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If you're learning to knit, this is a simple – and essential – stitch to master

Garter stitch is easily the simplest of stitch patterns to create when you’re knitting, even if you’re new to it. Double-sided, it’s your perfect choice for knitting flat pieces, like scarves and knitted blankets, where you wouldn’t want the edges to curl.

And if you’re looking for knitting patterns for inspiration, look no further – we used this basic knit technique to create Orinoco’s scarf in our free Womble knitting pattern.

Garter stitch uses only one stitch – the basic knit stitch. You knit each and every stitch on every row, simply stopping to turn your work over when you’re ready to begin a row anew. It's the stitch you'll learn when first learning how to knit. And, together with the purl stitch, is the basis for other styles of knitting stitches, too.

Elasticated, garter stitch creates ridged double-sided fabric – looking identical on both the right and the wrong side.

Garter stitch can easily be created using any knitting needles accompanied by the appropriate thickness of yarn. Even if you’re using circular needles to work this technique on a flat piece, garter stitch is a dream.

If in doubt about needle sizes, check the label on your ball of yarn – it will give you a recommended needle size to use for that particular yarn weight. If mixing yarns, make sure they all match up with needle sizes, and more importantly – care and washing instructions. You’ll thank us later!

Cast on your chosen number of stitches.

How to do a knit stitch

1. Bring your yarn to the back of the work. It will remain there the whole time you are working this simplest of stitch patterns.

2. Insert your right-hand needle into the first stitch on your left-hand needle.

3. Take the yarn and wrap it under to the left, and over to the right of the right-hand needle tip at the back of the work.

4. Carefully bring the wrapped yarn towards you and through the stitch on the left-hand needle that you’ve been working in.

5. Now that this first stitch on the left-hand needle has been worked, carefully push it to the tip of the left-hand needle and allow it to drop. Now on to the next one!

6. Continue to knit across the rest of the row until you reach the end and no more stitches remain. Turn your work over and swap hands so that the worked row now sits on the needle in your left hand and your right-hand needle is empty.

7. Repeat to work another row, and another, and another – until your work reaches the desired length. When you’re ready, just cast off.

If you do find that your edges go a bit wobbly, don’t worry – this is caused by the tension (how tightly you’re knitting or holding your yarn) becoming too tight or too loose when you reach the end of a row. To avoid this, try keeping hold of your yarn when you do start a new row, or doing a slip stitch at the beginning of each row.

Garter stitch has really lovely horizontal ridges – it’s a lovely texture. Try some embroidery or changing colours for a few rows for some interesting effects.

Check out our other video tutorials, including how to knit moss stitch and our stocking stitch. Be sure try out our free Prima knitting patterns, too!