knitting novice - what to buy to start?

[OnlyWantsOne]

Can any one tell me what I need to buy to start knitting?

Id like to learn... make a scarf or two... I have no kit, so tell me what to buy please

if you go to your local needlecraft or hobbycraft shop you will find knitting patterns. on the knitting patterns it has a "you will need" section. knitting needles come in different sizes and balls of wool come in different types and weights. or if you're just like me and know nothing about knitting, buy knitting needles and a big ball of nice wool and get started! maybe ask a granor great gran to show you how to cast on and off.xx

I learnt (well I can cast on and off and knit and pearl) through watching youtube vidoes and buying Debbie bliss's easy baby knits book

The "Stitch n Bitch" books by Debbie Stoller are great for beginners too. Funny and helpful, with really clear instructions.

Get quite chunky yarn and needles to start with, it's easier, in my experience.

Can you find out if there is a local "knit and natter" or "stitch and bitch" night? Ask in your local independent wool shop, they will almost certainly be able to help.

The person to talk to on here is DutchOma she knows a LOT about knitting!

I second the "Stitch n Bitch" books, and I would also recommend buying something like this as you get everything you need including instructions for a project to get you going. You can then decide if it's something you like doing.

I am largely self taught and used the S&B books, Debbie Bliss and You Tube.

The alternative to books is to buy one of the knitting magazines. They always have a 'learn to knit' page. If you combine those pictures with what you can pick up on You Tube you would easily pick up the basics. Try 'Let's Knit' or 'Simply Knitting' or 'Knitting Today' as they have a good spread of easy and hard patterns. One of them comes with some freebie yarn this month to practice with so you would only need a set of 4mm needles!

The other good thing about magazines is that they are relatively cheap.

Apart from that if you have a local yarn shop (LYS) I would go and have a chat. I wouldn't be surprised if they would be happy to give you a quick lesson - after all, if they teach you well and you get hooked they stand to make a lot of money out of you.

Bugger, I'll try again!

I really liked Debbie Stoller's "Stitch and Bitch" books but I think it's important for a novice to know that the terms she uses are American terms and it can be quite confusing to then move to UK patterns.

I stock Erika Knight's book Simple Knitting (just over a tenner on Amazon) and I'd actually recommend it over the stitch and bitch books. I feel it's more clearly explained, better illustrated and has projects to help you work through your skill levels.

Do you mind me asking what kind of thing you envisage knitting? Are you likely to knit for adults or children? Clothing or toys/accessories? I could give you advice on the type of needles & yarn that I'd recommend if that would help?

I say skip the knitting and give crochet a try! A very forgiving craft, it seems to work up quicker than knitting, and IME is much more versatile.

I have a kit you could have to start you off

pic here

And join Ravelry (ravelry.com). You have to ask for an invitation but it comes through quite quickly and then you can search for local yarn stores and local knitting groups.
And you can join the Mumsknitters.

Another cheap avenue for exploration is to look at the manufacturers's websites. For example Coats Crafts which do Patons yarns and also Rowan (although that is a more of a stand alone company than Patons so doesn't feature much on the Coats website). As well as a few 'how to' pages and info about their yarns, the website also has some free patterns which might be worth a look.

I agree with joining Ravelry although I don't go on it much - almost too many ideas and too much temptation to buy new yarns but still worth an evening's perusal!

DutchOma I think Ravelry is on immediate sign-up now

OH! Also, if you're a bit of a novice then Yarndex can be a very helpful website. It tells you what your yarn weight is, what it can be substituted with etc and is a veritable saviour!

To be honest I wouldn't start with a scarf either. I know everyone does, but they're really boring, they take ages for novice knitters and sloppy tension shows up really badly.

I would second buying a magazine like Simply Knitting. Also, I think chunky wool and needles about 6mm or 8mm work well for beginners because it grows much quicker, and hides tension a bit better. But don't go for "fluffy" wool.

How about a simple clutch bag as a first project? A rectangle that's folded over and sewn at the sides, with a button and loop fastening? Possibly with a cord strap. Or an ipod sock. Then graduate to baby clothes to practise increasing/decreasing. Other people swear by dishcloths, but really....never saw the point.