More knitting.

The first thing you'll need to do is cast on. There are many, many methods out there. Some are really simple, some seem needlessly complicated. You'll need a few in your repertoire for different jobs. Once you get really going, there are specialized cast-ons; such as for socks or ribbed edges. For now start with something that makes sense to you that will get you knitting.

If you want to go super simple, the single or backward loop cast-on is really easy. But it can be hard to get your needles into sometimes and creates a very firm edge with little stretch. Good for beginners, not good for things like the bottom edge of a sweater. A lot of people use the long tail cast-on. It's popular because it's nice and even and it creates a row of stitches that are already knitted, so you can go ahead and skip to row two. Click here for some common cast-on methods, including those mentioned above.

Next up: decision time. Are you a picker or a thrower? I'm a picker. Also known as German/Continental style knitting. Throwing, or English/American style is more common, and slightly easier to learn, but not as efficient (in my opinion.) There's a lot of wasted motion. Good if you're into burning slightly more calories while you knit, not good if you want to be fast(er). A major advantage to English style is that it is easier to manage tension. I like to switch back and forth between these two styles to minimize my carpal tunnel annoyances. But if you're just starting out, pick one and learn it and then you can move on to other methods if you want to. If you're feeling sentimental loyalty to a particular "Old Country" you can find out what style of knitting is done in certain regions. Or ask an aunt or grandma. My family taught me continental style with a subset of purling called "combo." I'm partial to both, but open to all. (And really full of myself today.)

This site (mentioned above) is an excellent resource with great tutorials on basic cast-ons, knit and purl stitches, and cast-offs in both Continental and English styles.

So you've started with casting on. Now you need to know the knit stitch. Once you know how to do the knit stitch, you can make something using the garter stitch. The garter stitch is a knit stitch pattern with repeating rows that form ridges. Knit all stitches. Turn work. Knit all stitches. It's perfect for something like a scarf or washcloth or swiffer cover. Or you could make a cowl like this:



(project from make do & mend)
If you're not the kind of person who needs a pattern, pick up some needles and make something square. For a washcloth, use cotton. For a cleaning cloth, there are thousands of balls of synthetic yarn out there that need homes. I got a huge stash from my husband's grandmother when she passed away. Or you can check stash reduction/trade websites, or find it for pennies at thrift stores. The acrylic mimics expensive microfiber cloths on dishes, stoves, virtually all wipe-able surfaces. Look for softer ones for cleaning glass or wiping shiny stuff. Rougher stuff for dishes and greasy or icky jobs.
For scarves, pick up a few balls of something aesthetically pleasing. (Don't die of shock at the price of some of the rarer stuff. Like qiviut, which is made from the painstakingly separated undercoat of the musk ox and can run anywhere from $90-$200 a skein.) If you shop around you can find good quality, pretty yarn for not that much. Etsy has some lovely yarn that is a little pricier if you're committed to buying handmade.
Use bigger needles for a more airy summery feel, smaller needles and thicker yarn for something that will be cozy in the fall.

And then share!

The final piece to the basic knitting picture is purling. Don't be scared. It's the mirror of the knit stitch. Learning to purl opens up a whole new set of options. Ribbing, the stockinette and reverse stockinette stitches. You could make this if you wanted to:



The Lyra Cap PDF pattern
Or register for access to Lion Brand Yarn patterns. It's a bit of a hassle, but there are a lot of free patterns. And lately they've been hiring well-known knitters to design for them. But you may have to ask them not to send you catalogs.

After an initial learning/inspiration period in the eighties from my cousin who spent a few years in Italy (among other things) refreshing her knitting skills via some Italian mamala matrons, I am for the most part a self-taught knitter. I was determined that if I took instructions one step at a time, I could figure it out. This was before I realized some patterns are better written than others. But if I can do it, you can do it. And you get to learn from my mistakes. Bonus.

Other things you'll need to know for finishing:

To cast off, see link above. Or this video does a good job explaining it.

This is my favorite method for weaving in ends.

How to seam.

Now go get your knit on.