Learn How to Knit: Free Patterns for Your Man on Valentine’s Day

Are you a novice knitter or have not yet learned how to knit? The thought of knitting something for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day may make your tummy fill up with butterflies if you don’t know how or are a beginner! Don’t fear though; I am going to provide you everything you need to learn how to knit your honey a Valentine’s present for this year’s holiday!

This article will help you overcome any worries or fears you may have about knitting something for your special someone this Valentine’s Day. It will provide you with the following:

• Reasons Not to Fear a Homemade Gift
• The Benefits of a Homemade Valentine’s Gift
• An Introduction on Learning How to Knit
• All about Knitting Materials
• Garter Stitch Patterns/Projects for Men
• Tips on Knitting these Valentine’s Patterns
• Other Resources Including:

1. Tutorials and Video Instructions on the basics of how to knit (these videos will provide you with everything you need to know in order knit the beginner projects provided in this article)
2. Links to a Variety of Helpful Websites that will be Useful to You as You Knit
3. Maps to Locations Where You Can Purchase Your Craft Materials for these Patterns

• A way to save money – you can make a knitted gift for less than a few dollars!
• A way to show how much you care – a knitted gift is meaningful and special and shows your love based on the effort you spent making the gift
• A unique gift – a homemade gift is typically one of a kind and shows that you took the time to think about the person you have made it for.
• A personal gift – making a gift shows that you care and gives a personal touch which often means more than a store bought gift.
• A way to use your favorite hobby – rather than walking around a crowded store trying to find a perfect gift for this specific occasion, you can do something you enjoy!
• A learning opportunity – branch out and learn something new which can turn into a new hobby

Not only will learning how to knit broaden your horizons in general, but it will also help you knit the free knitting patterns provided in this article for your Valentine! Knitting is a valuable skill; once you have mastered the basics, you can expand your skills and make more advanced items!

With the videos provided in this article, anyone can learn how to knit. Once you have learned and mastered the basics, you can knit many items, not just the patterns from this article. However, the reason I have provided the short and sweet, easy-to-follow videos at the bottom of this article is to teach you how to learn the knitting basics so that you can create the patterns in this hub for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day!

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy the materials you need to knit these projects. You simply need yarn, knitting needles, and a darning needle. I have written which size of knitting needles I would recommend for each project in the pattern instructions.

The yarn I used as a beginner was Red Heart Super Saver. I found it easy to work with and inexpensive. I would strongly recommend it as you start out with this hobby. A darning needle is basically a large plastic needle that you can purchase for a few dollars at any hobby store, even Wal-Mart.

Garter stitch projects are basically just patterns that only use the stitch, Knit (K). These are perfect for beginners! They do not require much thought and can easily be done by a novice knitter. While these projects are listed as “for men,” they technically can be made for anyone! I only called them “projects for men” since it is Valentine’s Day and most crafters are women who wish to make a handmade project for their boyfriend or husband.

Valentine’s Day Garter Stitch Projects for Your Man:

A GARTER STITCH SCARF FOR BEGINNERS

MATERIALS:

- WORSTED WEIGHT YARN

- US 15 (10” KNITTING NEEDLE)

SIZE: 6” X 65”

TIME TO COMPLETE: APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS:

CAST ON 20 STITCHES

KNIT EVERY ROW UNTIL IT REACHES 65”

BIND OFF AND WEAVE IN THE ENDS.

My Boyfriend’s Black Warm Scarf by Michele Kelsey

When I began dating Bryan it was around Valentine’s Day. I wanted to do something special for him showing him that I cared, and I knew it had to be something homemade that I knitted, because he knew me well enough to know that I knitted gifts for those that I cared about and that I loved knitting.

I also wanted to knit him something that would be useful to him. It was quite cold that February in Oklahoma, and Bryan drives a delivery truck so is outdoors quite a bit. I wanted to knit him something warm, but not too hard, because I wanted it to be perfect!

I really was only skilled at making great garter stitch scarves at the time, so I decided to make him a special one. Instead of using my normal one strand when knitting a scarf, I decided to double up and use two strands. It made it much warmer, but I was able to knit it using my normal pattern.

Since the colors of his work are red and black (Coca-Cola) and he is a local delivery driver, I decided to use black. I used the same color of black so that it wouldn’t look funky, but instead just look like a single color, only thicker. Also, he is over 6’ tall so I wanted to make it extra long.

I usually make scarves for anyone about 65” which I can easily measure by just holding it straight up, because it is approximately my height. I made a very long scarf for Bryan and years later, now that he is my husband, he still uses it and loves it!

Another way to measure a scarf is to stretch it out on the carpet in the living room in a clutter free area, and use a measuring tape to figure out how well you are doing as you go along. I used to do this quite frequently. If I was too short, I knew that I needed to keep knitting a little bit longer. If I was too long, well, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and people would prefer a longer scarf than a shorter one.

