves and washcloths to cozy blankets.

If you’re brand new to knitting, don’t worry—this guide breaks it down into simple, manageable steps on how to knit the knit stitch for beginners. You will learn the knit stitch as you work through this post.

By the end of this post, you’ll know how to do the knit stitch, what supplies you need, and a few beginner tips to make the process easier on your journey of how to knit stitch for beginners.

This guide will help you learn how to knit the knit stitch effectively to ensure you can confidently learn the knit stitch.

What You’ll Need

Before you begin, gather these basic knitting supplies:

Choosing a lighter yarn color helps you see each stitch more clearly, which makes learning much easier.

If you’re lacking supplies and unsure of how to begin, I suggest starting with a knitting kit. There are kits specifically designed for beginners and come with all the essentials you need to embark on your knitting adventure.

What Is the Knit Stitch?

The knit stitch is one of the two main stitches in knitting, along with the purl stitch. When repeated row after row, it creates a fabric called garter stitch, which has a soft, textured look and lies flat. It is reversible and looks the same on both sides of the work.

It may feel awkward at first, but after a few rows, the motion becomes much more natural.

Learn the knit stitch

English style vs continental style

There are two primary knitting styles: the Continental and the English style. 

Style	Yarn hand	Motion
English style	Right hand	Yarn is wrapped around the needle
Continental style	Left hand	Yarn is picked with the needle

Step-by-Step: How to Knit the Knit Stitch

Cast On Your Stitches

Before you can knit, you need to get stitches onto your needle. This is called casting on.

A simple beginner option is the long-tail cast on:

1. Make a slipknot and place it on one needle.
2. Hold the yarn tail and working yarn apart with your fingers.
3. Use the needle to form new loops.
4. Repeat until you have the number of stitches you want.

For practice, casting on 10 to 15 stitches is a good place to start.

All the videos in this post are from Drops Garnstudio

How to knit: Continental style

Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand.

Let the working yarn—the strand attached to the ball—hang behind your needles. Try to grip the needles firmly enough to control them, but not so tightly that your hands feel tense.

Step 1: Hold the yarn in your left hand

Place the working yarn behind your work and tension it over your left index finger. This left-hand yarn hold is the defining setup for continental knitting.  

Step 2: Insert the right needle into the first stitch

Put the right needle through the front loop of the first stitch on the left needle, moving from left to right. 

Step 3: Catch the yarn with the right needle

Use the tip of the right needle to catch the working yarn from the left hand. A common description is to pick the yarn rather than throw it. 

Step 4: Pull the new loop through

Draw the caught yarn through the stitch so a new loop forms on the right needle.  

Step 5: Slide the old stitch off the left needle

Once the new loop is secure on the right needle, let the old stitch drop off the left needle. That completes one continental knit stitch.  

Turn Your Work and Keep Going

When you finish one row, switch the full needle back to your left hand and the empty needle to your right hand.

Then repeat the same knit stitch steps again. If you knit every row, you’ll create garter stitch, which is often the first fabric beginners learn to make.

How to knit: English style

Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand.

Let the working yarn—the strand attached to the ball—hang behind your needles. Try to grip the needles firmly enough to control them, but not so tightly that your hands feel tense.

Step 1: Hold the needles and yarn

Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. Keep the working yarn in your right hand, behind the work.

Step 2: Insert the right needle

Insert the tip of the right needle into the front of the first stitch on the left needle, going from left to right. The needles should cross to form an X.

Step 3: Wrap the yarn

Use your right hand to wrap the working yarn counterclockwise around the tip of the right needle.

Step 4: Pull the loop through

Use the right needle to pull the wrapped yarn through the stitch. This creates a new loop on the right needle.

Step 5: Slide off the old stitch

Let the old stitch slip off the left needle. You’ve completed one English-style knit stitch.

Repeat these steps across the row.

Beginner Tips for Better Results

A few simple tips can make your first knitting practice much smoother:

Knitting is a skill that improves quickly with repetition.

Common Beginner Mistakes

When learning how to knit stitch, it’s normal to run into a few issues:

Mistakes are part of learning, so don’t let them discourage you.

What to Make After You Learn the Knit Stitch

Once you’re comfortable with the knit stitch, you can start with these simple beginner kits from Wool and the Gang:

These projects help you practice consistency while creating something useful.

If you want to elevate your skills these beginner knitting kits are an excellent choice. All of them is an all-in-one bundle that includes everything you need to complete a specific project.

Final Thoughts

The knit stitch is the first big step into the world of knitting. Once you learn this basic movement, you can build on it to create all kinds of beautiful projects. Start slowly, practice often, and don’t worry about perfection—every knitter begins exactly where you are now.

One stitch at a time, you’ll get there.