So you've tangled up your first skein of yarn, you are ready to burn those bamboo sticks in the fireplace ... and you're wondering if maybe CROCHET might just be a better fit???
Crochet is probably easier to learn ... it's very flexible. However, it isn't long before you notice that flexibility is also a downside - there are lots of things to do wrong!
Knitting requires a few more tricks: knit/ purl, increase/ decrease but once you figure those out, you're all set. From there, the patterns and needles keep you on track for bigger, more complex projects. After all of that, it does depend upon what you're making.
Take a look through patterns somewhere like Lion Yarns and think about what projects you would like to make. That might be a better guide than "easiest."
I read somewhere that crochet works up 3 times faster but uses 3 times more yarn. Would you prefer one lacy knitted cashmere shawl or an enormous acrylic (if you're looking to spend the same $$ on yarn) blanket?
You can do both. I learned crochet, then knitting. I bounced back and forth between the two (as I grew frustrated with one, I switched to the other) for months before I really began leaning more toward knitting. Either way, have fun!
You might want to check the library for how-to and pattern books. There are a lot of good beginner books but you probably won't need them for long, so the library's a great place to start.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Blankets Sing to Me!
If blankets are your thing and you can't imagine any other project, here's my input:
I have knit several blankets. I find that I like knitting for smaller, finer work like baby blankets and crochet for the big, cozy throws and blankets.
Crochet uses lots more yarn but also works up a lot faster ... knitting a king-sized blanket is a real commitment! (One that would surely end when I poked my own eyes out with my knitting needles, but that's just me - you go right on ahead!)
I have knit several blankets. I find that I like knitting for smaller, finer work like baby blankets and crochet for the big, cozy throws and blankets.
Crochet uses lots more yarn but also works up a lot faster ... knitting a king-sized blanket is a real commitment! (One that would surely end when I poked my own eyes out with my knitting needles, but that's just me - you go right on ahead!)
How to Knit a Scarf
Great idea!
Scarves can be as simple as gathering needles and yarn, casting on some stitches, knitting them until it's scarf length, then casting off.
How to? Well, there are many great sites but I like Lion Brand Yarns because:
Just cast on 20 stitches or so, knit, turn, knit ... count your stitches at the end of each row to make sure you're not adding or dropping any stitches ... when it's coming out relatively even, you're ready for the scarf.
I would suggest a chunky yarn for your first scarf ... like Lion's Thick & Quick with either #13 or #15 needles. It can be a bit unwieldy to work with BUT it works up quickly. Don't forget that 5 or 6 feet of scarf is not a tiny project. You'll be glad about the 3 or 4 foot mark that you've chosen a bigger yarn/ needles!
Happy Knitting!
Scarves can be as simple as gathering needles and yarn, casting on some stitches, knitting them until it's scarf length, then casting off.
How to? Well, there are many great sites but I like Lion Brand Yarns because:
- Their yarns are readily available at the big chain stores - great for beginners.
- They provide volumes of help ... here's "Learn to Knit"http://learntoknit.lionbrand.com/
Just cast on 20 stitches or so, knit, turn, knit ... count your stitches at the end of each row to make sure you're not adding or dropping any stitches ... when it's coming out relatively even, you're ready for the scarf.
I would suggest a chunky yarn for your first scarf ... like Lion's Thick & Quick with either #13 or #15 needles. It can be a bit unwieldy to work with BUT it works up quickly. Don't forget that 5 or 6 feet of scarf is not a tiny project. You'll be glad about the 3 or 4 foot mark that you've chosen a bigger yarn/ needles!
Happy Knitting!
Big loops, Tight Stitches, and Other Errata
It's Problem Fixin' Time ...
When people first knit, they over-tighten the stitches - it looks kind of sloppy if you don't, right? But you really can relax and give it some space. Don't panic - let the needles do their job! You may have minor imperfections but they will ease out, be worked out in blocking, OR become beloved marks of your handiwork. Try knitting your whole row a bit more loosely, snug that last one just a wee bit, turn knit 1, snug up just a wee bit ... then knit the rest f the row nice and easy.
Don't be afraid to "scoop out" that stitch on the needle as you're catching the yarn and bring it through for your new stitch, then be generous with your working yarn as you create that new st and slide the old one off.
The one thing that is a little hard to catch up on later is if you let your needles get really far apart ... i.e. if you separate them 6 or 8 inches between stitches (don't laugh, I've seen it done!) Keep them relatively close together and you'll be happier in the end.
