On the following pages you’ll find the basic knitting techniques that you will need for most of the patterns in this book. The knitting needles, yarn, and other items that you need to make each project are listed at the beginning of the relevant pattern instructions. You can substitute the yarn recommended in a pattern with the same weight of yarn in a different brand, but you will need to check the gauge (tension) (see below). When calculating the quantity of yarn you require, it is the length of yarn in each ball that you need to check, rather than the weight of the ball; the length of yarn in each ball of the recommended project yarn is given in the materials list for the pattern.
If you are substituting brands for a very small amount of yarn—for example, to embroider a nose or eyes—this will hardly affect the look of your project at all, and it is very sensible to use up yarns you have in your stash.
Baby and toddler sizing guide
The age range for the patterns is a guide only and they have been designed according to the following guide. If in doubt, knit an item in the larger size if possible. If you fall in love with a pattern but it is not available in the size you need, please get in touch via Fiona’s website, fionagoble.com, as she may be able to help.
Baby clothes
Age |
Height |
Weight |
3–6 months |
up to 27in (68cm) |
18lb (8kg) |
6–9 months |
up to 29in (74cm) |
20lb (9kg) |
9–12 months |
up to 31½in (80cm) |
25lb (11kg) |
12–18 months |
up to 34in (86cm) |
26½lb (12kg) |
Toddler clothes
Age |
Chest measurement |
12–18 months |
up to 20½in (52cm) |
2–3 years |
up to 21½in (54cm) |
Gauge (tension)
A gauge (tension) is given with each pattern to help you make your item the same size as the sample. The gauge (tension) is given as the number of stitches and rows you need to work to produce a 4-in (10-cm) square of knitting.
Using the recommended yarn and needles, cast on 8 stitches more than the gauge (tension) instruction asks for—so if you need to have 10 stitches to 4in (10cm), cast on 18 stitches. Working in pattern as instructed, work eight rows more than is needed. Bind (cast) off loosely.
Lay the swatch flat without stretching it. Lay a ruler across the stitches as shown, with the 2in (5cm) mark centered on the knitting, then put a pin in the knitting at the start of the ruler and at the 4in (10cm) mark: the pins should be well away from the edges of the swatch. Count the number of stitches between the pins. Repeat the process across the rows to count the number of rows to 4in (10cm).
If the number of stitches and rows you’ve counted is the same as the number asked for in the instructions, you have the correct gauge (tension). If you do not have the same number then you will need to change your gauge (tension).
To change gauge (tension) you need to change the size of your knitting needles. A good rule of thumb to follow is that one difference in needle size will create a difference of one stitch in the gauge (tension). You will need to use larger needles to achieve fewer stitches and smaller ones to achieve more stitches.
If you are a knitting novice, you will need to discover which is the most comfortable way for you to hold your needles.
Like a knife
Pick up the needles, one in each hand, as if you were holding a knife and fork—that is to say, with your hands lightly over the top of each needle. As you knit, you will tuck the blunt end of the right-hand needle under your arm, let go with your hand, and use your hand to manipulate the yarn, returning your hand to the needle to move the stitches along.
Like a pen
Now try changing the right hand so you are holding the needle as you would hold a pen, with your thumb and forefinger lightly gripping the needle close to its pointed tip and the shaft resting in the crook of your thumb. As you knit, you will not need to let go of the needle but simply slide your right hand forward to manipulate the yarn.
Holding yarn
As you knit, you will be working stitches off the left-hand needle and onto the right-hand needle, and the yarn you are working with needs to be tensioned and manipulated to produce an even fabric. To hold and tension the yarn you can use either your right or left hand, depending on the method you are going to use to make the stitches.
Yarn in right hand
To knit and purl in the US/UK style (see pages 117 and 118), hold the yarn in your right hand. You can wind the yarn around your fingers in different ways, depending on how tightly you need to hold it to achieve an even gauge (tension). Try both ways shown to find out which works best for you.
