Knitting: Home Craft Project and Holiday Gift?

Knitting: Home Craft Project and Holiday Gift?

December 7, 2020 Off By Lynn

As we all find ourselves with more time at home over the past nine months, we may have started new hobbies or have at least had bursts of time working on different things. Whether that’s a Netflix binge or a sourdough baking phase, we’ve all discovered different things. You may have also been through phases of snacking…due to boredom or stress rather than hunger. All of the above has been true for me. 

I figured I needed something to keep my hands busy during TV binge or while enjoying an audiobook (try Audible for 30 days here) and so I rediscovered my long-discarded knitting needles and spool of yarn. My grandmother had attempted to give me some knitting and crochet lessons when I was 10, but only bits of the knitting stuck. I had to do some research in casting on, etc, but I did remember the basic garter stitch! Two weeks later, I completed my third-ever garter stitch scarf! And multiple other projects have been completed since then. Best of all, my hands are staying out of the snack bowl! 

With the holidays coming up and winter officially coming too, it’s never been a better time to pick up some knitting needles. You don’t need a lot of skill to make a scarf for yourself or a loved one—and the simple garter stitch is perfect as it also doesn’t take a ton of focus once you have it under control. Keep on reading to find out what you do need and how to make a simple garter stitch scarf! 

Materials

For knitting, you only need two main materials: yarn and knitting needles. Yarn comes in different sizes and fabrics, ranging from acrylic and wool. The bulk of the yarn will determine the size of the knitting needles (or crochet hook size if you want to do crochet), and will say on the spool label. 

Yarn information

I particularly like to use Lion Brand Homespun yarn for garter stitch projects, such as scarves. This yarn is 100% acrylic for those with wool allergies and is very soft. It also has a color variation that makes it particularly beautiful in garter stitch. My favorite colors are celestial stripes, tudor, and painted desert. The only issue with this yarn is that it has a lot of strands and can easily be split if you aren’t careful with your needle. This homespun yarn requires a 6mm needle (US size 10). For a scarf, you would need two spools of this yarn.

Homespun colors from top: painted desert, celestial stripes, and tudor
Homespun yarn (painted desert color) in garter stitch … so pretty!

A yarn needle or crochet hook are also useful to weave in the extra ends at each end of your finished project. A crochet hook can also help to attach fringe at the ends if you choose. So far I’ve only used a crochet hook, but am definitely going to invest in a yarn needle soon. 

Yarn, knitting needles, crochet hook, scissors…all set!

Knitting 

To begin, you start with a slip knot around one needle. Leave approximately 5 inches worth of a yarn tail. Then you will start casting on your stitches, which are the loops of yarn around the needle. The number of stitches will determine the width of your scarf. A scarf generally needs between 20-35 stitches, depending on the yarn bulk.

Video of casting on stitches

Once you have cast on your desired number of stitches, you will start your first knitted garter stitch row. Your left hand will hold the needle with the stitches and your right hand will hold the other needle. Insert the right needle behind the left needle and up through the first stitch. Bring the yarn around the right needle and dip the right needle to collect the rest of the stitch and bring it onto the right needle. Once all the stitches are on the right needle, switch hands and do the same thing for the next row. The number of rows will determine the scarf length, which generally should be an arm span length at minimum. 

Video of garter stitching

A warning: keep counting your stitches every few rows to make sure you haven’t missed or dropped any! Or added any either! This can cause the scarf width to fluctuate, but even more importantly could cause a hole in your scarf! Also try to keep the yarn tension the same throughout the project to avoid any variation.

If you need to switch spools of yarn, in case you run out or want to change colors, use a weaver’s knot to join the yarns securely.

How to do a weaver’s knot tutorial

To finish the scarf, you need to do a last row of “casting off.” To cast off, knit two stitches and then bring the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. The second stitch remains on the needle. Repeat until there is only one stitch left.

You will knot this last stitch by bringing the working yarn through the last stitch and pulling tight. To complete the project, weave the few inches of yarn ends through the end of the scarf with your yarn needle. 

When you have the scarf finished, you can chose to add some extra embellishments at the ends such as fringe or tassels. For fringe, chose your fringe length and double that length to cut the yarn strand. Fold the strand in half and use your crochet hook to bring the middle of the fold through one of your final row stitches. Bring the yarn ends through the loop on your crochet hook and tighten. Repeat until you’ve filled each stitch on the final row of your scarf! 

Congratulations if you’ve made it this far and finished your first project!! I hope you’ve found this rewarding with something soft and warm to have or give away at the end. If you need more project ideas, there’s a plethora online. For an easy garter stitch blanket pattern, I recommend Stephanie’s pattern at her blog All About Ami. She also has other knitting patterns and very cute crochet patterns if you’d like to try that as well.

For more winter home craft ideas, stay tuned for my next DIY blog post coming up at the end of this week! Until then, happy knitting!