How does one learn to knit?

[StaceyinLA]

Oldest dd, 21, wants to start knitting. I'd like to hook her up with some supplies (no pun intended). :tongue_smilie:

[NanceXToo]

In my case, one calls grandma. haha. Yeah, I got my mother to teach my daughter how to knit.

 

However, our local library also has some sort of knitting group, and maybe someone there can help.

 

And a small local yarn shop offers "knitting lessons." So you could call one of them and ask.

 

You might be able to figure it out from watching a Youtube video, which I'm sure you could find.

[hsbaby]

I had someone show me once. Obviously one lesson wasn't enough, so I turned to YouTube:). People have posted some really great instructional videos on there! What DIDN'T work was an instructional book!!! I think I had one like learn to knit in a day or something. I had NO idea what they were trying to get me to do!!

[Closeacademy]

I taught myself with the book Kid's Knitting. I also like Visually Knitting as it has lots of great pictures.:001_smile:

[MomsintheGarden]

Do you have a knitting shop nearby? You can get usually get great hands-on lessons and supplies at one of these.

 

Another resource, while maybe a bit juvenile for a 21yo, is Kids Knitting by Melanie Falik. It's not just for kids! Any good bookstore will probably have some "how to knit" books, but this one is excellent.

 

HTH,

GardenMom

[shannatheshedevil]

If you have a yarn store anywhere near you (not necessarily Joann's, but an actual yarn store), you can buy lessons. I am a visual learner- I cannot learn just by reading- but if I watch someone do it, I can pick something up pretty quickly. I took lessons at my local yarn and whenever I had a specific question, I asked my local knitting friends- and took them to lunch in return ;). A lot of people learn from videos on youtube and the like, but I never got the hang of it.

 

To start, you'll want to get her some basics like a tape measure, a darning needle, some snippy scissors, and, of course, some needles and yarn. Buy some decent yarn- no one wants to knit with junk (cheap acrylic tears up my hands). You can buy a nice, soft wool for $6 or less per ball and it will yield her a nice scarf and maybe a hat, too.

[justamouse]

1. join www.ravelry.com

 

2. go to the craft store and get a BASIC 'learn to knit in a day' book (paperback by Leisure Arts), a skein of cheap yarn, and one decent yarn-say an alpaca- and good (bamboo) knitting needles. You can get all of that for under 10 dollars if you use the 50% off coupons for AC moore. Check out the website and print it out. You but the yarn, your daughter buys the needles another kid buys the second skein. The crud skein is for learning how to cast on and get the practical hang of it without tearing up the yarn. When she's got that down and nice-say a basic garter stitch without lumping and bumping it, break out the alpaca and make a scarf.

 

the book does a good job starting with a cast on, then teaches the basic garter stitch. Then they make a pair of slippers, then the lessons progressively get a bit harder and use more techniques. Then, once the basics are learned, go to ravelry and start favoriting simple free patterns and keeping that book at her side, tackle each one.

 

that's how I did it. And when i get stuck not being able to understand the directions? I go onto youtube and they have them there (how to decrease in knitting, say)

 

I also made very good friends with my local yarn store owner and run down there when I have a problem. Check your local paper, too. there are many knitting clubs that meet at the libraries.

Edited August 26, 2010 by justamouse

[Tutor]

My 12yo dd is sitting on the sofa right now teaching herself to knit from this book. We borrowed it from our library. It is wonderful! It explains everything very thoroughly and scatters projects throughout that use the skills learned up to a given point. The fourth or fifth project is a knitted doll which my dd is thrilled to try in a few days! The book is not "babyish" in feel at all. I am thinking of borrowing it after she goes to bed and giving it a whirl myself!

 

When she gets stuck or we just need a more 3-D visual (I used to knit when I was her age, but haven't picked up needles in years), we go to this site and watch the free videos. This site is amazingly helpful!

[mommaduck]

Grab some knitting needles, some yarn, and pull up knitting videos online ;) That's how a friend and I learned.

[Twigs]

I know it doesn't work for everyone, but I learned to knit, crochet, and tat just from reading books.

[Mommy22alyns]

I highly recommend www.knittinghelp.com - they have videos that are tremendously helpful. I took a class and between that and the videos I do pretty well now. Needles, the best ones IMO are from www.knitpicks.com. Their Options are nice and pointy and slick, good for beginners. I wish I'd had them from the start; now I'm stuck with a collection of straights that I never use!

 

Best of luck to your DD!

[BikeBookBread]

I highly recommend www.knittinghelp.com - they have videos that are tremendously helpful. I took a class and between that and the videos I do pretty well now. Needles, the best ones IMO are from www.knitpicks.com. Their Options are nice and pointy and slick, good for beginners. I wish I'd had them from the start; now I'm stuck with a collection of straights that I never use!

