The Beginner's Guide to Learning and Loving Knitting

 Knitting is one of those hobbies that can be quite daunting as a beginner. Similar to learning how to ski, the most difficult part of the learning process is at the very start. Although knitting is far less extreme than skiing, the steps we go through to learn aren't all that different. We are taught a specific set of physical movements that seem impossible to start with, but become easier with practice. Muscle memory starts to develop, mistakes become fewer, our confidence grows and we start to really enjoy, and even love, the process. The trouble lies within that first hurdle - taking the plunge and committing to learning. 

Learning to love knitting should come with experience. Once you get used to the feel of needles and yarn in your hand, you'll begin to feel more comfortable and competent as you learn to master the basic stitches. It's possible that this step will be preceded by some stressful moments, dropped stitches and broken needles, but once you've got the basics down it should be smooth sailing from there on out. It's unfortunate that the difficult beginner stage is almost inevitable, although there are several things that can help to make the process much smoother. Below, I'm going to talk about some things that might make loving knitting easier for a reluctant beginner. I'll go over some of the reasons why knitting is a fantastic hobby, as well as give some suggestions on how you can make the learning process more enjoyable and stress-free. 

Why should I learn to knit?

An important step in learning to love knitting is learning why you should knit in the first place. There are many benefits of learning the craft, with one particularly interesting benefit being its positive influence on mindfulness and mental health. Studies have proven that knitting - once you've mastered the slightly stressful basics - can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, pain symptoms and even slow the onset of dementia. Of course, this isn't the only benefit of knitting - there are several more that I have listed below. 

• • Making something beautiful out of just yarn and a pair of needles
• • Knitting helps to reduce anxiety, pain symptoms and is great for mindfulness and relaxation
• • You can make and design unique clothing that no one else in the world owns 
• • Knitting clothing can be a form of slow fashion - it's generally more sustainable than buying from fast fashion companies
• • You can make beautiful presents for people
• • You are participating in a rich tradition that is centuries old

How to make learning to knit easier 

It takes a while to master the basics of knitting and to really experience the benefits mentioned above. Based on my own experiences and my observations of other new knitters, I have some recommendations on how to make the learning process slightly easier. 

1. 1. Don't be overly ambitious on your first project
2. 2. Learn the basics first
3. 3. Choose the right pair of knitting needles
4. 4. Choose the right yarn
5. 5. Learn how to find and fix mistakes early on
6. 6. YouTube is your friend
7. 7. Consider knitting a gauge swatch
8. 8. Learn the basics of reading knitting patterns

1. Don't be overly ambitious on your first project

It's easy to see a beautiful jumper pattern and say "I want to make that for my first project!". It's great to be ambitious, but it's important to take things one step at a time. For your first project, I would recommend choosing something simple like a scarf, where you can practice the basic knit stitch (also known as garter stitch) over and over. If you don't fancy making a scarf, try knitting a small square. Knit a new square every time you learn a new stitch and eventually, you can sew your little squares together into a beautiful patchwork blanket. 

2. Learn the basics first

I think starting with the basics is always a good place to begin when learning something new. There are so many stunning stitch patterns that are ever-so-tempting to try, but I would suggest starting with the basic stitches. The stitches below are the most common ones that you will use regularly - I suggest that you learn these stitches first. 

• • The knit stitch - the most basic stitch you need to know. It is also known as garter stitch
• • The purl stitch - the second most basic stitch to learn. It's like the knit stitch, except it is worked through the back
• • Stockinette stitch - this is made by knitting one row and purling the following row. It's the stitch you see most commonly on sweaters

From there, you can learn things like increases and decreases as these are useful to shape your knitting. Once you've learned the knit and purl stitch, you should also be able to follow different stitch patterns. The pattern below is made up of just knit and purl stitches - one of infinite knit and purl stitch combinations.

