The Best Videos for Learning Garter Stitch (Knitting Videos)

The Garter stitch is usually one of the first ones a knitter learns. If you're unsure what it looks like, the Garter stitch is characterized by the rows in between the bumpy stitches. Rows alternate between knits and purls, creating a fabric that's stretchy and cushy. Because the surface is reversible, it works well for making scarves. 

As Studio Knit explains, you begin the Garter stitch by casting on as many stitches as required for your pattern. You knit all of the rows and then when you’ve reached the desired length, you bind off. Studio has a good overview, but if you’re unfamiliar with the knit stitch you may want to see a few things up close. Keep watching!

New Stitch a Day's instructional video goes into detail about how to turn your work and transferring the knitting from your dominant hand to your non-dominant hand, making the main needle the working needle.

Wool and the Gang breaks out the big needles to demonstrate the Garter stitch. While there’s no sound on the video, the big needles, plus-sized wool and slow movements make it easier to notice every twist. If you’re having problems figuring out the movement of the needles and yarn this video makes it easy to see the steps.

Sheep & Stitch explain Garter two different ways. One is the approach we’ve already seen several times above. The second is knitting on circular needles to make a circular fabric. Because you won’t see the backside of the fabric when using circular needles, you need to knit one row and purl the next without switching the hands your needles are in. You’ll also need a stitch marker to know when your row ends.

Dropping a stitch can be a beginning knitter’s nightmare. However, that seemingly insurmountable problem can be mended. Using a crochet hook, you can pick up a dropped garter stitch. You have to pull the dropped stitch through, under and over until it gets to the top of the rows and then transfer it from the crochet needle to the knitting one.