My mother-in-law recently taught me how to knit and I am now obsessed. My home is covered in skeins and needles, and I have been known to bring knitting to salon appointments and waiting rooms. Knitting is soothing and cost efficient, if you love wearing scarves, arm warmers, sweaters, beanies, slippers, and socks while wrapping yourself up in a blanket you made yourself. If your friends and family get tired of hand knitted gifts, you can donate your items to people who need them. Knitting is awesome! But it's such a wide world, so if you're just getting into the game or want to learn, these knitting tutorials have some great techniques for beginners. Pretty soon, you'll be creating your own patterns and seeing knit and purl stitches in your sleep!
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1. How to Knit: Clueless Edition
This is one of the best knitting tutorials I've ever come across. At about 15 minutes long, you have time to take in every step, but it's still incredibly concise. This will teach you the basics of slip knots, casting on, how to hold your needles. One tip from me: ma mere (that's what I call my mother-in-law, see) got me started on big needles – size 13, a 9 mm set – and that helped a lot because my fingers were so clumsy in the beginning. That might help you, too.
2. Purling 101
I love purling! Knit and purl are the two basic stitches in knitting. Adding in a purl stitch creates depth, texture, and interest. You can create gorgeous ribbing, and it's an essential part of cabling – which is my favorite. You shall see. Anyway, once you figure out what to do with your right needle, purling is as simple as, well, a knit stitch!
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3. The Simplest Scarf
Most people usually start out with scarves because they're easy, you can make them as long or as short (or as thin or as thick) as you like, and it's less of a hassle to fix your mistakes. Besides, scarves are still an ultimate fashion accessory. Even if your first one has a few mistakes, you'll treasure it forever.
4. Fixing Your Mistakes
Speaking of mistakes, you will make some. If you're a perfectionist, you won't be able to handle it (guilty, by the way). Ripping the stitches – unraveling everything you've done up to the mistake – is one way to do this, but it's messy, it frays the yarn, and it can be hard to get all the stitches back on your needle. This is a tutorial for fixing your mistakes that will save time, effort, and massive amounts of frustration.
5. Cabling Made Easy
Here's the video that taught me how to cable! Cabling is beautiful, and so versatile. You can create S-shaped cables by alternating your cables front to back, or gorgeous braided patterns if you keep your cables in the front or back. I actually got to teach my mother-in-law how to cable on her recent visit! Warning: the next twenty or so projects you knit will probably involve cabling. It happens.
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6. To Infinity and beyond
Given the popularity and prettiness of circular scarves, even novices love knitting these. You'll never have to worry about finding exactly the colors or patterns you want again – just make the perfect infinity scarf yourself!
7. Binding off
Last but most certainly not least, once you finish your project, you need to know how to cast off. Even if you've already knitted a few things, I've found that the method for this takes a while to sink in. If you need some help while you wait for it to become muscle memory, here you go!
I adore knitting. Sometimes working with those needles is the only thing that keeps me from using them as weapons when I get stressed or overwhelmed. Since everyone can use a helping hand, how about sharing some of your favorite projects?
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