> Other Knitty Things: Many things can spark a maker's journey into knitting. Maybe you have a friend or relative who knits, maybe you've seen knitting in the news lately, or maybe you want to become a part of the growing slow fashion movement. These are all great reasons to pick up some needles and yarn and get started! But, there are so many tools, yarns, and designs out there, what's the best way to begin? Here are 3 things you can do for an easy start to this wonderful craft of knitting! Pick up some inexpensive needles and yarn. I'm not a huge fan of big-box stores, but your local Michael's or Joann craft store is probably your best bet when you're first starting out with knitting. These stores are usually easy to find and conveniently located, and will probably have great prices on what you need! In my experience, both have a decent yarn section and somewhat limited needle selection, but you should be able to find something you can use to start with. I'd recommend straight needles over circular needles at first so you're not left fiddling with an unwieldy cord that gets in your way (many of the less expensive circular needles have this issue)! I think it's a good idea to be conservative when starting something new, so not investing a lot of money at first is probably a good idea. If the knitting bug eventually does take a hold of you, you'll have plenty of time to get pickier about what needles you use (metal or wood? - decisions, decisions!) or to find your Local Yarn Store (LYS) and go gaga over all of that beautiful hand-dyed yarn! For now, you can limit your purchase to one set of needles and a couple of balls of yarn, and you're ready to get started! A QUICK TIP ABOUT KNITTING NEEDLE SELECTION! I recommend starting out using a needle size somewhere between US 6 and US 10 at first. With these sized needles, you'll be able to get a good feel for your needle movements as well as a feel for your yarn. If your needles are too thin, it may be hard to see what you're doing, and if they're too big, they can feel very fumbly in your hands! Knit before you purl, but cast on first! You have your needles and yarn in hand, and you're ready to get started! So, now what? The first thing you will learn is how to cast on. This is how you get your yarn on your needles! There are many methods to cast on, but I first learned the long tail cast on, and it was a good starting point. It's a bit tricky at first, but if you practice it for a bit, you'll get the hang of it easily. Try this clear, easy to follow tutorial for the long tail cast on from Wool and the Gang to see what I mean and get you started! Once you've mastered the cast on, it's time to move on to the knit stitch. The knit stitch and the purl stitch are the two basic stitches when it comes to knitting, and you can make many things with just these two stitches (it's pretty magical!). Start with this tutorial for the knit stitch from The Spruce Crafts. Learning the knit stitch will also take some practice, but soon you'll find your own rhythm and method that works for you. Knitting is a very individualized and personal craft, and no two knitters knit exactly alike! One of the most fun parts of knitting is seeing how other people do it! ENGLISH OR CONTINENTAL? Two popular styles of knitting are English style and Continental style. The tutorial suggested above shows the knit stitch in the English style of knitting. Using English style, you hold the yarn in your right hand, and "throw" the yarn over your needle to create your stitch. With Continental style, you hold the yarn in your left hand. There are many resources online to see both styles, so you can choose what is most comfortable for you! A garter stitch scarf really is a great first project!Even though it may be a cliche, a scarf really is a great first project for new knitters! Garter stitch is made by knitting every row of your project, so all you need to know about knitting to make one is the cast on, knit stitch, and cast off/bind off (which is how you get your yarn off of your needles!). Knitting up a garter stitch scarf is a great way to get comfortable with the knit stitch. And don't worry if your stitches look wonky at first. You may have what look like holes in your knitting or stitches that look uneven, but that's perfectly normal while you're getting the hang of it! Like I mentioned before, knitting is all about repetition and rhythm. The more you do it, the better you will get at it and the better the fabric you create will look! Here is a basic scarf recipe to try once you have mastered the cast on and the knit stitch: 1. Cast on as many stitches as you'd like to create the width of scarf that you want. 2. Knit every row to create garter stitches until your scarf is the length you want it to be. 3. Cast off/bind off, and you're done. It's that simple! CAN'T WAIT TO LEARN MORE? If you want to go a bit further into learning about knitting, you can start to explore what yarn tension is. Yarn tension is created by how tightly or loosely you hold your working yarn - this is the yarn you are wrapping around the needle to create your stitches. Every knitter's tension is unique, since we all hold our needles and yarn in different ways! Check out this tutorial from New Stitch a Day to start learning about tension! Learning to knit can seem daunting at first, but if you take it step by step and start simple, you'll be whipping up beautiful scarves, hats, and even sweaters in no time!
P.S. - I loved reading this recent post by @ariannafrasca82, and was inspired to share it here. She talks about expressing creativity through knitting and knitting for self-care - two wonderful reasons to knit!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Month PostedPost Categories |