How to Knit
For Beginners

Getting to learn how to knit for beginners and choosing to this lovely craft will get you hooked from the start with all the types of knitting stitches, patterns and items that you can make.

When learning how to start to knit it is best to start with plain stitches. My knitting experience began while in my teens and I picked a plain stocking stitch roll necked jumper. I had to learn to cast on and cast off very quickly so really I jumped out of the fire and into the frying pan so to speak and didn't begin with smaller items. The jumper finally got finished about 4 years later.

Knitting can seem daunting for many people who see the knitting needles, the wool and then wonder how an item is produced sometimes with the most complicated pattern you could imagine.

Many styles of knitting will look lovely on cushions. From the plain knit and purl to the more complicated cable stitch with many varieties in between, knitted covers will add texture and warmth to your room.

Cushion covers are a great way to start as there is no shaping required and once all the stitches are on the needle then it is just a matter of knitting to the required length.

If that sounds too much then four squares can be made and sewn together. That would give the beginner smaller amounts to get used to.

A smaller knitting project would be to knit smaller squares to make into a cushion cover, baby blanket or a lap or pet blanket. This would then lead to another learning curve and that is sewing the knitted squares together.

Although possible seen as old fashioned nowadays but I think that knitting for babies is one of the loveliest gift a baby could have. This may not come from a family member but will be made just as carefully if made by another person.

I love knitting and for me a lot of love goes into knitting whoever I am knitting for.

From a hand made hat , bootees, mittens or jumper. There are a number of different ways to make a little blanket to keep them warm in the pram.

How to Knit for beginners:

1) Getting Ready 

Before beginning to knit an item there are few points to consider first and this will help with getting a good result.

On a knitting pattern (the knitting network has a good variety), there will be a paragraph about a tensions square. This will give a needle size and the amount of rows knitted to get a given sized square.

This shows the tension that has been used to get the perfect result. Depending on how you knit either tightly or a bit loose, the needle size may need to be increased or decreased to achieve this.

Many beginners tend to knit fairly tightly so the result could not be how they thought it would be. The tension depends upon the individual as everyone holds the needle and knits differently. 

2) Starting to knit

When the pattern has been chosen, the right needle sizes and the type of wool picked there are still points to consider.

How do the stitches get onto the needle, how does the knitting grow, what pattern to make and when the knitting is the right length how do the stitches come off the needle without coming undone.

The following pages shown below will give the answers you need along with some videos to help show what could be steps that are difficult to explain.

I must admit I do prefer to look at how something is done first and then read about it in steps.

3) Taking it further

Once you have mastered the knitting stitch steps, can read a pattern and can understand the knitting abbreviations and what they mean you are well on the way to producing wonderful and intricate things yourself.

There are lots of different types and makes of needles and not to forget the different sizes each altering the knit slightly.

The size of needle that you would use depends on the thickness of wool used. With a very fine wool you would not use a chunky needle as the stitches would be very loose and open unless you are going for a lacy look but there is another way to obtain that.

Hopefully this doesn't sound so complicated to put anybody off this lovely craft. After you have made a couple of items it will come very easily.

There are many shopping outlets that supply all knitting needs such as The Range and My fabrics has a knitting and crocheting section to buy wool and yarn.

Wondering how to knit for beginners? I hope this has answered a few questions. 

Enjoy..

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Please take care with any soft furnishing that it does not come into contact with any heat source. 

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