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From Cast-On to Cast-Off: A Complete Beginner's Guide to Knitting

Learn to knit from scratch in this hands-on course. Starting with the very basics, you'll master casting on, the knit and purl stitches, increasing and decreasing, and reading simple patterns. By the end, you'll have completed several small projects and gained the confidence to start your own.

360 min8 modulesBeginner friendly
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Free to take. This course does not use any Learning Credits.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course, you will be able to cast on, knit and purl confidently, increase and decrease stitches, read a basic knitting pattern, and finish a simple project such as a scarf or dishcloth.

Course outline

A clear route from first principles to practical confidence

  1. 01

    Module 1: Getting Started – Tools, Yarn, and Your First Stitches

    • Choosing Your Tools: Needles, yarn, and essential accessories
    • Understanding Yarn: Weights, fibres, and reading a ball band
    • The Long-Tail Cast-On: Step-by-step
    • Your First Stitch: The knit stitch and knitting a row
  2. 02

    Module 2: Building Confidence – The Purl Stitch and Ribbing

    • Introducing the Purl Stitch: How it differs from the knit stitch
    • Knit and Purl Together: Creating ribbing (K1, P1)
    • Reading Your Knitting: Identifying knit and purl 'v's
    • Practice Project: A simple ribbed wristband
  3. 03

    Module 3: Shaping Your Knitting – Increases and Decreases

    • Increasing Stitches: The yarn-over and make-one methods
    • Decreasing Stitches: Knit two together (K2tog) and slip-slip-knit (SSK)
    • Shaping in Practice: Creating a simple triangle or leaf shape
    • Practice Project: A shaped dishcloth with increases and decreases
  4. 04

    Module 4: Working in the Round – Hats and Cowls

    • Circular Needles: Casting on and joining in the round
    • Double-Pointed Needles: When and how to use them
    • Knitting in the Round: Avoiding twists and maintaining tension
    • Practice Project: A simple ribbed beanie or cowl
  5. 05

    Module 5: Adding Colour – Stripes and Simple Colourwork

    • Changing Yarn: Joining a new colour at the start of a row
    • Stripes: Planning and knitting even stripes
    • Carrying Yarn: Managing floats on the wrong side
    • Practice Project: A striped scarf or cushion cover
  6. 06

    Module 6: Finishing Techniques – Binding Off and Weaving Ends

    • The Basic Bind-Off: Step-by-step
    • Stretchy Bind-Offs: For ribbing and edges that need give
    • Weaving in Ends: Securing tails without bulk
    • Blocking: Wet blocking and steam blocking for a polished finish
  7. 07

    Module 7: Reading Patterns and Troubleshooting

    • Pattern Anatomy: Understanding gauge, abbreviations, and instructions
    • Reading Charts: Simple colourwork and lace charts
    • Fixing Mistakes: Picking up dropped stitches and unravelling rows
    • Practice Project: Knit a small pattern from a written or charted design
  8. 08

    Module 8: Your First Garment – A Simple Scarf or Wrap

    • Choosing a Pattern: Selecting a beginner-friendly scarf or wrap
    • Planning Your Project: Yarn requirements, gauge swatch, and timeline
    • Knitting Your Project: Putting it all together with confidence
    • Finishing and Celebrating: Binding off, weaving ends, and blocking your finished piece