To hold the yarn tightly (left), wind it right around your little finger, under your ring and middle fingers, then pass it over your index finger, which will manipulate the yarn.
For a looser hold (right), catch the yarn between your little and ring fingers, pass it under your middle finger, then over your index finger.
Yarn in left hand
To knit and purl in the continental style (see pages 117 and 118), hold the yarn in your left hand. This method is sometimes easier for left-handed people to use, though many left-handers are quite comfortable knitting with the yarn in their right hand. Try the ways shown to find out which works best for you.
To hold the yarn tightly (left), wind it right around your little finger, under your ring and middle fingers, then pass it over your index finger, which will manipulate the yarn.
For a looser hold (right), fold your little, ring, and middle fingers over the yarn, and wind it twice around your index finger.
You will need to make a slip knot to form your first cast-on stitch.
1 With the ball of yarn on your right, lay the end of the yarn on the palm of your left hand and hold it in place with your left thumb. With your right hand, take the yarn around your top two fingers to form a loop. Take the knitting needle through the back of the loop from right to left and use it to pick up the strand nearest to the yarn ball, as shown in the diagram. Pull the strand through to form a loop at the front.
2 Slip the yarn off your fingers, leaving the loop on the needle. Gently pull on both yarn ends to tighten the knot. Then pull on the yarn leading to the ball of yarn to tighten the knot on the needle.
Casting on (cable method)
There are a few methods of casting on but the one used for the projects in this book is the cable method, which uses two needles.
1 Make a slip knot as shown above. Put the needle with the slip knot into your left hand. Insert the point of the other needle into the front of the slip knot and under the left-hand needle. Wind the yarn from the ball of yarn around the tip of the right-hand needle.
2 Using the tip of the needle, draw the yarn through the slip knot to form a loop. This loop is the new stitch. Slip the loop from the right-hand needle onto the left-hand needle.
3 To make the next stitch, insert the tip of the right-hand needle between the two stitches. Wind the yarn over the right-hand needle, from left to right, then draw the yarn through to form a loop. Transfer this loop to the left-hand needle. Repeat until you have cast on the right number of stitches for the project.
There are only two stitches to master in knitting; knit stitch and purl stitch. Most people in the Englishspeaking world knit using a method called English (or American) knitting. However, in parts of Europe, people prefer a method known as Continental knitting.
US/UK style
1 Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand, and then insert the point of the right-hand needle into the front of the first stitch from left to right. Wind the yarn around the point of the right-hand needle, from left to right.
2 With the tip of the right-hand needle, pull the yarn through the stitch to form a loop. This loop is the new stitch.
3 Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle by gently pulling the right-hand needle to the right. Repeat these steps till you have knitted all the stitches on the left-hand needle. To work the next row, transfer the needle with all the stitches into your left hand.
Continental style
1 Hold the needle with the stitches to be knitted in your left hand, and then insert the tip of the right-hand needle into the front of the first stitch from left to right. Holding the yarn fairly taut with your left hand at the back of your work, use the tip of the right-hand needle to pick up a loop of yarn.
2 With the tip of the right-hand needle, bring the yarn through the original stitch to form a loop. This loop is the new stitch.
3 Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle by gently pulling the right-hand needle to the right. Repeat these steps till you have knitted all the stitches on the left-hand needle. To work the next row, transfer the needle with all the stitches into your left hand.
As with knit stitch, purl stitch can be formed in two ways. If you are new to knitting, try both techniques to see which works better for you: left-handed people may find the Continental method easier to master.
US/UK style
1 Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand, and then insert the point of the right-hand needle into the front of the first stitch from right to left. Wind the yarn around the point of the right-hand needle, from right to left.
2 With the tip of the right-hand needle, pull the yarn through the stitch to form a loop. This loop is the new stitch.
3 Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle by gently pulling the right-hand needle to the right. Repeat these steps till you have purled all the stitches on the left-hand needle. To work the next row, transfer the needle with all the stitches into your left hand.
