I’m fairly new to knitting, having taught myself to knit a la KnittingHelp.com ( thank you so much!) in September 2006. I’m looking for a smallish project/pattern I can carry with me wherever I go … any and all suggestions (including pattern link and your favorite yarn) will be greatly appreciated!
My favorite? Make yourself and your friends/family… a double-thickness potholder!
Use knitting worsted, synthetic yarn - you can wash and dry those potholders any time.
It’s my classes’ first project. The first square [make it about 7" by 7"] is knit-stitch, aka garter stitch. The second square, same size, is the purl-stitch, aka reverse garter stitch.
I’d suggest using like size 5 or 6 needles - the tighter knitting reduces stretching somewhat, and increases the insulating-density of your work.
When both squares are done, simply bobby-pin them together, then sew the edges with a whip-stitch using either the same yarn [so it’s invisible] or contrasting yarn. And you can sew a little circle-thingy in the center to keep the 2 squares from separating - just use contrasting yarn and a running stitch like quilters use, only bigger.
I love the Odessa hat, it is a VERY simple pattern, simple decrease, and yet it still helps your skills improve
and when U R done you have a BEAUTIFUL hat
ecb
I cannot find the pattern online right now, I will find it again
I was going to suggest a simple hat also. I use circular needles and make a roll brimmed hat. You cast on a multiple of 9 stitches and knit away. you start the decrease when the hat has reached about 6-7 inches. the decrease is simple also starting with knit 7 then 2 together. the next row is simple knitting and then each alternate row has one less stitch between decreases. You finish the hat by simply running your yarn through the remaining stitches and pull tight. No seams to worry about and it is very portable, fits in your purse, bag etc. Hope this helps! Becky
Thank you all so much! I was actually thinking along the lines of dishcloths and hats! Great minds think alike! I would really like to learn continental knitting, so I think I’ll start with a dishcloth and see where that takes me!
I’d also suggest dishcloths, which are small, portable, and usually don’t take very long to knit. You can go for a simple stitch pattern or as fancy as you want.
This is a great way to learn new stitch patterns and techniques such as cables, stranding, lace, etc. It is a lot of fun to experiment with colors too. When you think about it, a dishcloth or washcloth is basically a large swatch.
You don’t have to invest a lot of time or $$$$ for a dishcloth. And the best part IMHO is that gauge isn’t super-important.
I would say you should learn to knit a basic sock or do the Fetching fingerless mitt from Knitty Simple way to learn knitting in the round, very portable! Good luck