want to learn to knit or crochet...

[Notmeagain1]

What is the easiest to learn and what book should I get to learn by?

Both grands crocheted, sadley no longer with us, but I want to learn. I have my first grandbaby on the way and would love to make a blanket for her. Any advice greatly appreciated. Would love to be knitted, but not sure if possible. Ladies?

Will answer all replies tomorrow. TIA

[DarkEvilMoon]

Personally I wouldn't bother with buying a book. I have just expanded my very basic knitting skills by watching tutorials on youtube and a lot of my projects are from free patterns. Ravlery has lots of free patterns from simple to far more advanced, it is free to join.
Knitting wise you can find tutorials in European style and English style, and Crochet you have to make sure you are clear with written tutorials (rather than video ones) whether they mean American or English versions of the stitch names. But it is a minor thing and youtube is pretty much my go to when I need to know something as a first port of call.

I made the mistake of decluttering my wool stash (seemed a good idea at the time) I am now sitting here are I have found a couple of really great looking projects.

Seriously have a hunt for youtube knitting tutorials there are some very good ones also some not so great so sometimes you need to look at a few videos until you find one that clicks

[rockinghorseShit]

agree with above. I taught myself to crochet and knit a couple of years ago. I bought books, but for me, following YouTube videos was the most useful. you can keep pausing and rewinding until you've got it.
with crochet, start with making chains, you need to get used to how you hold your yarn, that is the most important and difficult thing. just keep on trying, it really doesn't take long.
the first thing I made was the ripple blanket from attic24 and there are fantastic instructions to go with it on the blog website.
enjoy!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I couldn't get on with youtube at all, I prefer diagrams to videos, I found this site very helpful learn to knit and crochet

[rockinghorseShit]

if you wanted to make a knitted blanket, you might be best knitting squares and joining together.
I prefer crochet to knitting, its so much quicker, and if you make a mistake its easy to pull it out and try again

[tribpot]

Have a look at Knitfreedom for great, clear videos.

A blanket is a big first project, crochet would certainly be faster - the ripple that rockinghorse mentions is simple and very effective. There is a knitting equivalent of the same pattern here.

[WestEast]

I tried learning to crochet a month or so ago, turns out I'm rubbish at it gave up in a strop so I'm leaning to knit instead. Using YouTube mainly, stop, start and rewind in the videos is really helpful. Have made a slightly wonky bookmark. Am very proud of it :D

[WinterBabyof89]

I find that you take to one more so than the other - so I would try both and see which you prefer
(Although there are exceptions to the rule of course)..

Knitting comes more naturally to me than crochet.. I started out with big wool & needles doing a basic garter stitch to get my head around casting on, learning to read my knitting, binding off etc & each time I've chosen a more difficult project.

Knitting/crocheting a blanket is a lovely thing to do for your Grandchild(ren)

[TheNinjaGooseIsHooking]

knitting or crochet squares is a good idea, one of my friends started with this squares book and made a lovely blanket from it as her first project It's well worth signing up to ravelry too, it's free and has loads of free and paid for patterns for knitting and crochet. Good luck!

[Notmeagain1]

Thank you all. I'm going to buy supplies this weekend and start with crochet and work my way up to knitting To see which one I am any good at. Will stick to YouTube and maybe venture out to patterns at some point,

My goal is to be able to submit somthing to wolly blankets at some point in the future.

[ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]

I can crochet and love it.
knitting - I'm hopeless!

I get a lot of books from the library and spend a bit of time on Pinterest for ideas, inspiration, tutorials and patterns.

happy to help, PM me if you get stuck.
good luck!

[tribpot]

Well don't forget the mantra of Woolly Hugs is 'plain squares are good, plain squares are essential'. Don't feel you need to get to competition standard before you join in - WH is a community project and you're welcome to join in.

[Theworldhasgonecrazy]

I've just done a beginners workshop having not been able to get going with videos or books. Now it all makes sense! Loving it (48 hrs in!)

[hillbilly]

I just started crocheting at Christmas with a yarn package from Wool Warehouse and the Crochet Along (CAL) on the Attic 24 site - you can find the link to the yarn package from her site.

I have recently finished the Cosy Stripe Blanket and there are many more lovely projects for beginners and more experienced crocheters.

[hillbilly]

Aside from this I watched tutorials on utube to work out how to do the stitches.

[Anjelica27]

Check out your local wool shop. Mine has a weekly session once a week in the shop (with coffee) and you just turn up. There is always someone there who is willing to help if you get stuck. Good luck

[AuntieDee]

There is a FAB website //www.ravelry.com with tens of thousands of patterns - some free, some paid; most downloadable :)

They have articles, tutorials, videos, a forum, they run knit-a-longs - can you tell I love the place?

The best thing is that with the pattern search you can put in the thickness of the wool and needles (or hook) and how much wool you have and it will list patterns that would work. You can also narrow it further by item or how complicated it is plus many more.

Have a look :)