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More Helpful Tips for Learning
How to Knit
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Learn How to Knit Page 1.
When learning to knit, start with a plain yarn and midsize needles, about 5-8mm (US sizes 8-11). Super large needles and fancy novelty yarns are fun to knit with because you can get a funky, colourful scarf knit up in no time. But when learning how to knit, try not to be tempted yet because you likely will end up frustrated. With the fancy yarns, especially the 'eyelash' types, it can be difficult to see where the loops are and therefore, where to place your needle tip. And the big needles, even for someone who knows how to knit, can be quite awkward to handle. Smaller needles are easier to learn with, but don't go too small. Knitting will go slowly at first and it's easy to lose interest if it just takes too long to make something.
Start with a simple knitted project like a scarf or a blanket that doesn't require any special shaping and it doesn't matter if you knit a bit tighter or looser than the pattern indicates (see below for the importance of gauge). Once you know the knit and purl stitch, knitting is quite simple. The trick when learning how to knit is to get lots of practice so that your knitting becomes even and consistent.
Take some time to look carefully at a simple knitted fabric to try to understand it's structure – how loops are pulled through loops. You will get to know this eventually but the sooner the better. Why? Because sooner or later you're going to make a mistake or drop a stitch and if you understand the structure, mistakes are easier to fix. And don't be afraid of mistakes – it's the best way to learn. If it's a big goof, an experienced knitter can probably fix it for you – so do this if you can before undoing your entire project - but ask them to show you how they're fixing it. By the way, it's often handy to have a crochet hook handy to pick up dropped stitches.
Gauge is important. What is gauge? It is the number of stitches and rows you should be getting per square inch and will vary depending on the thickness of the yarn, the size of the needle and how loose or tight you knit. You will always find the gauge at the beginning of any knitting pattern - often referred to as tension. It is also printed on most yarn labels to help determine what yarn can be interchanged in a pattern. But even if you are using the exact same yarn as the pattern, your gauge might be different simply because some people knit tighter, others looser. So I can't stress enough – always, always, always test your gauge by doing a test swatch, especially for a fitted garment. If your gauge is off, your size will be off. And if you think this just means you'll get a looser fitting garment or you can give it to a larger person- not true. It may end up wider but not longer. I had given up knitting for years after first learning how to knit because my sweaters weren't turning out. I had been too anxious to get on with the project and couldn't be bothered with doing a test swatch. Now I know better – it was a much bigger waste of time to knit a whole sweater that couldn't be worn. Don't worry – after time you get to know your own style, whether you're a tight or a loose knitter. Often with practice and more consistency, you will get closer to a standard gauge.
So...
start with the needle size recommended in the pattern and knit a swatch at least 4X4 inches (or 10 centimeters); 6X6 inches would be even better. Then measure how many stitches and how many rows are within that 4 inch square. Many patterns give the number based on this 4 inches. Just divide by four if you need to know the number per inch.
If you get....
more stitches per inch, try a slightly larger needle.
fewer stitches per inch, try a slightly smaller needle.
If you are trying out a different yarn than called for in the pattern, keep in mind that this could be the problem. You can vary the yarn thickness to some degree by playing around with needle sizes but there's a limit. You simply can't use a chunky yarn for a fine knit or vice versa. Aim for as close to the original yarn as possible. You may not be familiar with the suggested yarn but can usually tell by the gauge what type of yarn it is. This gets easier with experience. See
Yarn Weights and Gauge.
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