Here are the details for this particular pattern:

My Boyfriend’s Warm Easy Knitted Garter Scarf by Michele Kelsey

Size: 6” wide X 6’ long

Length of Time to Create: It took me about 8 hours to make this scarf.

Materials:

• Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in BLACK (2 Skeins)
• US 15 (metal 10” knitting needles)
• Large plastic darning needle

Knitting Abbreviations:

• CO = Cast On
• K = Knit
• BO = Bind Off

Pattern:

When knitting, use 2 strands of worsted weight yarn throughout.

CO 22 stitches.

Knit every row until scarf measures approximately 6’.

BO and weave in the ends of scarf.

Fold it up and wrap a big red bow around it for a nice presentation.

Final Tips:

If this is a gift, like for Valentine’s Day, you may want to include an original poem or a sweet card along with another homemade gift. You could even make it into a basket filling it with his favorite goodies such as candy, tools, gift cards, body products, or any other DIY craft ideas you can come up with.

A GARTER STITCH LAPGHAN FOR BEGINNERS

NOTE: What is a lapghan? It is basically an afghan that just covers your lap, so a smaller version of an afghan. You can always create your own version of this based on the instructions in the afghan section.

Materials:

- WORSTED WEIGHT YARN (ANY COLOR)

- US 13 (24” TO 36” CIRCULAR NEEDLE)

SIZE: 40” X 55”

TIME TO COMPLETE: APPROXIMATELY 3-5 EVENINGS

Instructions:

USE 2 STRANDS WHEN KNITTING.

CAST ON 100 STITCHES

KNIT EVERY ROW UNTIL IT REACHES 50”

BIND OFF AND WEAVE IN THE ENDS.

A GARTER STITCH AFGHAN FOR BEGINNERS

Materials:

- WORSTED WEIGHT YARN (ANY COLOR)

- US 13 (24” TO 36” CIRCULAR NEEDLE)

SIZE: 50” X 65”

TIME TO COMPLETE: APPROXIMATELY 3-6 EVENINGS

Instructions:

USE 2 STRANDS WHEN KNITTING.

CAST ON 160 STITCHES.

KNIT EVERY ROW UNTIL IT REACHES 70”

BIND OFF AND WEAVE IN THE ENDS.

A GARTER STITCH COASTER FOR BEGINNERS

Materials:

- WORSTED WEIGHT YARN (ANY COLOR)

- US 7 (10” KNITTING NEEDLES)

SIZE: 5” X 5”

TIME TO COMPLETE: APPROXIMATELY 1-2 HOURS

Instructions:

CAST ON 22 STITCHES USING TWO STRANDS OF YARN.

KNIT 36 ROWS.

BIND OFF AND WEAVE IN THE ENDS.

CREATE 4 TO 6 IN ORDER TO MAKE IT A COASTER SET.

A GARTER STITCH BOOKMARK FOR BEGINNERS

Materials Needed:

- WORSTED WEIGHT YARN

- US 6 (10” KNITTING NEEDLES)

SIZE: 3” X 10”

TIME TO COMPLETE: APPROXIMATELY 15-30 MINUTES

Instructions:

CAST ON 8 STITCHES.

KNIT 60 ROWS.

BIND OFF AND WEAVE IN THE ENDS.

A GARTER STITCH WASHCLOTH/DISHCLOTH FOR BEGINNERS

Materials Needed:

- WORSTED WEIGHT YARN

- US 7 (10” KNITTING NEEDLES)

SIZE: 8” X 8”

TIME TO COMPLETE: APPROXIMATELY 1-2 HOURS

Instructions:

CAST ON 40 STITCHES.

KNIT EVERY ROW UNTIL IT REACHES 8”

BIND OFF AND WEAVE IN THE ENDS.

Experiment with colors! Consider making more than one item if you have time and have mastered it the first go round! Change colors mid-project if you feel confident in doing so. Simply cut the yarn you are working on, tie the end you cut to the beginning of the next yarn skein you wish to work with, double knot this joining, and cut off the ends to make it as short as possible without allowing the yarn to come untied.

Put your knitted item in a basket with a few treats for your special someone. You may want to include candy, a cactus (flowers if this is for a lady), some loose tools, goofy items from the dollar store, and maybe some silly things that mean something to just the two of you.

Wrap a bow around your completed knitted item to make the presentation pretty. Find some pretty Valentine’s Day wrapping paper to wrap the item in. For example, if you made your boyfriend or husband a scarf, you could use red or pink tissue paper and put it in a shirt box. Then, you could use scissors, tape, and the wrapping paper to wrap it up like a Christmas gift. Finish it off with a gorgeous bow or fancy ribbons if you know how to do that.

Create a homemade card or a poem expressing your feelings to go along with your knitted item. You could make a little coupon book or other homemade gift to go along with your knitting project. One idea might be to write out 52 Reasons I Love You on little cards (1 card for each week of the year). You could use a desk of cards for the cards, index cards, or even just cardboard pieces and scrapbook paper.

