What's that stitch? Garter stitch

Welcome to what's that stitch series! Garter stitch is the most commonly used stitch in knitting and the first stitch beginner knitters learn how to do.  I thought this stitch was called knit stitch, then wondered what garter stitch was when I came across it in a pattern.  Learn what this stitch is, how to do garter stitch and get few project ideas for using this stitch.

What is Garter stitch?

Garter stitch creates ridges along the row and is the most common stitch in knitting and is the first stitch most people learn how to knit.  It is quite stretchy and can be used to stabilize other pieces of knitting for example, a stocking stitch blanket which has a tendency to curl but can be stabilized by adding a knitted boarder around the edges. 

What does garter stitch look like?

Garter stitch can give the knitted item more of a rustic look, below is a close up of what garter stitch looks like and the texture of this stitch.

How do you do garter stitch?

To do garter stitch you only need to know how to:

• Knit

If you'd like to learn how to knit you can book a class with me here 

To do garter stitch 

Row 1: Knit
Repeat this row

What can you make using garter stitch?

Using garter stitch you could knit anything and it would look great, ipod cozy, tie, pot holder, a blanket, a jumper, a scarf, slippers,  soft toys, bags or a beanie. This stitch looks great on a lot of other projects too.  Here is a square I have knitted for a patchwork blanket.

Have fun learning how to do garter stitch and making a project using this stitch, a new stitch in the stitch series what's that stitch will be posted next Wednesday.

Patterns using garter stitch

Free patterns knitted in garter stitch from my collection:

• Pretty spring flower
• DIY Montessori colour blocks version 1
• Rustic dishcloth
• Heart coaster
• Quick and easy curtain ties

Related Posts

What's that stitch? - Page of photos and links to all posts in the what's that stitch series.
Knitting abbreviations - Free printable knitting abbreviations cheat sheet in downloadable pdf file
Free printable knitting sheets - Free printable handy knitting sheets all in downloadable pdf files