How to Knit a Pot Holder for Beginners

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Things You'll Need

  • Ball of yarn

  • 2 knitting needles

  • Scissors

Knitting an even row takes practice, so just do your best.

Knitting a potholder is an excellent craft for someone who has never knitted before. The key to successful knitting is to keep the correct tightness of your loops. Do not knit too tightly, or it will be difficult to insert your knitting needles. Do not knit too loosely, or the potholder stitches will look unkempt. Your knitting stitches should have an even tightness across the entire piece. Do not be afraid to take out an entire line of stitches to redo them, because even expert knitters have to do this from time to time.

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Cast On the Left Needle

Step 1

Create a slip knot for your first stitch. Make a loop of yarn, then pull a loop of yarn through the first loop and tighten. You know your slip knot is correct if you can pull the ends of yarn in opposite directions to undo the loop.

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Step 2

Insert both needles in the slip knot from front to back, and hold the right needle point under the left needle point.

Step 3

Hold both the needles in place with your left hand, and use the right hand to bring some yarn under and then over the right needle point.

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Step 4

Draw the yarn through the slip knot toward you with the right needle point.

Step 5

Slide the left needle into the back of this new stitch, remove the right needle and tug the yarn lightly so the stitches are snug but not too tight on the left needle. There are now two stitches on the left needle, counting the slip knot.

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Step 6

Insert the right needle point into the last stitch from front to back, and hold the right needle point under the left needle point. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 to make 28 stitches total.

Knit Onto the Right Needle

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Step 1

Each line of knitting should transfer the loops onto the opposite needle.

Insert the right needle point into the last stitch, from front to back, and hold the right needle point under the left needle point. Draw some yarn under and then over the right needle point.

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Step 2

Draw the yarn through the stitch with the right needle, and remove the stitch from the left needle so it is now hanging from the right needle.

Step 3

Insert the right needle point into the next stitch, from front to back under the left needle, then draw some yarn under and then over the right needle point. Draw the yarn through the stitch with the right needle, and remove the completed stitch from the left needle so it is now hanging from the right needle. Work your entire row of stitches in this way.

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Step 4

Switch hands with the needles so the stitches are held in the left hand, and the right hand is used to draw the stitches through. Insert the right needle point into the last stitch, from front to back, holding the right needle point under the left needle point. Draw some yarn under and then over the right needle point, and then draw this yarn through the stitch. Again, remove the stitch from the left needle so it is hanging on the right needle.

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Step 5

Continue working in this way until you have a square shaped pot holder. To bind the edges, first knit two stitches of your potholder onto the right needle. Insert the left needle into the stitch you knitted first, then draw over the last stitch and off the right needle.

Step 6

Knit another stitch onto the right needle. Use the left needle to pull the first stitch over the last stitch and off the needle. Continue this stitch to "bind off" the entire row, and then pull the end of the yarn tight to secure the completed potholder.

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