Knitting Needles. Wanna teach me about 'em?

[Chibi Kiku-chan]

Okay, my skill is sewing, but I'd like to take up knitting. But I know nothing about the needles (and yarn) that is needed for this craft. Could you please tell me about the stuff and whatnot?  

[Mildred Pierce]

Just google knitting for lots of info but DO NOT rely on it to teach you how to knit!

I'd start with needles about size seven or eight because they're not super tiny and they aren't huge either. Red Heart Yarn is also fabulous for practice because it's sturdy and cheap!

To actually learn, I'd either take a class or look it up on YouTube or ExpertVillage. I learned from Youtube and it took about a month to actually get it down but I was able to teach someone in person in less than ten minutes.

So...I guess that really depends on your sources for learning and the amount of time you have to devote to learning.

Hope I helped!!!  

[Catcheen]

When going into your local craft store, there will be three needle types you'll be faced with.

~Straight needles are, well, the straight ones. They come long and short, but they serve the same purpose; to knit flat objects.

~Circular needles are two short straight pieces joined with a cord. They come in different lengths which you will use for different projects. Shorter ones are great for smaller circumference objects while the longer ones are better for larger circumferences. Circular are the most versatile. You can knit things in the round like hats, seamless sweaters, and bags, or you can knit flat objects like scarves or afghans. If you get a long length needle, you can do a technique called "magic loop" to knit things without using DPNs.

~Which are the last needles. Double Pointed Needles are used to knit in the round on small objects like socks, i-cord, or the tops of hats. They're a set of 4 or 5 needles with points on either end. You spread your stitches out on 3 or 4 of them and use the left-over needle to work them.

I'm typing this out while being interrupted by a baby who should be sleeping, so I hope it makes some sense!  

[AccentualWolf]

If I were you I would start with a size 17 and a really chunky yarn so you can see the stitches better and hold the needles with better ease. I tried with a small needle and I wanted to scream and yell. my work almost went across the room. Trust me try to a lager needle to start with. Then when you feel more confident with it try smaller needles. When you are confident with patterns with straight needles move to circlulars. Double points are harder to move to straight off the bat. Other then that the choice between wood and metal needles is up to and what you like working with.  

[DecemberFlower]

Needles also come in a bunch of different materials. The most common ones are aluminum, which you can find in the average chain craft store. I've seen aluminum needles run from size 00 double-pointed needles (often referred to as DPNs) up to about size 13. They're pretty lightweight and sturdy, but they're not my favorite, since they can also be a little slippery with certain yarns. They're also fairly inexpensive.

Also very common are plastic needles. I don't know much about them, although I suppose they're pretty light. They're not my thing. (Maybe someone who likes plastic needles can write more about them.) They also come in a bunch of sizes. I don't know what the smallest size is, but the really big needles (like size 15+) are almost always plastic. A lot of stores will carry these.

Bamboo needles are less common in the chain stores, but most yarn shops will carry these, as well as other wood needs like birch. I like them best because they're lightweight, sturdy, flexible, and most yarns don't slip as easily as they do on the aluminum needles. I also really like how they feel in my hands. They're a little pricier, though, and how much depends on the brand.  

[kochi~mochi]

I agree with whoever it was who said it: Getting size 17 needles and super chunky yarn would make it fairly easy to see the stitches, and make your first project go quicker to make it less likely that you wouldn't get bored with it. Instant gratification! Yosh! 4laugh

Most people start with size 8 needles. they're about standard sized, used with worsted weight yarn, makes a standard looking knitting.

i would go for straight needles, less confusing then circular and double pointed. 3nodding  

[Hotaru Tobutakai]

I actually disagree with getting size 17 needles and chunky yarn. The needles are clumsy and the whole thing will wear out your wrists quickly if you're not used to such projects. If you want to make a scarf, get regular worsted weight and size 6-8 knitting needles so it doesn't feel quite like knitting with broomsticks.

But I find a good starting project is to learn how to knit socks. Go to your local yarn store, pick up some sock yarn (ask someone to point them out, most stores usually have something like Koigu or Trekking XXL or something like that, it's thin, light, and generally very colorful) and some 24" or longer circulars in either size #1US or #2US. This way you can pick up a lot of simpler skills all at once.

As for my opinion on needles: aluminum and plastic are cheapest but can be wearing on some people's nerves. Bamboo is less slippery to yarn and most people prefer it. It's only a little more expensive. The best and thus most expensive are needles like Addi that are silver-plated or you can invest in Rosewood or Ebony needles. They're no more sturdy than bamboo and will break if stepped on but seem to be quite nice to knit with (I have no experience knitting with them, I don't have the money).

Good luck!  

[Peppermint Elf]

Socks as a good starting project?? Are you insane? Nothing will make a person want to quit faster than throwing them into short row shaping or kitchener stitch when they barely know how to purl!

