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WANT TO LEARN TO KNIT BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START?
If you want to take up a new hobby, knitting is a great choice.
Long gone are the days when knitting was associated with grandmas, itchy sweaters, and awkward handmade gifts. Nowadays, knitting is a trendy hobby with lots of benefits. It’s creative and meditative, it helps reduce stress and anxiety. Knitting fulfills.
If you know how to knit, you are able to create one-of-a-kind items with your own two hands, using the yarn and the pattern you have chosen yourself.
For beginners, knitting may seem confusing and difficult at first, but don’t worry – everyone can learn to knit. With a little patience, practice, and commitment, you will be knitting in no time.
I have prepared a guide with useful information for new knitters, so keep reading to find out, where to begin if you want to learn to knit!
Let’s dive in!
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GET YOUR KNITTING SUPPLIES
To start knitting, you don’t need a lot of fancy supplies, you just need a ball of yarn and a pair of needles.
Yarn
Check your local yarn store or craft store. It is very easy to get overwhelmed by too many yarn choices, so I suggest you focus on the following:
Fiber – You want to look for acrylic or acrylic blend (acrylic is not too expensive, and it is easy to work with – it slides nicely and is pretty easy to unravel). Don’t go for the expensive yarn when you are just starting out, skip mohair (that’s the very thin and fluffy yarn), linen or cotton (these are stiff and would be hard to work with for a beginner).
Weight – Yarn comes in different weights, in other words, thicknesses. Thinner yarns are used to knit doilies, lace shawls, light socks, and other delicate things, thicker yarns are for hats, sweaters, blankets, etc. As a beginner, you should look for a medium-weight yarn. It is also called worsted weight or marked with #4. You can find the weight stated on the label.
Color – Choose a nice light color because you want to see the stitches clearly, dark colors tend to hide them.
Knitting Needles
There are many different kinds of needles. They can be straight or circular, they come in different sizes and materials. The size of the needles depends on the chosen yarn – take a look at the yarn label again and you will find the recommended needle size. For the medium-weight yarn, it is usually 7 (4.5mm) to 9 (5.5mm).
As I mentioned previously, needles are made of different materials, such as metal, wood, plastic. Which to choose is a matter of personal preference, however, keep in mind, that metal ones can be a little too slippery for beginners and wooden ones are quite pricey.
A pair of straight plastic needles is a good beginner choice.
You can also order your supplies from an online store.
WEBSITES THAT SELL YARN:
HOW TO LEARN TO KNIT
When you have your supplies ready, you want to figure out how you’re actually going to learn.
One way is to learn knitting in-person. You will need to find a tutor for that – ask your family member, friend or relative to teach you the basics. You can check your local yarn store for knitting classes or join a knitting group in the neighborhood.
You can also sign up for an online knitting class. The good thing about classes and courses is that information is structured and organized for you.
WEBSITES THAT PROVIDE ONLINE KNITTING CLASSES:
Another way is to become your own tutor. This can be a little harder because you will need to look for the information on your own and make your own learning plan (and stick to it!).
What to look for?
Definitely THE BASICS. You need to learn the very basic techniques first: how to cast on stitches, how to do a knit stitch, how to do a purl stitch, how to bind off. Later you can learn how to make yarn overs, how to increase and decrease stitches. Then move on to the basic patterns: The Stockinette Stitch, The Garter Stitch, The Seed Stitch.
As soon as you will learn the knit stitch, you will be tempted to knit a scarf or a hat but hold on! When you are still very new to knitting it is better to stick with plain squares. You need to get comfortable with the process and allow yourself to make mistakes, otherwise, you will feel pressured to knit every stitch perfectly and may want to quit the whole thing.
When you will be confident enough, you can try your hand at more complex patterns.
Where to look?
There are plenty of online resources to guide you, some are paid and some are free.
CRAFT WEBSITES WITH BASIC KNITTING TUTORIALS:
Yarn manufacturers often have the basic stitches and patterns covered on their websites. You can also read their blogs for more useful information and follow them on social media for inspiration.
