Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Arts and crafts

Discover knitting, crochet, scrapbooking and art and craft ideas on this forum.

Knitting...how did you learn? ie: How can I learn?

23 replies

hannahmary · 24/08/2007 11:41

Hello there...I would like to learn but I don't know how, where...anything! How did you learn and any ideas?
Thank you!!!

OP posts:
ib · 24/08/2007 11:47

www.knittinghelp.com

all you need to know about knitting.

Tigana · 24/08/2007 11:51

knitting help is good. Particularly when it has little video clips to show you exactly what they mean by "thread over between stitches, knit into front of stitch and kttog" [slightly baffled]

I bought a book ( Debbie Bliss - knitting for beginners I think) useful to refer to mid-knit (keep it in my knitting bag.

cylon · 24/08/2007 11:53

pratice, perseverance. and lots of help from little old ladies

thechickenlady · 24/08/2007 11:58

My grandma taught me when I was little, and I picked up the stuff about stitching stuff together, etc from Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits for Beginners, it's my bible. Just bought her "How To Knit" book which is more detailed though and just as good.

Love knittinghelp.com when you haven't got a clue about what the pattern means.

thechickenlady · 24/08/2007 11:59

I wish I knew a little old lady to ask for help cylon!

tribpot · 24/08/2007 12:01

If you're in London, there's a knitting club in Liberty's (I think it's Liberty's, can check) where you can go and get help plus learn how to drink and knit simultaneously. A friend of mine goes and demonstrated how to drink wine whilst holding a knitting needle and not poke yourself in the eye

I've got 'Knitting for Dummies', which is very good as well.

hannahmary · 24/08/2007 12:01

Thanks guys! I'll check that out. Hmmm, I don't know any little old ladies here in England, maybe I'll have to go out and find one

OP posts:
Marina · 24/08/2007 12:04

check whether your local knitting supplies shop hosts a weekly/monthly drop-in (like Liberty's which is wonderful but on a Thursday eve and not very handy for WOTH parents).
I taught myself. The Debbie Bliss book is very helpful IMO and so is the website linked to it.
But I think to get started, there is nothing like being shown the basics by a real live person - some of whom are under 70 cylonbabe

tigerschick · 24/08/2007 12:22

I leant as a child but refreshed with the Debbie Bliss "Baby knits for beginners" book. Got it in Mothercare for about £15 I think. I found it very good as it has step-by-step instructions and easy to make patterns that don't take a life time so you feel like you have accomplished something. The only downside is that it calls for Debbie Bliss' own wool/cotton - so I take the pattern with me to the market and get them to suggest an alternative as the DB stuff is quite pricey.
Good luck

tigerschick · 24/08/2007 12:22

Clearly I learnt as a child - tho I'm sure I did some leaning too

FioFio · 24/08/2007 12:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cylon · 24/08/2007 12:58

or walk into any charity shop. they tend to be staffed by older women. who all know how to knit. it was an essential life skill when they were younger, and they are usually happy to help.
they also know all the different ways to fold nappies. and like chattign aboutthat too.

Blandmum · 24/08/2007 13:01

I was taught by my gran and my Mum. We also had to knit in Junior school. It was considered essential for girlies to know how to knit. And do blanket stitch

fizzbuzz · 24/08/2007 13:26

I was taught by my mum, and at school, where I was told I would never be a knitter ( I went on to be a knitwear designer!)

However when we started a knitting club at the school where I work, we were nearly stampeded, about 60 kids wanted to know, and it was impossible to teach that many.

I used to be a knitwear designer, and when fleece arrived (sort of early 90's) people stopped knitting, and I really think it sort of died out for a bit then

Biglips · 24/08/2007 13:28

i was taught by my mum too when i was about 8....im far too heavy handed to knit!!

hannahmary · 24/08/2007 13:30

Wow, I did woodworking and built a canoe that we later used to cross a large part of Ontario...was NEVER taught to knit [sad emoticom]. Somehow however, my younger sister found out how to do it Saturday I will be off to the local charity shops!

OP posts:
Pruners · 26/08/2007 09:43

Message withdrawn

fleacircus · 26/08/2007 09:50

I learnt earlier this year from the 'Stitch and Bitch Book' - it's very good for the basics and I find it easier to follow the diagrams than those in the books I've bought since. Didn't make many of the projects from it because I wanted to start with baby stuff - it's smaller and I'm pregnant so have an incentive! But the patterns are quite good and I will probably go back to it when I have more confidence and patience. Only problem with it is because it's American the types of yarn are different so I had to go to John Lewis and get someone there to explain what the UK equivalents are.

pipsqueeke · 26/08/2007 09:53

I was taught my by mum and now MIL shows me things as mums hands are not v good.

do you know anyone who can help you?

fizzbuzz · 26/08/2007 10:11

What's german style knitting?

NorksDrift · 26/08/2007 10:12

Again if you're in London,there is this woman. I went to a beginner's class of hers at Loop.

KnitterInTheNW · 26/08/2007 10:33

Do you have a John Lewis where you are? I started off with an hour's free laesson from the lady in the haberdashery dept, I just went in and asked, and booked an hour's slot for a saturday. That was 9 years ago, and now there's no stopping me!

Once you've got going, if you have any problems try either here on the arts & crafts section, or www.knittingforums.co.uk. Everyone's really friendly and helpful and there's also a list of local knit & natter type groups which will be full of people who meet weekly/monthly to knit/crochet and put the world to rights. We're forever helping each other out with bits we're stuck on at the one I go to, because everyone has a different 'bit' of knitting that they've mastered better than others.

Pruners · 26/08/2007 10:55

Message withdrawn

New posts on this thread. Refresh page