When I started knitting, I followed the advice of Knitting for Dummies: I used #9 needles and a light colored, worsted (that's just your average, mid-weight wool) weight wool. The wool has a bit of stretch to it, is a nice, in-between size, and won't make your hands sweaty like acrylic might. The needle size has more to do with your yarn weight (that's how thick or thin it is) than whether you're a beginner or experienced.
You usually want to follow the guidelines on the yarn label (look at the square with the crossed knitting neeedles), but don't get too caught up in it - if it says to use US 8 and you have US 9's at home, it's OK for now. But if you use 17's with a fingering weight yarn, you'll end up with a lacy, airy bit that, while probably not offensive, won't give you the opportunity to really see your stitches forming. Stay within a size or two for now.
We'll re-visit this yarn weight and needle size topic later when you do a project that requires accurate gauge, but for now, get knitting, stay loose, and have fun!
When people first knit, they over-tighten the stitches - it looks kind of sloppy if you don't, right? But you really can relax and give it some space. Don't panic - let the needles do their job! You may have minor imperfections but they will ease out, be worked out in blocking, OR become beloved marks of your handiwork. Try knitting your whole row a bit more loosely, snug that last one just a wee bit, turn knit 1, snug up just a wee bit ... then knit the rest f the row nice and easy.
Don't be afraid to "scoop out" that stitch on the needle as you're catching the yarn and bring it through for your new stitch, then be generous with your working yarn as you create that new st and slide the old one off.
The one thing that is a little hard to catch up on later is if you let your needles get really far apart ... i.e. if you separate them 6 or 8 inches between stitches (don't laugh, I've seen it done!) Keep them relatively close together and you'll be happier in the end.
When I started knitting, I followed the advice of Knitting for Dummies: I used #9 needles and a light colored, worsted (that's just your average, mid-weight wool) weight wool. The wool has a bit of stretch to it, is a nice, in-between size, and won't make your hands sweaty like acrylic might. The needle size has more to do with your yarn weight (that's how thick or thin it is) than whether you're a beginner or experienced.
You usually want to follow the guidelines on the yarn label (look at the square with the crossed knitting neeedles), but don't get too caught up in it - if it says to use US 8 and you have US 9's at home, it's OK for now. But if you use 17's with a fingering weight yarn, you'll end up with a lacy, airy bit that, while probably not offensive, won't give you the opportunity to really see your stitches forming. Stay within a size or two for now.
We'll re-visit this yarn weight and needle size topic later when you do a project that requires accurate gauge, but for now, get knitting, stay loose, and have fun!
Joining New Yarn - Or "I've Run Out of Yarn. Now What?"
No need to rip it apart ... there are many project which require more than a skein of yarn and joining is easy.
The pros tell you that you do this: At the end of a row (if possible, you have to weave in ends and don't want to mess up the middle of a big project), simply hold the old strand plus new strand together, knit/ purl a stitch with the two held together, then drop the old, take up the new and keep going. Voila!
The reality is that I'm a bit paranoid, so even though I know I should trust The Wise Ones of Knitting and just weave those ends in a leave it, I just can't. So I tie the ends together loosely (ignore that and you might have trouble a row or two later on ... ) and then at the end of the project, tie just the teeensiest knot (ACK! That word makes real knitters cringe!) and then weave the ends in with a needle. Happy Knitting!
The pros tell you that you do this: At the end of a row (if possible, you have to weave in ends and don't want to mess up the middle of a big project), simply hold the old strand plus new strand together, knit/ purl a stitch with the two held together, then drop the old, take up the new and keep going. Voila!
The reality is that I'm a bit paranoid, so even though I know I should trust The Wise Ones of Knitting and just weave those ends in a leave it, I just can't. So I tie the ends together loosely (ignore that and you might have trouble a row or two later on ... ) and then at the end of the project, tie just the teeensiest knot (ACK! That word makes real knitters cringe!) and then weave the ends in with a needle. Happy Knitting!
Ready for a Pattern?
First, I must defer to the Queen of Modern Knitting, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Her discussions of scarves, socks, sweaters, etc. is brilliant. I highly recommend backing away from the computer and using whatever means you might have at your disposal to get your hands on "Knitting Rules." Go ahead. I'll wait.
So now that you've covered the basics, you have lots of choices. Please browse through the choices ... the Helpful Links have almost endless options. I'm sure you have a project that's calling to you ... a perky little handbag, a luxurious scarf, maybe a practical but pretty washcloth.
