Knit and Purl Practice: Garter-Bordered First Square

Instructions

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1. 1Cast onCast on 30 stitches with the long-tail method (30 sts). Leave a tail of about 15 cm to weave in later. Row 1 is the right side (RS); to recognise it, note that the tail sits at the lower left corner.
2. 2Bottom garter borderRows 1-8: Knit every stitch. Knitting every row creates garter stitch, which is ridged on both sides and does not curl. After row 8 you should see 4 ridges (30 sts).
3. 3Learning to purlFor a purl stitch the yarn sits in front of the work. Insert the right needle into the stitch on the left needle from right to left, from the front (the needle tip points towards you). Wrap the yarn around the right needle counterclockwise, from front to back and to the front again, pull it back through the stitch and drop the old stitch. A purl is simply the back of a knit stitch; combining them gives stockinette (Vs on one side, bumps on the other).
4. 4BodyRepeat these two rows for rows 9-40: Odd rows (RS): k30. Even rows (WS): k4, p22, k4. Bring the yarn forward between the needles when switching from knit to purl, and back when switching from purl to knit; taking it over the needle adds an extra stitch. Count every 4 rows (30 sts). Row 40 is a WS row, and when it is done the centre should show about 12 cm of stockinette.
5. 5Top garter borderRows 41-48: Knit every stitch (30 sts). The square is now framed by garter stitch on all four sides.
6. 6Bind offOn row 49 (RS) bind off knitwise: k2, lift the first stitch over the second; k1, lift over again, and continue to the end. Keep the bind-off a little loose so the edge does not pull in. Pull the yarn through the last stitch, leaving 15 cm.
7. 7FinishingWeave both tails 5 cm into the garter border with the yarn needle and trim. Soak the square in lukewarm water, roll it in a towel to remove water without wringing, shape it into a square on a flat surface and leave it to dry. Pin the edges while drying if they ripple.