The knit stitch is the first step in your knitting adventure. The knit stitch is the first thing you learn when you work with knitting needles. Remember, it is the foundation of everything you knit; any pattern or project. In the beginning, you might find it a little tricky, but with regular practice, you’ll soon love it. This post will explain how you can easily learn the stitch from scratch, common issues you face, and tips to overcome those.

Before getting started, make sure you have the yarn, the right knitting needle size and a knitting needle set.

What is the Knit Stitch?

As discussed the knit stitch is the foundation of knitting. In fact, the craft lends the name to the stitch. To knit the knit stitch, insert the needle into the front loop of the first stitch of the left needle. Then, wrap the working yarn around the right-hand needle and pull the yarn through the stitch. At last, slide the new stitch off the needle. It looks like a ‘V’ shape on the needles. On the backside, a knit stitch always appears as a purl stitch. You can create many beautiful patterns, such as basic garter or stockinette or textured moss or seed stitch.

Whether you are working on a blanket with straight or circular needles or a simple sock with double-pointed needles you will be making the knit stitch for all projects. If you are just starting to knit, choose circular needles that will hold the stitches easily and have less chance of slipping off.

Learn step-by-step technique

Make a slip knot on your knitting needle followed by cast on stitches. For practice, 15-20 stitches are enough. But, if you want to start with a project cast on stitches as instructed.

Step 1: Let’s begin with casting about twenty stitches onto the needle for practice. Learn how to make stitches with the knitted cast-on technique.

Step 2: Once your stitches are on the needle, the stitches should be in your left hand. The empty needle goes in your right hand. The goal is to move the stitches from the left needle to the right one by knitting them one by one.

Step 3: Let's insert the tip of your right needle into the first stitch on the left needle, going from front to back. You can see both needles crisscrossing like an "X."

Step 4: Wrap the yarn around the right needle from back to front. Don’t worry it gets easier with practice.

Step 5:  The yarn is wrapped around the needle, so pull the right needle back through the stitch, bringing the yarn with it. The right needle will now have a new loop of yarn on it.

Step 6: Slip the old stitch off the left needle, leaving the new stitch on the right. Great! You learn your first knit stitch.

Now continue with the steps to work on the row or round.

If you continue to knit stitches row after row, you end up creating a stitch pattern known as a garter. So, if a pattern instructs you to work on garter with straight needles, you need to work knit stitches every row. The instructions vary when knitting in the round.

Problems or common issues

• If it’s hard to insert the needle due to tight stitches, lose your grip.
• Sometimes stitches might fall off your needle. So don’t worry; just pick it up with your needle and continue.
• Ensure you're inserting the needle through the front of the stitch, not the back.

Advice/Tips

• Keep practicing without worrying about the shape and pattern. Start with a simple project.
• Experiment with different needle types such as wooden, metal, plastic, or bamboo, and find what works best. You can also explore a knitting needle set that includes various sizes.
• Try to keep yarn tension even. If it is too loose, your fabric will be floppy. If it's tight, you’ll struggle to insert the needle.

Create some fun things

Once you learn the knit stitch, you can start knitting actual projects. Here are a few beginner-friendly ideas:

Scarf - As a beginner, start knitting row after row until your scarf is long enough. You can work with one yarn or choose multiple yarn shades. Make sure to change colors as the end of the row to give a stripe effect.

Discloth - Small, quick, dishcloths are a great gift for your loved ones. You can use scrap yarns from other projects.

Blanket- Knit a bunch of squares, then sew them together to make a patchwork blanket.

Now you have complete knowledge about the knit stitch technique, you are on your way to becoming a knitting expert. This simple stitch is the foundation of everything from chunky scarves to elegant sweaters, and mastering it is the key to unlocking the wonderful world of knitting. Whether you prefer DPNs or circular, you will be amazed at how quickly you can create something beautiful.

SOurce:https://livepositively.com/how-to-knit-the-knit-stitch-for-beginners/