Knitting For Absolute Beginners: Needles, Yarn and Your First 10 Rows

An absolute beginner? Start with worsted-weight yarn and wooden needles in US sizes 8–10 (5.0–6.0 mm). Add the knit stitch, and you have everything for a first scarf or dishcloth.

This beginner knitting guide walks you through buying your first kit, casting on, and knitting your first 10 rows, so you finish with a small swatch and a stitch you can repeat on a scarf.

What to Include in a Starter Knitting Kit

You need six things: needles, worsted-weight yarn, scissors, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, a tape measure, and a crochet hook for rescuing dropped stitches. Needles change how the first rows feel, so start there.

Types of Knitting Needles Explained

When comparing straight vs. circular needles for beginners, straight needles are easiest to learn because the motion is simple and stitches stay put. Circular needles work just as well for flat knitting, and the fabric rests in your lap instead of pulling on your wrists.

Material is as important as shape. Lantern Moon's polished ebony needles feel smooth in the hand, yet the wood holds stitches more securely than metal, so fewer slip off mid-row.

Which Needle Size and Yarn Should You Choose?

US 8 (5.0 mm) to US 10 (6.0 mm) needles make each stitch easy to see and handle. Pick yarn with these three traits:

1. Category 4 (medium/worsted) yarn is thick enough to see each stitch and less likely to split.
2. A smooth, light-colored wool or wool blend is the best wool for beginner knitters. Light colors make it easy to count loops and spot errors.
3. Avoid fuzzy or slippery yarn until you master basic knitting stitches for beginners.

Step-by-Step: Cast On and Your First Row

Follow these three steps:

Step 1: Cast On 

Make a slip knot and slide it onto one needle. Cast on 15–20 stitches for your practice swatch using the long-tail method, leaving a tail of roughly 1 inch per stitch plus a few extra inches. Keep each loop snug but loose enough to slide along the needle.

Step 2: How to Hold Knitting Needles & Manage Tension

Confused about how to hold knitting needles comfortably? Hold the needle that has the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. Drape your working yarn over your right index finger.

Tight stitches make knitting harder, so keep your grip relaxed and let the needle tips do the work. If stitches are hard to slide, your tension is too tight, so loosen your hold on the yarn.

Step 3: Knit Your First Row 

Here is how to knit your first row using the core knit stitch for beginners:

1. In: Insert the right needle tip into the front of the first loop on the left needle, moving from left to right, keeping the yarn at the back.
2. Over: Wrap the working yarn counterclockwise around the right needle tip.
3. Through: Gently pull the wrapped yarn through the loop to form a new stitch on the right needle.
4. Off: Slide the original loop off the left needle.

Rows 2–10: Repeat the Knit Stitch

Knit every stitch of every row. At the end of a row, switch the full needle to your left hand and start again. Ten rows of knit stitch make garter stitch, so expect about five raised ridges. Count your stitches after row 2 and row 10. More than you cast on usually means a yarn-over. Fewer means a stitch was skipped or dropped.

Explore More: Pamper Yourself With an Exclusive Knitting Needles Set

Common Beginner Knitting Mistakes

Understanding these mistakes and knowing how to fix them keeps small mishaps from ruining your progress:

1. Extra Stitches: Bringing the yarn forward or over the needle between stitches creates a yarn-over, which adds a stitch. Keep the working yarn behind the needles for every knit stitch.
2. Dropped Stitches: When a loop slips off the needle tip, use a crochet hook to pick up and place it back on the left needle before it unravels down the fabric.

Knitting Abbreviations for Beginners  

Refer to the handy knitting abbreviations:

1. CO: Cast On (placing initial loops on the needle)
2. K: Knit Stitch (the primary stitch building block)
3. St: Stitch
4. RS/WS: Right Side / Wrong Side (the front and back of your fabric) or drop it.
5. P: Purl Stitch (the inverse of the knit stitch)
6. BO: Bind Off (securing stitches to finish a project)

Related Link: At Lantern Moon, we celebrate every stitch

Simple Projects and Binding Off

When deciding what to knit for your first project, pick one of these:

1. Dishcloth: cast on about 35–40 stitches in cotton, which holds up to washing, and knit until it's square.
2. Scarf: Cast on 25–30 stitches and knit every row until it reaches the length you want. The long rectangle builds steady, even tension.

When your piece reaches the length you want, it's time to bind off, also called casting off. Knit two stitches, lift the first stitch over the second and off the tip, and repeat across the row until one loop remains. Snip the yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail, thread it through the final loop, and pull snug.

Ready to Cast On Your First Project?

Lantern Moon's ebony needles keep stitches steady under worsted yarn. Browse the collection to build your starter kit.

Continue Reading:

Quick & Easy knitting projects for Beginners

How Long Does It Actually Take to Learn to Knit?