YARN MANUFACTURER WEBSITES WITH BASIC KNITTING TUTORIALS:
Don’t forget to browse YouTube for free knitting tutorials and how-to’s. For many people, it is easier to understand visual instructions, than to figure out the written ones. YouTube videos are very helpful when you want to learn a specific thing or have a question.
Another useful resource is a good knitting book, that you can refer to. If you prefer learning from a book, here are some good beginner-friendly choices:
Stitch ‘n Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook
by Debbie Stoller
From the tools of the trade to the knitty-gritty of techniques and patterns, all with easy-to-follow step-by-step illustrated techniques.
Stockinette stitch, rib stitch, seed stitch. Increasing and decreasing. All the bells and whistles: fringes, tassels, cables, intarsia, crab stitch, and Fair Isle.
First Time Knitting: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide
by Carri Hammett
Learning how to knit has never been simpler! Enjoy this beginner’s guide that takes you by the hand like a personal instructor and teaches you how to knit. Filled with detailed descriptions of materials and tools, the easy step-by-step instructions for all the basic knitting techniques will have you creating projects like scarves, hats, and blankets in no time.
Knitty Gritty: Knitting for the Absolute Beginner
by Aneeta Patel
There’s a new generation of knitters out there, turning the traditional image of granny-knitters on its head. Everyone has heard the mantra ‘Knitting is the new yoga’ but not everyone is lucky enough to have someone to show them the ropes and get them started on their very first row. Unless they have a friend or relative to teach them how to start, often would-be knitters turn to the so-called ‘beginners patterns’ but these can be confusing, difficult to follow, and more often than not written in ‘knit’ rather than English.
Knitting for Beginners
by Mary Nabors
This book will teach you one of the most popular methods of making clothing – KNITTING. One of the most interesting facts about knitting is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get started. With this book and a few tools, you are good to go.
Knitting (Idiot’s Guides)
by Megan Goodacre
Knitting is one of the most popular crafts among people all ages, but if you’ve never picked up a set of needles before, it’s hard to know where to begin. Geared toward the absolute beginner, Idiot’s Guides: Knitting teaches the basics of knitting in a series of lessons using full-color, step-by-step photo-rich instructions that enable you to clearly see how each stitch, finger movement, and yarn movement is executed. Lessons are accompanied by practice projects, allowing you to try out your newly learned skill.
Keep in mind, that there are 2 main knitting styles 
– English and Continental!
There is no right or wrong way to knit, the main difference between the two styles is the way the yarn is held. When you are just starting out don’t be confused by that. Some people prefer the English style, some – Continental. Choose the one, that feels more comfortable and stick with it for a while. You can always learn the other one later!
HOW TO COMMIT TO LEARNING TO KNIT
New things can be intimidating but please don’t get discouraged when you’re just starting out. The stitches won’t be perfect at first, the yarn will probably tangle and knitting instructions will seem confusing but remember – you are learning, so give yourself time to learn.
Set some time aside to practice two or three times a week. Pretty soon you’ll be able to knit and watch TV at the same time.
Stay inspired. Create a free account on Ravelry (it’s a huge knitting social network with forums, yarn database, patterns), follow knitters on Pinterest and social networks, read knitting blogs (like yours truly 😉) and knitting magazines.
Trust me, knitting will seem fun and easy once you get the hang of it. This is just the beginning of your knitting journey!
I hope you found this how to learn to knit article useful,
Mirella.
2 Comments
Thank you for sharing the tip to find yarns that have light colors so the stitches can be seen clearly. My daughter has shown some interest in knitting when we went to a craft shop last week to get some souvenirs for my mother. I think it would be great if I support her interest by getting some light-colored yarns and needles from a reliable supplier.
Thank you for your feedback, I’m glad you found the tips helpful! Oh, yes- knitting can be a great hobby.