Continental style
1 Hold the needle with the stitches to be knitted in your left hand, and then insert the tip of the right-hand needle into the front of the first stitch from right to left. Holding the yarn fairly taut at the front of the work, move the tip of the right-hand needle under the working yarn, then push your left index finger downward, as shown, to hold the yarn around the needle.
2 With the tip of the right-hand needle, bring the yarn through the original stitch to form a loop.
3 Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle by gently pulling the right-hand needle to the right. Repeat these steps till you have purled all the stitches on the left-hand needle. To work the next row, transfer the needle with all the stitches into your left hand.
You need to bind (cast) off the stitches to complete the projects and stop the knitting unraveling.
1 First knit two stitches in the normal way. With the point of the left-hand needle, pick up the first stitch you have just knitted and lift it over the second stitch. Knit another stitch so that there are two stitches on the right-hand needle again. Repeat the process of lifting the first stitch over the second stitch. Continue this process until there is just one stitch remaining on the right-hand needle.
2 Break the yarn, leaving a tail of yarn long enough to sew the work together (see page 125). Pull the tail all the way through the last stitch. Slip the stitch off the needle and pull it fairly tightly to make sure it is secure.
Slipping stitches
This means moving stitches from one needle to the other without knitting or purling them. They can be slipped knitwise or purlwise depending on the row you are working, or any specific pattern instructions.
Knitwise
From left to right, put the right-hand needle into the next stitch on the left-hand needle (as shown by the arrow) and slip it across onto the right-hand needle without working it.
Purlwise
You can slip a stitch purlwise on a purl row or a knit row. From right to left, put the right-hand needle into the next stitch on the left-hand needle and slip it across onto the right-hand needle without working it.
Picking up stitches
For some projects, you will need to pick up stitches along either a horizontal edge (the cast-on or bound-/cast-off edge of your knitting), or a vertical edge (the edges of your rows of knitting).
Along a row-end edge
With the right side of the knitting facing you, insert a knitting needle from the front to back between the first and second stitches of the first row. Wind the yarn around the needle and pull through a loop to form the new stitch. Normally you have more gaps between rows than stitches you need to pick up and knit. To make sure your picking up is even, you will have to miss a gap every few rows.
Along a cast-on or bound- (cast-) off edge
This is worked in the same way as picking up stitches along a vertical edge, except that you will work through the cast-on stitches rather than the gaps between rows. You will normally have the same number of stitches to pick up and knit as there are existing stitches.
To make a yarnover you wind the yarn around the right-hand needle to make an extra loop that is worked as a stitch on the next row.
Bring the yarn between the tips of the needles to the front. Take the yarn over the right-hand needle to the back and knit the next stitch on the left-hand needle (see page 117).
Increasing
There are three methods of increasing used in projects in this book.
Increase on a knit row (inc)
1 Knit the next stitch on the left-hand needle in the usual way (see page 117), but do not slip the “old” stitch off the left-hand needle.
2 Move the right-hand needle behind the left-hand needle and put it into the same stitch again, but through the back of the stitch this time. Knit the stitch again.
3 Now slip the “old” stitch off the left-hand needle in the usual way.
Increase on a purl row (inc pwise)
1 Purl the next stitch on the left-hand needle in the usual way (see page 118), but do not slip the “old” stitch off the left-hand needle.
2 Twist the right-hand needle backward to make it easier to put it into the same stitch again, but through the back of the stitch this time. Purl the stitch again, then slip the “old” stitch off the left-hand needle in the usual way.
1 From the front, slip the tip of the left-hand needle under the horizontal strand of yarn running between the last stitch on the right-hand needle and the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
2 Put the right-hand needle knitwise into the back of the loop formed by the picked-up strand and knit into it in the normal way. (It is important to knit into the back of the loop so that it is twisted and a hole does not form in your work.)
Decreasing
There are five different ways of decreasing used in this book, one of which decreases by two stitches rather than one stitch.
