Getting Started with Knitting
Where to Begin?
I have previously covered the basics of knitting on my introduction page, and I have provided information about the materials you need on both the yarn page and the needles page. Please feel free to read these articles before continuing if you are feeling unprepared.
Now you have hopefully chosen a yarn and some needles, so it's finally time to actually get started!
This page is a bit of a hodge podge of things, but the first tutorial I am sharing here is a full & comprehensive lesson about learning to knit from scratch. This tutorial is aimed at absolute beginners and teaches you everything you need to know to be able to knit a scarf:
Slip Knots and Yarn labels
The next video I have decided to list here is one where I talk about yarn labels.
It's a basic overview of what the symbols on a yarn label mean, and it's the kind of thing even a complete beginner will come across...so it's as good a place to start as any :)
And the final video I recommend to you is the one below, which shows you how to tie a slip knot.
If you can already do this then great! If not, then you'll need to be able to do it as a first step when casting stitches on to your knitting needles.
It's very simple and very useful:
Now you are at the stage where you can really get stuck into learning how to knit...starting with learning how to cast on.
Casting on is simply how stitches are first added onto your needles, and is necessary before you start to knit anything.
I will be covering a few different ways of casting on, but for beginners I would say to learn one (or both) of the two most popular techniques only; the 'long tail cast on method' and the 'knitting cast on method'. Either one does the job.
If you then want to expand your knowledge, or you need a cast on method that gives you a particular look or is perhaps particularly stretchy, you can learn other methods. But to start with, please don't overwhelm yourself with how many ways there are of doing the same thing.
I would love for you to follow my entire series of beginner's knitting lessons on this website, and I really hope some people out there find it useful :)
Good luck!