Learn How to Knit: Free Tutorials for a First Project

Recommends thick yarn for beginners: chunky or heavier is easier to grip and shows each stitch, with worsted as the fallback. Written by someone who has taught hundreds of people, and it ties needle size to your yarn choice.

English holds the yarn in the right hand and throws it; Continental holds it in the left and picks it, and both make identical stitches. Read it before your first row, since crocheters tend to find Continental more comfortable.

Long-tail is the author's go-to cast-on, and the page explains why, with a rule of thumb of about 12 inches of tail per 20 stitches. Watch it first, since every project starts with a cast-on.

Written steps and videos for the knit and purl stitches, with the yarn wrapped over the right-hand needle. It links the free Learn to Knit course, which also covers binding off, with downloadable class sheets.

Part 1 of a 45-minute, three-part video teaches long-tail cast-on, then knit and purl in both English and Continental, with tips on holding and tensioning the yarn. Pick it if you want to knit Continental; parts 2 and 3 continue on the site.

The author struggled right-handed for years, then relearned by watching videos in a mirror. Her left-handed tutorial covers cast on, basic knit stitches and bind off, with video, so start here if right-handed lessons feel awkward.

Written for the teacher: keep the first lesson to about an hour, sit beside the student, and pre-knit eight garter rows over 25 stitches so they skip casting on at first. Suits anyone teaching a child from about age 6.

Splits pattern reading into four parts: materials and sizing, abbreviations and charts, multi-size instructions, and finishing. Read it before your first pattern so the brackets stop looking like code, then try a free pattern from the designers' Simple Collection.

Garter-stitch scarf pattern written for any gauge, so whatever yarn weight you bought works, with a video tutorial alongside. The Ravelry listing links out to the designer's free pattern; a printable PDF is sold separately.

Three dishcloth patterns that build on each other, starting with a garter-stitch cloth, backed by over 40 minutes of video. The free patterns are delivered by email, which also subscribes you to the designer's newsletter, and the supplies list includes an affiliate link.

Shows how to weave ends along the back of garter stitch, the first stitch most knitters learn, including where a new skein joins in. Read it when your scarf or blanket is bound off.

When you get stuck: more than 15 common beginner errors, with photos and a video. A dropped stitch can be fixed with a crochet hook instead of unravelling everything, and the page warns against gripping the needles too tightly.

When you get stuck: a purl wrapped clockwise instead of counter-clockwise creates a backward-facing stitch, which causes trouble on the next row. Two simple fixes follow, neither requiring you to rip back.

When you get stuck: five short tips for uneven tension, the most useful being a consistent way of wrapping yarn around your fingers. The needle-swap tip needs an interchangeable set, so skip it for now.