Knit two together (k2tog)
This is the simplest way of decreasing. Simply insert the right-hand needle through two stitches instead of the normal one, and then knit them in the usual way.
The same principle is used to knit three stitches together; just insert the right-hand needle through three instead of through two.
Purl two together (p2tog)
To make a simple decrease on a purl row, insert the right-hand needle through two stitches instead of the normal one, and then purl them in the usual way.
Knit or purl three together (k/p3tog)
This is done in the same way as knitting or purling two stitches together, but insert the right-hand needle through three stitches instead of two.
Purl two together through the back loops (p2tog tbl)
This is done in the same way as p2tog, but insert the right-hand needle through the back loops of both the purl stitches. This can be a bit tricky as the stitches will be tight, so put the needle through them in the usual way first and gently stretch them a little.
1 Slip one stitch knitwise, and then the next stitch knitwise onto the right-hand needle, without knitting them.
2 Insert the left-hand needle from left to right through the front loops of both the slipped stitches and knit them in the usual way.
Crochet techniques
While the projects in this book are all knitted rather than crocheted, a few of them require simple crochet chains or edging.
Crochet chain
1 Make a slip knot on the crochet hook in the same way as for knitting (see page 116). Holding the slip knot on the hook, wind the yarn around the hook from the back to the front, then catch the yarn in the crochet-hook tip.
2 Pull the yarn through the slip knot on the crochet hook to make the second link in the chain. Continue in this way till the chain is the length needed.
Crochet edging
1 A crochet edging can be worked along a horizontal edge or a vertical edge, but the basic technique is the same. Insert the crochet hook in the first space between stitches. Wind the yarn round the hook and pull a loop of yarn through.
2 Wind the yarn round the hook again and then pull the loop through to make a single chain.
3 Insert the hook through the next stitch, wind the yarn round the hook, and pull through a second loop of yarn.
4 Wind the yarn round the hook and pull a loop of yarn through both loops on the hook. Repeat steps 3 and 4, inserting the hook into the spaces between stitches in an even pattern.
For crochet edging along a vertical edge, insert your hook into the spaces between the edges of the rows rather than the spaces between stitches.
It’s important to change colors in the right way to keep the knitted fabric flat and smooth and without any holes.
Intarsia
If you are knitting blocks of different colors within a project then you will need to use a technique called intarsia. This involves having separate balls of yarn for each area and twisting the yarns together where they join to avoid creating a hole or gap.
On the right side
When you want to change colors in a vertical line or sloping to the right, take the first color over the second color. Then pick up the second color, so the strands of yarn cross each other.
On the wrong side
On this side it is easy to see how the yarns are linked at each color change.
When you want to change colors and the color change is vertical or sloping to the left, take the first color over the second color. Then pick up the second color, so the strands of yarn cross each other.
Stranding
If you are knitting just a few stitches in a different color, you can simply leave the color you are not using on the wrong side of the work and pick it up again when you need to.
Changing color on a knit row
1 Knit the stitches (see page 117) in color A (brown in this example), bringing the yarn across over the strand of color B (lime) to wrap around the needle.
2 At the color change, drop color A and pick up color B, bringing it across under the strand of color A to wrap around the needle. Be careful not to pull it too tight. Knit the stitches in color B. When you change back to color A, bring it across over the strand of color B.
Changing color on a purl row
1 Purl the stitches (see page 118) in color A (brown), bringing it across over color B (lime) to wrap around the needle.
2 At the color change, drop color A and pick up color B, bringing it across under the strand of color A to wrap around the needle. Be careful not to pull it too tight. Purl the stitches in color B. When you change back to color A, bring it across over the strand of color B.
This type of cord is knitted on two double-pointed needles. The number of stitches can vary depending on how thick you want the i-cord to be, and a firm gauge (tension) works best.
