You can cast on, you can do the knit stitch, and you can bind off. That is enough. Knit every row and you get garter stitch, the bumpy, squishy fabric that doesn’t curl, looks the same on both sides and forgives uneven tension. Plenty of good patterns use nothing else.
Here are ten free patterns for exactly that point. The first six use only the knit stitch, with nothing to learn first. The last four each add one small new move that is still made with the knit stitch, for when you are ready for the next step. Every pattern gets the same card: who designed it, the skill it asks for, the stitches it uses, the yarn, the needles, the size, how long the designer says it takes, and one honest thing to watch for before you cast on.
How these cards work. Every figure on a card comes from the designer’s own pattern page. Where a designer doesn’t say something, the card says so rather than guessing. We don’t copy designers’ photos, so click through to see each finished piece on the designer’s own page, which is also where the instructions are.
Quick picks: match the pattern to what you have
- A few dozen yards of anything: the braided headband or the twist headband.
- Leftover cotton from dishcloths: the plant cozy or the oversized dishcloth.
- One skein of super bulky: the Gratitude cowl.
- Something to give a man: the beginner cowl for men.
- Something big and warm: the big shawl scarf on giant needles.
- Ready to learn one new thing: the triangle scarf, which teaches you to add a stitch.
Before you start: why knit-only works
When you knit every row of a flat piece, the stitches on the back of one row become bumps on the front of the next. That is garter stitch, and it is why these patterns don’t need the purl stitch. It lies flat, it doesn’t curl at the edges like stockinette does, and both sides look the same, so there is no wrong side to worry about. Garter stitch is also shorter and stretchier than other fabrics, so trust the designer’s measurements rather than counting rows. New to it all? Start with our Start Here guides.
Nothing but the knit stitch
Every one of these is cast on, knit every row, bind off. A few need a seam or a colour change at the end, and the card says so.
1. Garter Stitch Twist Headband
A short strip knit flat, then folded and sewn so the two ends lock into a twist at the front. The page gives two versions; the beginner one is knit every row, start to finish.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner (the page also has an advanced beginner version) |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch only, in the beginner version |
| Yarn weight | Bulky |
| Yarn | 45 to 50 yards; the designer suggests We Are Knitters Petite Wool |
| Needles | US 10.5 (6.5 mm) |
| Size | The designer's headband measured 18 in before the twist, on a model with a 21.5 in head |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
follow the beginner instructions, not the advanced beginner ones, which add slipped stitches at the edges. The twist is the only tricky part, and the page has a photo tutorial for it.
2. Oversized Garter Stitch Dishcloth
A long cotton cloth in two-colour stripes, cast on along its length and knit until it is wide enough. Garter stitch makes it thick, squishy and the same on both sides.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Advanced beginner, with a video |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch only |
| Yarn weight | Worsted cotton |
| Yarn | 110 to 120 yards in two colours; the designer suggests Knit Picks Dishie |
| Needles | US 6 (4 mm) |
| Size | 17.5 x 7 in |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
the stitch is easy, but you switch colours every two rows, and the designer rates it advanced beginner rather than beginner. Prefer one colour? Knit it all in one and the pattern doesn't change.
3. Garter Stitch Plant Cozy
A rectangle knit every row with two strands of cotton held together, sewn into a tube and slipped over a plant pot. No bottom to knit, and the top folds down.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner (the page also has an advanced beginner version), with videos |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch only, in the beginner version |
| Yarn weight | Worsted, held double |
| Yarn | 120 to 130 yards; the designer suggests Knit Picks Simply Cotton Organic Worsted |
| Needles | US 9 (5.5 mm) straight needles |
| Size | Fits a pot 5 in across; the designer says to cast on more or fewer stitches for other pots |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
you hold two strands of yarn together the whole way, so wind your yarn into two balls first. The designer says to knit it tight so it stands up on its own.
4. Beginner Garter Stitch Cowl (Gratitude)
A wide band of chunky garter stitch, knit flat and sewn into a loop. The whole pattern is one cast-on, about two dozen rows of knitting and one seam.
| Designer | Jennifer, Brome Fields |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch only |
| Yarn weight | Super bulky |
| Yarn | 100 to 110 yards; the designer suggests Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick |
| Needles | US 15 (10 mm) |
| Size | 19 x 11 in before seaming |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
the first line on the designer's page says stockinette, but the pattern itself and its notes say knit every row, and that is what you do. The page's centimetre sizes don't match its inches, so go by the inches.
5. Beginner Knit Cowl for Men
A long rectangle knit every row, then sewn end to end into a tall cowl. The designer made it for her husband and says it is tall enough to pull up over the face.
| Designer | Jessica, Mama in a Stitch |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free |
| Skill | Beginner; the designer says you only need to cast on and knit |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch only |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | Amount not stated; the designer used Premier Yarns Downton Abbey |
| Needles | US 10.5 |
| Size | About 10 in wide x 13.5 in tall once seamed |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
the page doesn't say how much yarn it takes, and readers in the comments ask. Buy a little more than one skein so you don't run short before the 21-inch mark.
