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 is the knit stitch and the purl stitch. There is casting on and binding off. There's knowing how to read knitting stitch patterns. The list goes on and on.
For a beginner, it can be off-putting and a little daunting.
Knitting Basics
But maybe you already know the basics of knitting. 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 how to knit and why knitters do what they do, 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 learn about tools and notions, like stitch markers and how they're used.
Knitting Patterns
You'll even find patterns for:
- Scarves for beginners.
- Easy baby blankets.
- Cowls and infinity scarves.
- Hats in the round.
- Ponchos and capes.
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.
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.
Don't have a needle gauge? Check out these options:
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!
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