1 Cast on as many stitches as needed; here there are four. *Slide the stitches to the right-hand end of the double-pointed needle, with the working yarn on the left of the cast-on row. Pull the yarn tightly across the back of the stitches and knit the first stitch as firmly as you can, then knit the remaining stitches.
2 Repeat from * until the i-cord is the length you need. After the first couple of rows, it will be easy to pull the yarn neatly across the back of the stitches for an invisible join in the cord.
Embroidery stitches
The animals’ features are embroidered using knitting yarn. When embroidering on knitting, take the embroidery needle in and out of the work between the strands that make up the yarn rather than between the knitted stitches themselves; this will help make your embroidery look more even.
Chain stitch
Bring the yarn out at the starting point on the front of the work. Take your needle back into your knitting just next to the starting point, leaving a loop of yarn. Bring your needle out of the work again, a stitch length farther on and catch in the loop. Pull the thread up firmly, but not so tight that it pulls the knitting. Continue in this way till the line, coil, or circle is complete.
Straight stitch
To make this stitch, simply take the yarn out at the starting point and back down into the work where you want the stitch to end.
French knot
1 Bring the yarn out at the starting point, where you want the French knot to sit. Wind the yarn around your needle the required number of times.
2 Take the needle back into the work, just to the side of the starting point. Then bring your needle out at the point for the next French knot or, if you are working the last or a single knot, to the back of your work. Continue pulling your needle through the work and slide the knot off the needle and onto the knitting.
There are various sewing-up stitches, and the patterns advise you on which method to use.
Mattress stitch on row-end edges
1 Right-sides up, lay the edges to be joined side by side. Thread a yarn sewing needle and from the back, bring it up between the first and second stitches of the left-hand piece, immediately above the cast-on edge. Take it across to the right-hand piece, and from the back bring it through between the first two stitches, immediately above the cast-on edge. Take it back to the left-hand piece and from the back, bring it through where it first came out. Pull the yarn through and this figure-eight will hold the cast-on edges level. Take the needle across to the right-hand piece and, from the front, take it under the bars of yarn between the first and second stitches on the next two rows up.
2 Take the needle across to the left-hand piece and, from the front, take it under the bars of yarn between the first and second stitches on the next two rows up. Continue in this way, taking the needle under two bars on one piece and then the other, to sew up the seam.
3 When you have sewn about 1in (2.5cm), gently and evenly pull the stitches tight to close the seam, and then continue to complete the sewing.
Mattress stitch on cast-on and bound- (cast-) off edges
1 Right-sides up, lay the two edges to be joined side by side. Thread a yarn sewing needle with a tail left after binding (casting) off, or a long length of yarn.
Secure the yarn on the back of the lower knitted piece, then bring the needle up through the middle of the first whole stitch in that piece. Take the needle under both “legs” of the first whole stitch on the upper piece, so that it comes to the front between the first and second stitches.
2 Go back into the lower piece and take the needle through to the back where it first came out, and then bring it back to the front in the middle of the next stitch along. Pull the yarn through. Take the needle under both “legs” of the next whole stitch on the upper piece. Repeat this step to sew the seam. Pull the stitches gently taut to close the seam as you work.
This stitch creates a join that is completely flat.
Right-sides up, lay the two edges to be joined side by side. Thread a yarn sewing needle with a tail left after binding (casting) off, or a long length of yarn. Pick up the very outermost strand of knitting from one piece and then the same strand on the other piece. Work your way along the seam, pulling the yarn up firmly every few stitches to close the seam.
Oversewing
This stitch can be worked with the right or the wrong sides of the work together. Thread a yarn sewing needle with a tail left after binding (casting) off, or a long length of yarn. Bring the yarn from the back of the work, over the edge of the knitting, and out through to the back again a short distance farther on.
Sewing in ends
The easiest way to finish yarn ends is to run a few small stitches forward then backward through your work, ideally in a seam. It is a good idea to use a yarn sewing needle to do this and take the tail between the strands that make up your yarn, as this will help make sure the end stays in place.