Comments on How to Knit

"Knitting for Dummies" and "Stitch and Bitch Nation" are great books on knitting. You can check them out at your local library!

The first knitting projects I did were "capes" for my stuffed animals. These are small, easy, and quick. You can tie the cape with the piece of yarn left sticking out after you cast off, or you can use a safety pin.

If you are desperate to knit, you can use pencils, pens, twigs, or other skinny, pointed objects in place of needles. Make sure to sharpen pencils before use. Don't use anything that will leave permanent marks on your hands, or have some soap handy.

I'm extremely new at this but with the help of a wonderful friend, I've begun to work on my first scarf. At first I would rip out all my rows each time I made a mistake or dropped a stitch. Instead of starting over, I finally just kept on going! My tip is to keep going with your first project and look at it as a learning experience. I have about a 4 foot scarf now and my progress is amazing as I work through the scarf and I realize what I did wrong in the early stages of the scarf. I know this is a really basic tip to share, but it took about 3 feet of scarf before I realized it and became relaxed with my newfound hobby! It's great to see my evolution throughout the length of this scarf!

I'm extremely new at this but with the help of a wonderful friend, I've begun to work on my first scarf. At first I would rip out all my rows each time I made a mistake or dropped a stitch. Instead of starting over, I finally just kept on going! My tip is to keep going with your first project and look at it as a learning experience. I have about a 4 foot scarf now and my progress is amazing as I work through the scarf and I realize what I did wrong in the early stages of the scarf. I know this is a really basic tip to share, but it took about 3 feet of scarf before I realized it and became relaxed with my newfound hobby! It's great to see my evolution throughout the length of this scarf!

Practice makes perfect. You may have already heard this little ditty. I'm 10 and I can knit a little bit - it's because I practiced a whole bunch.

Choose something simple for your first project. Though you may be tempted to pick that great sweater (even if it's rated beginner), don't. Specifically, choose something that doesn't require you to increase or decrease stitches. You'll want to choose something that's knitted straight. A scarf or potholder is great for this. Some hat patterns are knit without decreasing. If you just can't resist a larger project, pick an afghan that uses simple stitches.

The first knitting projects I did were "capes" for my stuffed animals. These are small, easy, and quick. You can tie the cape with the piece of yarn left sticking out after you cast off, or you can use a safety pin.