The art of knitting

[holidayseeker]

I have seen there was an art of knitting magazine that you collected each week and it taught you to make squares to sew together into a throw. I am too late now to collect this so can anyone recommend a good pattern/book for this? I would like to make the throw/blanket for my dd's.

I am only a beginner so it would need to be nice and easy.

Thanks in advance

[LackaDAISYcal]

I think this was a piecework type thing, but not sure how far along in the series it is. they come around every so often though.

Mind you, although they give you the yarn, it can work out really expensive. Far better to invest in a good basics knitting book (look on Amazon or in Hobbycraft, or borrow from the library). There are also lots of books dedicated to Afghan squares; again check on Amazon and //www.ravelry.com has lots of patterns for everything imaginable (and some you couldn't have imagined if you'd tried)

A brilliant, cheap, yet soft and colourful yarn is Stylecraft Special DK; available in loads of online stored or local yarn shops.

Welcome to the world of knitting

[holidayseeker]

That's great thanks for all the tips I will get looking

[kiwigirl42]

ravelry.com is definitely the best place to look. I love The Great American Afghan.

I've also just bought a book by TinCanKnits and its got a lovely blanket pattern in it which you can also buy seperately

[holidayseeker]

I have just registered on ravelry and having a look at the patterns now, I saw the great American flag and thought it looked great.

The other blanket looks great but would it be difficult with the pattern in it?

[LackaDAISYcal]

Looking at the 2nd pattern, it looks like a simple lace pattern, made with yarn overs to make the hole, and then knitting two stitches together to keep the no of stitches the same; if you understand what I mean. Lace really isn't as difficult as it looks.

A good book will show you how; also, there are loads of tutorials on youtube; I've taught myself some tricky cast-ons and grafting using you tube. Always better to see it done, and you can slow down, rewind and play it again until you've got it right.

And if there is a local knitting group, someone will be happy to show you the basics

[LackaDAISYcal]

oh, just realised the squares are knit from the middle outwards. Could be a bit tricky for an absolute beginner; but something to aim at perhaps?

[Madratlady]

Those magazines seem really expensive. If you're on ravelry then just do a pattern search for 'blanket squares' or 'afghan squares' and you'll find loads of squares to knit and they should be free. Get some yarn from hobbycraft and it'll work out much cheaper than a magazine.

I taught myself the basics last february using youtube and occasional help from the lovely girl in my local yarn shop if I got really stuck. I'm making lovely lace patterned gloves and a shawl at the moment, lacy patterns seem a lot scarier than they actually are :)

[holidayseeker]

I'm getting excited now thanks for the tips, looking forward to getting started

[LackaDAISYcal]

Just had www.mumsnet.com/crafts pop up on my facebook feed which includes a knitting and crochet "how to". Who even knew it existed?

Can't find it by browsing the actual site though