The snow has been coming down hard this year and temperatures have been below average throughout most of the country, especially in the Midwest. What better way to keep warm while walking to class than by wearing a hand-knitted scarf or hat? Maybe you could knit one for a friend to help keep them warm.
That is what I thought and that's why I have wanted for years to begin knitting. This Winter Break, the mere desire turned into action. I took on the challenge of learning to knit in the three weeks I had off.
First thing to know: knitting is harder than it looks. I thought I could just buy the yarn, the needles and a book and be on my way to making a sweater in three weeks. Knitting, however, is really a learned skill. It takes a lot of patience and practice.
Beginner knitters can't expect to perfect a potholder in three weeks. Instead, start with small projects and don't take on anything too hard when starting off.
Also, knitting books are hard to find. I spent a great deal of time on Amazon.com and then at Barnes and Noble looking for a knitting book with the basics for beginner knitters. I found one but decided it was still too complicated. Seems as though the books exclude the basics. My suggestion would be to go to a craft store and buy a kit. I found one, Boye's "I Taught Myself Knitting," for $10 at Michael's that included a needle gauge, stoppers, two sets of different sized needles and a book specifically for beginners. The book also had pictures to follow, which made things that much easier.
Practice is important when it comes to casting on and binding off. It took me almost a week to master casting on. When these two can be done to perfection, it makes projects look much cleaner and neater.
Before starting the process, there are a few things necessary to remember about the craft. You will need yarn and needles - a given, really. There are several different types of yarn out there, from silk to wool. Pay attention to the type of yarn the pattern calls for and know what you're looking for before you shop. There are four main classifications of yarn according to weight (from lightest to heaviest): baby weight, sport weight, worsted weight (most common) and bulky weight. Some patterns will call for a heavier yarn while others will call for a very light yarn.
Also, when it comes to yarn, it's important to buy enough for the entire pattern. Buy more than one ball of yarn and make sure the dye lots match so the color of the pattern doesn't change colors halfway through. The packaging of the yarn should list this.
Once all supplies are gathered, read through all the instructions for the pattern. I never did this, and got frustrated when working. I would screw up, end up losing all my stitching, and have to start all over again. When you read through everything, you'll know what to expect when following through with the design. You won't get confused when you have to change stitches or end the pattern.
To remedy this problem, keep a row counter handy to avoid getting lost while working on a piece. When you've come to a good stopping point, which would typically be at the end of a row, find somewhere safe to keep your piece — far away from cats, preferably.
Getting Started
Just starting out, you may also want to look into these items:
* Knitting bag – that way, all your materials will be together in one place
* Scissors
* Stitch markers (several different sizes) – These help with marking which stitch is which in a pattern
* Stitch holders (several different sizes) – These can keep your pattern from falling apart
* Seam pins – holds seams together as you knit
* Row counters – so you know how many rows in the pattern you've completed
* Ruler – measure out your pattern and yarn
* Needle gauge – measures the size of your needles (different patterns will call for different sizes of needles)
* Point Protectors (for the needles) – that way you don't get any holes in your knitting bag or end up poking your eye out
* Calculator
* Notes/Tip Sheet – you can keep track of tips for the pattern you're working on or mistakes you've made that you'd like to avoid in the future
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