Newbie w/ questions...

katiegrace · 10-05-2008, 09:17 PM

Hi everyone!

I am brand new here. I am very interested in learning how to knit....I know absolutely NOTHING about knitting....Could you tell me where's the best place to start? What's a good,easy beginner book that explains things very well and starts from the very beginning? What needles are good for beginners,what should my first project be? I was thinking a scarf would probably be the safest bet...any other advice? Thanks!!

suzeeq · 10-06-2008, 03:55 AM

Hi and welcome. Go to your library and find the knitting section; most of them have quite a few beginner books. You can look at the videos on this site, this page - http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/learn-to-knit - has some information on the Basics as well as links to how to cast on, knit, etc.

Then go to a craft shop and find some needles, size 10 are good, and yarn, a light colored smooth medium weight. Then go home and practice. And practice and practice. A scarf is about 6" by 60" and it can get really boring and frustrating to make something that large right off, but if you make a sampler for a first project, you'll learn too. Cast on and knit every st on all rows for about 4 inches or so. Then do a row of all purls and alternate a row of knit with a row of purl. You can make increases and decreases and do ribbing. Those are the basics, and then you could think about a scarf or dishcloth or something else.

MerigoldinWA · 10-06-2008, 04:18 AM

Hi, welcome aboard! This site is a good place to get started. At the top of the page there is a tab called "View Videos". There are a lot of good free videos there that you can learn from, and two of the major ways to knit are shown so you can try both and see which fits you best.

There are a lot of good books and it seems just about every book about knitting or even magazine teaches the basics. Try going to the library for books to look at.

Needle preference is a very personal thing. A lot of people end up prefering to use circular knitting needles for most of their knitting. I like 10 inch straight needles to start folks on, the circulars do the same thing if you just treat each end of the circular needle as a separate needle, but they confuse some people right at first. They make 14 inch straight needles and some folks love them, I don't ever use them, but they may be all you can find in some places. Needles are made from different materials and you'll probably find uses for many of them. The metal ones you find at Wal-Mart and other generic stores will do and some people like them, many people like starting with wood or bamboo because they have more grip on the yarn.

I recommend you begin with a worsted weight yarn (or even a bulky if you like) that is smooth, no fuzzy stuff or weird yarn. :-) And begin with a medium or light color, don't start with black, it is hard to see what you are doing with it. When you get the yarn it usually gives a needle size to use listed on the skein. You may not get the exact gauge (number of stitches per inch or 4 inches) that someone (the person who made the skein lable, for instance) else would get with that size needle but it would probably give you an idea of what size you might like to start with.

Some people like to jump right into a project. I kind of like just messing around for a couple of days until you have the basic stitches in hand and then pick something fairly simple that has instructions that don't scare you and delve in. Some folks like to start daringly others like simpler fare, it is up to you. Let your skills build and pick projects that teach you something new and you will soon be able to tackle a lot of different types of satisfying knitting projects. This forum is a great place to get help and encouragement.

There are a lot of free knititng patterns available on the internet. Yarn companies offer some, knittingpatterncentral is a big source and I think even this site has some. Have fun.

katiegrace · 10-07-2008, 01:34 AM

Thanks a bunch!!! I called today and found a yarn store that has knitting classes. I'm thinking about taking a few to get started. I'm excited!!

Although, I must admit I'm quite nervous..knitting seems hard

Mirl56 · 10-07-2008, 11:33 AM

A knitting class sounds like a good idea- make sure it's for beginners. Knitting isn't really so hard - it's just string and sticks, afterall!

tarrentella · 10-07-2008, 12:48 PM

its realy not that hard once you get used to the feeling of the needles in your hands. That can be the most awkward bit, it can feel a bit cumbersome trying to control two sticks and some wool straight away, but you soon get used to it and it starts to feel natural.

I definatly recommend using a light coloured yarn. I started with black and it was very difficult to see what i was doing.

charmichan · 10-09-2008, 07:21 PM

I learned to knit by reading and practicing every sampler pattern in Knitting for Dummies by Pam Allen http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Dummi.../dp/076455395X. I knew nothing at all about knitting before I picked up that book, and it was perfect. I still use it as a reference quite often.

-Kristina

katiegrace · 10-09-2008, 07:34 PM

Thanks! I'll have to take a look at that book. I went to the yarn shop today and picked up some needles and yarn. The lady gave me size 8 bamboo needles and I got a ball of cheaper yarn. I'm gonna watch some of the tutorials on here, and then hopefully make it to a few classes next week and see how it goes. I can't wait to get good and make some stuff!!