STEP FOUR: How to cast off and complete your blanket square

How to cast off is simple once you have practised the other knitting steps.

The key to professional knitting is to learn to knit with consistent tension, neither pulling the wool too tight or making the stitches too loose. Look at your previous stitch and make sure the next one you are going to do is exactly the same. With practice you will soon get the idea.

Follow these simple knitting instructions and then watch the video to put the words into context.

1. On a knit row place the work in your left hand

2. Slip a stitch (pull it onto the right hand needle without knitting it)

3. Knit the next stitch

4. You now have two stitches on the right hand needle

5. Use the left hand needle to pull the first stitch over the second stitch and off the right hand needle. You now have one one stitch left on the right hand needle,(see photograph).

6. Knit another stitch

7. Repeat this knitting cast off until you have only one stitch left on the left hand needle

8. Cut the wool leaving a 15 centimetre end (4 inches) - enough to darn into your work

9. Draw this end of wool through the remaining stitch and pull tight to match the tension of the rest of the stitches

10. Using a wool needle darn the end through the stitches at the top to neatly finish your square off.

Now you know how to cast off, use these simple knitting instructions to knit an 8 x 8' square. Then PLEASE send it to Africa to make blankets for cold and poor children. Thank you.