 

Best of luck to your DD!

 

Yep! I am a self-taught crocheter and knitter, and seeing good videos really solidified the good books I kept as reference. As much as I hate the titles, the Stitch & B**ch books are really the best for learning.

 

Ravelry is great. YouTube has tons of great videos, too.

[Hunter's Moon]

I learned to knit and crochet from videos on Youtube. There are some really great books, also.

[iquilt]

There are some great instructional books and videos but I had to get someone from church to sit down with me and actually teach me to knit. I learned how to crochet from my mom as a kid and that seemed easier for me to learn first. Although she also tried to teach me tatting and I could never get the hang of it. Practice, practice, practice to keep the new skills fresh. I have taught my oldest to knit and she is working on a doll blanket before I teach her how to purl. Next she will learn how to read a basic pattern on her own.

[StaceyinLA]

I'm on it!!

[Dobela]

I love ravelry, knittinghelp, and youtube. I have learned so much from them. However, she also needs to find, with your help most likely, an experienced person locally. There have been occassions that after spending hours on a stitch and not getting it right, that I have had to find someone to watch me and show me what I was doing wrong. I have one friend that is at about the same stage as me and even having her is a big help. Maybe you could watch the videos as well and mentor each other?

[Holly in FL]

Yes...yes...yes! I taught myself by using the KnittingHelp.com videos. I could never figure out what the books were telling me to do.

 

One other piece of advice is to use wooden needles as a beginner. I started out using my grandmother's aluminum needles and the yarn kept slipping off. I think it was someone here that suggested I use wood because they are not as slick and provide just a tiny bit of resistance.

 

Smiles!

~Holly

[EJCMom]

I just taught myself how to knit a couple of weeks ago. I bought some needles at Walmart and a big bag of yarn from Goodwill for about $4. Then I settled in with the instruction videos on www.knittinghelp.com and made a couple of washcloths. I'm working on a scarf now that has some different stitches than the basic knit and purl stitches. It's been really fun!

[Guest rachnov1]

I could never learn to knit as a child by just reading books as books can only offer pictorial advice, and it was often the case I didn't understand what I had to do in the transition between diagram 1 and diagram 2 for example, to get to diagram 2! Much easier to get someone to show me, but as a child, I didn't have anyone around who knew how to knit and could show it to me.

 

As an adult, I've learned to knit successfully by just watching online how-to-knit videos. I found most of them on Youtube. If you go to Youtube and just do a search for "how to knit" videos, you'll find tonnes.

 

For beginners, in order to knit something up, you basically need to know a few things :

 

1) Slip Knot + Casting on

2) Knit stitch (

3) Purl stitch

4) Binding off

5) Weaving in ends

 

I've found the Teen Knit Cafe DVD quite good for beginning knitters and is aimed at the teen market so might appeal more to a young knitter. The following Youtube links will take you to the clips which show how the steps are achieved :

 

Slip Knot and casting on : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9hv44QwQ-A

 

Knit stitch and binding off in knit stitch : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgwi3xgZzlk

 

Purl stitch and binding off in purl stitch : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD5fxWP75yI

 

Weaving in ends : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJPajUbsHV0

 

Joining in a new ball of yarn : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVVmVC8tCrs

 

And for troubleshooting knitting mistakes, you'll need to know the following at least :

 

Fixing dropped stitches : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtB6-r2dSdM

 

Ripping back : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_hYCNfgvg

 

Once you've mastered the above basics, you should be able to to knit up a scarf or any sort of long rectangular shape.

Practise a few times until you can get your stitches just right (beginners normally have uneven tension and it shows through uneven stitches).

Once you can knit evenly, you can then find a project to start on. You can find knitting patterns online or on Ravelry.com or in knitting books. Some patterns are harder to decipher than others, so a good knitting bible is invaluable when you're attempting to make projects out of patterns. I like the one by Sharon Brant but you could also get others, but I'd recommend you try before you buy - use your local library - to see which kntting book or bible suits you.

 

You don't need much to start knitting. Start off with a ball of Aran yarn and a size 4.5 or 5 mm needles...that was what I did. Bamboo needles are good for beginners. But you could start off with any other type of yarn with suitably-sized needles as long as you make sure your needles are compatible with the ball of yarn you're using (the label on the ball normally says what size needles to use with it).

Edited August 27, 2010 by rachnov1

[LisaS]

My dd self taught herself by watching Youtube videos. She has the basics down. I'll have to show her some of the resources in this thread though. She'll be in heaven!:hurray: