How To: Knit the Garter Stitch

There are two basic stitches in knitting.  One is the KNIT STITCH, the other is the PURL STITCH. The GARTER STITCH itself is quite simple.  You knit every stitch on every row of your knitting.  It's the first stitch one learns in knitting.  It's the easiest of all the knitting stitches and one that you can use for many projects.  It's an especially good stitch for knitting something when you want both sides of the work to look the same.

Garter stitches are great for scarves, blankets, shawls, etc.  Once you have learned how to Cast On and have mastered the Knit Stitch, you will be ready to start your first project.  Usually, a first project is a scarf.  It can be long or short, narrow or wide.  It can be made with a large size needle and thick yarn, or a small size needle and thin yarn.  It's your choice.

Follow these steps to practice the Garter Stitch:

Step 1 Cast on

Step 2 Knit all the stitches across the row

Step 3 Turn the work around

Step 4 Knit all the stitches across the row

Step 5 Continue to knit every row until your work is as long as you want it to be

Watch the video below for a further visual step-by-step explanation of the Garter Stitch.