3. Choose the right pair of needles

Every knitter has their preference when it comes to knitting needles. It may be worth investing some time into finding a pair of knitting needles that you feel comfortable with. Not only will you need to choose the right size knitting needles for your yarn or knitting pattern, you'll also have to decide what material needle you like the most. The most common material for knitting needles is plastic, which is a popular and affordable choice for beginners. Alternatives include wood, bamboo, aluminium, brass and other metals. Personally, I prefer aluminium knitting needles like KnitPro Zing, but the smoothness of the metal might mean that your stitches will slip easily off your needle - it's great for faster knitting but an inexperienced knitter may drop their stitches more easily.

4. Choose the right yarn

It goes without saying that choosing the right yarn is quite important. As a beginner, working with very thin yarns, novelty yarns or very dark coloured yarns may make the learning process more challenging. Similarly, certain fibres can be trickier to work with. Cotton, for example, can sometimes split and fluffy wool fibres can be difficult to work with as a beginner. I would recommend starting with a ball of super chunky acrylic yarn and a big pair of needles. It's easier to see what you're doing and it's perfect to make a warm, chunky scarf for winter. 

5. Learn how to fix mistakes early on

This is something that comes slightly later in the learning process, but once you've learned the essentials it might be worth learning how to fix mistakes. Most knitting mistakes involve dropping stitches which can be disastrous for your work. That's not to say that it can't be fixed - learning how to spot and fix dropped stitches early on will help you to salvage your knitting when you make one of those inevitable mistakes. I drop stitches even now as an experienced knitter, but that's not to say that my project is ruined - I can simply pick the stitch back up again using a crochet hook. 

6. Watch YouTube videos

As with learning anything in the 21st century, YouTube is your friend. If you don't know how to do something, look it up on YouTube. There are so many brilliant videos for every knitting stitch you could need - casting on, casting off, increases, decreases, confusing twisted stitches and more. For me, YouTube is my knitting stitch dictionary. I don't know where I'd be without it! 

7. Consider knitting a gauge swatch

A lot of new knitters get incredibly confused by the term 'gauge swatch'. A gauge swatch is a small 10cm x 10cm square that you knit before you start a project. The idea is to see whether you get the same number of stitches and rows as the knitting pattern, or whether you get more or less. This gauges whether you knit too loosely or tightly. If your knitting tension (the tightness/looseness of your knitting) doesn't match the pattern's gauge, you may need to change to a bigger or smaller knitting needle size. 

The question is: do I need to knit a gauge swatch? The answer is 'it depends'. If you're knitting something simple like a scarf or a toy, it shouldn't matter. But if you want to knit clothing, it's good to knit a small gauge swatch first to make sure your knitting measurements will match those of the pattern. If you knit too loosely, your stitches will be bigger and your knitting will come out bigger than the pattern. Conversely, if you knit too tightly your stitches will be smaller, and your knitting will end up smaller than the pattern's measurements. You'll have to ask yourself how important is sizing in this project? If the answer is very, you'd better knit a gauge swatch just to be safe. 

8. Learn the basics of reading knitting patterns

My final recommendation for knitting beginners would be to learn how to read a knitting pattern early on. Although they may look complicated at first glance, knitting patterns are relatively easy to decipher once you understand the different abbreviations that are used. Some of the most common terms you will see in a knitting pattern are listed below:

• • k1 - knit one stitch
• • p1 - purl one stitch
• • CO - cast on
• • BO - bind off / cast off
• • k2tog - knit two stitches together (this is a right-leaning decrease)
• • ssk - slip slip knit (this is a left-leaning decrease)
• • WS - wrong side of work
• • RS - right side of your work
• • S1 - slip one stitch from the left needle onto the right without knitting it
• • 1x1 rib - knit one stitch then purl one stitch
• • 2x2 rib - knit two stitches, then purl two stitches
• • 3x3 rib - knit three stitches, then purl three stitches

As I mentioned above, YouTube is an invaluable resource if you don't know how to do a certain stitch. Even as an experienced knitter, I still need to look up how to do certain stitches as there are many obscure abbreviations that appear from time to time in your knitting patterns.  Learning to read a knitting pattern can take some time, but it is like learning to read music - it unlocks a whole new realm. 

I do hope that some of the above suggestions will make your experience as a beginner knitter a little easier. I'm sure that, soon enough, you'll learn to enjoy the process of knitting and maybe even love it.