How to knit a coaster for beginners

Instructions

1. Step: Prepare your materials
   
   
   You can knit a coaster with pretty much any yarn and any needle size. So, just walk into a yarn shop (online or offline) and pick a yarn that sparks your interest, and then find matching needles (the label will tell you what you need). I recommend cotton yarn.
   
   Cotton will be able to soak up all the condensation water (and whatever you might accidentally spill), and it's easy to wash. Wool, on the other hand, will easily felt if you wash it too warm, while acrylic yarn won't keep any moisture at all. No matter which yarn you pick, one skein will be enough to make a couple of coasters.
   
   If you already have scissors in your house, then there's no need to buy new ones. You only need them to cut the yarn at the very end. You probably will need a tapestry needle as standard needles have too small an eyelet for thick knitting yarn.
   
2. Step: Cast on 19 stitches with needle size 6 /4.0 mm
   
   
   
   Now it's time to start knitting. The first thing you have to do is casting on stitches. That's what you call the technique to create a row of loops around your knitting needle which you can then use to start the actual knitting process.
   
   There are many ways to cast on knitting stitches but I recommend a simple longtail-cast on. You will find my step by step tutorial on how to cast on knitting stitches for beginners here.
   
   Together with the initial slip knot, you will need 19 stitches. That is if you are using the same or similar yarn. But if you end up with 18 or 20 that won't be a big deal. In fact, by casting on more or fewer stitches, you will be able to adjust the size of your knitted coaster.
   
   Pay attention that your cast-on leaves a tail of around 6-8 inches. You will need this little tail later on. If it's too short (like only 1 or 2 inches) cast on again. Here's a handy little guide that will teach you how much yarn you need for a longtail cast-on. In this case, 25 inches will be more than enough.
   
3. Step: Knit across for 30 rows
   
   
   
   Once you finished casting on, you simply have to knit across all stitches with the knit stitch. While I urge you to read my full tutorial, it's always the same motion: You go into the loop on the left needle from left to right. Then you wrap the yarn around the right needle counter-clockwise. Then you pull the yarn through and drop the loop you just knitted through off the left needle.
   
   Once you finished a row, you turn around your work, and bring the yarn to the back of your needle and continue knitting knit stitches. The pattern you will create is called the garter stitch.
   
   
   
   There are special row counters but you can also use a pen and paper.
   
4. Step: Bind off all stitches
   
   
   
   Once you finished knitting 30 rows in total, it's time to bind off (or cast off; you will find both terms) all stitches. The proverbial problem with knitting is that it will unravel by itself if you pull out your needles. A bind-off is a special technique that will create a permanent edge that won't unravel.
   
   Here's how to bind off knitting for beginners.
   
   Basically, it boils down to knitting two stitches. And then passing the stitch farther to the right on your right needle over the first stitch. Once you did that you knit one more stitch and pass the new second stitch over the first again. By continuing these motions until the end of your row you can secure all stitches.
   
5. Step: Secure the tail
   
   
   
   The classic bind-off will leave you with one stitch left on your right needle. Simply cut the yarn leaving a tail of around 8 inches and pull out the loop with your knitting needle. This will tie a simple knot to finish your coaster.
   
6. Step: Weave in the tails
   
   
   
   Once you finished the actual knitting process, you will notice that your coaster has two little tails: One from the cast-on and one from the cast-off. As these aren't all that pretty you will want to hide them.
   
   So, thread the tail on either end on a tapestry needle. And then, stretch out the ribs of your coaster and weave in the tail through the legs of these stitches in between. Make sure you split the yarn as you go. And then, go in another direction one more time. Stretch out the fabric a bit with your fingers and cut the tail using your scissors. This process is called weaving in and here is a detailed tutorial for it.
   
7. Step: Wash your finished coaster gently and block it
   
   
   
   Your little knitted coaster will probably look a tiny bit wonky or lopsided right now. That's nothing to despair about. If you want it to be all neat and square, handwash it gently in lukewarm water. Then, wring it out gently between a towel and pin it to a soft surface.
   
   While there are special blocking mats advances knitters use, a simple towel on a carpet is all you need. And then let it dry for a day (or however long it takes). Remove the pins and your coaster will be all nice and square. The blocking process also helps to even out the stitches.
   
   As a really fast and easy alternative, you can also pin it to your ironing board and use the steam function to block it in shape. This is much faster and will work much better for yarns with a high plastic/acrylic content.