Learn to Knit with All About Ami: Garter Stitch

Since we’ve been talking for weeks about crocheting after years as a knitter, it’s time to give the opposite a chance to shine. Stephanie over at All About Ami, a long-time crocheter, recently started publishing a learn to knit series. It’s a great resource for anyone who is looking to give needles a try after years on the hook.

It can be tricky to transition between crafts, but it’s not impossible. It feels awkward at first, though with enough practice it can start to seem like you’ve been doing it all along. Easy-to-understand instructions are a huge help, along with patience and determination.

Fortunately Stephanie’s directions are very easy to follow. She starts off by teaching garter stitch, which consists of casting on, doing the knit stitch on every row, and binding off. Her video instructions make the directions even clearer.

(Trouble viewing? Click here.)

In the video, she takes you through everything you need to know to make her Simple Garter Stitch Scarf. The scarf is a great basic knit piece that’s perfect for a beginner. You only need to know one stitch, but the combination of yarns makes it beautiful and chic. No one will be able to tell it’s your very first project!

To make this scarf, you’ll use both Wool-Ease® Thick & Quick® Bonus Bundle and Homespun® (you can purchase a kit to make this scarf) and knit on size US 19 (15 mm) needles. Since you’ll be holding the two yarns together, you want to get colors that coordinate or match. Stephanie used Thick & Quick® in Fisherman and Homespun® in Hepplewhite, which look luxurious and stylish together. But you can play with color all you want! They don’t have to match exactly, but having the two textures in once color adds a bit of depth to the project, which keeps it from looking basic.

The scarf can be finished off with fringe, though this is optional. If you’ve never made that before, fear not! Stephanie created a quick but thorough picture tutorial on making it. If you’d prefer, you can also make this into a cowl by stitching the ends together and foregoing the fringe. She provides instructions for that, as well. For either of those, you use a crochet hook to do the finishing, so you’ll get to go back to an instrument you feel comfortable using.

Stephanie’s clear, well-written instructions will make learning to knit easy, even if you’ve only ever crocheted. Her patterns are both simple and chic, so they’re exciting first projects to make as well. The All About Ami Simple Knit Series is ongoing, so check back for more.