Why Knit if You Can Just Buy?
the trouble to knit a sweater when you can just go to the store or online and buy one you like? The truth is you will get something very unique and special when you make it yourself. I know it is a lot of effort you need to put in, and you will also need to add to your skill set at the same time. But- there is nothing like the feeling of something you created and people absolutely love what you made!
I know knitting is not the easiest thing to do when you are just starting out but the results and compliments you will get are going to far outweigh the time and effort for your project. I for one, am not an expert knitter, however, my daughter certainly is and her designs are amazing (yes, she creates her own patterns and makes them for her family)! Hail to the expert! Hail to the beginner - we all start somewhere!
What to Knit
For a first project, you will likely want to stick to one or two stitches so you can perfect them with easy. Knit and Purl are what I am thinking at this stage - you can always learn more stitches later as you get used to counting stitches and turning pieces at the right time. Yikes, counting - there is no real math her so be assured you will be ok!
As a first project, I am going to suggest knitting a simple easy pattern for a sweater. Sweaters do not have to be difficult to make, you absolutely only need to know one or two stitches to accomplish the task.
What You Need to Know
Before you embark on this project be sure you understand a few things:
- Size Matters. The size of the sweater you want to knit (Teddy Bear-Size will take only one skein of wool (1 ball). A large sweater could take 5 or more.
- Softness Factor. Figure out how soft you want the sweater to be - there is a difference in the type of wool you may want to use - go to a yarn store and feel the wools so you can pick the one you would prefer to have next to your skin. Merino wool is lovely but so are other types of wool.
Gather Your Materials
- Knitting needles in various sizes (best to have a set of them so you can try each one out).
- A pattern (one is provided here).
- Skeins of wool as suggested by the pattern.
- Knowledge of how to do basic knitting stitches. I have placed a couple of videos below to help you out.
- Blocked out time to accomplish the task.
Let's Get Started
I know a sweater does not seem that easy - so here are a couple of videos which include patterns to get you going:
Last Word
I hope you are able to complete a sweater - I know I am still working on mine!
Until tomorrow...
Bette
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