Learning to Knit

[JouJou]

I want to learn how to knit and I was wondering what all the things are that I need? I don't know anything about knitting, although I ran into a lady today in my area and she said circular knitting is better than using knitting needles... So, what are all the things I should buy to learn how to knit?

 

-Stephanie

[darski]

Go buy a set of knitting needles the same size as your favourite crochet hook and log on to Knittinghelp dot com and watch some videos.

 

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

 

I still check her out for patterns and to be sure I have stuff right.

 

I like this site as well for the videos - great for Continental ...

 

http://www.theknittingsite.com/videos.htm

[JouJou]

Go buy a set of knitting needles the same size as your favourite crochet hook and log on to Knittinghelp dot com and watch some videos.

 

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

 

I still check her out for patterns and to be sure I have stuff right.

 

I like this site as well for the videos - great for Continental ...

 

http://www.theknittingsite.com/videos.htm

 

Should I buy the circular knitting needles instead of the straight ones?

 

-Stephanie

[darski]

Should I buy the circular knitting needles instead of the straight ones?

 

-Stephanie

 

They can tricky to use. Personally, I would get a set of the short needles that come in colours for kids. You don't have to argue with your needles and they are large enough to use for dishcloths when/if you make one. They are great for scarves as well.

 

I buy these sets all the time and give one of the pairs to people who want to learn to knit.

[boo1]

straight ones; just make sure you don't have a super long cable to bother you starting out.

 

Having said that, I'd recommend a nice pair of bamboo straight ones, size 9 or 10. (I buy mine at my LYS and although she carries a lot of different materials and brands, mine are about $3/pair.) When you first start knitting, you'll probably have some tension issues, so go with an inexpensive pair of straights.

 

Good luck and prepare to want to pull your hair out sometimes! But it's soooo addictive! And I don't get hand cramps like I do when I crochet.

 

Laura

[smokeyp81]

I agree you should start with shorter length bamboo straights. Although I mostly knit with circulars. Once you get the hang of it, and see if you really like it, I recommend a set of interchangeable circulars like these or these. I have a Denise set and I love them. I always have the correct needle size. I also just bought a whole set of bamboo straights from this ebay seller.

 

Good luck!

[fmlcrochet]

I learned by getting one of those kits Boye sells. It came with a bunch of stuff (needles, point protectors, stitch holders, stitch markers, cable needle, guage) and at first I thought I'd never use some of it but I've used it all as I've gained experience. Not expensive so you can upgrade without feeling like you wasted money early on.

 

Now that I am proficient, I use the Knit Picks interchangeable circulars and highly recommend them. The nice thing about interchangeable (any brand) is you can still use them as straights by using one cable per needle and an end cap. Lots of flexibility.

 

Good luck!

[karebear]

I like the straight needles as well. To me for learning, get one of those kits that are called "I taught myself how to knit" They come with just about everything that you need to learn with. (except yarn...lol) And the book is a great little reference guide. But I have to agree with Darski (of course ) that site she recommend is awesome...that is how I taught myself.

[lisalu]

I agree, don't try to start out with circulars. Learn to do basic straight knitting first so you can learn the stitches and techniques before you start dealing with a cable. (You can knit either rows OR rounds with circulars, BTW) Size 8 needles are good for a start. (about similar to a crochet G or H hook)

 

Also, same as in crocheting, you should start out with a smooth, light colored yarn. A wool or wool blend is best because it is more "forgiving" of your stitches and a little easier to work with than acrylic or cotton or novelty yarns.

 

Knittinghelp.com is REALLY good because there are "How-To" videos and lots of illustrations.

 

Good luck, I'm sure you'll love knitting!

[paperflowers]

I would recommend a set of size 9 straight needles, a ball of Red Heart Super Saver (or other inexpensive worsted yarn) and maybe a little crochet hook for dropped stitches. Circulars are lighter and more portable, but you'd get the same benefit from using children's needles.

 

Some good websites have already been mentioned. There's also Knit911.com. I like Google images. If you search for a stitch, it'll pull up various pictures and diagrams from different tutorials.

[DesertCrocheter]

The knitting help videos are wonderful, but I'm going to be the odd girl out and confess that I'm not that enamored of bamboo needles. I knit very tightly, and sometimes it's a hassle to try and move stitches on and off wooden ones. My mom gave me her 45-year-old set of aluminum needles and I love them. Ditto for a friend of mine, who actually felt guilty for not liking the bamboo needles the ladies at the LYS had told her to buy when she taught herself to knit. Just find what feels good in your hands and don't be afraid to ask for help. We've all been there--in fact, some of us still are! :knit

Patty

[darski]

The real benefit of wood needles is that they will hold slippy yarns. for regular stuff they just slow you down. since I find knitting slow anyway, I rarely use my wooden needles.

[jenhen]

I like the wooden or bamboo needles because I tend to drop stitches. They are less slick and the yarn "sticks" to them better.

[boo1]

The real benefit of wood needles is that they will hold slippy yarns. for regular stuff they just slow you down. since I find knitting slow anyway, I rarely use my wooden needles.

 

 

I'm getting to that point too. It's time to move up. Knitting is so much slower than crochet that I'm about to cave and buy one of the Knit Picks circular set (NOT wood).

 

[JouJou]

I am used to using metal crochet hooks and I know what it's like to have yarn slip a lot, but I've gotten to the point that I've learned how to deal with the yarn easier. So, I will try out the metal needles, I am going to buy the "I taught myself how to knit" by Boye, because I taught myself how to crochet from the crochet version and I found all the stuff that was included and the book was very helpful.

 

I definitely intend on looking at the videos that you very kind ladies posted for me to look at.

 

Thank you very much everyone, for all the links and advice...

 

-Stephanie

[boo1]

Hobby Lobby. I've also seen them at Hancock Fabrics, ebay, and the LA website. I have a large screen TV and it sure makes it easy to see what they are doing!

 

[boo1]

This one is called "Oops: Correcting Your Knitting Mistakes". I'm not sure it wasn't written for me!

[paperflowers]

I broke down and bought the Needlemaster set. It's around $50, but still cheaper than buying all the stuff separately.