How to Knit a Basic Scarf

Hello there Welcome to the new KnitSanity blog section. Here you will find helpful how-to's in knitting, cool new knitting ideas and projects, and any other interesting stuff I find in the knitting community

*Another thing to note is that I am not much of a pattern person. I am mostly self-taught in knitting and all the knitting I do are my own designs, so I have never had much use for patterns. So, all of the designs and tutorials on this site will be taught on a photo and description basis only. It will probably be easier for the beginners to learn this way anyways. And if there are any questions, feel free to contact me using any of the listed options on the CONTACT page of this site.

For this first blog I thought we'd start with a simple scarf.
Here are the supplies you will need:

1. Clover Bamboo Knitting Needles, Size 10

No, Clover bamboo needles are not required; BUT I highly suggest them. They are quieter, better for your wrists, and all around better quality than metal or plastic needles. Also, for a basic scarf (depending on what size yarn you buy) any size needle will work. Size 10 needles just so happen to be my favorite. If you want to knit a quick scarf, up the size of your needles, yarn, or both

 2. Cascade Wool Yarn

 

Again, no certain company of yarn is required to make a scarf. I am simply suggesting the use of this yarn because it will be used in this tutorial. If you choose to knit with any other materials (like cotton since it's summer time), try to choose a simpler yarn style so that you can keep better track of your stitches if you are a first time knitter.

 

3. Scissors

Simply for cutting loose ends at the end of your project.

4. Blunt ended plastic or metal needle

This will be used for tucking in loose ends once you have finished your scarf.

- OR -

Industrial Strength Jeweler's Glue to glue the end knots of your piece

Below are directions for starting, stitching, and finishing your scarf.

Casting On: This is the term used for adding your first row of stitches.
Here, I am going to teach you a more complicated way to cast on. Don't worry if you have trouble at first It took me a while to get the hang of it too, but this technique will create a more polished look for the end of any knitted piece.

Here is a link to a helpful video showing a more difficult, but ultimately faster and more finished looking, technique: http://www.knittinghelp.com/apps/flash/video_player/play/34/1

STEP ONE:

Make a loop
Tips:  This loop should look something like a heart.
Make sure to leave plenty of room on the tail of the yarn to cast on with later.

STEP TWO:

The first stitch
Tips: Pull the yarn through the loop with both of your needles so that when you start knitting   your stitches won't be too tight at first.

STEP THREE:

Adding stitches
Tips:  Repeat this step until your reach the desired number of stitches per row. For this exercise we will be using fifteen stitches per row.
To begin knitting on your first row, remove one of the needles from the cast on row.




Garter Stitch: This is the name for basic knitting. This stitch is also simply called the “knit stitch”. Once you learn this stitch there are tons of fun and interesting stitch patterns you can advance to Below is a photo of what garter stitch looks like.

STEP ONE:

Insert needle into first loop

 

STEP TWO:

Take yarn and wrap around the back of the insertion needle

Tips: Make sure you grab the part coming from your yarn ball and not any excess yarn you may have left over from casting on.

STEP THREE:

Pull yarn through the loop

 

STEP FOUR:

Slide new loop off of the needle

Now continue these steps making sure you count your stitches during each row. After you have completed a row and transferred all of your stitches onto the other needle, repeat the process beginning at the first stitch of the next row until your piece has reached the desired length.
Casting Off: This is the term used for ending a knit project.

STEP ONE:

Knit one garter stitch

STEP TWO:

Knit another garter stitch (now there are two stitches on your needle)

 

STEP THREE:

Pull first stitch over the second stitch

Tips: Pull the first stitch over the second stitch until it slides completely off of the needle.

Only do one stitch and pullover at a time.

Repeat this step until you only have one stitch left on your needle.

STEP FOUR:

Continue knitting one more stitch and pulling it over the previous stitch until only one loop is left

STEP FIVE:

Cut yarn end and pull it through the loop
Tips: Leave a little room on your yarn tail so that you can easily tie your loose end into the scarf.
Sewing Loose Ends: This is where your blunt needle will come in handy. Sewing your loose ends into your work not only creates a more finished piece, but also helps to keep anything from unraveling. If you have any extra yarn at the beginning of your piece, you can repeat this process there as well.

STEP ONE:

Insert extra yarn into blunt needle

STEP TWO:

Sew extra yarn into the last row of your scarf
Tips: If you reach the end of your piece before all your yarn is used up, simply cut off the remainder. Sewing in the loose ends throughout the entire last row is a more than efficient way to keep your scarf from unraveling.
***You can also use industrial strength jeweler's glue to simply glue the knot and cut off any extra yarn ends

Hello everyone

This is the new blog section. Here I will write about new events, instructions knitting, and general fun stuff I think you should know about.

To start out with, I thought I'd tell you guys a little about myself.

First off, let me tell you about my design and knitting history. Believe it or not, I started out crocheting in high school. That was when I made custom scarves for clients under the name, "Scarves by Tina". After that I went to take some art classes at the Academy of Art in San Francisco in fashion design and knitwear design. It was all over after that. They had converted me It's been four years since then and I'm still a knitting nut. It wasn't until this past year however that KnitSanity came to be. Making custom pieces started to become repetitive and I needed room to grow. So, here I am selling pre-made work here on this fabulous website.

Other than knitting, I spend most of my time at UC Santa Cruz working to be a costume designer. I completed my first show last fall during my freshman year and will be working on another play this spring. I will be doing more plays periodically and I'll be sure to let you all know so that you can come check them out.

I also work at a bead store here in Santa Cruz with some of the lovliest ladies in the Santa Cruz county. No matter where I am, I just can't stop creating. I'm sure it's a good thing.

Well that's all for now everyone. But keep tuned because I will have a new blog with an introduction to knitting very soon.

<3 Christina