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Forums » Smalltalk » Free Knitting course by Sanne! :D

Sanne Moderator

It's probably gotten a bit lost in the Arts & Creativity forums, but I've been showing progress pictures of the stuff that I knit in my Knitting Topic (Image Heavy). I've also had a couple of requests on Facebook from people who asked me if I could teach them to knit. I'd actually be quite delighted to!

Then I figured there might be some people on RPR who also want to knit. I proposed teaching it in my progress pictures topic, but I think it's gone a little unnoticed, so I've decided to dedicate its own topic to this proposal.

I would love to teach anyone to knit and will do this 1 on 1 over Sykpe with my webcam. You don't have to have a microphone or a webcam yourself (although it would make things a LOT easier, I understand some people may not have these things or are uncomfortable with Skyping in any shape and form), we can just type if you prefer that. :)

So assuming you want to learn how to knit, you will need some knitting needles and some yarn! What should you get? Where do you get it? What sizes do you need? I'll do my best to explain it here and give you an idea of what you need first. You don't have to buy expensive stuff, especially if you're just starting. My knitting needles cost €0.99 a pair and are pretty light, but of good quality anyway. Most regular yarn costs €0.99 per ball, up to €1.99 for fancier yarn (with glitters, yay!). This is roughly between $1.50 - $2.50.

When you go buy these things just go with whatever price and material quality you're happiest with. :) There's no universal best.

Click me to see which things you'll need to buy to get started!

1. Knitting needles
Living in the Netherlands, we measure out knitting needles in mm (milimeters). There is a handy conversion chart on Wikipedia, but I will list both alternatives.

The easiest knitting needles to learn on are thick needles. They give you more room to work with and see what you're doing. My recommendation is to get a size 7mm EU / 10 ½ US to start off with. You can find these in pretty much any crafts store, or perhaps even at Walmart or similar places. (I'm not certain, as I don't live in the US, but I'm sure you'll be able to find something!) They usually have the size printed on the end of the needle.

You will need single pointed knitting needles. They look like this. There are tons more knitting needles out there, but these are perfect to start with. :)

2. Yarn balls
I recommend buying cheap yarn to practice with. Your first projects will just be patches (you can collect patches to make a quilt out of it later, it's a great way to put scrap yarn to good use!) so you will just need a color that you like, preferably the cheapest yarn. It shouldn't be anything expensive because you'll make mistakes, and it would be a waste to spend a lot of money on high quality yarn just yet.

Every yarn ball has information on the label/wrap that you need to check. Your yarn needs to be suitable for 7mm knitting needles, so you'll need to check the label.

iGCC408.jpg

Look at the bottom left. This yarn is suitable for knitting needles of 3-4mm or 3-6 US. It's a bit on the small side, it's best to have yarn that specifically says 6-8mm or 9-11 US. As long as the needle size is within the range on the label, then you can use that.

3. Tapestry needle & Crochet hook
We're not going to sew a tapestry or do any crocheting, but these tools are super handy dandy to make life easier when you knit. Some bind offs (this means finishing your work and securing it properly so it won't unravel) require a tapestry needle to be done right, and crochet hooks work just as well for that. Simply put they help you weave loose ends into your work so it won't unravel, and while you can do this with knitting needles, it's a total bitch to do. XD

Tapestry needles and crochet hooks can be found in the same places where you find the knitting needles. You don't need huge ones, just big enough to work with the yarn you have. If you're unsure which one you need, just ask a store employee. They should know!


All in all it won't even cost you five bucks to get started. Knitting is an art of practice and learning from mistakes. It's easy to learn how to knit, but the true challenge lies in the projects you create. When you get more advanced you will need to figure out how to create patterns. You can use the two basic stitches (knit and purl) to create a wide variety of patterns and there are even more stitches to achieve specific goals. But that is something for the future.

I will focus on teaching you the basics of knitting. You will be able to create scarves and patches for a quilt. It will be simple and I will answer any questions you have. I will find the best youtube videos to help you out and I will use my webcam to show you directly how it's done!

If you're interested please post here or send me a PM!";
I'd love to learn how to knit!
Sanne Topic Starter Moderator

wolfkill11 wrote:
I'd love to learn how to knit!

Awesome!! :D Will you be able to get the supplies that I listed in the first post?
I will try and get them this weekend or tomorrow! I'll be near a art store tomorrow. :3
Sanne Topic Starter Moderator

wolfkill11 wrote:
I will try and get them this weekend or tomorrow! I'll be near a art store tomorrow. :3

I'm sending you a PM. :)

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