Hello, I am a beginner in knitting, never even got a knitting needle in my hands. I came across 4 books so that I can learn knitting in the best way possible. Can you please help me in choosing two books that when combined will allow me to learn the basics? Any tips you might have for beginners are also welcome! Thank you.
The books I found are:
Knitting for Dummies
Ultimate Knitting Bible: A Complete Reference with Step-by-step Techniques
The Knitting Book
Knitty Gritty: Knitting for the Absolute Beginner
Before investing in books I suggest you check out the free videos here and on youtube to learn to cast on and do knit and purl stitches. You might find that you can simply skip getting a learn how type of book. Just my opinion and as always YMMV.
[COLOR=“Purple”][B]Hello, I too am pretty new to knitting. My first projects were scarfs and they turned out really nice. I got my inspiration from this web site and Ravelry. As far as books, I haven’t checked out any of the books you referenced, but I really like
Knitting 101: master basic skills and techniques easily through step-by-step instruction
by Carri Hammett
It’s a wonderful beginner book and it comes with a dvd! Which I found extremely helpful!!! I borrow books from the library instead of buying. If there is something I must have, after I’ve borrowed it, I look for it at 1/2 Price Books.[/B][/COLOR]
Welcome to Knitting Help!
In adition to the above suggestions, you might also try the public library. It’s a good way to sample books and see which ones are easiest for you to understand.
just wanted to second the suggestion about the library… having worked for 3 different ones (k-12 schools, community college, and multi-county public), and being an avid user myself, i find TONS of crafting help in the resources there.
also, most libraries provide free access to magazines and periodicals through their e-resources, including knitting and crafting magazines (just need your library card information, used through the official library website). it’s a great way to get the information, any time you want.
lastly, welcome to the site! some great helpers here. i should say that daily 
Thank you all very much for your help! I kind of decided to buy the Knitting for Dummies book and use the Craftsy classes in parallel. If any problems arise during learning I will consult all the other resources that have been posted here! Do you agree with using this book with the online classes in combination? Thanks a lot.
I absolutely agree with whatever works for you. If that’s the winning combination, go for it! and enjoy.
I learned from an I taught myself to knit type of book, then used a DVD from a clearance sale, then found online videos and help here at Knitting Help. The original book that came with needles and some odds and ends and the cheap DVD were the sum total of my investment in learning materials. So…if it works for you, that’s what matters.
The KFD book is a good one. I generally stay away from books because the majority of them have half the book showing you how to knit, which is redundant if you already know how, and very few actual patterns. I would recommend Youtube tutorials. They have many how-to projects for free. If you MUST buy books, I check out the prices for used copies on Amazon. It’s often a fraction of the retail book list price. And many of the books I’ve bought are in new condition. I’ve bought children’s books for my granddaughter at one cent per book with a $4.99 shipping charge. They sold new for three times that amount. One of the groups I especially like to buy from are Goodwill’s across the country.
i’ve just come back in here after a long time, and noticed this thread. I actually have the above mentioned book, I got it after going on a beginner’s knitting workshop. I thought it was really good teaching wise but hey that’s just me. Just thought i’d share.
[B][COLOR=“Purple”]I forgot to mention in this book, Knitting 101: master basic skills and techniques easily through step-by-step instruction by Carri Hammett, there are many projects. You start off with a very easy project and the projects build upon what you have learned and what you will learn for the current project.[/COLOR][/B]
