How to Knit with the Buttonbag Learn How to Knit Kit

Quick answer

Start your knitting journey with the Buttonbag Learn How to Knit Kit, which includes everything you need to master casting on, knitting, purling, and casting off. Follow the step-by-step process below to create your first project with confidence.

Step-by-step knitting guide

1. Prepare your materials: Unpack your Buttonbag kit and lay out the wool, needles, and tape measure. Choose a smooth, well-lit workspace. Check that your needles are the right size for your wool (the kit's needles are designed for the included yarn). Make sure you have a comfortable chair and good lighting to avoid strain.
2. Cast on your stitches: Make a slip knot on one needle, then use the other needle to create new stitches by looping the yarn around and pulling through. Aim for about 10-15 stitches for your first practice piece. A common mistake is casting on too tightly, so keep your tension loose. Practice casting on a few times until your stitches slide easily along the needle.
3. Learn the knit stitch: Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand. Insert the right needle into the front of the first stitch, wrap the yarn around the right needle, and pull it through. Slip the old stitch off the left needle. Repeat across the row. Remember the rhyme: "In through the front door, around the back, out through the window, and off jumps Jack!" If you drop a stitch, don't panic—use a crochet hook or your needle to pick it up.
4. Learn the purl stitch: To purl, bring the yarn to the front of your work, insert the right needle from back to front into the stitch, wrap the yarn around, and pull it through. Slip the old stitch off. Purl stitches create a bumpy texture and are the reverse of knit stitches. Alternating knit and purl rows creates stockinette stitch, which is the basis for many patterns.
5. Cast off your work: Knit two stitches, then use the left needle to lift the first stitch over the second and off the right needle. Knit one more stitch and repeat until one stitch remains. Cut the yarn, leaving a tail, and pull it through the last loop to secure. Make sure to cast off loosely to avoid a tight edge that curls.
6. Finish and weave in ends: Use a tapestry needle to weave the yarn tails into the back of your work. Trim any excess. You can add buttons from the kit to embellish your creation. Weaving in ends securely prevents your work from unraveling.

What's in the kit

• Buttonbag Learn How to Knit Kit: The kit includes 6 balls of brightly-colored wool, bamboo knitting needles, thread, buttons, and a tape measure, all stored in a pretty little suitcase. You have everything you need to start knitting right away, and the bamboo needles are comfortable for beginners.