Anyone can knit... Yes I mean you!

I am starting a tutorial on my blog about Knitting. I think that it is a craft that a lot of us are afraid to start especially if you don't have anyone to teach you in person. As long as you have the patience to try and of course start over again and again you can also learn to knit! I started knitting when I was in high school, my mom taught my sisters and myself. Now, when I say I started knitting, simply, I mean that my mom casted on the first couple rows of stitches and I continued the rest in a straight line until I need to bind off and then handed it back to my mom to finish. :)

Before I got married I lived with Amy and she is a gurue of knitting! We would be watching tv or movies and she would be knitting socks, a baby hat for her newborn neice, hats, gloves... you name it! I was fascinated but it just looked way to complicated for me to comprehend.

Last christmas my mom gave me a wonderful book that has both knitting and crocheting patterns. I read the introduction on how to cast on & knit different patterns but I was still unable to comprehend how to read the patterns (since they seem to be like reading spanish for the first time) and I couldn't get out of my rut with only making simple knit scarves.

That was until I start utilizing the internet! During christmas break I started watching youtube tutorials. The first was, how to cast on with knitting. Next was how to purl. Next was how to knit and purl every other row. Next was how to use circular needles and so on.

I am still not a pro by any means, but I have gotten out of my rut and have made new items such as a Brule' Scarf with buttons and button holes (Still simple but a step up from basic), a cowl kneck scarf, knitted kitchen towels to dry your hands, and soon to come some more items that are christmas gifts that I can not repeat here as stated in yesterday's blog. I've self taught myself through the online knitting community and I know that you can too!

I will start out easy and go through my projects step by step. I will also hopefully add in some videos myself that you can follow.

Here are the only 2 items you need to get started:

Knitting Needles: When purchasing knitting needles there will be a gauge size (how big around they are) along with a length size. Usually it is written: 4.5mm 7 Size 12 Inch Single Point Bamboo Knitting Needles * I would recommend starting with a size 7 or 8 gauge needle with the length of 12 inches. I prefer to use metal but for beginners I would use the plastic, the yarn doesn't slip off nearly as fast.

Yarn: There are so many different types of yarn, I recommend for beginners to start with a cheaper yarn to teach yourself with. I'm not sure how many times I started a project and then pulled it apart and started over. You're just beginning so don't waste money on yarns that are expensive until you know your ready to work with them. Walmart sells "Red Heart" super saver yarn. I would start with that in learning how to cast on and knit. The fibers don't spilt apart and you can see your stitches better. It's not the softest stuff but again you're just learning! Also, the "heavier" meaning thicker the yarn the fast the knitting goes. Also, make sure to buy enough of the yarn for your project, most yarns comes at a length os 250ft... it takes me two sets to make one long scarf.

Tomorrow I will go into more detail about Knitting "Language" and how to read patterns and I will show a short video on how to cast on (Start) your first few rows of knitting! Hope you will learn along besides me!

Here are some pictures of my Brule' Scarf! Took them at work so don't mind my silly background bulletins!

Start by having the button end up at chest level.

Circle scarf around head once and put button through button holes.

Tuck into a jacket as you zip it up.

(Of course I don't wear my scarf with my sweaters it's just to show what it looks like tucked in. :)

Seriously, my favorite scarf of this past fall season! I love the color I picked and it's made from alpaca so it's super soft and not itchy. I believe the yarn cost me 6.50 a peice and I used two skeins (balls) of 250 ft so $13.00 plus 1 pk. button at .99cents so $13.99 for my scarf plus the satifaction that I can say I made it when people comment. :)  

Time to make one up for winter time!

*My tutorial will be added to to top of my blog next to the home page button.