Knitting Pattern Basics

Series Summary

Knitting is more hip and popular than ever. Check any number of bookstores. There are several volumes of knitting patterns: everything from bikinis to purses. A new generation of expressive yarns make the creation of eye-catching clothes and accessories easier than ever. Knitting asserts independence from traditional clothing manufacturers, and is the perfect outlet for personal style. In this free video series, learn how to knit with patterns. Our expert, Pam Grushkin, is a professional knitting instructor. She explains the ins and outs of knitting patterns. Learn the terms used in knitting patterns. Also, find out to measure yarn for a pattern. Get tips for understanding the supplies required for specific knitting patterns. Confused about what knitting needles to use on patterns? Grushkin teaches how to use knitting needles in patterns. Finally, learn how to finish knitting patterns and how to block them. So, pick up a new hobby, and learn to knit using patterns today!

Video Transcript

"Once you picked out your pattern, you're going to want to read through at least the beginning of it to know what kind of materials you're going to need in order to make it. So, a good pattern is going to have a picture of the finished project and it's going to tell you the sizes and the materials that you're going to need to make it so, that you can buy enough of what you need to make the pattern. That being said, I made a markup of elements of the pattern. So, we'll go through this and this is what a good pattern will have. Some patterns will have all of this. Some will have just a few things. Some leave it open to interpretation. So, you know pattern might tell you the experience level which will be a good indicator right off the back if it's right for you. It's going to give you the body measurements the actual body measurements of the garment. Then it's going to give you the finished knitted measurements. It'll tell you what materials you need. It'll tell you everything you need in order to finish the project. It'll tell you how much yarn, what kind of needles, what kind of notations you need. Hopefully, it'll have a photo of the garments so you know what it looks like when it grows up. You're going to have your gauge which is going to tell you how many stitches to the inch you have to get to make this pattern come out right and we're going to spend a lot of time talking about gauge. Then you're going to have a glossary which is going to give you the definitions of all the terms that they abbreviated in the pattern to help you understand them. Any special pattern stitches that they have would be defined at the beginning of the patterns so that you know what they are and then you would have the pattern directions how you know knit your front knit your back whatever that you're making. Now, there's sometimes when you would be making a pattern and it's not coming out right and you're going to think it's you and you're going to rip it and you're going to redo it and you're going to think it's you, sometimes it's not you. Sometimes it's the pattern and then what you could do is speak to your local yarn store to see if there's eras or go on the Internet to see if that particular pattern has any eras listed for it."