There are only two stitches to master in knitting; knit and purl. Likewise, there are two main styles of knitting (with a sprinkling of other international techniques); the American/British style and a method referred to as Continental style.
American/British style
1. Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand, and then insert the point of the right-hand needle into the front of the first stitch from left to right. Wind the yarn around the point of the right-hand needle, from left to right.
2. With the tip of the right-hand needle, pull the yarn through the stitch to form a loop. This loop is the new stitch.
3. Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle by gently pulling the right-hand needle to the right. Repeat these steps until you have knitted all the stitches on the left-hand needle. To work the next row, transfer the needle with all the stitches into your left hand.
Continental style
1. Hold the needle with the stitches to be knitted in your left hand, and then insert the tip of the right-hand needle into the front of the first stitch from left to right. Holding the yarn fairly taut with your left hand at the back of your work, use the tip of the right-hand needle to pick up a loop of yarn.
2. With the tip of the right-hand needle, bring the yarn through the original stitch to form a loop. This loop is the new stitch.
3. Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle by gently pulling the right-hand needle to the right. Repeat these steps until you have knitted all the stitches on the left-hand needle. To work the next row, transfer the needle with all the stitches into your left hand.
Now you've mastered the basics, why not try some of the projects from Modern Knitted Shawls and Wraps by Laura Strutt.