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going to poke someone, and wrap the yarn around your finger. Now take the needle and put it through the yarn on your finger. Another loop has now been added to the needle in your left hand. Repeat this process for as many stitches as you want to cast on for your project. The more stitches you cast on, the wider your project will be. For a scarf, I recommend casting on 20-50 stitches. The thicker your yarn and needles are, the bigger your project will be. So knitters using large yarn or needles should take this into consideration when deciding how many stitches to cast on.

Knitting
Now for the moment we've all been waiting for, it's time to knit. Take your other needle and put it in your right hand. Put the right-handed needle into the first loop from your left-needle. Take the yarn and wrap it around so it rests between the stitches, then move the right-handed needle under the left-handed needle's loop and slip it onto the right-handed needle. Repeat this process until all the stitches from the left-handed needle have been knitted over onto the right-handed needle. Voila! It really is just that easy. When the needle in your left hand is completely emptied of stitches, switch the needles so that the empty one is in your right hand and the one with all the stitches is in the left hand. Continue repeating this process until your project is as long as you want it to be.

Purling
Adding a purled row after every knitted row is an ideal way to achieve that finished, professional look. Take your empty right-handed needle and insert it upside down into the first loop from the left-handed needle.You should go in through the side of the loop rather than going in through the bottom, as in the knitted row. Now wrap the yarn around the tip of the right-handed needle, slide the right-handed needle behind the left handed needle and slip the stitch onto the right-handed needle. Repeat this process until all the stitches have been purled onto the right-handed needle. Remember to watch the videos if your are unclear about these stitches.

Binding-off
So your project is long and luxurious and you're ready to call it quits. To bind off the stitches so they don't unravel knit two stitches onto your right needle, then slip the first stitch over the second one so that there is only one stitch left on the needle. Knit another stitch onto the right needle and again slip the first stitch over the second one. Repeat this process until all the stitches have been bound off. Now, once all the stitches have been bound off and there is only one pesky stitch left on the right needle, cut the thread of yarn leaving a long tail and draw the yarn thread through the loop, pulling tight to make a knot.

Tying Up Loose Ends
Now your piece is finished but does it looks scraggly with all those threads hanging out? This is where the optional crochet hook comes in handy. I always turn the piece over so the wrong side or the purled side is showing. If you knitted every row, then just pick your favorite side of the piece and flip it over so the not-favorite side is showing. Take your crochet hook and insert it into one of the stitches of your piece. Take the yarn and draw it through this loop with your hook. Repeat until all the loose threads are hidden away. Flip it over and enjoy your new project.

Overall, knitters enjoy the excitement of creating unique items for their own enjoyment. Now that you've mastered the basics, nothing can keep you creating hats, sweater, socks, clothes or even lingerie. Go forth and knit freely!

Learn more about this author, Leola Washington.
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