Feeling even more adventurous? You can make homemade coasters for your Valentine if you follow the instructions in these articles. They will provide you with free knitting patterns for 3 different kinds of awesome coaster sets – a perfect gift for a guy who works in an office!

The following information and videos will help you to learn how to knit easily. If you are a beginner or even a person who knows nothing about knitting, these videos can still teach you everything you need to know in order to become not only a knitter, but also a knitter who can make the patterns provided in this hub.

Knitting: Learn How to Easily Tie a Slip Knot

This is the most basic step of learning how to knit. You may already know how to do this from another craft or hobby that you participate in like boy scouts (maybe you are a troop mother or something). Once you have mastered this, you can begin the art of knitting. This video is short and to the point. You will easily learn how to tie a slip knot in no time!

Credit for YouTube video above:

By Michele Kelsey (theflirtyknitter)

Date: November 25, 2015

Casting On (CO)

When a pattern says “CO 25” it means “cast on” 25 stitches. This means placing 25 stitches on a knitting needle. It is a bit more difficult than just knitting at first at least. Casting on begins the knitting process, and this video will teach you how to cast on stitches in the easiest way possible.

This video is very good because it is short, but slow enough to show you the method with ease. You will know how to cast on after watching this video. Just practice and do not hesitate to ask for help; knitters are a friendly bunch and always eager to help out newbies!

Credit for YouTube video above:

By www.watchknitting.com

Date: April 21, 2011

The Knit Stitch (K) or Garter Stitch

The Knit (K) Stitch is the most basic stitch. Garter stitching means just doing the Knit (K) stitch over and over again. It is one of the easiest stitches to learn how to do and may become the fastest one that you can do once you have mastered it. As you can see from this article, once you learn how to garter stitch, there is an endless supply of possibilities for you to experiment with when it comes to knitting.

I love the Knit (K) Stitch because over time, it becomes repetitive and you don’t even have to look at your hands when you are knitting anymore. I can now do garter stitch scarves in the dark while I watch television and while my husband is sleeping. I find this to be very useful!

Credit for YouTube video above:

By www.watchknitting.com

Date: April 21, 2011

Binding Off (BO)

Binding Off (BO) in a pattern is the method in which you finish a knitting project. It is a crucial part of learning how to knit because without it your project would just fall apart; it would unravel over time. For a beginner, there is usually only one method to do this. The video below will explain how to do this easily. It is short, but informative.

Credit for YouTube Video Above:

By www.watchknitting.com

Date: April 21, 2011

Finally, you may also want to check out a video on some other finishing touches like how to weave in the ends or you can just read about how to do this. This is where you use a darning needle to weave the yarn at the two ends of the project into the body of the project. There are many ways to do this, so you may want to read up on it to discover which way you like the best.

I hope these patterns and tutorials have taught you how to knit and have helped you make your first knitting project. I am excited to see what you have made or to hear about it, so please comment at the bottom of this article and let me know what you created. If you have a link or a picture you can share, I would love to see it as well!

Since you may be new to the craft world, you may wonder where do you buy your supplies and what do you get? Each pattern should tell you what supplies to buy and the chain stores listed on these maps below are great places to find knitting supplies for these Valentine’s Day projects.

Would you like to learn more about yarn and where to buy it? This in depth article features 10 of the best sources that you can purchase yarn at. It is very useful for you when you are deciding how much money you wish to spend and/or what quality of yarn you want to use.

Hobby Lobby and Michael's Craft Store are the two main chain stores that I use when buying my knitting supplies. I would recommend them in terms of cost and convenience. Check out these maps to see where their headquarters are.

Dear Readers:

The images in this article were created and published by Michele Kelsey (theflirtyknitter).

Please feel free to ask a direct question about any of the information provided in this article or any questions you may have about the free knitting patterns provided above.

Please leave me a comment if you found this article to be:

• useful
• interesting
• beautiful

I would love for you to rate it, share it, leave a comment, and/or follow me!

I would also love to be-friend you on Ravelry, so look me up (theflirtyknitter), send me a brief message letting me know who you are, and send me a friend request so we can connect.

I am very active on Twitter (@flirtyknitter) and love sharing others’ free knitting or crocheting patterns as well as advice, blogs, information, sales, events, etc. so look me up on there as well. Send me a message and let me know where you found me so that I can be sure to follow you back! J

Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoyed these free knitting patterns for beginners!

I would really like to see what you have created based on these patterns, so feel free to post me links to your pictures or post your pictures in the comments below. Let me know if these videos helped you or if you found a broken link or a better video; I appreciate constructive criticism as much as I appreciate learning how my articles have helped you become a better or a new knitter today!

Best of luck in your knitting adventures this holiday season!

Michele Kelsey (theflirtyknitter)