When first learning to knit it can feel very overwhelming. There are so many different kinds of needles and yarn, then the number of tutorial videos to chose from, I can see why some people just don’t bother.
I hope that this post will help you to narrow things down and be able to make choices, quickly and easily, so that you can begin your knitting journey.
Needles come in different kinds of materials and can be acquired from many places, craft stores, super stores, even dollar stores often carry the long straight needles. The material doesn’t matter too much at the beginning, that will come later, and is more about personal comfort and preference. Some people don’t like metal needles because they are cold and make a loud noise when dropped on hard floors. Wood is nice and smooth, as are many of the plastic ones. To get started in knitting, and see if it is going to be something you want to pursue, I suggest going to the thrift store or a box store and picking up a set of metal needles.
I personally am all for American made, but I realize that that isn’t practical for those who don’t know what they need. HERE is a link to the materials sheet for the beginner kit that I use with my in person students and goes with the pattern below.
Needles come in many sizes! Some are marked and some are not. Often those that are will have both numbers and millimeter (mm) size markings. The numbers are US sizes and the mm are for everywhere else. For the project in the pattern below, you will want anything from a US 7 / 4.5 mm to US 9 / 5.5 mm You will notice that the higher the number the bigger around the needle is.
Yarn has many more choices and will be an area of continuing education throughout your stitching journey. For this beginner project, choose a worsted weight yarn, see links below for examples, ask at the craft or yarn shop if you’re unsure. Choose a lighter, solid color. I know it isn’t much fun but it will help you see the stitches better and you’ll understand more of what you are doing. I suggest not using cotton or bamboo to begin with because it has no give and has a tendency to make stitchers frustrated.
Right or left handed? Doesn’t matter, you can knit with either hand! The videos listed in this post all show right-handed knit, but each has a link to the left-handed version. You can knit with either hand. Some patterns, those with pictures or that aren’t symmetrical for example, will look different, backwards from what is shown in the photo. The pattern in the beginner file below will work just fine knitted with either hand. If you are a brand new knitter, not just looking for refresher, please choose to be a right-hand knitter, it will make your life so much easier. The yarn can be tensioned in either hand, this is a personal choice, no right or wrong, and you still be a right-handed knitter, even if you are left handed in life.
If you are already a crocheter then you probably understand about yarn. I will tell you that the crochet hooks with letters, numbers and millimeters coincide with the knitting needles of the same number. For example a size “H” crochet hook has the number 8 on it and is 5.00mm. US size 8 knitting needles are 5mm. If as a crocheter you hold your yarn in your left, I suggest that you try to knit right-handed, holding your yarn in your left hand. If you hold your yarn in your right hand then knit right-handed. If that is something you can’t get your mind around, then try knitting left-handed.
Which videos, creator or influencer? I know there are a lot of great videos out there to choose from on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Please go find someone who teaches in a way that speaks to you. But to get you started I have shared some links below to my beginner knit videos, in the order I think you should watch and learn them.
It’s like learning a new skill AND a new language at the same time! Use the pdf in the link below to learn how to get a handle on the language and techniques at the same time. Use the video links above along the way and of course if you have any questions, please email me and let me know! sara@azariahsfibrearts.com
HERE is the link to the left-handed version of this post.
Happy Making!
Azariahs Fibre Arts 