Knitting is Fun and Practical
With two needles, or four needles, or a loom, and some yarn you can make an incredible number of objects through knitting. You can make useful, fun, pretty, warm, and interesting things. Knitting is a historical craft that is still growing and developing with possibilities of expanding in the future.
When you pick up your knitting tools you will add to a long history of the craft. Many knitters come to the art after reading classic books like “Little Women” or “The Little House” series. Knitting is an intricate part of many stories such as “A Tale of Two Cities.”
In fact, knitting is an art that goes back at least to the eleventh century, according to History of knitting – Wikipedia. It was easy work to carry in desert areas instead of heavy equipment. There are objects preserved from Egypt which reveal basic stitches such as knit and purl. Many glimpses into early England shows that knitting was popular back then.
Now, knitters are adding to the skill with specialties like amigurumi, which was created in Japan.
By following a pattern, using knitting needles and fiber you can make beautiful and practical items. Knitting produces warm, soft crafts you can use, give away, or sell.
Knitting can be done in 3 ways with different tools.
The outcomes are the same whichever choice you make. You can use a set of needles (2 or 4 needles either single or double pointed). Circular needles can be used. Or you can use a variety of looms to knit. The size of the stitches and the tightness of the weave changes, but the stitches are the same.
I started with 2 single pointed needles. I was about 9 years old at the time and had read the Little House Series and I felt very much like a pioneer woman with my knitting needles and bag of yarn on the city bus of a big city. Knitting is also great for a person’s imagination.
I find circular needles more bulky than straight needles, but many knitters prefer them or what are called cable needles.
Later in life, I learned loom knitting. Hand looms are not difficult to work with and there are many small looms that can be carried as easily as needles, but they present different challenges. There are different stitches on the loom as well as the basic knit and purl. Looms today have not been standardized, so you must be prepared to convert standard knitting patterns to the loom.
Choose your tools and supplies
To knit, you need
- The tool of your choice such as needles or loom.
- Yarn
You may also find the following items useful:
- Scissors or cutting tool
- Large eyed yarn needle
- Stitch markers
- Cable needles
- Stitch/row counters
You also require storage for your supplies. One of your first knitting projects might be a bag to hold your work in progress.
Needles and looms come in various sizes and shapes. These give you opportunities to work with different size and forms of woven projects.
The size of the needles or pegs on the loom define the size and stretch of the fabric you want to make. Larger needles, for instance, will get your craft done quicker, but the stitches will be bigger. For a tighter weave you use smaller sized needles. Needle sizes are marked differently from country to country. In the US they go by mm size or numeric size. You can find a chart of the needle sizes at Knitting Needle Sizes and Conversion Chart (Free Printable) – Sheep and Stitch.
Knitting doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. I have collected tools over the years as I tried new projects. Some of my needles go back to my teenage years! Simple scissors always worked for me until security became so tight while travelling. In a pinch I’ve used fingernail clippers for cutting and bread wrappers for stitch markers. It’s interesting to look at products available, but for knitting you simply need the knitting tool and yarn.
Yarn is important in the knitting equation. You want to use the right fiber for the job. Many hats are made with wool because it is an all-weather yarn and insulates well. Many washcloths are made of cotton because that works well for their purpose. It also needs to be the right thickness. Thread makes beautiful artwork like table covers but yarn is thicker depending on the number of strands and the type of fiber it is made of. Always be sure you have enough yarn to complete your project.
There Are Many ways to Knit
Here is a short list of terms you will need to know, including different types of knitting
Cast On means start your project by putting yarn on 1 or more of your needles. Try this to cast on:
Make a slip stitch, slip it onto one needle. Your process will be a little different if you work left-handed. You can still use your right hand, or you can work with your left hand in a mirror version.
Slide your empty needle into the stitch you just slipped on from the outside of the stitch (from the pointed end of the needle).
Wrap your inserted needle with yarn, called the working yarn.
Slip the 1st loop over the second loop. 1 knit stitch is done!
Repeat this step for as many stitches as you choose.
In many patterns you will see a * to indicate you are to repeat that set of instructions for a certain number of stitches or rows. All your loops are on the 2nd needle now. You have knit 1 row.
Swatch – if you knit a standard number of stitches for a number of rows, you create a small, knitted piece that will help you with gauge – how many stitches and rows are in an inch. This will help you size your piece and make sure you are following your pattern correctly.
Purl by putting your new needle into the stitch at the back, wrapping the needle, and pulling the old loop over the new loop.
Patterns are a combination of stitches done to create your art. When you look at a knit object, you may see bumps and smooth areas. The smooth work is knit. Each knit stitch includes a post with 2 flat legs. Each purl stitch is a bump.
Bind off, or casting off, finishes the project. The end is neat and shouldn’t ravel. One way to bind off is to start a new row, knit the first 2 stitches, and lift the first stitch over the 2nd stitch.
Knit the next stitch. Knit the first stitch over the new stitch. Continue to the end.
Increase/decrease stitches
Beside strait, flat pieces, you can increase or decrease stitches to change the shape or the size of what you are working on.
To increase a simple knit stitch, knit one stitch, wrap your needle with your working yarn, insert your working needle into the loop and wrap it. Pull the new wrapped loop through onto the working needle. Knit your next stitch.
To decrease, insert your working needle into the next 2 loops on the needle, wrap your yarn, pull the loop through the 2 loops and continue knitting.
You can make stockinette stitch, garter stitch, cable stitches, beading stitches, rib stitches, and more with the basic knit and purl. There are a vast number of patterns including argyle, ripple patterns, and mosaic designs.
Is it easier to learn knitting or crocheting?
Not only are there numerous forms of knitting, but if you like yarn you can do other crafts with it, such as crochet. Crochet is a weaving technique accomplished by hooks instead of needles. Many yarn crafters cross over from knitting to crochet easily. The stitches don’t look the same, but many patterns are similar.
I find crochet is as easy as knitting and there are fewer items involved to carry.
Health benefits of knitting
Knitting is good for physical and mental health if done properly. It allows you to exercise your hands and arms even up to the shoulders.
Knitting can help keep you alert and focused. As you smoothly work your piece, it helps settle your thoughts as well. The Health Benefits of Knitting (welldoing.org) records a list of physical and mental health benefits for knitting including lowering blood pressure and slowing dementia.
Conclusion:
Knitting is a hands-on craft. The best step from here is to start knitting. If you are interested in knowing more about it here are some websites to check out. For people who like visual learning, check out YouTube videos on knitting.
For more information on knitting, you can also check out Knitting – Wikipedia .