Great! Do it! My words of advice: don't take the "beginner/ intermediate/ advanced" levels too seriously. I now thumb my nose at the increases and decreases that scared me away from more complex patterns for too long. They weren't any harder than those darn knit-purl basket weave patterns I was "practicing" ad nauseum.
If the pattern calls for a new skill, pull out your practice wool and give it a try. Really, are you going to let a little "K2tg" stand between you and the lacy scarf of your dreams? Remember, it's only yarn. There are no knitting police. No one will judge your knitting ... unless you enter it in the county fair. Do as you see fit.
Happy Knitting!
P.S. A blanket is a BIG project for knitting. I'm just saying.
So now that you've covered the basics, you have lots of choices. Please browse through the choices ... the Helpful Links have almost endless options. I'm sure you have a project that's calling to you ... a perky little handbag, a luxurious scarf, maybe a practical but pretty washcloth.
Great! Do it! My words of advice: don't take the "beginner/ intermediate/ advanced" levels too seriously. I now thumb my nose at the increases and decreases that scared me away from more complex patterns for too long. They weren't any harder than those darn knit-purl basket weave patterns I was "practicing" ad nauseum.
If the pattern calls for a new skill, pull out your practice wool and give it a try. Really, are you going to let a little "K2tg" stand between you and the lacy scarf of your dreams? Remember, it's only yarn. There are no knitting police. No one will judge your knitting ... unless you enter it in the county fair. Do as you see fit.
Happy Knitting!
P.S. A blanket is a BIG project for knitting. I'm just saying.
How to Begin ...
For beginning knitters, I recommend some plain, light-colored, worsted weight (that's the "regular" stuff - not too thick, not too thin) wool and some #8 or #9 needles. Don't get too caught up in the exact size specified on your label (we'll get more into that later.)
Practice casting on and knitting until you have the hang of it. Be sure to count your stitches at the end of each row to make sure you're not adding/ deleting any stitches as you go.
Then review your source - be it books or online guide (see sidebar for sources) - and give purling a hand. Note that purling requires that your yarn be at the FRONT of your needles before you work the stitch ... forgetting this is the cause of many beginners adding stitches they didn't mean to add!
Notice that you really don't need to have a pattern or even a goal in mind at this point. Please don't set out to make a sweater or a king-sized blanket - it's really quite pleasant to just work through some yarn until you get a feel for knitting and purling. Soon your stitches will begin to have a wonderful evenness to them - then you're ready to start fussing with patterns and such!
Practice casting on and knitting until you have the hang of it. Be sure to count your stitches at the end of each row to make sure you're not adding/ deleting any stitches as you go.
Then review your source - be it books or online guide (see sidebar for sources) - and give purling a hand. Note that purling requires that your yarn be at the FRONT of your needles before you work the stitch ... forgetting this is the cause of many beginners adding stitches they didn't mean to add!
Notice that you really don't need to have a pattern or even a goal in mind at this point. Please don't set out to make a sweater or a king-sized blanket - it's really quite pleasant to just work through some yarn until you get a feel for knitting and purling. Soon your stitches will begin to have a wonderful evenness to them - then you're ready to start fussing with patterns and such!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
So You Want to Learn to Knit
Beginning to knit is so exciting! And a bit confusing, frustrating, and just generally tangly!
There are some wonderful sites for beginning knitters:
Lion Brand Yarns has a comprehensive"how-to" file and loads of patterns. The pattern finder allows you to narrow your searches: try "knit, free, beginner" and see what comes up!
Knitting Pattern Central
knitty is a cute one
Ravelry is the myspace of knitting ... request an invite now - you won't be sorry!
I have found books to be useful - somehow I am so much better at following them than the online guides when I'm trying something really tricky. Please feel free to browse my Shelfari shelf - my knitting faves are there!
And please head over to my main blog - I have my knitting shops and more favorite sites there!
There are some wonderful sites for beginning knitters:
Lion Brand Yarns has a comprehensive"how-to" file and loads of patterns. The pattern finder allows you to narrow your searches: try "knit, free, beginner" and see what comes up!
Knitting Pattern Central
knitty is a cute one
Ravelry is the myspace of knitting ... request an invite now - you won't be sorry!
I have found books to be useful - somehow I am so much better at following them than the online guides when I'm trying something really tricky. Please feel free to browse my Shelfari shelf - my knitting faves are there!
And please head over to my main blog - I have my knitting shops and more favorite sites there!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