6. Big Beginner Shawl Scarf
A giant garter stitch rectangle knit on enormous needles with two strands of wool held together. The designer wrote it for true first-timers, and calls it the warmest thing she has made.
| Designer | Jessica, Mama in a Stitch |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free |
| Skill | Beginner; the designer calls it a first-time beginner project |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch only |
| Yarn weight | Not stated by the designer |
| Yarn | 2 skeins of Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool, held together |
| Needles | US 35 (19 mm) |
| Size | 52 x 23 in |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
US 35 needles are huge and not every shop has them. The designer says gauge doesn't matter here, so the needle size is the one thing to get right.
The knit stitch plus one small new move
When knitting every row starts to feel easy, these are the next step. Each one adds a single new move, and every new move is still made with the knit stitch: knitting into the front and back of a stitch to add one, knitting two together to take one away, or knitting a tiny tube called an i-cord. The card names the move so you can look it up before you start.
7. Braided I-Cord Headband
Three thin knitted cords, braided together and fixed to a hair elastic. It is a stash buster: it uses only a few dozen yards, and any yarn from sock to worsted will do.
| Designer | Davina, Sheep and Stitch |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free, with a video and a PDF |
| Skill | Easy, per the designer's categories |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch, worked as an i-cord |
| New move | The i-cord |
| Yarn weight | Any, from sock to worsted |
| Yarn | 23 to 35 yards |
| Needles | Double-pointed needles or a circular needle, slightly smaller than your yarn's label asks for |
| Size | Each cord is 15.5 in long |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
an i-cord is still only knit stitches, but you slide the work back along the needle instead of turning it. The designer's video shows how, and how to attach the braid to the elastic. You also need one or two hair elastics.
8. Simple Triangle Scarf
A garter stitch triangle that starts with two stitches and grows at both ends as you go, knit loose in a light cotton tape on big needles for an open, airy fabric.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Basic (beginner), with a video |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch, plus one increase |
| New move | KFB: knit into the front and back of one stitch to make two |
| Yarn weight | Light |
| Yarn | 2 balls of Lana Grossa Aria, 360 yards in all |
| Needles | US 17 (12 mm) circular, 32 in (knit flat) |
| Size | 60 in across the top, 32 in from top to point |
| Time | The designer's page gives both 5 hours and 1 day 2 hours 34 minutes |
the stitch count climbs to 118, which is why you knit flat on a long circular needle. The designer's two time figures don't agree, so plan on a few evenings.
9. Chunky Pom-Pom Scarf
A very long scarf in three blocks of colour, in chunky garter stitch with pointed ends and a big pom-pom at each tip. The designer made it as a quick last-minute gift.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free (an ad-free PDF is optional) |
| Skill | Beginner |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch, plus one increase and one decrease |
| New move | KFB to shape one point, K2tog (knit two together) to shape the other |
| Yarn weight | Super bulky |
| Yarn | 3 skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, one in each of three colours |
| Needles | US 15 (10 mm) |
| Size | 102 x 9.5 in |
| Time | Not stated by the designer |
at 102 inches long this scarf is a lot of rows, even in chunky yarn. Make the pom-poms last, from the colour you have most left of. The designer uses a large pom-pom maker.
10. Lucky Pup Dog Scarf
A small garter stitch scarf with pointed ends, sized to your dog: measure the collar, add enough to tie a knot, and knit to that length. It uses one ball of worsted.
| Designer | Louise, Handy Little Me |
|---|---|
| Free or paid | Free, with a free printable version |
| Skill | Basic (beginner) |
| Stitches used | The knit stitch, plus one increase and two decreases |
| New move | KFB at the start, K2tog and K3tog at the end |
| Yarn weight | Worsted |
| Yarn | 1 ball of Drops Nepal |
| Needles | US 8 (5 mm) straight needles |
| Size | Any dog; the designer's large one measures 38 in from tip to tip |
| Time | About 2 hours of knitting, per the designer |
measure the dog before you cast on. The designer's rule is the collar length plus 8 to 12 inches to tie it.
What you’ll need
None of these needs special tools beyond the needles on each card. The things that come up more than once:
- Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, the yarn suggested for the Gratitude cowl and the pom-pom scarf
- Worsted weight cotton yarn for the dishcloth and the plant cozy
- US 15 (10 mm) knitting needles for the Gratitude cowl and the pom-pom scarf
- A tapestry needle for the seams and for weaving in ends, which every pattern here needs
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More to knit from what you have
- One ball of something and no plan? Here is what to knit with one skein of yarn.
- Odds and ends in the basket? Try what to knit with leftover yarn.
- Have a bag of thick yarn? Here is what to knit with chunky yarn.
- Most of these make good presents. See more quick knitted gifts you can finish in a weekend.
- Browse every project sorted by skill.
- Crochet as well as knit? Our sister site has a whole shelf of knitting patterns at Daily Crochet.
