Irregular verb
The verb to knit
knit → knitted → knitted
B2Meaning: to make clothes from wool with long needles · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they knit·he/she/it knits - Past Simple:
knitted(or knit, with no change, in American English) - Past participle:
knitted - -ing form:
knitting
Conjugation of the verb to knit
Present Simple
| I | knit |
| You | knit |
| He / She / It | knits |
| We | knit |
| You (pl.) | knit |
| They | knit |
Past Simple
| I | knitted |
| You | knitted |
| He / She / It | knitted |
| We | knitted |
| You (pl.) | knitted |
| They | knitted |
All the forms of the verb to knit
Present Simple
Full pageknit / knits
“My grandma knits sweaters.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are knitting
“I am knitting a scarf right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageknitted
“She knitted a scarf.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were knitting
“I was knitting a scarf when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has knitted
“I have already knitted a scarf.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad knitted
“She had already knitted a scarf when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill knit
“I will knit a scarf tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to knit
“I'm going to knit a scarf this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould knit
“I would knit a scarf if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to knit
1. Knitting
- She knitted a sweater.
2. Close-knit (figurative)
Close-knit describes a group of people who are very close.
- A close-knit team.
A common mistake
1. Saying the k in knit ❌
Before n, the k is silent: knit is said /nɪt/, like knee, knife and know.
What's next?
You can conjugate to knit. Now say it out loud.
This page explained everything. On PLAY, you practise this verb out loud in 3 minutes, until it comes naturally.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of knit?+
Knitted (regular, the standard form) or knit (no change, mostly in informal American English). Both are accepted, but knitted is more common and you can use it everywhere.
Why is the k in knit silent?+
In words that start with kn-, the k is silent: knit /nɪt/, knee /niː/, knight /naɪt/, knock /nɒk/, knife /naɪf/, know /nəʊ/. The k comes from Old English, when people still said it.
What is the difference between knitting and crochet?+
To knit, you use two long needles. To crochet /ˈkrəʊʃeɪ/, you use one needle with a hook at the end. It is a different technique, and the result has more holes.
What does close-knit mean?+
Close-knit is a fixed adjective: it describes people who are very close and support each other. A close-knit family, a close-knit team. The picture is of tight knitting.
What is knitwear?+
Knitwear means clothes that are knitted: jumpers, cardigans, scarves. You see this word in clothes shops and online shops.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/knit
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.