Learning to knit
About me
A disclaimer... I AM NOT THAT EXPERIENCED! I only just finished my first wool project, a pair of worsted socks. I only have 2 years of knitting under my belt, in the grand scheme of things, very little time.
However, I do love knitting with all my heart, and have found myself the premier Knitting Advocate for the people in my life.
None of this is particularly novel information, and it's all just stuff I read elsewhere when I started. But I hope having it all here will inspire some to pick up the hobby.
Materials
Needles
Get bamboo needles. Please. You'll be far more comfortable. Plastic needles can be kind of uncomfortable imo, metal is far too slippy. But bamboo has a nice grippy texture, and you can get a nice pair cheap. If you already have a pair by all means use what's on hand, but if you're going to buy some anyways, bamboo is gonna be easiest to use for now.
If you or someone you know is the woodworking type, you can gussy up bamboo needles really easy with some sandpaper and beeswax. Sometimes they come with a kind of squarish point if they're cheaper, this is easily sanded.
The size of the needles you get depends on the size of your yarn. In the U.S. needles are measured by millimeter, I think its different based on country.
Your yarn will say what size needle to use on the packaging. At least talking about mm sizing, I've found it's possible to go up .25 or .50 (so using a 5.5 needle instead of a 50 needle, or a 4.75 instead of a 5.0). But I highly recommend you do this ONLY out of necessity, and really try to avoid it. For fitted things like gloves, hats, and socks, don't even THINK about using a different needle, it's far more exact and precise work. But for small things or your first scarf, if that's all you have on hand, I think you'll be fine.
Yarn
Weight (size)
Yarn weight means basically how big or chunky the yarn is. The basic sizes you need to worry about are:- Sock/fingering
- DK
- Worsted/medium
- Bulky/chunky
Worsted is the typical size. Think yarn, and you're probably picturing worsted. DK is just a bit thinner, some patterns will ask for it and sometimes you can swap it out for worsted anyways. Sock/fingering weight is what's used for socks. Don't worry about it for now, it's too fiddly for beginner fingers. Bulky is thicker yarn, it's easier to see and knits up quicker. Look for patterns that use worsted or bulky for now.
Don't knit with roving. Please don't do it. Here is a whole video on why not to knit roving blankets. I know they're cute but there are better ways to get that look!
Brand and material
Ok. People get opinionated about this. If you're just starting out, just use acrylic. Cotton yarn isn't typically used for knitting (I've never tried, I feel like it'd be odd... possible, but odd) and acrylic is cheap and easy to get your hands on, so its no big deal if you decide knitting isnt for you, or screw up and have to throw out a bunch of yarn. Wool is nicer, just expensive if you're starting out.
The brand I use is I Love This Yarn, basically just since that's what the store near me has thats the softest. Red Heart is the absolute easiest, but be careful because I've found a lot of their yarn to be very plasticky and scratchy. (My friend says it varies yarn to yarn.)
Very bad and plasticky acrylic yarn has several problems.
- 1. It's "splitty."
This means it sort of unravels as you're knitting it, and its easier to stab into the yarn and tangle it. This is a problem beginners have constantly in the BEST of circumstances, and bad yarn can get in the way of even experienced knitters. (Of which I am not!)
- 2. It feels bad to the touch
No point knitting a scarf if you don't... like the scarf. It's also non absorbant, as all acrylic yarn, so you can't even make a washcloth, which is the other big beginner project.
If you have sensory issues especially, I feel like its possible you'll find this unbearable as I do. I saved all this kind of yarn to make into a doormat, since it's all I could tolerate it for ^^'
