Beginner's Guide to Knitting

…to the Beginner’s Guide to Knitting! Whether you’ve never picked up a pair of needles before, or you learned to knit long ago but haven’t tried since, this book will help you to discover (or rediscover!) the basics of this wonderfully versatile craft. Knittting is a fantastic way to create your own accessories, as well as stylish clothes, toys for children, beautiful homewares and fab gifts for all the family. It’s quick, easy and convenient: all you need is a pair of needles and a ball of yarn tucked in your bag. You can get creative wherever you are – at home, on the train, in a café… It’s no wonder knitting can become addictive! We’ll walk you through every step with clear instructions and pictures, from choosing which yarn and needles…

The world of yarn is huge, and one of the joys of knitting is using different types of yarn – there are many fibres, thicknesses, textures and colours of yarn, each one more beautiful than the next! Note that knitters (and crocheters!) call it ‘yarn’: the word ‘wool’ specifically means the fibre spun from a sheep’s coat. When it comes to deciding on the yarn you need, size does matter. Yarn comes in different weights, or thicknesses, from the finest 1ply lace to the widely-used DK yarn, up to thick super-chunky yarns. The yarn thickness will affect the look, feel and weight of your knitted fabric. You’ll always get the best results if you use the yarn quoted in a specific pattern, although as you gain confidence, you’ll find it’s fairly…

Crochet threads Numbered from 3 to 100, these threads are not classed as yarns and rarely knitted. They are specially made for fine crochet work, including lace making and filet crochet. Made from mercerised cotton, the higher the number, the finer the thread (no 10 is shown below). You may need a hook from the steel range to work them. Embroidery thread As well as specialist crochet threads, you can also knit and crochet with embroidery threads, from stranded cottons to the finest silk threads. 1, 2 & 3ply Essentially one strand, or two or three strands of yarn twisted together, these are great for making delicate lace shawls and baby garments. Usually, 2ply yarn is worked with a 2-3½mm hook. 4ply This is a favourite weight for baby clothes, motifs and lightweight…

A ball band is the piece of paper wrapped around the yarn, where the manufacturers put all the information about the yarn. Have a look at the annotations below to see what it all means. It’s a good idea to keep your ball bands to refer back to when you wash a garment, or if you decide to knit the same pattern again.…

Knitting needles come in all sizes, shapes and materials. But all you really need from a pair of needles is that they’re long, thin, smooth and strong enough to enable you to turn yarn into the stitches used to make knitted fabric. Of course, things aren’t quite that straightforward. You also need to think about the different yarn fibres you’ll be working with, your stitch tension, personal preferences, and the fact that no one pair of needles will work for all the projects you’ll want to make, so it’s a good idea to invest in a set of several pairs. The first thing you need to know about knitting needles is that they come in different sizes or thicknesses, just like yarn comes in different thicknesses. When you’re knitting, it’s important to…

The most commonly used needle is the straight needle, which was probably invented in the mid-19th century. They’re easy to use and ideal for making flat fabric, especially since the needle head prevents the stitches from slipping off. The oldest-known needles are double-pointed ones – they can be seen in several 14th-century paintings. These are usually used to make seamless tubular fabrics, such as socks, which is easier than it sounds! Double-pointed needles are used in sets of four or five. Both flat and tubular (‘in the round’) knitting can be made on circular needles – two needles joined with a flexible cord. Some manufacturers sell needles and cords separately, and you can also buy interchangeable sets – these have cords and needle tips in various sizes and lengths, which…