Learning to Knit

Boodle

hi popadom. I tried to get into knitting a couple of years ago but couldn't get away with it. Though I got the hang of the stitches, I am impatient (!) so found that with crochet I got somewhere a lot quicker! I found hobbycraft's free guides dotted about their stores useful and looking at a few youtube videos for very basics, following and pausing while I caught up. Took a couple of hours 2 evenings in a row then I was away. Don't want to put you off knitting at all, just to offer that as a beginner I found crochet easier

DebtFree2012

popadom wrote: »

Hi,

I hope this is the right area.

Im intrested in learning to knit so i can make more personal gifts. I dont have anyone who can teach me, so wounding how would be the best to learn. I have had a look at one book but it just confused me

Thanks in advance

Hi - please post how you get on. I too would love to learn, esp for the coming winter.

I shall watch a video tonight to get started.

x

BluePumpkin

Seconding the request to know how you get on. I'm quite interested in learning too! I think I'll go on a hunt and see if I can find needles/wool around the house somewhere...

GreenFairy

I can't post links yet, but the knittinghelp.com website is fantastic. Everything from the basics up to more advanced stuff. The videos are all shot over the shoulder of the knitter so you can get to grips with it much faster.

The biggest thing is to relax. Everyone drops stitches and makes mistakes. Don't let these things stress you out though.

If you need a hand or have any questions, feel free to give me a shout and I'll answer as best I can through text

GreenFairy

Oh and the other thing I'd say is when you're starting, go to a wool shop and buy something gorgeous for yourself. A colour you love and a nice squishy yarn. Doesn't have to cost a fortune, but if you start with a lovely yarn you're much more likely to stay with it than if you buy something that you can't stand (no matter how cheap or posh) just because it was on special.

DebtFree2012

Fab tips!!! Looking forward to trying myself. It's making the time to do it amongst the chaos that is my life

mummybearx

I started learning last week!!

I was going to go on a course at a local fabric store, £30 for a 2 hour course. Was chatting to my neighbour about it and she mentioned she could knit...... 2 nights later we were sitting out the back and she is teaching me for free!

I've also made friends with the lovely lady is the crafty shop near my work, I went in to ask for help buying a ball of wool and needles, she took me right to the sale wool, woman after my own heart :rotfl:
Good luck with learning x

sapphireeye

I taught myself to knit about a year and a half ago using youtube videos and lots of inspiration from ravelry.com where people post their projects and there are loads of free patterns!

My first proper project was a scarf, then some fingerless gloves, then I tackled circular knitting by knitting some hats, some snoods and then my biggest project to date, a Dr Who Dalek! Knitting's not as hard as it looks, there's really only 2 stitches used in different combinations and there are a few different techniques you can learn for casting on and off, just pause the videos and rewind them over and over again! Then you can branch out into all sorts of exciting things!

I highly recommend it :-)

foxgloves

Have you got a wool shop near you? I'm sure there would be a member of staff there could show you the basics, & some wool shops run little courses. I think John Lewis have sometimes done this too. Other things you could try is to ask at your local library if they know of any local 'Knit & natter' groups. You wouldn't need to carry on going if it wasn't your thing, but there will be knitters there, I'm sure, who'd be delighted to teach you. It's practice more than anything. Patterns look scary, but really, there are only 2 basic stitches - knit & purl, & once you can cast on & off, just about every pattern & shaping I can think of is based on those. You can make nice presents.....Although socks can be a bit tricky for beginner, I've found that a knitting these in some of the fantastic colouorful funky sockwool you can get now make great presents for men. Scarves & shawls are wasy to start with, & cushion covers aren't too tricky. Hope you can find someone to teach you x

PipneyJane

Can I second (or is it tenth?) the vote for Youtube videos?

Also, a lot of people find the English style a bit clumsy at first so I'd like to suggest you try the Australian-style which is similar but we tuck our right thumb under the right needle, so you don't drop it to make a stitch. It's faster, too, once you get going and far easier to do without looking. (Actually, I think it's an old British style that's been forgotten - I've seen Scottish knitting goddess, Alice Starmore, hold her needles that way.)