Learning to Knit

The following advice stems from my experience so your mileage may vary. Take what works for you and leave the rest!

If you want to learn to knit but are feeling overwhelmed here are a few things that would have helped me in the beginning!

Learn the Basics

1. Find a knitting mentor. Most people would be thrilled to share their knowledge with you. And if they can't, for whatever reason, they would at least be happy to give you a few pointers. I think this is the best way to learn and it's always nice to be able to take your project to someone when you run into problems. If all else fails, look for a knitting store and see if they give classes.

2. Look online. There's a wealth of information out there! I've found YouTube videos that will show you what you need to learn, step by step. When you find your first pattern, make sure you know what all of the abbreviations mean and understand them all.

3. As a last resort, you can always buy a book. You can find lots of "learn to knit" books in the knitting section of your local hobby or craft store. Or see what's available at the library.


Keep it Simple

1. Don't begin knitting with an immediate objective in mind. I've met so many people who decided, out of the blue, to learn knitting so that they could "whip up" a large project for a friend/family member/co-worker who was getting married/having a baby/whatever....in 4 weeks! Then they get frustrated and end up throwing in the towel because it was too stressful. Don't get in over your head. Knitting is a skill and it does take some time to learn and get good at!

2. Don't get sidetracked by all the fancy stuff. Find a free pattern online (see Keep it Cheap below) that only requires you to know how to cast on, knit, and cast off. A dishcloth is a great first pattern because the type of yarn you'll be working with will be easy to work with. Those fancy yarns may look great, but can be a major headache even for advanced knitters! Also, I always recommend starting with a variegated yarn. The varied colors make it easier to see and count your stitches! Purchase the needles and yarn suggested by the pattern. You can use that to learn on and then unravel it and use it for your first project. Get a small tote bag to stash it all in and you are good to go!

3. Start by just knitting. Learn to cast on, knit, what to do when you drop or add a stitch and cast off. Cast on 10 stitches and then knit back and forth back and forth back and forth. Don't take time to unravel or start over. Just keep at it, even if you drop or add a stitch. This may seem like a waste, but once you've got the hang of it, it's really neat to see the progress you've made. Make sure to count your stitches after every row and then less frequently as you go on and start to get the hang of it.

You'll know you're ready to start your first project when:
A. You can knit fairly quickly without dropping or adding stitches.
B. You can keep the tension uniform. This means that your work will be even, no big loops or oddities throughout the work.
C. You can recognize the "right" side of the work from the "wrong" side.
D. You can tell when you've dropped or added a stitch and know how to correct it.
E. When you are putting a stitch back on you'll need to make sure you twist it the right way before sliding it on the needle. If you put it on backward it will effect how the project looks.

When you are satisfied you've acquired the basics, simply unravel it all and start anew with a project.

Keep it Cheap

Knitting, like lots of crafts and hobbies, are often taken up by people just to be dropped later when they've grown frustrated or tired with it, or just plain ran out of time. Their loss is your gain! You can find knitting supplies at yard sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, Freecycle, eBay. I've had good luck at discount bins in hobby and craft stores, too. Heck, if you get the word out, you might even score freebies from friends and family! Don't forget to get your patterns online, you can bookmark patterns and print them out to take with you. I usually just google "free scarf knit pattern" or something similar, and get plenty of results. I've had great results with big companies like Lions Wool and with fellow blogging knitters - just be sure to read the comments first because sometimes people will point out corrections or hints and those can make your project much easier!

Move Forward Slowly

After you've leaned how to knit, then learn how to purl. Then increase and decrease...the list goes on and on. Learn a new skill, practice, put it to use on a project, and then move on to the next thing. This will save you so much frustration in the end because you'll give yourself a chance to really learn each new skill.

Happy knitting!