Knitting Skills and Instructions
Knitting is a creative pastime that relieves stress while letting you create things for yourself and others. While it’s an activity you can share with friends and family, knitting is also something you can do when you are alone, watching TV or waiting at a doctor's office. Whether you make items to sell, or you knit creations to give to your friends, knitting is a relatively easy skill to learn that can keep you occupied for hours!
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Some of the items you can knit include:
- blankets
- hats
- pillows
- scarves
- shawls
- sweaters
- tea cozies
- throws.
Beginning Knitting
To begin knitting, you only need a few items: yarn, knitting needles and a pattern with instructions. Decide what you are going to be knitting by looking through patterns. If you have never knitted before, you may want to start with a scarf, as they are the most straightforward, least complicated items to knit.
Next, choose the color and type of yarn you want. If you don't have a pair of knitting needles, you can get some from a craft or fabric store for relatively little money (they tend to run about $8-15). Knitting needles are usually straight and come in aluminum, plastic or wood. Check your pattern's instructions to see what width of needle is suggested.
Basic Knitting
The first stitch you need to make for all knitting patterns is a slip knot. To make a slip knot:
- Hold the end of the yarn between your thumb and index finger.
- Wrap the yarn two times around both index and middle fingers, leaving your thumb out of the looping.
- Pull the attached strand through the loop between your two fingers, creating a new loop that goes through the tow loops that were around your index and middle fingers.
- Put your needle inside the new loop and pull both ends of yarn to tighten.
- Leave an extra long tail to prepare for casting on.
After you have the slip knot the your needle that goes in your right hand, you are ready to begin casting on the yarn. To cast on:
- Wrap your yarn over your left index finger holding both ends with your palm.
- Place the needle upwards in the loop on your thumb then behind the loop on your index finger.
- With the needle, pull the yarn up and away through the loop forming a stitch.
- Remove your thumb from the loop and tighten the stitch on the needle by pulling the tail end.
- Repeat this as many times needed until you have desired amount of stitches cast on.
Likely, the pattern you are making will start or be based on the knit stitch. To make a knit stitch:
- Place the needle with the stitch in your left hand with the first stitch near the end of needle. Place the empty needle in your right hand.
- Wrap yarn around your left index finger.
- Place the right needle under the stitch on the left needle so that the right needle touches the left needle and sits directly in front of it.
- Keep the yarn in the back and the left needle over the right needle.
- Weave the yarn around the needles to that it snakes between them.
- Gently pull it between both needles.
- Using the right needle, get the yarn and pull it between the stitch on the other needle.
- Move the stitch off the left needle that leaves a stitch to the right.
- Repeat this until you have made the appropriate number of stitches.
How to Find Patterns and Instructions
If you are not familiar with how to knit certain items, get a knitting pattern and instructions. Craft or fabric chains have such patterns. They also tend to hold knitting classes to help get you started. Having an expert to help you as you learn to knit will make the process significantly easier.
The Internet and your local library or bookstore are also excellent resources. You can often find National Guilds or clubs that sponsor conferences that offer exhibits, shows and seminars on knitting skills. Check out CD’s, tapes, kits or magazines also for knitting instructions and further help.
What you can create with your knitting skills is only bound by your ideas. With a little practice and the proper instructions, you will be knitting in no time.
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