I want to start knitting but I don't know how!

[wowl]

I really want to knit myself a scarf. A really long Tom Baker-esque affair But I don't know where to start!

Is normal wool good for a scarf or would I use chunky? What size needles do I need? And, the all important question...

How the hell do I learn to knit??

Please help lovely MNers!

There's a great book called Knitty Gritty which is for absolute beginners.

Chunky wool knits up quicker is, I'm afraid all the knowledge I have. Good luck!

Have a look on YouTube as well - it sometimes really helps to watch someone doing something first. Yes , chunky wool and the wool label will tell you what size needles - probably 6mm.

I got the stitch and bitch knitting book when I learnt to knit. It has really easy to follow diagrams and explanations of all the different stitches. It has several scarf patterns. Or, you could buy a knitting magazine- they usually have guides in the back. Most wools have a guide to the recommended size needle on them. Hth!

YouTube is great for learning crafts. I'm a crocheter so I can't recommend any specific tutorials, but searching should give you lots of options. Alternative Craftsy sell online courses that are very well done, best to wait for a sale before you buy a Craftsy class as they usually discount them quite a bit.

Chunky will make quite a thick, heavy scarf but it will work up very quickly. Aran weight might be better if you want something less bulky. I wouldn't go any lighter than that for a beginner or it will take you forever to make a scarf. The needle size will be recommended on the ball band of the yarn when you buy it. If you are a tight knitter then go up a size for needles, if you are very loose then go down a size.

Before you start the scarf knit (and then rip out) quite a few practise pieces. Your tension and knitting style will probably change quite a bit in the first couple of weeks and if you start straight into the scarf it might end up looking different at one end from the other.

Have you a local wool/supplies shop? Down here they all have knitting groups which look like fun. I think even our Hobbycraft has a knitters morning.

Thanks everyone, that's helpful!

BlackAmericano I will be patient and practise and resist the urge to jump straight in Thanks!

I think I'll get a cheap ball to practise with first, I've seen some lovely swanky wool on the internet but I'll leave that until I've got the hang of it Maybe I should knit a plain one for DH first, then a mini Tom Baker for DS before I start mine? Or will that take so long I don't get mine made until winter 2018?

Chillidawg not a proper one as far as I'm aware, and all the knitting groups seem to be daytime when I can't go

Stylecraft are pretty good for cheap yarn to start you off. I make a lot of things with Stylecraft as it's very soft and tactile for acrylic, plus it can be machine washed. I seem to remember seeing a palette of Stylecraft Special DK colours for a Dr Who scarf, I'll see if I can find it. If you use two strands of DK at the same time it's approximately equal to chunky, and it's not as fiddly as you might think.

If you want to buy online Wool Warehouse and Black Sheep Wools are both good, I would be cautious of Deramores as they can sometimes take forever to deliver.

There is a good pattern on Ravelry, here. Sconch sell a pack with the colours in Stylecraft Special DK, once you know the colours you can buy from anywhere.

Ravelry is an amazing resource for knitters and crocheters, it has loads of patterns and general information. So, for instance, if you see a book online and want to know what patterns are in it you can look the book up on Ravelry and see a picture of all the patterns it contains. I find it incredibly useful for seeing how yarn looks when it's made up, because it's hard to tell things like length of colour change when it's in a ball.

Oh those links are great, thank you so much!

I just for a bit excited when I realised this could potentially be the end to my quest for the Perfect Jumper. Motivating indeed

Have a look at these

Has anyone got a positive/negative view of Hayfield DK? They have all the colours I want and seem cheap but thought I'd ask in case there's a better equivalent

Not as nice as Stylecraft IMO.

FWIW I tried to do various practice pieces and I just got bored. I did much better launching in and knitting something really simple that I actually wanted/would wear.

Did you start your scarf, wowl?! I agree with TheInimitableMrsFanshawe, you should jump straight in and knit what you want. Scarves are the best first projects as, even if you're knitting a fancy lace pattern, it's just repeats until it's the length you want. My first ever project was a 2x2 rib scarf for my brother. I kept going until it was over 7ft long. It was full of mistakes (dropped stitches, yarn overs, all sorts) which were well hidden by the rib. Years and years later, it's still his favourite thing!