Hi Susie, it has been a very long time since I first learned to knit but I do remember learning from a book. Most of what I have learned since has been from books and I don't remember ever having a formal lesson. A book with good illustrations works well for me because it shows how to do a technique and is there whenever I need help. Someone else recommended The Knitting Experience - Book One, The Knit Stitch. as a good book for beginners and I second the recommendation. I bought it last year even though I am far from a beginner. It even has a section on fixing mistakes. If you can, check your library for a copy to see how you like it. Good luck with the hat.
Hi Jan, That is encouraging to know that you learned out of a book because most 'all' the time no one is around to ask. I heard that overstock.com was offering $1 shipping the other day and it just so happens that The Knitting Experience Book One is one of a 'few' I ordered. Thanks for saying you like it. Thanks for your help, Susie
lol....well there's no hope for you now of course....you'll be knitting everywhere...on the bus in the car in the shops hanging the washing out....mowing the lawns...there is absolutely no cure whatsoever....you'll drive people around you crazy as you increase your habit and will do anything for a new yarn fix...you won't ever look at a pot of spaghetti in the same light anymore without wondering if it could be knitted up into something...and as time goes by..you'll be staring at people going past in the street as they walk by you'll be making mental notes of how the pattern goes.....you may even walk up to complete strangers and ask them if they made it themselves and if they did could you have the pattern...hopeless and incurable....
Cher, Mowing??????? LOL. We took our grandson to a train show yesterday and I noticed a knitter. I've never even noticed one before. :o) Well, I called my neighbor that knits and left her a message. She just got home not too long ago and told me to come over. She took and ripped it back to the knitting and she put a marker on so I would know where my start tail is. "I GUESS". LOL. I'm now going to try to get the eight inches on before class tomorrow with no incidences. You really think I'm addicted??????? Not sure yet. :) Susie
The book is written by Sally Melville and the ISBN is 1-893762-13-0. There is a 2nd book in the series called Book 2, The Purl Stitch which I don't own but think is equally useful. And I recently saw an announcement that Book 3 Color will be published this fall.
I learned from books. My mother had knitted before I was born but she hadn't done it in so long that she had almost forgotten how. I started with an enormous scarf all in ribbing, made a couple of stocking caps, then went on directly to an Aran sweater!
If you can get to a really large bookstore or a knitting shop with a large selection of books - not just patterns, but technique books - you can look through them for pictures that make sense to you. Be wary of drawings - I've seen some really bad drawings that looked good until you tried to use them as a guide. I've seen a few books that use photographs of hand holding the needles and yarn. I'd consider that more trustworthy. But there's nothing like having somebody show you a way to do something. Notice that I said "a" way. There is no single correct way to knit, there are many ways to knit, some of which produce interestingly different results. There are, however, some standard ways to knit that work well with the published patterns. If your best way of knitting turns out to be different, you just have to learn to adjust the patterns to your methods.
Once you've learned the basics, I'd recommend books by Elizabeth Zimmermann, for opening up possibilities, and then Barbara Walker, for more patterns. But there are probably hundreds of books of stitch patterns and techniques out there. I have 20 or more that I would hate to part with. I may never use all the techniques but sometimes it's just fun to read about them.
Tamar, Thanks for letting me know that you learned from books and for the tips about the photos in the books and some book recommendations. It sounds like you dug your heels right in when you started. I'm finding that out that there are quite a few ways to do the same things. You have 20 or more books? Whew. I did that with my bread baking and with quilting so it looks like I may with the knitting too. I just ordered some books and those two names you mentioned were in there. Thanks again, Susie
Cher, I'm done with the 8 inches BUT it looks like the gal who helped me dropped some stitches when you did the rip put back on thingy. I have two holes back at that line. If the gal wants me to RIP again, I will. I need to learn that technique and "GET IT OUT OF THE WAY". LOL, Susie
When I could see, I first learned to crochet in school. Then I did learn some basic knitting from books. But it _was_ frustrating at the time, it took me several months to understand the difference between knit and purl stitches. But I didn't complete or keep anything I had knit. and now I drop stitches like crazy, the other night I tried to re-acquaint myself with knitting. I put 5 loops on one needle. After 5 rows, I was unintentionally down to 2 loops. lol
You're welcome Susie. My favorite knitting memory was some time after I had learned knit and purl stitches, and was doing a stitch pattern from a book, falling leaves if I remember correctly. It looked and felt beautiful!
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