all these blanket threads have inspired me... I can cast on, knit and purl (sort of!) but my tension is shocking... Help!

[Alambil]

So, how does one sort their tension issues!?

Also, what wool is best to practice with; cheap stuff from Wilkinson's, so that it can be recycled, or a bit better quality, just in case it turns into a passable attempt?

Practise practise practise! Or you can cheat and use a smaller needle for purling than you do for knitting or visa versa. :O)

I used cheap stuff to practice with. My tension was way way tight when I started but is fairly standard now. You can adjust needle size to help, so if you are very loose with 4mm, try using 3.25mm instead. It will vary a bit with different yarns too, and how stressed you are sometimes!

Well, I've decided that on account of only having to master one needle (hook) I'm going to learn to crochet instead...

so I got a ball of relatively cheap wool and a 4.5mm hook and it's still coming up really tight... I don't know why! Oh well, I'll keep going and see if I can loosen up a bit (arf)

I'm only doing a 5inch line atm of single crochet, so it's quite simple, but I'm going to sort this tension thing if it kills me!

Just do lots of it. My first actual 'thing' was a 3x6' shawl in a mesh pattern - just chain and singles. It grew fast and I just kept going - by the time I'd finished I had speed and tension sorted

But I made it in an acrylic mix rather than the mahoosively expensive recommended yarn

How do you hold your yarn? When I was starting out many years ago I used to hold my yarn quite baggily between finger and thumb, then someone suggested I try wrapping it round my index finger instead.eventually found that little finger /index combo works for me.am told it looks odd but it keeps the yarn tensioned evenly-ish.
IMO nicer yarn is easier to use.I'd recommend a cheapish Merino (James Brett?) Or bluefaced Leicester - not scratchy or slippy.