Supplies

• Yarn: We will be started with worsted weight yarn. It is usually labeled “4 Medium”. More about yarn weights. 1 skein will be enough to get started. Recommended yarns:

  • Lion Brand Basic Stitch

  • Knit Picks Brava Worsted

  • Lion Brand Heartland

  • Caron Simply Soft Party

  • Red Heart Soft

  • Big Twist Soft

  • Knit Picks Dishie or Lily Sugar ‘n’ Cream for dishcloths and potholders

• Knitting Needles: I recommend starting with a US 7 or 8. Material is up to you, but you may find bamboo to be easier to start with since it is a little grippier. Can be either straight or circular. Recommended needles:

  • Knit Picks Sunstruck straight needles (10”)

  • Knit Picks Sunstruck fixed circular needle (16”)

  • Clover straight needles (9”)

  • Clover fixed circular needle (16”)

  • Susan Bates Silvalume straight needles (10”)

• Yarn needle: This is used to weave in the ends of your yarn when you are done. Any plastic or metal needle marketed as a “yarn needle” will do fine.

• Stitch Markers: These are used to keep track of certain parts of your knitting. There are a lot of options out there, so pick something you think looks nice.

• Scissors: Just something small to cut your yarn. If you knit on a plane, you can use the cutter on dental floss instead of scissors.

Learn to Knit Videos

Prep

• How to find both yarn ends of a skein

• How to tie a slip knot

  • My version (video plus color-coded step-by-step instruction)

  • Another version: How to tie a slip knot for total beginners

• What is Knitting? - Giant Knit & Purl Demonstration

• Anatomy of a Stitch

Knitting Basics

• Reading your knitting (tutorial, not a video)

• Understanding gauge

• How to read a knitting pattern

• How to read pattern repeats and multiples

• How to tension your yarn - this is massive personal preference, so I recommend watching several videos and finding a technique that works for you

How to Knit

• How to Knit: A Complete Introduction for Beginners Part 1

• How to Knit: A Complete Introduction for Beginners Part 2 (great tips here for reinserting your needles if the stitches fall off)

• How to Knit: A Complete Introduction for Beginners Part 3

• Continental (left hand) vs. English (right hand) knitting

• Weaving in ends

Casting on and Casting Off

• Knitting On cast on

• Long Tail cast on

• Basic cast off/bind off

Decreases

• Difference between k2tog and ssk

• Knit 2 Together (k2tog) with yarn in right hand

• Knit 2 Together (k2tog) with yarn in left hand

• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk) with yarn in right hand

• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk) with yarn in left hand

Increases

• Yarn Over (yo) with yarn in right hand

• Yarn Over (yo) with yarn in left hand

• Knit Front and Back (kfb) with yarn in right hand

• Knit Front and Back (kfb) with yarn in left hand

• All about the Make One increases