5 Essential Tips for the New Knitter

Almost finished sweater that I'm most excited to wear. Image by author.

When I started knitting in 2001, I never imagined my first experiment — a lopsided scarf with more than a few dropped stitches — would lead to a lifelong love of creating textiles from yarn. In those formative months of learning, the knitting process initially felt awkward and entirely unnatural. Somehow I was supposed to hold two long, straight needles and move stitches between the two without everything unraveling. Often, things unraveled. It was hard to believe that the seasoned knitters I admired could ever have fumbled their way through this craft.

Twenty years later, I no longer need to suspend my disbelief as I struggle through the garter stitch. I am still far from an expert knitter, but like other arts I’ve studied and practiced, the competence and confidence to create comes through learning from mistakes along the way. Now, when I notice seven rows too late on a project that I flubbed a stitch pattern, I still groan, but then I undo the hundreds of stitches I made to correct the error and keep on trucking.

If you’re excited to explore this craft but nervous about the learning curve with knitting, read on for tips to help your new knitter journey go a bit more smoothly.

Tip 1 for the New Knitter: Set Reasonable Expectations.

You've drooled over dreamy sweaters and intricate lacework, and you want to make your own. Great news: you can! But I recommend adding those intermediate and advanced projects to the to-do list after you've mastered simpler garments and household items.

Give yourself the time to practice the knitting basics and the grace to make mistakes. I'm a firm believer in competence powering confidence. Build a strong foundational knowledge of knitting, and you'll be even more likely to stick with it when approaching more challenging patterns. Make a pile of square dishcloths, create a scarf, even go after a simple blanket. These flat patterns will give you a chance to gain comfort with the process of knitting, help you master the knit and purl stitch, and unlock the power of even tension/even fabric before you attempt more nuanced patterns that call for small needles, knitting in the round, and airy yarn-overs.

Tip 2 for the New Knitter: Work With Yarns That Help You Focus on Knitting Basics.

Two of the many balls of yarn from my stash. Image by author.

I love rich colors and textures, and yarn shops make me swoon. With the wide variety of yarn weights and colors available online and at brick-and-mortar stores, it's tempting to impulse buy unusual yarns like the fuzzy purple-fuchsia mohair yarn I splurged on in my early 20s and gave up on after several failed attempts to make a scarf. As a new knitter, go with a light-colored worsted weight or bulky yarn, and avoid fuzzy and multi-colored versions. You'll find it much easier to keep track of your stitches and to keep those stitches on the needles. I made my first scarf with a worsted weight acrylic yarn, which was a good move for my experience level, but I should have stuck with a solid color over the multi-colored confetti option I chose because the variation in the yarn tricked my eye when I was still trying to get the hang of the foundational process of knitting.

Tip 3 for the New Knitter: Choose Less Slippery Straight Needles.

I love to work with wood and wood laminate knitting needles. Image by author.

I've acquired a wide variety of knitting needles over the years, and while metal needles tend to be the least expensive and smoothest to use, they are also the most slippery when it comes to keeping stitches on the needle. You can reduce the frustration of losing stitches when you're a new knitter if you select wood, bamboo, and wood-laminate straight needles. These needles will not completely eliminate this eye-twitching experience, but the slightly more textured surface of these needles will help. I am a fan of Clover Takumi bamboo and Knit Picks wood-laminate needles for most of my projects these days.

Tip 4 for the New Knitter: Connect With Experienced Knitters for Fellowship and Advice.

I'm a knitter today because of a friend who loved knitting so much she wanted to share the skill with me. What I learned soon after committing to the craft is that most people I met who knit also enjoy sharing their crafty wisdom while keeping their hands busy. If you're looking for others to bond over all things knitting, Meetup -- an online database for community groups -- offers both online and in-person meeting options. I was impressed with the variety of knitting groups in the Denver metro area and hope to one day have enough free time to join one. Your local yarn shop is also a great place to learn about specialized classes. Staff are usually happy to answer one-off knitting technique questions, and some shops even host free craft nights for the public. If you're local, I highly recommend Englewood's Wooden Spools, Fancy Tiger Crafts, and Blazing Star Ranch for their friendly and knowledgeable staff and gorgeous yarn inventory.

Tip 5 for the New Knitter: Make Knitting a Fun Habit in Your Life.

Like most skills you've acquired, knitting will require practice for sustained improvement. Assess your life and interest level in the craft, and decide how much time you can reasonably devote to learning this skill. If you can set aside 30 minutes a day to practice knitting for the first month, I guarantee you'll notice your competence grow. Soon, you may find reasons to bring your knitting wherever you go as the habit becomes a beautiful, crafty obsession!