Learning to knit online

[JollySeriousGiant]

I'm a crocheter normally. But I've just borrowed a set of knitting needles so I can have a bash at that.

Has anyone learned to knit online? Do you have any websites or youtube vids that helped you? Anything I need to know before I start?

knittinghelp.com
knitting fool
very pink on YouTube
ravelry
all great. I started with a book and an easy pattern and looked up each time I came to something I didn't know how to do.

you probably know about the dangers of yarn addiction if you crochet already

I do already have a vast stash some yarn.

I shall look these up, thanks!

I'm going the other way. I can knit, but I am currently learning to crochet. I'm using a Craftsy course. I did have to pay for it, but it's well filmed and has useful little features like a 30 second repeat and the opportunity to ask questions.

I've bought a couple of Craftsy knitting classes and they are quite good
Not beginner's ones though, a lace one and a shawl one. Bought two skeins of Wollmeise lace in the summer I want to use

I am going the other way too.
Normally I am a knitter but I have to learn to crochet because I want to do the wreaths of Attic24s blog.

I want to be able to do cables. I also don't get how knitting is constructed. DD has a beautiful cardigan and I don't understand what direction the knitting is in. It has been bugging me for weeks.

Can you do a picture?

Okay there are pics on my profile I just need to work out how to make it public!

That should be it now

You Tube is great. I'm pretty experienced but there's always something new to learn. My last conquest was learning how to seek (hence my name). My next is to learn double sided knitting. You don't have to pay for any of it. There's always someone willing to share their skills for free!

Cables are easy but they look hard.

All you are doing is knitting the stitches out of order, so they look like they are going in a different direction.

So instead of knitting st1 st2 st3 st4 st5 st6
you knit st4 st5 st6 st1 st2 st3
The cable needle just holds the other stitches out of the way.

So the instructions says slip next 3 st to cable needle. Knit three (from main needle) then knit three from cable needle. If you just do that, that's it. It will look wonky at first but a couple of rows later you can see it worked.

Oh I see! That's clever!

That is indeed a lovely cardigan. It is started from the bottom either by just casting on the stitches for the back or by casting on the stitches back and two fronts on one long needle. You knit up to the armhole, then you divide front and back and knit them separately. The hood is knitted on by picking up stitches round the neck, the sleeves are knitted separately and sewn in. Have a look on Ravelry, there will be hooded jackets there. Cables are easy, but you have to have some dexterity in knitting to be able to hold two needles and a cable needle.
Try and find a knitting club, these things are so much easily shown than written about.

Thank you so much. It is amazing how much that has been bugging me!

There's a new cables knitting class on Craftsy if you're interested Jolly. Craftsy has sales fairly frequently, so you could just wait a bit and see if the price comes down.

You could also join a knitting group or class. I go to a knitting group where you could get advice but not really be taught to knit. I do a "Learn to knit" day at home which is really successful. There might be someone near you who does the same kind of thing?

There's at least one place nearby that does classes, but with two under 3s it's not really possible for me to go to organised things at the moment. Anything I do has to be at home really.

There is a wonderful book called the Harmony Book of Knitting Stitches, which will show you how to do all sorts of cables. The instructions are written, but all the abbreviations are clearly explained, and pretty easy to follow. I've had this book since my late teens, and it has been invaluable.

Thank you :)

I learned a few years ago entirely via YouTube and The Knitting Book (for stitches), made loads of scarves in different stitches including cable stitches (again using YouTube) then progressed to jumpers etc.

Jolly you may have hit on something here... I knit and crochet but as I have a toddler, I also can't go to any local knit and natters. Now, if there was a knit and natter in our local soft play centre.....

Where are you based? Is anyone here local to you and fancies a meet up?

Apologies, neither of those suggestions were in your original message

sorry

Oh! A knit and natter at soft play is a brilliant idea. We have a WRI locally but again I can't take the toddler. I wonder if anyone would be interested. Might check out my local facebook groups.