Help with Knitting ?

Question

i am wanting to take up the hobby of knitting. My friends all say its a real nice stress relief. Can anyone tell me some great sites or books that can help you get started. I have no idea what to even get to start. Thanks

Answer 1

http://www.knittinghelp.com has videos of stitches for both Continental and English styles of knitting, so you can learn in a way that is more comfortable for you.

http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/di... has tons of patterns.  A good starter project is a scarf or a dishcloth (although the cotton for dishcloths tends to feel tight so you might want to hold off on that).  They don't use fancy stitches and pretty much repeat the same rows over and over so really have time to master the knit and purl stitches.  

All you need to start knitting is some sport weight yarn, Bernat or Lion Brand are relatively cheap but slide well on the needles.  Don't get a fancy yarn, while you're learning you want a yarn that will be simple to see where you are so you don't drop stitches.  Get a set of size 8 US needles (5mm Canada), they're a good size to learn on and you'll use them often because a lot of projects call for that size.  You'll also want o get a yarn needle so you can weave in your ends after you're all done and a possibly a stitch/row counter if you're doing a project that requires keeping track of what row you're on.

And that's it.  You're set.  Happy Knitting!

Answer 2

you need worsted weight yarn like red heart super saver yarn and size 8 needles, it dont matter if you get straight or circular needles.

here is a site with videos that will show you how to cast on, make the knit stitch and purl stitch and then bind off.

here is for cast on

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/cast-...

knit

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

purl

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/purl-...

cast off or bind off, it means the same thing.

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/casti...

here are some sites with free knitting patterns

berroco.com

knitty.com

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/episode_ar...

lionbrand.com  free membership

knittingpatterncentral.com

coatsandclark.com

Answer 3

I started knitting because I love socks - so I would recommend finding some projects that interest you (hats?  baby clothes?  sweaters?) and then browsing through books & magazines (I looooove half-price books).  Most books have a "how-to" section in front, and the projects are rated by level - that's how I learned.  I also picked up a good knitting "dictionary" to help when my first source doesn't make enough sense (I love "Knitspeak")!

I'm also part of a local guild, and the local yarn shops have group meetings, too.  I've found everyone to be super friendly and helpful when I need a little reassurance!

And I have to recommend Ravelry - I love the access to the communities, the patterns and yarn reviews, and seeing how other people's projects turn out before I start on mine!  www.Ravelry.com  It's free to join, but since it's in beta-testing there is still a short wait-list to join.

I recommend starting with a non-sized garment - maybe a pot holder?  Something where fitting won't be a factor.  Save that for later!  The most common mistake for beginners is knitting too tightly.  The easiest solution is to go up a needle size :)