How to Knit a Blanket

Steps

1. 1. Make a slip knot

   Pull about a six-inch tail of yarn off the ball. Loop the yarn around two fingers to form a small cross, then pull the working yarn through the loop you just made.

   Tip: Your slip knot should slide along the needle without being so tight it can't move. Too tight and you'll fight every stitch; too loose and it falls off.

   

2. 2. Cast on 14 stitches

   Hold the working yarn in your hand and wrap it around your thumb so it forms a small loop sticking up like a pointer. Slide the empty needle under the loop, then lift the needle straight up to slip the loop onto the needle.

   

3. 3. Knit the first row in garter stitch

   Hold the cast-on needle in your left hand and the empty needle in your right. Insert the right needle into the front of the first stitch on the left needle, going from front to back.

   Tip: Stay near the tapered tip of the needle when you knit. If your stitches are too far down the shaft, they'll feel tight and the loops can slip off.

   

4. 4. Knit every row until the square is 20cm

   Turn the work, swap the needles between hands, and knit the next row exactly the same way. The fabric you're making is called garter stitch - every row is a knit row.

   Tip: If you lose count, lay the square flat and measure with a ruler.

   

5. 5. Cast off the stitches

   Knit two stitches as normal so they sit on the right needle. Use the tip of the left needle to lift the first stitch up and over the second one and off the needle.

   Tip: Keep the tension loose during cast-off. Tight cast-off rows curl and look pinched compared to the rest of the square.

   

6. 6. Sew the squares together

   Lay two finished squares side by side. Rotate one of them 90 degrees so the garter ridges run vertical on one square and horizontal on the other.

   Tip: Use the same yarn you knit with for the seams. A different color shows up; matching yarn disappears between the ridges.