The easiest would be making a scarf in garter stitch (knitting one side, turning it over and knitting the other side) on fairly large needles (size 8-10) or a shrug. Making an afghan by making blocks of knitting and sewing them together is also fairly easy. 3nodding

Good luck to you!  

[AriRashkae]

Well, if you're trying to master a lot of skills (which really are variations on a handful of themes), a simple sock pattern would be a cood place to start: Cast on, ribbing, short rows, picking up stitches, decreasing, and grafting (should you choose it).

One will also learn to handle multiple needles (although I'd recommend 2 circulars instead of a lot of DPNs)

You could also do a "toe up" sock (like) and skip the grafting. Cat Bordhi's Coriolis Sock lets you skip gussets along the sides, but you have to carry 2 strands of yarn instead of one (not as tough as it sounds)

If this sounds too intimdating, then yes, scarves in stockinette (knitting on one side and purling the other), garter (kniting both side) and basket stitch (knitting some stitches, purling others on your way across, matching the row below. Then after a few row, switch the blocks of knit and purl, so the result looks like basketweave)  

[Chaotic_Mind]

Eventhough I've heard it millions of times I'm not sure I agree with this idea of starting using huge needles. I learned with worsted weight on twos and it really has helped my tension.  

[kochi~mochi]

The only reason that i say to use large yarn is because I've taught enough people how to knit that i can honestly say that a single garter stitch scarf in something like wool-ease thick n quick is a good starting project.

When i started knitting, i was handed a pair of 8s and some caron perfect match. The person who was "teaching" me showed me how to cast on and knit and then left me on my own to learn everything else - purls, yarn overs, knit two together, all that good stuff. So i went about finding something to teach me, and decided to just learn by doing projects. Seemed like a good idea. A garter stitch scarf was suggested, as it was 'everybody's first project.' so i tried. I still have what used to be about two feet of scarf - i use it to see what ribs and different patterns look like. But that stupid worsted weight garter stitch scarf really killed my motivation to knit. I ended up putting it down for something like a year and picking up crochet in that time. When i came back to knitting, i learned to purl, since now my sister had picked it up, and she taught me how to purl so i could make a seed-stitch scarf for my grandpa. I used large yarn on size 12 needles, and actually finished my project.


Honestly, i wonder why people give new knitters something that'll take a while, is insanely repetitive, and gets freakishly boring, and only teaches them one stitch. Why can't knitters start with something small, like a dish-cloth? *remembers a video about 'closet crocheters' and the dishcloth vs. garter stitch thing*

My suggestion for a first project: If your going with a garter stitch scarf, go big. If not, take some time and do a couple three rows of knits, and a couple three rows of purls, and then figure out what proget you want to do. Maybe start with ribs instead of garter stitch, or something that isn't just the same thing over and over.  

[Peppermint Elf]

Kochi: I agree with the boredom and not finishing a project. My first project was an 8 foot long muffler, knit in the round. The most frustrating thing was that I kept twisting the join, knitting 10 rounds, realizing my mistake, and having to rip it all out and start again. I had to do that 3-4 times! It was so horrible to get so far (10 rows was about a full day's worth of knitting to my newbie self!) only to have to start over again. It really didn't help that I picked a sport weight yarn on size 6's. sweatdrop (Do you realize how much knitting you have to do on size 6's with sport weight to get 8 feet of scarf? gonk ) It took me 3-4 months to finish (working every day). Talk about dedication. xd

(I can always tell the beginning end of my scarf too. The gauge is a whole lot smaller than the other end. It's a gorgeous scarf tho. I still use it. 3nodding )  

[Blue-eyes-green]

The absolute boredom of knitting 5 feet of garter stich is the reason Harry Potter scarves make a great first project. You get some basic skills like casting on, knitting, etc. with the fun of changing colors every few inches, which is a good way to keep track of how much you've actually done. My first project was a gryffindor scarf knit on size 9 bamboo needles with Lambs Pride wool- and it was so nice I didn't want to branch out into other yarn/needle combinations for about a year after that.
The yarn over dish cloth is also another good first project as it's cool looking, pretty, and fairly simple.  

[Chibi Kiku-chan]

Okay, today I left school early to go to my doctors appointment (I'm not sick, I just have allergies and I managed to get a prescription for Allegra, yay, that is like the only stuff that works on my allergies) and there is a Jo Anns and a Michael's right by my doctors office, so my dad and I went there afterwards. I went to the back of Jo Anns for the 1st time (Don't ask, I've never been to the back of the store, lol) and I saw yarn and stuff. First I noticed a small book that has instructions for beginners and some patterns in it, so I got that, I also got 3 things of yarn. One I believe is that Red Heart yarn. I also got size 8 bamboo needles.

Would a scarf be a good first project?