25 knitting goals, from a first garter stitch scarf to a sweater that fits

Knitting goals for beginners

Beginner goals are a few stitches you can count and one piece you finish. Start with medium weight yarn: the Craft Yarn Council numbers it 4 and pairs it with 4.5 to 5.5 mm needles (US 7 to 9). If one hook sounds easier than two needles, crochet goals start from a single chain.

• Cast on and bind off 20 stitches 5 times, until you no longer need a video.
• Knit a 4 inch square swatch and count the stitches across it.
• Knit your first scarf in garter stitch, from cast on to bind off.
• Learn to purl and knit 10 rows of stockinette.
• Finish 3 patterns marked Basic before you start one marked Easy.

Knitting technique goals: cables, colourwork and lace

Technique goals are one new move, repeated until your hands know it. The Craft Yarn Council's levels show the order: past Basic, patterns add stitch patterns, colour work and shaping.

• Knit a hat in the round on a circular needle.
• Knit a cable panel with 12 crosses.
• Knit a 2 colour band 20 rounds deep, carrying both yarns.
• Knit one lace swatch and block it: wet it, pin it flat, let it dry.
• Fix 5 mistakes by undoing stitch by stitch, not by ripping out rows.

Knitting project goals: socks, a sweater, a blanket

A big project is a pile of small counts. A sweater is a back, a front, 2 sleeves and a number of rows for each, which is what breaking a goal into smaller ones looks like in yarn.

• Knit both socks of one pair, not just the first.
• Knit one sweater in your size, measured before you cast on.
• Knit a blanket in 5 strips, one strip a month.
• Finish one pattern at each level: Basic, Easy, Intermediate and Complex.
• Finish 12 knitted pieces this year, one a month.

Yarn stash goals for knitters

Stash goals count skeins in and skeins out, with yarn that is already paid for. A fabric stash works the same way, and sewing goals have their own list.

• Count every skein in your stash and write down the total.
• Knit 10 skeins from your stash this year.
• Buy no new yarn for 3 months.
• Knit one whole project from leftover yarn.
• Finish or unravel 5 projects that sit unfinished.

Knitting goals for gifts and charity

Giving goals come with a date: a birthday, a new baby, the first cold week.

• Knit 10 hats this winter for a local charity that asks for them.
• Knit one gift for each birthday in your family this year.
• Knit a baby blanket before the baby is born.
• Go to a knitting group 10 times this year.
• Teach one person to cast on and knit a first row.

What is a good knitting goal?

A good knitting goal counts something, and knitting is countable all the way down: stitches, rows, inches, skeins and finished pieces. A review of 35 years of goal research found that specific, hard goals lead to higher performance than being told to do your best. "Knit more" is a wish. "10 skeins from my stash by December" is a goal.

Climb one level at a time. The Craft Yarn Council, which speaks for the big yarn companies in the US, sorts knit and crochet patterns into four levels, and many patterns print one. Basic is basic stitches, maybe a few increases and decreases. Easy adds simple stitch patterns, colour work or shaping. Intermediate makes them more involved, and Complex uses many techniques at once. One finished pattern at each level is a ladder with 4 rungs.

Start every garment with a count: the swatch. The same council's chart gives medium weight yarn 16 to 20 stitches over 4 inches in stockinette. Your swatch tells you which of those numbers is yours, and the size of the sweater depends on it.

How to track knitting goals

Write the count down when you put the needles away. A review of 138 studies found that people who monitored their progress reached their goals more often, and that recording it beat keeping it in your head.

Rows, skeins and finished pieces are amounts that add up. Knitting every day is a day count, and 100 of those days is a 100 day challenge with yarn.

A sweater stays a heap of yarn for weeks. A picture that fills with every row shows how far it has come while it is still on the needles.

Frequently asked questions

What are good knitting goals for beginners?

Knit a swatch and count its stitches. Knit one scarf in garter stitch. Learn to purl. Then finish 3 patterns marked Basic before you move up to Easy.

What is a yarn stash goal?

A goal about the yarn you already own. Count your skeins first, then pick a number to knit, like 10 this year. "No new yarn for 3 months" is a stash goal too.

What are the knitting skill levels?

The Craft Yarn Council uses four: Basic, Easy, Intermediate and Complex. Many patterns show one of them. Each level adds stitch patterns, colour work and shaping to the one before.