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Free Knitting Lessons: Cast On, Make Stitches & Finish Your Work
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items One small swatch is a good place to begin. These free Purl Soho knitting lessons take you from winding yarn and casting on to knit and purl stitches, tidy finishes and reading a pattern. Work through the basics first, then return to gauge, shaping an...
Start here if the needles still feel unfamiliar. Purl Soho’s free, hour-long lesson connects the basic steps in one place, with timestamps so you can revisit just the part you need. Use your own yarn and needles if you have them; buying the featured ...
Learn To Knit | A Free Step-by-Step Tutorial
A beautiful hank needs a little preparation before you knit from it. This free tutorial shows how to wind yarn into a ball by hand, without buying a swift or ball winder. Read through the setup before opening the hank so the strands stay organized. K...
Winding Yarn Into A Ball By Hand
This is the first edge of your knitting. Purl Soho demonstrates both thumb and slingshot approaches to the long-tail cast-on, giving you two ways to understand the hand movement. Try a short practice row and check the spacing before committing to a p...
Long Tail Cast On
Give this basic movement its own practice session. The free knit-stitch lesson includes close-up photos and video, so you can pause between inserting the needle, wrapping the yarn and making the new stitch. Work a small piece at a comfortable pace. G...
Knit Stitch
Meet the stitch that opens up many more fabric textures. This free purl lesson shows the yarn held at the front and breaks down the movement with photos and video. Compare the two faces of your practice fabric as you work. Return to this page when a ...
Purl Stitch
Use this when separate knit and purl stitches make sense but switching between them feels awkward. The tutorial explains moving the working yarn between the needles as the next stitch changes. Practice a few alternating stitches before attempting a r...
Switching Between Knit + Purl
Save this before your first ball runs out. The free lesson demonstrates adding new yarn without relying on a permanent knot, then leaving tails to finish later. It is also useful when a project introduces a new color. Read the whole sequence before s...
Adding a Ball of Yarn
A finished swatch needs an edge that will stay together after it comes off the needles. This basic bind-off lesson walks through securing those final stitches. Try it on your practice piece before finishing a larger project, and watch the edge tensio...
Basic Bind Off
The loose tails are part of finishing, not a sign you did something wrong. This reference shows ways to work yarn ends into knitted fabric, with close-up examples to follow. Choose the approach that matches your stitch fabric and yarn. Keep your prac...
Weaving In Your Ends
Read this before making something that needs to fit. Gauge describes how many stitches and rows occupy a measured space, and your result can differ from the yarn label or another knitter’s work. Purl Soho explains why a swatch matters, especially whe...
All About Gauge
Keep this beside the first written pattern you want to try. It explains supplies, abbreviations, repeated instructions and the grouped numbers used for different sizes. Read the entire pattern once before starting and identify your size consistently....
How To Read A Knitting Pattern
Return to this when a hat, cowl or other project asks you to work in the round. The joining step connects your cast-on into a circle, so checking the stitch orientation before you begin is worth the pause. Follow the needle setup required by your pat...
Joining To Work In The Round
When a pattern says kfb, this lesson shows the increase it means. Working into the front and back of one stitch adds a stitch to your row. Practice it on spare knitting and count before and after to see the change. Use it where your pattern specifies...
Knit Front And Back (kfb)
This is a useful decoding page for the abbreviation k2tog. The lesson demonstrates knitting two stitches together to reduce the stitch count by one. Try it on a swatch before shaping a project, then compare the result with the pattern instructions. K...
Knit Two Together (k2tog)
Finish with a little care for the fabric you made. This guide explains blocking, including arranging damp knitting to dry into its intended shape. Check your yarn’s fiber and care instructions before choosing a method, and practice on your gauge swat...
How To Block Your Knitting