Relaxing but not easy

I started knitting this past winter. Why? I was told it would a good therapy to improve the dexterity in my fingers.  I can tell you it is great therapy.  It’s also very relaxing.  I can tell you learning to knit for me has been fsomewhat rustrating. It’s not easy.  I have a whole new appreciation for those who knit and do it well.  I consider myself a hacker when it comes to knitting.  Just like my golf game.

My wife knits. She was the one who recommended I try knitting as therapy for my hands.  So, I asked her to teach me.  Reluctantly she said yes.  Little did she know what she was getting her self into.  Since my objective was physical therapy for my hands, not to create anything, I asked if she would set me set me up with some yarn and knitting needles that I could use.  Again reluctantly she again said OK.

I had to remind her a time or two that she had promised to teach me knitting basics concepts.  We put aside time on an upcoming weekend for my first knitting lesson.  After breakfast one Saturday  morning I got my first lession.  She set me up with yarn and knitting needles. I was off and running. What do I do first?

She explained to me the first I needed to learn how to “cast on”.  I can’t easily explain what casting on is but I found it not too difficult to get the hang of?  The best way I can describe casting on is to say it’s making your first row of yarn attached to one of the knitting needles you’re using.  Since I’m right handed I used my right hand to hold the knitting needle I was casting on to. My first step was to create a slip knot and loop it over the needle I was holding in my right hand.  I watched an instructional video which showed me how to start the first row using one needle and the fingers of my right hand.  My wife showed me how to use the second needle to do the same thing.  I found her way a little easier to do.

My next step was to use the thumb of my left hand to loop the yarn over the needle in my right hand from the back to the front.  The loose end of yarn is in my left hand. As I said my wife taught me to use the second needle instead of using only my fingers.  While keeping the yarn looped around my left needle I use my right hand needle to wrap the yarn around the needle. Then I looped the yarn on my left needle over the tip and pull out the excess yarn slack. Casting on is easier than it sounds. Find a Youtube video and follow it if you can’t find someone to show you in person.  Basically you’re making slip knot over slip knot. After you have a dozen or so stitches casted on you can now start knitting.

Yarn: It does matter

I hadn’t been at it that long but I wanted to graduate from knitting simple projects to knitting something larger. I learned by knitting scarves.  Now that I’ve done a dozen of them, I find myself wanting to do a bigger project.  Nothing too complicated but something larger.  How about an afghan?  That might be nice. Not too hard but certainly bigger than a scarf. It’s also something I could make good use of during a cold evening.

 

Ok, I’ll knit an afghan. What do I need to do first?  First I’ll find a pattern for my project.  A friend from my knitting class gave me a pattern she had used.  She knitted an afghan as a birthday present for one of her family members.  My friend also told me she was pleased with how it turned out.

 

The pattern tells me everything I need to know. It tells me the needles I should use.  It tells me what type of yarn to use. The pattern also tells me the amount of yarn I’m going to need. It tells me my afghan project requires 42 ounces of yarn.  So, I need to buy 7 skeins or so of yarn.  Now being frugal, some might to say downright cheap, I shopped for yarn to fit the budget I set.  I found yarn at a wide variety of prices. Thinking cheap yarn would work as well as more expensive yarn, I chose for the lower priced stuff.

 

I finished the afghan. It looked great. The first time I used the afghan it seemed ok but I wasn’t totally satisfied with was how it felt.  It wasn’t as soft as I thought it should be.  I quickly realized that was due to the less expensive yarn I used. Knitting is very rewarding but it can be an expensive hobby. Remember, what you knit will only be as nice as the yarn you use. Don’t skimp on what’s important.  Yarn is a critical component of any knitting project.

 

Are you a beginner?

If you’re a beginner you’ve come to the right place. Is casting on still a challenge for you?  Do you know a knit from a purl? Have you figured out how to ball your yarn or what the best yarn is to use for your project?  Let the experienced knitters on this site help you.  Help with knitting advice, tips and general guidance and some basic direction.

If you’re a beginner we want to hear from you. Tell us what challenges you.  We collectively will help you develop you knitting skill.  We’ve included a few videos that we believe offer good insight to basic knitting techniques. Naughty Knitterz  is here to enable collaboration and to help you master the craft of knitting.

One thing…remember try not to get frustrated and Knit Happy!