Knitting 101... how do I start?

Question

I am a pre-beginner. What knitting needles do I buy? Is there a 'better' yarn? Is there an easy method?

Thanks!

Answer 1

It depends on your learning style.

-- If you learn well from books, there are lots of good beginner guides out there. Browse the knitting section in a bookstore. You'll be surprised how many there are to choose from! If budget is an issue, check your library or www.stitchdiva.com

-- If you learn better by watching, check www.knittinghelp.com for video tutorials.

-- If you learn better by trying it yourself and asking questions, look for a local yarn store. They sometimes offer classes or, if you're lucky, even friendly free help when they're not busy. But chat with the owners/employees about it first. Yarn stores are notoriously extreme: either very friendly and helpful, or snobby and mean! If there isn't a good store in your area, log on to www.knittyboard.com and check out their "worldwide sNb finder" forum to look for knitters that like to get together in your area.

Here are some pointers from someone who had to learn twice due to frustration the first time:

-- First and foremost, choose a smooth, light colored yarn for your first try! This is SO important. Fuzzy, furry, loopy novelty yarns are fun to look at, but not easy to knit. Dark yarns also make it hard to see what you're doing. Also don't use yarn that's too thin or too thick; plain ole worsted weight yarn is the easiest to manipulate for the first few clumsy attempts. Don't feel the pressure to buy really expensive yarn at first either. You can get nice, soft yarn relatively inexpensively and you don't want the pressure of "wasting" $50 worth of yarn on the holey, crooked scarf you'll probably make, like all beginners do!

-- Needles are a little different. You want to choose something that will be nice to use for hours of knitting. Clover and Balene are some of my favorites on a tight budget, and easy to find. Choose reasonably sized needles at first, between size 5s and size 9s or so. If you can choose at a yarn shop, see if they'll let you try before you buy. Circular needles are far easier to use than straights, in my opinion. Some people do best with metal needles that let tight stitches slide easily; most beginners struggle to keep stitches from slipping off metal and prefer wood or plastic, but you should choose for yourself.

-- Don't let anyone force you to hold your needles and yarn in a way that's uncomfortable for you. There are some pretty strong opinions out there as to whether it's better/faster/neater to hold your yarn in your right hand or left. The truth is, the best way is the way that's easiest and most comfortable for YOU. As you're learning, concentrate on making the stitches correctly and let your hands decide for themselves how to hold needles and yarn.

Good luck and have fun! I'm "Ceci" over at www.knittyboard.com -- feel free to come over to learn among friends. :)

Answer 2

First of all, don't expect your first try to be perfect. Second, buy a knitting instuctions book. And if you can't, just ask to know where to get one. Thirdly, start out with some nice-feeling yarn, not the stuff that is thinner than some others. Get the yarn that is thicker than that. Right now, I ma knitting with #2 needles, but I'm really experianced and my first knitting needles were #10s, so buy some #8s or 10s, and were to get instructions? Try a Walmart, or somethng like that. If you have a Micheals arts and crafts store near you, try there. And here's a thing to remember, I had to learn it the hard way, noone ever told me: Don't pull the yarn very hard over the needles, it'll get the yarn to tight to knit with. Just remember tht, and I hope you find it easy. If you know someone who could show you how to knit, that would be great.
Hope you do extremely well in knitting!Oh, don't worry if you don't do it right the first time. It'll work when you get used to it.

Answer 3

My favorite brand of yarn is Red Heart. I've been knitting for years and years now, and it's the only yarn with which I haven't had 'surprises.' The regular yarn comes in a normal skein (classic) and a large skein (SuperSaver) but is the same stuff. There are all sorts of colors to pick from, and the price is extremely reasonable. Once your item is finished, if you use this yarn, it can go through the washer and dryer on warm or medium and comes out looking new. I love working with this yarn. Some of my sewaters are close to 10 years old, and are still in fine shape, even though I wear them quite often. They're all made with Red Heart's regular plain old normal yarn. Yes, I certainly do have a favorite yarn!

If you need a fuzzy yarn for this project (I don't know what you're making) the Red Heart Light and Lofty is also great to work with. It's reasonably priced (for a fuzzy yarn) and behaves well while you're knitting. It's also machine washable. Read the label for instructions. My sweater made from this type of Red Heart yarn has held up very nicely, too, but it's only 5 years old.

Both these types of yarn can be undone, if needs be, to fix a mistake. That'll be important once you've made one. Some fancy or fuzzy yarns can't be undone, so if you make a little mistake you ignore it, but if you make a big mistake you start over. Darn.

As to needles, that depends largely on what you're making and what yarn you buy. If you use the Red Heart classic or SuperSaver, 4.5mm or 5mm mm needles are good, with 3.5mm needles for the ribbing -- if you're making a sweater. If you're using the Light&Lofty, try 7mm or 8mm needles. I know, the package says 10mm for that yarn, but that made things a bit loose for my taste. I don't know the US sizes because I learned to knit abroad and learned in metric. All the US needle packages give US and international (metric) sizes.

I've found the Nordic method easiest for knitting, but the best one for you is whatever method your nearest knitter knows, because then you can always just ask for help! If I told you about the Nordic method, you couldn't ask anyone else for help unless they also knit Nordic. Ask at the local crafts store or knitting shop to see when the next beginnner class is happening, and join them. If this isn't an option, ask around at church or sunagogue or work or school, and see if anyone who knits is willing to teach a small class. That'd be a fun way to meet others who knit.

Answer 4

Try getting a book on how to knit. Start from there. Than start off small like making a scarf. Good Luck

Answer 5

Intermet,books,ask friends or relatives to help.