Basic Knitting for Beginners Instruction

You have to learn how to use two needles when you knit, whereas you need only one hook for crochet, but knitting for beginners is simple, and knitters will usually defend their work as the more polished-looking of the two. By learning just a few basics, you can knit pieces that your family and friends will swear had to have been bought at the store.

Knitting Tools of the Trade
As you start out knitting your first few stitches, you won't need much in the way of equipment. Knitting can be taken anywhere because all the tools will fit in a small bag.

To start out, purchase the following tools:

A Ball of Medium-Weight Yarn. Also called worsted weight, this type of yarn is inexpensive and generally 100 percent acrylic. Don't worry about getting the expensive stuff yet. You can buy a ball for a few bucks, and the yarn won't do funky things that make you wonder if you've gotten the knack of knitting after all.

A Pair of Size 7 Knitting Needles. Make sure that you actually feel the knitting needles available. Many knitters prefer aluminum needles, which are widely available, but some will swear that a bamboo, rosewood or plastic needle feels much better. Aim for a length of about 12 inches because these will be much easier to start out with. As for the size, technically, you could choose any size that looks interesting. Size seven is a pretty common one for most beginners' patterns, though, and this size produces a set of stitches that aren't too small to work with but aren't so large that they look awkward.

A Pair of Scissors. You don't want to carry around large scissors in a knitting bag. If you want to feel ultra-feminine about it, look for a pair of 4-inch embroidery scissors. These come in such pretty styles that they will make you grin every time you use them. However, a cheap pair of scissors of any type or style will work.

If you want to go further, you might look for a how-to book on knitting, or a book that shows nothing but stitches.

Beginner's Knitting Stitches
Any knitting project has three basic steps: casting on, knitting and binding off.

Casting on is the process that makes the first "row" of a knitted project. It is this step that starts every single knit pattern you will ever do, and it's also the one that causes beginning knitters the most trouble. When you're casting on, the trick is to keep your left hand and left needle as still as possible, while your right hand and right needle do all the work. After each stitch that you cast on, make the yarn snug.

Knitting creates the actual stitches that make up a piece. The actual "knit" stitch works just the same way as casting on, except that you transfer stitches from the left needle to the right needle as you work your way across a row. This is an extremely easy process, though, and it will feel familiar after you've learned how to cast on.

Binding off takes all the stitches you've made and gets them off both hooks without any fear of having your garment unravel. This process is the same as both casting on and knitting, except that the stitches are pulled completely off the needle. To keep things from bunching up and ruffling, make sure that you don't work too tightly. Always leave at least a 6-inch tail at the end of binding off, which will be used to secure several stitches and will keep your work looking beautiful.

Best Projects for Beginning Knitters
Perhaps the single most important reason as to why knitting remains popular, no matter what the generation, is that even beginners can knit beautiful items. You can create hats and scarves that you'll love to wear for years to come or baby blankets that make new moms giggle with joy. It's actually hard to mess up a knit pattern.

When you look for your first knit project, turn to patterns that require only one or two basic stitches. In general, the easiest stitches to learn are the knit stitch and the purl stitch. The two go hand in hand, and, once you've mastered the process of casting on, knitting and binding off, the purl stitch will be a cinch.

What type of project should you start with? Nearly every knitter will sound a chorus of "Scarves!" when asked this question. Even if you live in Miami and will never use a scarf, scarves will help you pick up the basic knitting process. The rows are short, and the scarf keeps growing, so the new knitter can see progress quickly.

Beyond scarves, hundreds of easy patterns are available for hats, which are also great knitting projects for beginners. Hats will help you learn how to follow a simple pattern, but make sure you're using one that only requires a purl stitch or a knit and purl stitch.

Try to hold off working on more creative knitting projects that require sizing, multiple pieces or shaping until you've worked through a few scarves and hats. By working your way from the simple to the more difficult, you won't get frustrated and toss the hobby before you've really given yourself the chance to blossom in it.

When you're ready to tackle patterns that require multiple pieces, go for a good baby blanket. You can experiment with variegated yarns, but stay away from yarns made from animal hair, as babies can be allergic. You'll find that the change of yarn has a completely different effect on the look of your stitches, and, by moving up to baby blankets, you'll learn new stitches without getting in over your head.

These three knitting projects make great starting points for beginners, and you can carry them around just about anywhere. Plus, you'll get the joy of achievement and the ability to give gifts. Before you know it, you'll be eager to tackle complex patterns for gorgeous items that you'll be wearing yourself.