Week 1 – Garter Stitch Square

Pattern for Garter Stitch Square

CO 36 Stitches. Work in garter stitch (k every stitch) for 57 rows or until you have a square. BO all stitches.

Vocabulary:
CO = Cast On
Garter Stitch = Knit every stitch
K = Knit
BO = Bind Off

Stitch Review:

Backward Loop Cast On

1. Create a slip knot a few inches up the ail of your yarn. Place a knitting needle in the loop. We practiced this with both needles held together to make the cast on lo

oser and easier to work with.

2. Hold knitting needle in your right hand. Stretch yarn across to your left hand and wrap around either your thumb or index finger in the following manner. Holding your hand in the "thumbs up" position, place the tail of the yarn through your fingers. Wrap yarn loosely, clockwise around base of thumb so that the yarn forms an X in front of your thumb.

3. Slip knitting needle between thumb and yarn, then up through the loop.

4. Slip loop off thumb with the needle and tug the tail of the yarn just until the stitch is comfortably snug on the needle. Do not pull the stitch too tightly or you will not be able to knit in the stitch.

5. Repeat until you have the desired number of stitches on your needle.

Knit Stitch

1. Holding the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand, keep the tail of the yarn to the back of your work. Hold the empty needle in your right hand.

2. Insert the tip of the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle. Do this by inserting your needle from the front left side of the stitch.

3. Wrap the tail of your yarn around the right hand needle so that the yarn is below the needle point. If you are knitting Continental (yarn tail held in your left hand) this will be counter-clockwise around from the bottom of the needle. If you are knitting English (yarn tail held in your right hand), this will be counter-clockwise around from the top of the needle.

Continental Wrap

English Wrap

4. Scoop the yarn up with your needle point and pull it back through the original stitch. You should now have a stitch on the right needle that is coming through the stitch on the left needle.

5. Slip the stitch off the left needle.

You can use the following rhyme to help you remember:

English knitters:

In through the front door
Once around the Back
Out through the Window
And off jumps Jack.

Or, Continental knitters:

Under the Fence
Catch the Sheep
Back you go
Off you leap