Hello, I’ve never knitted before and don’t even know how to sew a buckle onto some pants… but I want to knit something for someone so I believe I will have the patience to learn. (I hope)
Tried figuring out the abbreviations but couldn’t catch anything so I guess those aren’t very basic.
Where should I start? Should I start with knitting a square or something? Also “sts” means stiches right?
It’s easier than learning to ride a bike and not nearly as painful.
The bear pattern is all knit sts (yes, stitches) and some shaping. There are videos at the top of this page under the Free Videos tab to get you started and a glossary to explain the abbreviations. You could also look for a book at the library that has clear drawings or pictures.
You found this site, so you’re already on your way. I’d say a bear in much less than 6 months.
You could probably learn enough to knit a bear within a few weeks really. I learned to knit from a booklet when I was 14 and my first project was a rabbit for my niece. The Glossary tab at the top of the page has a lot of the terms used in patterns, and many have videos, some of which aren’t covered on the other pages.
Just get some inexpensive, light colored medium yarn (not thick or not thin) and some size 9 or 10 needles to practice with and you’ll be fine.
I have been thinking about starting to knit. My wife has encouraged me a lot. It wasn’t that hard to get started, but anything beyond basics is impossible for me.
knitting can be very intimdating, but once you see that finished project that you never thought you could do in a million years, its all worth it. like someone else said, baby steps, i learned the basics as a kid in a knitting club at my school and the rest i taught myself. ive found that the internet is a very useful tool when you stuck, good luck
There are mountains of useful videos on this site plus some awesome teachers!!:mrgreen:
I am self taught also and, though I won’t say it was easy, it wasn’t too hard, either.
Start with basic things, like learning the abbreviations, cast on (CO), knit (k), purl §, and bind off (BO). Before I found this site, I used this book:
Here’s a good place for you to start. You first learn how to cast on. You can then decide which method you want to use, English or Continental style. They show both here in these videos. Don’t feel strange about being a guy and wanting to knit. This was before your time, but there was a famous huge and manly football player named Rosey Grier. He loved to needlepoint and even published a book about it.
[B]Knitting is not hard. [/B] Roll up your sleeves and dig in.
Knitting takes [U]patience[/U], and a [U]desire[/U] to complete something. “Stick-to-it-iveness”
Reading patterns is the biggest challenge, for both newbies and oldies like me!
Do your homework. Research terms. Visit websites that offer videos. Get a couple of
good “how to” books. Purchase judiciously. Not all “how to” books are useful. Sit down at
the bookstore and read through the “how to” books…and decide which ones are [B]easiest
to follow[/B], the best diagrams, etc. There are a lot of resources on the internet that are free.
How hard is knitting? This is an interesting question. I find that I can teach a 5 year old to do the basic knit and purl stitch, but no one knows everything about knitting. It is simple and very deep. As Artlady said it takes patience and desire. I find that most people who think they want to learn to knit don’t really. They like the idea of it and would like to churn out knitted items, but they don’t have the patience to really do it. It is not boring–new challenges all the time and unlimited projects and yarns to keep interest up but you have to do it not just talk about doing it.
If you really want to make a pig you can do it before long. Start with the basic knit and purl stitches, then learn a simple decrease and increase and you probably have most of what you need. The abbreviations can be found in a lot of books and the glossary here. They make sense and aren’t nearly as hard as a foreign language. Once you get started you will find out whether you are really a knitting person, or someone who just thought they might be. (about toys: a lot of them involve more than knitting, sewing stuff on, stuffing. Some folks love that, what I call “crafty stuff”, personally I don’t. I can do it and have, but I don’t love it like I do knitting.
This site is great for help if you run into anything you have a question about. You can learn almost anything with your computer and knowing where to go and the gals and guys here know where to go. Just ask.
I hope you find you are a knitter. It is a great hobby.
Depends on your level of patience and willingness to learn, really…If it’s something you absolutely want to learn no matter what, you’ll pick up on it easily enough and enjoy doing it…
