How difficult is it to learn to knit?
October 10, 2010 by theknitt
Filed under Featured Articles
How difficult is it to learn to knit by using instructions in a book? Sewing also…….
Make Money Knitting
Knitting Instructions and Videos
October 10, 2010 by theknitt
Filed under Featured Articles
How difficult is it to learn to knit by using instructions in a book? Sewing also…….
It is easy to learn how to knit. just need to know how to do it and get the hang of it then you know it!
It’s not hard to learn and it’s a lot of fun.
It’s not difficult to learn either, I learned how to knit when I was 8 years old and sewing is easy.
Knitting instructions via a book can be kind of confusing, because they use graphics and you don’t actually see the movement of the yarn and the needles. However, there is a website that is free, easy to use, and actually has short videos you can watch where they show you the stitches. It includes videos of everything, from casting on stitches to knitting on circular needles. Just go to http://www.knittinghelp.com
It’s an awesome site, and they also have a forum where they can answer knitting questions. VERY HELPFUL
The knit stitch is easy, purling is a little harder (you’ll know what I’m talking about after reading a little in your book). But practice makes perfect. I knit and also have taught many to knit, and they screw up a LOT at first, but when they keep at it, they get good quickly. It’s VERY fun to knit, and I’m excited to hear you’re interested.
I learned to knit using a book, in some ways it was easier than having someone show me. If you go to Knitting.about.com, they have good detailed instructions.
However there are some good sites that have short videos on how to do the knit stitch and the purl stitch, and they are very useful as well.Try Knittinghelp.com.
It is not really difficult to learn from a book. The most difficult thing to learn is how to hold the needles and the yarn at the same time so that you keep tension on the yarn. When I teach kids to knit, they usually leave the yarn dangling off to the side, pick it up to wrap the stitch, then let it go again. This is a good way to get started, but eventually you want to have the yarn threaded through your fingers to keep tension. The best way to get good at it is to get some yarn and needles and practice! A good book for learning (even though it is for kids) is Kids Knitting, by Melanie Falick.
Knitting is not hard once you learn the basic step, here are some sites that will help you, I learned from these and love it,
http://www.learntoknit.com/instructions_kn.php3
http://learntoknit.lionbrand.com/
http://www.knittinghelp.com/
http://www.mycraftbook.com/LearnToKnit.asp
If you’re more of a visual learner, get a book with good illustrations. If you’re more of an auditory learner, get one with clearly written instructions, whether it has pictures or not. If you’re strongly auditory, read the instructions aloud or even get someone to read them to you. You’d be surprised what a difference it makes when you try to learn something in a way that fits your learning style.
Definitely give it a try. Knitting’s easy, once you get the hang of it. DON’T give up too soon. It takes a little while to learn a new skill, then it’s easy and fun to do. I have some lovely sweaters now that can truly be called wearable art. I only have them because I kept at it until it got easy, which took a couple of months.
I sew most of my own clothes, so I’d tell you that’s easy, too — once you get the hang of it. Give yourself a little time to learn a new skill and you’ll be glad you did. Nothing worthwhile is going to be something you can master in 5 minutes. Give yourself time and be patient. Practice a whole lot, and it’ll get much easier much sooner.
Honest to god, sewing is easy as pie (so to speak, hehe).
Personally, I hate knitting. I prefer crocet because it’s a lot easier & sometimes quicker (which can be a matter of opinion!)
Whatever you’re trying to learn, a good thing to do to try to make the process a little easier, is to go to http://YouTube.com and search for whatever you trying to do – sometimes watching a video ease some of te questions that arise while trying to follow simple illustrations.
There are videos on about.com to view someone teaching basic techniques of knitting such as ‘casting on’.
I did not learn from a book, but I learned when I was six. Here’s a little rhyme to remember for the basic knitting stitch:
In through the front, running round the back. Peeping through the window and off jumps jack. I know it sounds silly, but it still helps me today when I am showing someone else.
Books vary in quality. There is/are also a variety of techniques for knitting which all produce the same result. Some are more suited for one person, some for another.
If you don’t succeed with the first book, try another book, and another, and another. If you’re lucky, you’ll only need the first one.
In a different craft, tatting, I couldn’t “get” it until the 5th book (the one by Auld, nothing to do with this).
In terms of instruction, I believe plain sewing is a whole lot easier to learn from a book than knitting it.
And, to twist things all around, I *couldn’t* learn knitting by another person, but I got along fine with various books. I’m still learning more from them.
I taught myself to knit recently… it’s not that difficult to learn, just take your time, and definitely go check out http://www.knittinghelp.com and watch the videos there.. that’s how I learned. The nice thing with knitting is you can make mistakes, and start all over again, just take it all apart and try again, watch the videos over and over following what she does on the screen, I would suggest watching it at least once, just watching, and then watch and follow at the same time with your needle and yarn.
If you’re going to try and learn just out of a book, it may be trickier, as books don’t always show every little step you need to see to learn how to make a stitch, or their instructions aren’t always clear.
For sewing, I don’t really know, I don’t exactly sew. My mom tried to teach me years ago, and I can do a little by hand, but I’m a lost cause just about with a sewing machine.
Good luck!