DIY Network

Getting Started Getting Started From "Knitty Gritty" episode DKNG-101

The top three items in this picture -- scissors, tape measure and tapestry needle -- are all you need (besides yarn and needles) to start knitting.

Have you ever looked at all the gorgeous knitted garments and accessories on the market and wished you could duplicate them? Well, that's the reason a lot of people start knitting, so what are you waiting for? Host Vickie Howell and her expert guests demystify the whole process so that you can be knitting pretty in no time!

In this episode of Knitty Gritty, knitting expert Vicki Square, the author of The Knitter's Companion, explains the basic tools a beginning knitter needs. It's actually quite a short list: yarn and knitting needles, of course, and a pair of scissors, a tape measure and a tapestry needle for weaving in the ends of your yarn.

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Needles
Knitting needles come in a wide range of sizes and styles (figure A); they can be made of a number of materials, including plastic, metal and bamboo. As thick as your thumb or slender enough to create the finest baby garments, knitting needles can be single-pointed, double-pointed or circular. Each style has its own particular uses: Double-pointed needles, for instance, enable you to knit in the round (figure B), which comes in handy when you're knitting items such as socks. Circular needles (figure C), on the other hand, allow knitting in the round but also permit you to knit large pieces without having to bear the weight with your wrists, as you would do if you were using single-pointed needles.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Yarn
Yarns are available in a wide variety of weights, sizes and fibers. As tempting as it may be to start with an elegant silk or a fluffy mohair, though, first-time knitters will do well to start with a worsted-weight yarn (figure D, center), which can be made of wool, acrylic, cotton, or other fibers or blends.

It's important to read the yarn labels and follow the recommended care and use instructions. The labels contain a wealth of information about the yarn, but to a beginner the symbols may look as confusing as ancient hieroglyphics. For example, to find the recommended needle size, check out the box with the symbol of a pair of crossed knitting needles (figure E, bottom row, far right). The box will also contain numbers, which indicate the needle size (or sizes -- often both American and European sizes are given).

One of the best thing about knitting is the endless variety of yarns available!

Figure D

Figure E

Yarn generally comes in three different forms:

• A hank is a loosely wound coil or figure-eight of yarn that must be wound into a ball before being knitted.

• You can knit directly from a skein by pulling the yarn from the center.

• You can usually knit from a ball as is.

To wind yarn into a ball, you can either use a swift and a ball winder or you can use the buddy system: First, drape the open skein around a friend's hands. Then begin winding the end of the yarn as shown in the photos below:

Start winding the yarn around the first two fingers of your hand.

Once you have a nice wad of yarn, remove your fingers and put your thumb in the middle.

Continue winding perpendicular to the first yarn you wound; keep on in this manner until you have a ball of yarn. Then wind sideways for a couple of passes and tuck in the end.

Next: Knitting Methods

RESOURCES :

The Knitter's Companion
By Vicki Square
Interweave Press, Inc.
1996
For this and other titles by Vicki Square, click on the link(s) below:
Interweave Press Inc.
Website: www.interweave.com

GUESTS :

Vicki Square
Knitting expert and author