Knit garter stitch in rows

Gründl Knitting School

How to Knit Garter Stitch in Rows – Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

How to knit garter stitch in rows – step-by-step guide for beginners

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Welcome to Gründl Knitting School. Today, we'll show you step-by-step how to knit garter stitch and create a chained edge.

What does "knitted in garter stitch" mean?

When you want to knit garter stitch, you knit every stitch in both the right-side and wrong-side rows. This creates a simple yet expressive pattern that looks the same on both sides.

How do you knit garter stitch with a chained edge?

When knitting garter stitch, you only knit knit stitches. This also applies to the two edge stitches – meaning the first and last stitch in each row are knitted. When you knit knit stitches, a knot forms on the front side, and a "V" becomes visible on the back side.

What does a chained edge stitch look like?

As the name suggests, a chained edge consists of many small knots. A chained edge is particularly well-suited for garter stitch patterns because its appearance acts like a continuation of the pattern.

What is special about a chained edge stitch?

Due to the high stability of the edge, it is excellent for seaming. The individual knots serve as a good guide for inserting the needle stitch by stitch.

Different variations of a chained edge:

Firm chained edge

You get a firm chained edge if you knit both the first and the last stitch in every row.

Loose chained edge

You can knit a loose chained edge if you only knit the last stitch – the first stitch in each row is simply slipped.

When to use a chained edge?

Do you want to knit a piece with open edges? Or do you have a project in mind that you want to wear both front and back? Then a chained edge is perfect. A knitted chained edge creates a neat, even edge that looks beautiful on both the front and back.

How are rows counted in garter stitch projects?

Knitted pieces consisting only of knit stitches are easy to count. To do this, gently stretch your work a little to better see the individual ridges. Each ridge consists of two rows. So you can simply count the rows of your knitted piece in steps of two.

How are stitches counted?

If you want to count individual stitches from right to left, orient yourself by the "umbrellas" or "smileys." Here, you count not in steps of two, but as usual.

Free knitting patterns for garter stitch

In our diverse collection of free patterns for handicraft projects, you'll find plenty of garter stitch projects. From garter stitch scarves to garter stitch hats and garter stitch sweaters – find your next garter stitch project now.

Knit your first scarf – at Gründl Knitting School

You can download the free pattern here and also order the matching yarn in your chosen colors.