Hive Knitters...Recommend a beginning kit for dd10? Beginners' videos/site?

[Um_2_4]

DD10 wants to learn to knit. I know nothing about knitting. Any suggestions for a beginners kit? Prepackaged or I buy the pieces is fine. I was thinking loom knitting maybe? She would love to make purses, hats, maybe some doll clothes if she can? Socks would be great too.

 

She does rainbow loom type things and watches the videos and copies them. So if you can recommend some youtube videos or a website??

 

Thanks!

[Guest]

I am a loom knitter and I highly recommend it as a way to quickly learn to produce lovely pieces. The Knifty Knitter circle loom kit is great. There are tons of great videos at Loom A Hat .com. I also love the book, "I Can't Believe I'm Loom Knitting," for learning quickly how to make hats, scarves and other projects. If you make a few hats with a no. 5 yarn in a simple e-wrap knit stitch, you will have a completed hat in an hour or two.

 

For learning needle-knitting, I like the Klutz kit and instructions. This was part of how I learned initially.

[Guest]

P.S. You can make numerous projects on the circle loom kit, not only hats. You can also get a flat (straight) loom kit to expand your options. But for socks, you need a sock loom, and this is not a beginner's project. Socks need to be "fine gauge" in order to look like socks (although you can make a type of slippers on the large-gauge looms). I have not yet made doll clothes, but my friend who taught me to loom knit does do this for AG dolls. There are tons of Pintrest things on this subject.

[I talk to the trees]

I learned to knit with the Klutz kit. It comes with the yarn and needles you need to make the projects in the book. The instructions in this book made more sense (to me, anyway) than the ones I found in craft stores.

[PrairieSong]

I learned to knit in 2005 while visiting a friend in another state. When I returned home I needed help and found knittinghelp.com. Amy has very helpful videos. You can find them here.

 

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/learn-to-knit

 

I love ravelry.com, a HUGE, well-organized site with patterns (many free) for knitting and crochet projects. You can add your own projects, keep a list of favorites, visit their forums. You do need an account but it's free. I love finding a pattern and then viewing all the projects people have done using that pattern. You can see photos, read what yarn they used, and read any notes they may have written.

 

A scarf is a wonderful first project. It's flat and you don't have to worry about size or fit. That's what I did first. An animal fiber yarn or one that is at least part animal fiber will usually be warmer than a synthetic yarn.

[PrairieSong]

P.S. I recommend that a beginner start with worsted weight yarn or something slightly thicker. Otherwise she will be dealing with tiny needles and stitches which will probably be more frustrating, and the project will take longer. The yarn label will tell you what gauge (thickness) it is and will recommend a needle size. Worsted weight yarn is normally knit with size 7 or 8 needles. For my first scarf I used a yarn a bit thicker than worsted, I think on size 10 needles. Good luck!

[Um_2_4]

Thanks everyone!

 

I am a loom knitter and I highly recommend it as a way to quickly learn to produce lovely pieces. The Knifty Knitter circle loom kit is great. There are tons of great videos at Loom A Hat .com. I also love the book, "I Can't Believe I'm Loom Knitting," for learning quickly how to make hats, scarves and other projects. If you make a few hats with a no. 5 yarn in a simple e-wrap knit stitch, you will have a completed hat in an hour or two.

For learning needle-knitting, I like the Klutz kit and instructions. This was part of how I learned initially.

 

 

So Quill is this the set: http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Knifty-Knitter-Round-Looms/dp/B003IH8A5E?

 

So I want worsted weight (is that the no.5 yarn)??? I am thinking to take her to Joanns and look there. She would love to make fuzzy slipper socks. But I'll have her start with a hat maybe.

 

Ahh soo many choices......I see the book on amazon, I might order that and then go to joann to pick yarn. Does she need a loom hook???

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2016 by Um_2_4

[PrairieSong]

Instead of going to Joann's first I would go to a local yarn store. The people who work there should be able to answer your questions, even if you don't end up buying anything there. Ask them about gauge and worsted weight yarn, fiber content, patterns, loom knitting vs needles, and anything else you need to know. They will probably be more knowledgeable than the Joann's employees since yarn is their specialty.

[Guest]

Instead of going to Joann's first I would go to a local yarn store. The people who work there should be able to answer your questions, even if you don't end up buying anything there. Ask them about gauge and worsted weight yarn, fiber content, patterns, loom knitting vs needles, and anything else you need to know. They will probably be more knowledgeable than the Joann's employees since yarn is their specialty.

Personally, I would not do this, but it may be because I know what the local yarn store is like. There is often disdain for loom knitting, and the yarn is bound to be very lovely but, IMO, not beginner yarn.

[Carol in Cal.]

http://www.magiccabin.com/yarn-craft-kit.htm

[Guest]

Thanks everyone!

