15 tips for beginner knitters
- Learning and becoming good at something takes time and practice.
- Be patient and kind to yourself. Negativity short-circuits development and progress. Give yourself a chance.
- Accept that mistakes are part of the process. Knitters of all skill levels make them.
- Find a mentor (or two!).
- Don’t be intimidated by experienced or proficient knitters, or fancy-looking knitting. The only things between you are time, willingness and practice, and all of those things are within your control.
- Ask questions and do research. At least 98% of knitters are helpful people.
- Look for nice knitting shops near you. Befriend the staff and tell them about you as a knitter.
- Keep a notebook to scribble in when you’re engrossed in a project.
- Don’t be afraid to try new or unfamiliar things. This builds experience.
- Be proud of your achievements.
- Invest in your tools. Try out different needles: some knitters are better off using wood, some knitters prefer circular needles…we’re all different. But avoid metal needles if arthritis is or might be an issue.
- Practice on cheaper yarn – but make sure it isn’t unpleasant to knit with. Try cotton/acrylic or wool/acrylic blends.
- Knit in a way that suits you and produces consistent, even and efficient knitting. We’re all different. If tensioning the yarn around your fingers one way is uncomfortable, experiment and find another way. If you don’t like the English way of knitting, try the Continental method instead.
- Don’t overuse the internet. There are wonderful sites like YouTube, Ravelry, knitters like Kim McBrien Evans and Patty Lyons who’ve dedicated themselves to helping others, and helpful bloggers (hello! 🙂), but there’s nothing like living, breathing people and seeing something demonstrated before your very eyes.
- Stitch patterns – for those who are most familiar with stocking stitch – are often less complex than they appear. Don’t be afraid to try new techniques and experiment with textures, cables, or lace.
Here’s an example of what I mean by point 15. Of all my tips for beginner knitters, this is probably the biggest one!
Textured stitch patterns are not as fancy as you might think
For example, the lacy stripe on this cardigan is nothing more than two subsequent rows of ‘K2tog (knit two stitches together), yfwd’ (yarn forward and over the top of the needle, to create the eyelets typical of lace). The ridges bracketing these two rows are nothing more than a purl row preceding the first lace pattern row, and a knit row after the last lace pattern row.
If you want to try it for yourself, cast on an even number of stitches, say 24. Row 1 as per the sequence below is the right side of the knitting, as presented in the photograph above. The pattern repeat goes something like this:
- Rows 1-6: Beginning with a knit row, work in stocking stitch (1 row knit, 1 row purl).
- Row 7: Purl.
- Row 8: K1, *yfwd, k2tog; repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
- Row 9: As row 8.
- Row 10: Knit.
So, within the context of the patterned fabric, there are only two new instructions for the uninitiated: ‘k2tog’ and ‘yfwd’. Therefore, you can already execute 8 out of 10 rows of that lacy stripe pattern, or 80%. Why not just try it if you’re 80% of the way there? It’s well within reach and you have NOTHING to lose, but PLENTY to gain.
Don’t be intimidated by knitting textures if you’re a beginner
When I realised this fallacy about knitting, previously complex-looking textures became much more accessible and I became even braver about trying new things. I learnt new techniques like dancers learn choreography and loved it. Getting those new techniques programmed into the mind is to do with instinct and muscle memory: you’re just expanding your vocabulary.
One of knitting’s biggest deceptions is creating fabric and patterns that belie the simplicity of technique. Or, they may look difficult to create, but are actually simple to make. Knitting has been around for thousands of years – if it were that difficult, nobody would bother!
As ever, if in doubt, read through the pattern and note any abbreviations you don’t understand. And ALWAYS pick a garment pattern with a schematic diagram 😉
So there you are! – 15 tips for beginner knitters, or beginners at sweater knitting
I hope they serve you well 🙂