I'm a beginner

[aknittingmom]

Hello

I have learned the basic knitting stich. I did make a scarf. I am happy with the results, however it isn't long enough. I used a big needle because I like thick yarn and a chunky stitch. my question is how do i continue adding in a new ball of yarn?

I also want to make an afghan. I don't understand how you would cast on more stiches than fit on the kneedle to make an afghan. I know these are silly questions....Should I pick up a book with patterns?

thanks in advance :?

[carollovesyarn]

Welcome!

No questions are silly! We all wonder most of them at some point...

To join a new ball to your knitting, check out Amy's video on this page: http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting...iques/misc.php.

To knit an afghan, you do need needles as wide as the project, though they can probably be a little shorter - someone correct me if I'm wrong here. You can use long circular needles (knitting flat of course) or you could use 'flex' needles, which are a set of two regular needles with cables that have ends on each (yes, that was clear wasn't it? :? ) If you only have or want to use regular needles, then you could make squares and attach them together to make the larger afghan. A fellow SnB'er of mine, refuses to knit afghans - she swears crocheting is much faster! YMMV

As far as buying a book, it's fun to have one to refer to, but there are tons of free patterns on the internet. Search around and check it out.

Carol

[Contiknitter Kelly]

Hi aknittingmom,

You've come to the right place to learn how to knit that's for sure.

I'm a beginner also and have had to ask ?'s that I did'nt want to too.
But no1 here will give you a hard time about it, just the answer :D
and since i'm only on my 2nd project, i'm glad there's people asking ?'s about stuff I have no idea about myself.

See ya around the room!
Kelly

[yellowness]

If your scarf is still on the needles, then carollovesyarn's suggestion of adding a new ball in is the way to go. If it is finished and bound off, however, then you can try to "pick up" stitches along the bound off edge and go on from their. What this means is to draw up loops of yarn back onto needles by pulling through a stitch on the finished edge of your fabrick; if it is a bound off edge, you would pull a loop up through the chain looking edge (both loops to give it strength) and put them on your needles to knit. If that doesn't make sense, take your scarf, look at the bound off edge, and find the chain on the edge. Imagine pulling yarn through the chain in a series of loops. This will create a seam, though.

As for afghans, you will need long needles, as mentioned, if you want to make it in one piece.. The easiest way would probably be on long circular needles; I'm currently using a set of 36" circular needles to pick up stitches along a sweater edge to create a button band. You want the needles to be shorter than the legnth you will knit; let the stitches bunch on the cable connecting the needles.[/code]

[aknittingmom]

thanks for the advice...