Hello future knitters! If you’re just starting out on your knitting journey, you’re in for a cosy treat. Knitting is not just about creating beautiful garments and accessories; it is also a fantastic way to relax, express your creativity, and even meet new friends in the crafting community.
Whether you want to knit a scarf, a sweater, or maybe you want to skip right to knitting socks, you can find all of the information you need right here.
Here are our Top 7 Beginner Knitting Tips to help you get started. Ready, set.. cast on!
1. Choose the Right Yarn
When starting out, it can be very overwhelming to decide which yarn to knit with. For beginners it’s best to choose a lightcoloured yarn that is smooth and not too thin.
Lightcoloured yarns allow you to see your stitches better. Trust us, you probably don’t want to try black yarn until you have some knitting experience!
Smooth yarns are a treat to knit with. For beginner knitters we recommend cotton-acrylic blends, acrylic yarns, or wool-nylon blends. Try to stay away from 100% cotton yarns at the beginning, because mistakes and tension differences show up easily in cotton.
Choose a yarn that is not too thin, so your first knitting project won’t be too fiddly. Instead of sockweight yarns, start by using some DK weight or worsted weight yarns. If the yarn doesn’t mention what weight it is, check the recommended needle size. Yarn for a needle size from 4mm upwards is quite nice to start out with.
2. Get the Right Needles
Just like yarn, the type of needles you use can make a big difference in your knitting experience. In fact, we’d say needles matter even more! If you’re not enjoying the process of knitting, try some different needles.
Circular needles are the best all-round needles in our humble opinion. You can knit straight pieces or in-the-round pieces, they are less straining for your wrists, and easy to fold away for knitting on the go. If you happen to have straight needles, they are fine too for starting out.
The most common needles are made out of wood, bamboo or metal. Wooden and bamboo needles hold onto your stitches better, meaning they are less likely to drop off. Very handy when you’re a beginner! Experienced knitters tend to prefer metal needles as it’s much easier to knit faster with those.
As for size, a 4mm or 5mm is great to start out with. When using circular needles, opt for an 80cm or 100cm length.
3. which stitch to try first?
There are two main stitches: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Many knitting blogs will tell you to start with the basics and to knit a garter stitch scarf, which is basically a scarf with just the knit stitch over and over.
Over here at How To Knit we know what it’s like to be a beginner knitter, and they want to be entertained by their knitting projects. Garter scarves are great, but we personally found them quite boring as beginner knitters. So dive into those stitch dictionaries, find a stitch pattern that lights you up. Want to knit socks? Go for it! You can do it step by step.
4. Don’t be scared to frog
“Frogging” is the term used when you need to unravel your work because of mistakes – think “rip it, rip it.” It’s totally normal for beginners to make errors! Don’t be discouraged if your first few projects don’t turn out perfectly. Knitting is all about practice and patience, embrace frogging as part of the learning process. It sounds so cliché but it’s true! The more you knit, the better you’ll get at it and the more confident you will become.
5. watch tutorial videos
We are so lucky nowadays to have such a wealth of knowledge available online, including knitting tutorial videos. Photo tutorials are great, but sometimes it can really help to watch a tutorial video instead so you can visualize how exactly to hold your needles and yarn. Find a few channels you like and subscribe! Of course, we recommend the Youtube channel of one of our writers: New Leaf Designs.
6. Join a Knitting Group
Knitting doesn’t have to be a solo adventure! Look for local knitting groups, or online communities where you can connect with other knitters. Share photos of your work, exchange advice, ask questions, and perhaps you’ll gain some friends along the way! If you’re looking for a friendly online group, try the New Leaf Designs Knitting & Crochet Crew on Facebook.
7. Dare to do it badly
One of the best pieces of advice we’ve ever gotten is that when starting a new creative hobby, dare to do it badly. If you’re looking into knitting, chances are that you’re already very experienced in another creative hobby such as painting, drawing, embroidery or perhaps cupcake decorating. And for creatives, it can be so frustrating when your projects don’t go as planned, especially when you’re used to being good at something.
So when you’re figuring out how to knit, dare to do it badly. Does your knitted frog look nothing like a frog? Well, so what? Every great knitter was a beginner when they first started. Keep on knitting, and you’ll get there!
Happy knitting!