 

 

 

So Quill is this the set: http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Knifty-Knitter-Round-Looms/dp/B003IH8A5E?

 

So I want worsted weight (is that the no.5 yarn)??? I am thinking to take her to Joanns and look there. She would love to make fuzzy slipper socks. But I'll have her start with a hat maybe.

 

Ahh soo many choices......I see the book on amazon, I might order that and then go to joann to pick yarn. Does she need a loom hook???

Yes, you would be happy with that loom set. There is a hook included, but I prefer this hook: http://www.amazon.com/Wright-Products-3702003001-Boye-Hook/dp/B0073RD8T8/ref=pd_sim_201_8?ie=UTF8&dpID=21JdKycZimL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0X562F9QWSGM72MF40F0, because it is pointier than the hook that came with my loom set.

 

That book is *great* for a beginner. Also, the Loom Knitting Primer book by Isela Phelps. I got that one from the local library; it is much more detailed than the I Can't Believe... Book. The Lion Brand yarn at Joanne's is very good for starting out. When I say "No. 5," you will see this on the package lable. It says what the yarn is made of and will give a number and "Bulky" or "Super Bulky." It will be easiest for her to start with Bulky or Super Bulky (6), because it "fits" the large gauge of the Knifty Knitter looms. I use No. 4 also, but one needs to hold TWO strands of the yarn to match the large gauge on the KK looms.

[Guest]

Also, if you have a pintrest, go to pintrest and search Loom Knitting. You will see lots of cute things to knit.

[PrairieSong]

Personally, I would not do this, but it may be because I know what the local yarn store is like. There is often disdain for loom knitting, and the yarn is bound to be very lovely but, IMO, not beginner yarn.

You might be right about the loom knitting. I've never done it and never asked about it at a local yarn store. I disagree about the yarn not being beginner yarn. Plymouth Encore worsted would be a great beginner yarn, is washable, comes in many colors and is not that expensive. Ditto Cascade 220, if you want 100% wool, or Lamb's Pride. I can think of a few others, too, that I have seen at a LYS which a beginner could use.

 

I knitted my first project, a scarf, with Lion Brand Homespun which was not easy to work with and did not hold up well in the long run. :-(

[Guest]

You might be right about the loom knitting. I've never done it and never asked about it at a local yarn store. I disagree about the yarn not being beginner yarn. Plymouth Encore worsted would be a great beginner yarn, is washable, comes in many colors and is not that expensive. Ditto Cascade 220, if you want 100% wool, or Lamb's Pride. I can think of a few others, too, that I have seen at a LYS which a beginner could use.

 

I knitted my first project, a scarf, with Lion Brand Homespun which was not easy to work with and did not hold up well in the long run. :-(

Interesting. I made my first adult-sized hat (my 3rd loomed project) out of Lion Brand Homespun. It WAS trickier because of the way that yarn wants to split, and it remains to be seen how well it holds up. But finishing a very nice-looking hat in the round in just a few hours is, to me, the payoff in loom knitting. Learning to needle-knit definitely has its merits, and I do plan to learn to be a better needle-knitter also (it is one of my goals for this year) but I love how quickly one can add to one's stitch and knitting repertoire with the loom. You can complete several projects very quickly and learn about how different yarns and stitches behave without having to invest hours upon hours upon hours just knitting those first few projects.

 

I still have a scarf on needles that I started in 2006 and it only has ONE stitch for the whole thing. Now I am disenchanted with it because it's not particularly special-looking, but I have put so many hours into it I don't want to frog the whole thing.

[lllll]

My dd's got started by attending a simple, 3-hour course at Michael's.  The woman who taught it was very helpful and it stuck with one dd.

[PrairieSong]

Interesting. I made my first adult-sized hat (my 3rd loomed project) out of Lion Brand Homespun. It WAS trickier because of the way that yarn wants to split, and it remains to be seen how well it holds up. But finishing a very nice-looking hat in the round in just a few hours is, to me, the payoff in loom knitting. Learning to needle-knit definitely has its merits, and I do plan to learn to be a better needle-knitter also (it is one of my goals for this year) but I love how quickly one can add to one's stitch and knitting repertoire with the loom. You can complete several projects very quickly and learn about how different yarns and stitches behave without having to invest hours upon hours upon hours just knitting those first few projects.

 

I still have a scarf on needles that I started in 2006 and it only has ONE stitch for the whole thing. Now I am disenchanted with it because it's not particularly special-looking, but I have put so many hours into it I don't want to frog the whole thing.

My Lion Brand Homespun scarf frayed horribly after my dd wore it for a while. I have never used that yarn again. I hope your hat fares better.

 

If you really don't like the scarf you made why not frog it and use the yarn for something you like better? I would. Kind of like Konmari for knitting. [emoji3]

 

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