Learning to knit (VIII) : Knitting decreases

    Today we are going to learn the most common ways to remove stitches, decreasing just one stitch. Other day I will show you other ways to decrease one stitch and how to decrease two stitches. The decrease will make the points lean towards the right or towards the left. Depending on what we are knitting, we will need the points to lean towards one or the other, or it would be indifferent. 

  

    There are two main ways to decrease stitches, knit two together (K2tog) or slip, knit, pass over (SKP or sl1, k1, psso). In the instructions we usually will find which one we have to use. If not, knit two together is usually employed.

Learning to knit (VII) : Reading instructions and diagrams (part 2)

    Here we are with the most difficult and interesting part of the instructions. The explanation or the diagram of the stitch used. We can find the explanation in a written way. In this case, we will find how each row is knitted, and every needed row for making the stitch will be explained. I mean, if our stitch is composed of four different rows that are repeated all along the work, how to knit those four rows will be explained, and then the sequence will be asked to be repeated.

Learning to knit (VI) : Reading instructions and diagrams, part 1

    Before beginning with the stitch pattern collection, I am going to explain you what you can find when you read a knitting pattern. There are a lot of things that can be explained in a pattern, apart from the stitch used. If the stitch they’re knitting a common one, like garter or seed stitch, they will just name it. In the case of being a lace or fantasy stitch, they will explain you how to knit it.

    Sometimes basics and the more common stitches, as well as the stitches used in the patterns, can be found at the beginning of the instructions. You will have to come to this point when reading the pattern.

    I will tell you now different kind of information you can find in the patterns. Maybe you will not find all this information, but that would be not a problem, as you don’t need all these to knit your garment. Likewise, you can find any other information I have forgotten now. If you have any doubt when reading a pattern, ask me.

    I have split this entry in two for you not to get tired reading.

Learning to knit (V): Bind-off

   You already know how to cast-on, knit and purl. You also can knit the four main patterns: garter stitch, stockinette stitch, ribbing and seed stitch. You can already knit yourself a scarf, but… how do we bind-off stitches?

Learning to knit (IV): Ribbing and Seed Stitch

   I have been thinking about this next tutorial. I doubted between showing you how to close the stitches or the two basic remaining patterns. Finally I have chosen to show you first Ribbing and Seed or Moss stitch. This way, when I explain how to close the stitches, I can present you how to close any type of pattern we are knitting.

   Ribbing is called this way because of the finishing of the pattern. The resulting stitch is elastic and reversible. Both sides have the same finishing, so we don’t have right and wrong side.

Learning to knit (III) : purl and stockinette stitch

   Now you already master knit, let's go for the next basic stitch : purl. And again I show you in a video, I hope you can follow the images besides the Spanish audio.

Aprendiendo a tejer (II): Punto derecho y punto bobo / Learning to knit (II): knit and garter stitch

   Una vez que ya sabemos montar los puntos, hay que empezar a tejer nuestra labor. El primer punto que vamos a aprender es el punto derecho o punto del derecho. En este video os enseño cómo hacerlo.

   Once you know how to cast-on your stitches, you have to begin to knit your project. The first stitch to learn is knit stitch. In this video I show you how to do it.

Start from the beginning : cast-on

   As time goes by I will show you a collection of stitch patterns to be done knitting. From plain stitches to lace, I will be showing you different stitches, because this allows you to give a different appearance to your projects.

   The first thing you should learn is casting-on, knit and purl stitches, and binding-off. Once you know how to do these, you will already be able to do different patterns just combining knit and purl stitches.