How To Knit and Why: Basics and Beyond

As a self-taught knitter, I can relate to the stress that comes with wanting to learn how to knit. You want to learn but you don’t know where to begin.

First, there are endless types of knitting needles made from different materials. Then there’s yarn made out of nearly every animal known to man.

There's the knit stitch and the purl stitch, learning to cast on, and how to bind off. Also, there's knowing how to read stitch patterns. The list goes on and on.

For a beginner, it can be off-putting and a little daunting.

Knitting Basics

Maybe you already know the basics. Maybe you just want to know and understand why knitters do the things they do. You want to understand the order, the science if you will, behind it all.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn any of these things, then you’ve come to the right place.

Beyond the Basics

The goal here is to help you take some of the guesswork out of learning this craft.

Each post is designed to answer questions that you may encounter at any stage of your learning. Questions like:

• How much yarn do I need for a long tail cast on?
• What is Knitting Gauge?
• How do I swatch in the round?

You'll find the answers to these questions here. I'll also talk about other knitting techniques, like mosaic knitting.

You'll also learn about tools and notions, like stitch markers, and how they're used in different knitting projects. You'll also learn about knitting hacks to save you money, like the o-rings shown below.

Knitting Patterns

You'll even find patterns for:

• Scarves for beginner knitters.
• Easy fingerless gloves.
• Cowls and infinity scarves.
• Ponchos and capes for winter.
• Easy baby blankets with simple stitches.
• Hats in the round using different types of circular needles.

You'll find all this and more.

I'll share lessons and a-ha moments, and I'm not talking about that 80s band here. I want to take you through the fundamentals and help simplify the learning process with easy knitting tutorials.

Just about any question you can think of, you can be sure someone else has had it, too.

You may even find a little history thrown in for good measure.

Knitting History

Take this 1800s bell gauge for example. It was designed to measure 19th century knitting pins, which were made of steel wire.

The markings on this bell gauge indicate needle size, like the common needle gauge (examples below).

Just look at the thin markings on the left of this bell gauge. Can you imagine knitting with needles that small? I can't.

If you don't have a knitting gauge tool, you should definitely add one to your knitting kit.

---

Regardless of your experience, you’re bound to learn something new. Nothing wrong with that, right?

In the end, though, I hope you fall in love with knitting for the first time, or all over again.

I'm pretty excited and I hope you are, too. Let’s get started!