Madisson Blanket Kit

Cast on stiches on knitting needles

This is the first thing you must learn to start any knitting project. Depending on the pattern you are following, it will ask you for a certain number of cast-on stitches to begin the work. This will correspond to the size of the garment or accessory. Depending on whether you want to make the work longer or shorter, you will need to cast on more or fewer stitches. There are different techniques for casting on stitches on two needles, but we will teach you the simplest one, achieving the same result. The important thing is to practice a lot and not be afraid to undo if you don't get it right the first time.

Knitting the knit stitch with knitting needles

This is the most basic stitch to learn for knitting. Once you have mastered this stitch, you can start creating almost any garment: scarves, hats, mittens, sweaters... To make this stitch, you need two knitting needles (straight or circular) and the yarn of your choice. With straight needles, if you knit every row, you get the garter stitch. With circular needles, by only knitting the knit stitch and knitting in the round, you get the stockinette stitch. In this video, we teach you how to knit the knit stitch in the English style, the easiest and most popular option for beginners.

Knitting stockinette stitch with knitting needles

Stockinette stitch, also known as stockinette or jersey stitch, is the most commonly used stitch in knitting. You may be familiar with it because it is not only achieved by hand, but also replicated in machine-made garments continuously. This makes it one of the most important stitches in knitting. When knitting with two straight needles, stockinette stitch is achieved by alternating a row of knit stitches with a row of purl stitches. If you're knitting in the round with circular needles, stockinette stitch is achieved by knitting all rounds in knit stitch. This stitch is a basic for any sweater, cardigan, collar, hat, or garment you want to make and results in a smooth and symmetrical finish.

Finishing loose ends

It is important to learn how to finish loose ends or stray strands when you finish a knitted piece using two needles. Once your work is finished, you will have several loose ends, either from changing skeins halfway through your project or from closing it. There are different techniques for invisibly finishing loose ends so that nothing is noticeable from the outside. We will teach you a very simple technique in this case, for a piece knitted in stockinette stitch.

Closing stitches

When knitting with two needles, you need to close the stitches to prevent your work from unraveling, you can't just remove the needles. There are several ways to close stitches, depending on how the stitches from the previous row are presented, or experimenting with fancy stitches to give a different result. We'll show you how to do it in the easiest way possible, by knitting the stitches as they are presented and leaving a nice and elegant finish.