Pet & Animal: How to Choose a First Knitting Project

Thursday, 27 July 2017

How to Choose a First Knitting Project

You'd like to start out knitting! How exciting! There's so many things to knit, but what will you choose? Start reading below for help! Just make sure you know how to knit and purl.

EditSteps

EditChoosing Your Material

Choose a yarn weight. Consider your amount of patience, as the weight of yarn you choose and your personal amount of patience are directly related.
- If you are willing to spend lots of time on a project, you can choose a lighter-weight yarn. This will take some extra time, but will produce a thinner, soft knitted piece.
- If you want the project to come along faster and are okay with thicker knitting, go for a bulky yarn. This is also suitable for beginners since it's easier to grip and see your stitches.
- Remember to choose needles that fit the weight of yarn you're using.
- If knitting straight from a pattern, always choose around right weight, or you might end up with something different than you expected.
Choose your fiber. If you're making a scarf, you probably don't want to choose a scratchy wool. If you are making a dishcloth, merino is definitely not a good choice! Instead, choose a fiber that you like and that will work well for the project you're making.
Name your price. If you have a low budget, you don't want to be purchasing loads of expensive luxury yarn. Once you have an idea of what type of yarn you'd like, look online and offline to find something that matches your budget.

EditFinding a Project

Consider how much time and effort you're willing to devote to this project. A hard project isn't a good start since you'll get discouraged quickly if you make mistakes.
Begin with something small or simple. Good choices for beginners are a coaster, dishcloth, or scarf.
- A scarf might take a while, but it can give you lots of valuable practice with one or two stitches.
- A coaster or dishcloth are perfect for beginners, as they provide immediate gratification because of their small size and their small amount of work. Additionally, they make great gifts for a loved one if you want to give something handmade!
Choose a project with stockinette stitch or garter stitch. These stitch patterns use only the knit and purl stitches, and won't puzzle you like more advanced stitch patterns such as ribbing or seed stitch.

EditMaking the Piece

Follow your pattern's instructions. Cast on, and begin knitting!
- It may seem like your project isn't coming out right, but chances are it will look better as you continue on the pattern.
Allow room for mistakes. Nobody can make a beautiful, perfect knitted piece on their first try. Prepare to drop or twist some stitches, have a weird tension, or have your project come out a shape different than the one you intended. This doesn't mean you did a bad job; it simply means you're still learning.
- If you feel yourself getting frustrated, put your knitting down for a while and come back to it later.
Don't overwork yourself. It may be tempting to put in tons and tons of effort on your first day or two, but this will lead to you feeling burnt out and bored with the project quickly. Work a little each day, but don't spend hours and hours at a time working on the same thing.
Finish your project. Cast off, cut your yarn, and weave in the ends with a tapestry needle. You're finished!