How to start?
To start knitting, you are going to need needles and yarn. You can choose any yarn you like, but if you are a beginner, I would recommend using medium-thick or thick yarn.
You can figure out the thickness of the yarn by looking at the label. One skein of yarn is typically 50 grams, and the more meters of yarn the skein contains, the thinner the yarn is. For me, yarn is thin when 50 grams has more than 200 meters. 50 grams = 50 meters is a thick yarn.
It is easier to start knitting with thick yarn because you can see the stitches more clearly.
You can see the recommended needle size on the yarn label as well.
How to choose a yarn?
Yarns are made from different materials. They have different thicknesses, strength, softness and other properties.
I am going to tell you about some of the most popular types of yarn that you can find in many shops.
this image was made by ChatGPT
Acrylic yarn
Acrylic yarn is cheap, strong and easy to use. There are also a lot of different colours available, and you can find it in many yarn shops.
This yarn is completely synthetic, so it does not breathe as well as many natural fibres. Because of this, it may not be the best option for every project.
Wool yarn
Wool is a natural fibre that comes from sheep. It is warm, soft and good for winter clothes. It is often used for sweaters, hats, scarves and socks.
Wool can be a little more expensive than acrylic. Some wool can also feel itchy, so it is good to check how soft it feels before buying it.
Cotton yarn
Cotton is a natural fibre and it is quite light and breathable. It is a good choice for summer clothes, tops and small projects.
Cotton does not stretch as much as wool, so it can feel a little different to knit with. It is also usually quite easy to wash.
Alpaca yarn
Alpaca is a natural fibre that comes from alpacas. It is very soft, warm and light. It is often used for sweaters, scarves and other warm clothes.
Alpaca yarn can be quite expensive, but you can also find it mixed with other fibres. It can be a nice choice when you want a very soft and warm project.
Wool and acrylic blend
Wool and acrylic are often mixed together. This gives you some of the good qualities of both materials.
The wool makes the yarn warm, while acrylic can make it cheaper and easier to take care of. This type of yarn is popular for sweaters, hats and scarves.
How to cast on?
Before you start knitting, you need to put some stitches on one of the needles. This is called casting on.
Make a slip knot and put it on your needle. Then make new loops and put them on the needle one by one.
Do not make the stitches too tight. They should be able to move a little bit on the needle.
this image was made by ChatGPT
The knit stitch
The knit stitch is one of the first stitches you should learn. Put the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle.
Take the yarn around the right needle and pull it through the stitch. Then move the old stitch from the left needle to the right needle.
Repeat this until you have knitted all the stitches on the left needle.
this image was made by ChatGPT
The purl stitch
The purl stitch is another basic stitch. It is similar to the knit stitch, but you hold the yarn in front of your work.
Put the right needle into the first stitch, bring the yarn around the needle and pull it through the stitch.
Move the old stitch to the right needle and continue with the next stitch.
this image was made by ChatGPT
What can you make with these stitches?
When you know how to cast on, knit and purl, you already know the basics of knitting.
You can use these stitches to make many simple projects, such as scarves, hats, blankets and simple sweaters.
