6 Easy Knitting Patterns For Beginners

Beginner Knitting Tips

When you’re just learning to knit, it’s best to stick to basic knitting stitches until you’ve practiced and practiced.  The goal is to be consistent in your knitting stitches — meaning holding your yarn with consistent tension so your stitches come out evenly.  When you’re just starting to learn to knit, most people have a tendency to hold their yarn super tight, producing really small, tight stitches.  As you practice, you’ll develop muscle memory and will learn how to knit more loosely without feeling like the stitches are going to fall off your needles.

Here are some other knitting tips when you’re picking a knitting pattern:

• Don’t use cotton yarn for your first project. Cotton yarn has very little give to it.  So, it’s harder to learn how to adjust your tension when you’re using cotton. Wool is a lot more springy and much easier to knit with. Also, knitting with cotton will make your hands ache and you’ll need to take more frequent breaks.
• Always create a swatch to measure your gauge.  Before you start on a new project, it’s really important that you don’t skip the step of creating a swatch.  Getting the same gauge as the pattern gives is imperative to creating the right sized garment.  If your gauge is off, it’s impact can vary depending on the project.  For example, the larger the item, or the more shaping it has (like a sweater) the more impact it could have.
• Stick to basic stitches.  This means just knit and purl, and possibly some increases or decreases (if you’re feeling more adventurous).

Here are some of my favorite knitting patterns that are super easy, but also fashionable. It’s important to pick patterns of garments and accessories that you actually like, and would actually wear. You don’t have to knit a boring garter scarf for your first project.  There’s lots of projects out there you can start with.  Here are my picks.

This knit bow headband is a super basic pattern that is flat, with no shaping and only uses basic knit & purl stitches.  Also, this is a Sunday Pattern, so it’s definitely written with beginners in mind.

This wrap is deceptively easy. It looks incredibly sophisticated and complex but it is only using knit and purl stitches, and is flat with no shaping.  Also, the finished wrap is just plain beautiful (I get the MOST compliments every time I wear mine). 

Another easy collar pattern from me, that is perfect for beginners.  While this looks sophisticated, it is knitted flat and joined together and only uses basic stitches.  It includes a yarn over to make an eyelet pattern, but is still a very beginner pattern.

While a knit hat seems difficult, it’s actually really simple.  You knit a tube, then close it off! It only uses basic knit and purl stitches, but you get to learn knitting in the round, and some easy decreases.

Another favorite scarf pattern, this one is garter stitch (all basic knit stitches). If you want to learn a new technique, you could try alternating colors like this black and white striped version I made.

So you’d want to save this dishcloth project after you’ve established a relaxed tension in your knitting, and you’ve got a consistent stitch style.  Because for dishcloths you’ll want to use cotton yarn. The stitches and pattern for these are super simple though.

Knit a an adorable panda applique to make into a patch or pin.  Get the free pattern by subscribing to our email list below.

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