Knitting 101

Knit Knit Knit
Originally uploaded by le happy.
When I was about 7 years old, my mom taught me how to knit, just as her mother had taught her to knit, and so on through the generations. Of course, it being the ’80s, my first project were some multicolored leg warmers. (They can’t all be winners.) After a while, I took a long hiatus from it and picked it up again as an adult. It’s become one of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day or spend some down time when I’m feeling stressed out. There have been quite a few studies that compare the peace and contentment knitting can bring you to the benefits of meditation and yoga.

I love finding time to sneak it into my daily routines, too. I enjoy having my hands busy while I watch TV or a movie, for example. Or I’ll bring it in the car for those occasions when my toddler falls asleep on the way home and I don’t want to wake up her by getting her out of the car! And I have to say, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing a finished project. You can use your creativity to make your own patterns, switch out colors and alter patterns, once you get some practice.

So you know all the reasons to do it, but how do you get started? Well, if you’ve been missing out on the recent knitting revolution and don’t know where to begin, maybe this will encourage you to jump on in. I’m going to answer some of the most common questions I get about learning to knit.

Knitting looks too confusing and complicated. What’s the basic concept?
If you see someone start knitting, you’ll notice that on the left needle is filled with little loops of yarn. Each one of those is called a stitch. To knit, you wrap the yarn around the tip of the right needle and pull it through the first stitch on the left needle. That’s it! Of course, it can get more complicated later, but most of knitting is just that. Repeat it over and over until the end of the row and then you just swap the needles so the stitches are all on the left side needle again. (This repetitiveness is why it is said to be similar to meditation.)

How do I find instructions to knit something?
You can find knitting patterns at your local yarn shop, at craft stores (like Michaels or Joann’s), online, or in knitting books, booklets, and magazines. A search for “free knitting patterns” will turn up a variety of sites online, plus most libraries have a selection of knitting books that you can check out or photocopy patterns from.

How do I translate the instructions so they make sense? What does K10, P2tog, YO, sl, K3tbl, mean anyway?
Knitting patterns tend to be written in abbreviations. Most patterns or books have a decoding section, where they explain certain abbreviations. You’ll find that most abbreviations are pretty standard and after awhile you won’t have to keep looking for the glossary! I think seeing these abbreviations scares off a lot of people unnecessarily. If you can follow any of the hundreds of internet abbreviations (like LOL and KWIM?), these will be no more difficult to pick up. When really in doubt, there are also a lot of websites that list knitting abbreviations, so a search for that phrase will help you with deciphering.

There are so many different needles, what are they all for?
You have quite a selection, and as you tackle more projects you’ll end up building your own needle collection. Each type of needle comes in a range of sizes (thicknesses). First of all, there are straight needles and they’re varying lengths. While you’re knitting, the project will be hanging off of your needles. So if it’s a small thing —like baby booties— shorter needles are fine. If it’s a bit bigger —like a wide scarf —then you’ll want longer needles. Then there are also circular needles— straight on the ends but connected in the middle, so they make a U shape when you hold them up. Think about it, if you want to make an afghan or baby blanket, that would be a lot of weight to hold up on your needles! This way most of the stitches hang off of the bend in the U. Circulars are my favorite, because no matter how heavy the project, the weight of it sits on my lap instead of my wrists. There are also double pointed needles, which are usually shorter. You need them for knitting small projects around in a circle, such as for hats or socks.

How do I know which size and kind of needle I need? And what does “gauge swatch” mean? Is it necessary to make one?
Luckily you don’t have to buy all types or many sizes at first. Just look at the pattern and you’ll see that it tells you which sizes you’ll probably need. That isn’t always exact, it depends on how tightly or loosely you pull the yarn as you knit. Everyone develops their own natural style with that as they practice. The pattern will also have a section called “gauge” or “tension.” It’ll tell you to knit a little test piece, usually about 4 inches square. If your test swatch ends up too big, you need to go down a size in needles and try again, or go up a size if the swatch is too small. That way you find out before knitting the whole sweater the wrong size! It’s very important for sizing to knit the gauge swatch. Plus, you can use it as a sample and wash it to find out what will happen to the finished product—is it going to felt up (turn from wool into felt) or will the dye run or will it shrink?

There are even more yarn selections than needles—how do I chose the right one for my project?
Again, there are many different sizes and types of yarn. You can go natural with silk, cotton or wool, synthetic with an acrylic or nylon, or modern with a soy or bamboo yarn. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, and a huge variety of blends exists to give you more freedom. Yarn can be very fine (think lace), thin “sport weight” (baby clothes), medium “worsted weight” (probably most projects you’ll make, like socks and sweaters), or chunky (good for big blankets or a thick scarf). That explains why the type and size of yarn you choose depends on the project you choose. You must get the pattern first before needles or yarn! In the pattern, it will tell you the weight of yarn to use and will also usually suggest a certain yarn brand and type which the model in the photo was made with.

What should I make first?
Something simple! Squares or rectangles are the easiest shapes to start with. But don’t find yourself limited to scarves or clothing. Try something for your house, like making your own washcloths, potholders, dishcloths, baby blankets, or if you know any kids, doll blankets. Once you are used to making the stitches the same size (it’s all about keeping the same tautness on the yarn) and have figured out how to correct some mistakes, you can start branching out to some other patterns and more complex stitches.

And don’t forget to stop by the knitting thread on the Constant Chatter forums. It’s a great place to ask for help with specific problems, vent frustrations, and of course proudly show off your accomplishments. Happy knitting!

-Scooter