Learn the craft

Learn the basics

Short reads for anyone new to knitting or crochet. Start anywhere.

Knitting

Getting the first row of stitches on the needle.

The two fundamental stitches every pattern is built on.

Finishing cleanly so your work doesn't unravel.

What lace, fingering, worsted, bulky actually mean.

Why patterns care how many stitches per inch you make.

Abbreviations, repeats, and charts — knit and crochet.

Measure wraps per inch and read the category off a chart.

Three tests to tell them apart when the label's gone.

Weight, fibre and yardage of unlabelled yarn, measured at home.

Still have the ball band? The Yarn Finder reads it from a photo and saves the yarn to your stash.

Slip knot, chain stitch, and slip stitch — how crochet begins.

The shortest stitch — dense, structured, perfect for amigurumi.

Taller stitches for faster progress and more drape.

Rounds, magic circles, amigurumi notation, and US vs UK terms.

Six beginner patterns from the free pattern library — complete row-by-row instructions and a tracker for each.