Knitting & Crocheting: Expert Guides and Resources

The half double crochet (abbreviated hdc) is kind of an oddball stitch. It falls in between a single crochet and a double crochet in height, but instead of working off two loops at a time, you draw the yarn through three loops on the hook. It produces a fairly tight fabric similar to one made with a single crochet stitch:Do 15 chain stitches.

A good hat is a must-have in your knitting repertoire, and this basic beanie, sized for babies through adults, fits the bill. Make it plain or cabled. Add in stripes or a color pattern. After your beanie is knit, top it with a pompom or tassel. The variations are endless. ©Ivanikova Tatyana/Shutterstock.com Materials and vital statistics Yarn: Berrocco Smart Mohair (41 percent mohair, 54 percent acrylic, 5 percent polyester); 108 yards (100 meters) per 50 grams; 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) balls; color: Pink Needles: US 10 (6 mm) circular needle, 16-inch length, or the size needed to match gauge; US 8 (5 mm) circular needle, 16-inch length; US 10 (6 mm) double-pointed needles Other materials: Eight stitch markers; yarn needle to weave in ends Size: Baby (toddler, child, small adult, large adult); circumference: 14 (16, 18, 20, 22) inches, unstretched Gauge: 16 stitches and 20 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch on larger needles This beanie is worked in the round, starting on circular needles and switching to double-pointed needles when you shape the crown of the hat.

When you knit in the round on a circular needle, you first cast on, join the round, and then begin knitting. Joining simply means that when you work the first stitch, you bring the first and last cast-on stitches together, joining the circle of stitches. See the following instructions and video for how to do it.

A dropped stitch is one that has come off the needle. Whether it is a dropped knit stitch or purl stitch, fear not. You can fix it. You might see it right away after you knit a round or you might miss it for a few rounds.Depending on the type of yarn you’re using, the dropped stitch might just sit without going anywhere or it might “run,” leaving a ladder behind.

Knitting and purling open the door to all sorts of patterns that involve alternating between knit and purl stitches. But as a beginning knitter, you really only need to know two patterns: garter stitch, which you create by knitting (or purling) every row, and stockinette stitch, which you create by alternating a knit row with a purl row.

Knitted ribs are textured vertical stripes. Ribs not only make your fabric look good, but they allow for more elasticity in the fabric, which is why you see them often in knitted sweaters. This video shows you how easy the ribbing stitch can be.

You need to be mindful of your gauge throughout the entire knitting process (at least on projects that are supposed to fit a certain way). Read on to see when and how to check your gauge throughout a project. For something that doesn't need to fit exactly, like a scarf or a wrap, you don't need to be nearly as fastidious.

In knitting-speak, to slip a stitch (abbreviated sl st) means to move a stitch from the LH needle to the RH needle ("slip" it) without knitting or purling it and without changing its orientation (that is, without twisting it). To slip a stitch, insert the RH needle purlwise (as if you were going to purl) into the first stitch on the LH needle and slip it off the LH needle onto the RH needle.

When knitting in the round, the right side is always facing you — so you need to understand how this knitting-in-the-round stitch position affects the stitches you make. For example, whereas in flat knitting you create a garter stitch by knitting every row, knitting every round in circular knitting produces stockinette stitch.