Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Knitting is not just for women! Nowadays it is a fun hobby for everyone. Just grab some basic info on the subject – via library books, online articles or ebooks and voila - -start knitting today.

In a nutshell, what you need to start knitting are knitting needles, yarn and a good set of instructions or a pattern.
Let’s begin with some basic patterns. Note, though, before you start with this pattern as a beginner, it would be helpful to know basic stitches; purl and knit stitches at least.

To purl stitch, you have to bring the yarn in front of the needle, insert your right hand needle in the first stitch on your left hand needle. Next wrap the yarn around the back of your right hand needle from right to left, and then just draw loop backwards, allowing the stitch to slip off your left needle to your right hand needle. The main thing to remember about this stitch is that you have to bring the yarn around to the front of your needle. Continue till all stitches are transferred from left needle to right needle.

To knit stitch, pass your right needle through the first stitch of left hand needle. Now wind yarn over cross of two needles over right hand needle. Just gently pull through the loop. After that just slip over first original stitch from left needle to right hand needle. Repeat the whole procedure till you transfer all stitches from left needle to right needle.

There is a specific way to read the patterns. First the skill level; it can be easy, medium, hard or beginner, intermediate or advance, each pattern has specific skill level, you can start with beginner and then go for complex advanced patterns.

For an easy or beginner level there are usually easy patterns, like different types of scarf or shawls or even some sweaters with easy knitting patterns. You can even make some easy handbags, mats to begin knitting. For medium or intermediate levels you can have patterns like stocking caps, sweaters and knitted scarves; usually patterns with altered stitches and patterns for advanced levels, you can have patterns which are complicated and which require lot of shaping.

If you are a beginner then start with a No pattern, this means just start by knitting with a combination of just two basic stitches, knit and purl. To begin you can knit a nice pashmina style stole, just with three hundred stitches, if garter stitch means only knit stitches no purl stitches. To start you can even make some simple combination of stitches.

If you are knitting with circular needles, you can start making tubular scarf for this cast around 300 stitches, and join them together in a circle. You can try stockinette stitch it produces nice curls at the end which gives the scarf a very different look.

When you are following ready made patterns,then pay attention to the instructions given, like check the gauge of wires or needle. Choose patterns as you like depending on your instructions.



BRANDON

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Traditionally knitting work is done with the help of the needles, but nowadays looms are widely used for knitting purpose. These looms are nothing but the machines which are used for weaving treads or yarn to make textiles.
Looms range from large automatic machines to small handy frames. There are some looms that are automatic and work with wire assembly. They are called wiring looms.

A loom will hold and wrap the threads beneath strain, which will allow interweaving of the weft threads which are horizontal threads in the weaving. Though there are different sizes of looms the basic functionality of these does not change.

Historically looms, also called Amish loom or knitting boards, are used for different weaving patterns. They are generally made of either from plastic or wood. These knitting looms are recently popularized in the area of crafting by Knifty knitter system, descendants of frame loom in grooved pegs spaced along a central frame.

While knitting you have to wrap all these pegs with yarn in different ways. After wrapping these pegs by the yarn you have to use a hook with the angle so as to pull this wrapped yarn from the top of the pegs. This will be woven into fabric which like knitted fabric.

While wrapping these pegs by yarn you will come across different combinations. Using these different combinations you will be able to make several intricate patterns. This process is simple but the variety, shape and size will give you different patterns.

With looms, it’s fairly easy to make a variety of different things such as scarves, sweaters and more. You will be able to create different gift items using these knitting looms as well. In fact you can even create larger fabrics (like for clothing pieces or coats) by using large knitting machines or looms.

If you want fabric on a regularly basis (like for business projects), then you may choose to make use of handy loom frames that are also easy to handle. Choose from manual knitting looms and automatic machines that are electrical, assembled with wire systems to work on their own.

Note that automatic knitting looms give you the same quality as manual ones as well as the same quality that you are getting from the knitting needles or that you get from handy knitting looms.

Many people prefer a knitting loom over knitting. It may seem difficult at first, but it is actually very easy to handle plus you get are maintenance free equipment and enhanced variety of patterns by combinations of the weaving abilities.



BRYON

anonymous asked:


Knitting is a great hobby. Many people enjoy knitting because of its many benefits. Knitting is considered as a form of art. A completed piece of knitted item is in fact the creation of a piece of art. The knitter gets to feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment in completing such an item.

Living in a fast paced society, many people need to do something to distress and relax. One of the great benefits of knitting is that it is a splendid stress reliever. It helps to free the mind and hence, it is regarded as a wonderful outlet for an overworked brain. It is no wonder that some people use the activity as a retreat in stressful situations. The craft can slow down a hectic life and enable a person to unwind after a hard day’s work.

In a world filled with mobile phones, computers, televisions and videos, escaping for an hour to knit something soft and warm can be incredibly rejuvenating. There are people who even believe that knitting can actually fuel the creative process in other areas of their lives. They believe that the craft allows the creative part of the brain to work more effectively and find creative solutions to other areas of their lives.
Another benefit of knitting is that it is very portable and can be carried along to any place. Unlike other hobbies like weaving or cooking, the craft can easily be thrown into a bag and pulled out anytime when it is required. As such, the knitter can bring the craft along and do it during bus or train journeys, air flights or even in traffic jams. In this way, hours of waiting and traveling are not wasted away as they are used to accomplish something useful.

One benefit of knitting is that there are various choices of items to knit such as hats, socks, sweaters, jackets, shawls, scarves and pullovers. There are plenty of projects and designs to choose from to suit all levels of knitting expertise, time and budget. Besides, these pieces can be created to beautify homes or serve as special gifts for loved ones. Knitwear garments are beautiful and attractive, and many people like them. Presenting them as gifts is always well loved and appreciated.

Crafts go through phases. Many crafts are built more for speed and fad than for longevity. One benefit of knitting is that it can create long lasting items. Home accessories that are hand-knit with love and care often become heirlooms and family treasures. They are always a source of pride and joy. Besides, these invaluable items are inexpensive to make.

What is knitting? It is simply the process of forming a fabric by making interlocking loops from a continuous strand of yarn using two or more needles. Knitting is an easy craft to learn. Besides, it only requires simple materials, which are two knitting needles, some string or yarn, and a little instruction. For certain items, there are some accessories needed. For example, if you are knitting a sweater, then you will need some buttons. The choice of buttons has a great impact to a sweater. They can make the difference between an attractive garment and a stunning one.

Knitting is a popular craft among the young and old. In fact, the pool of knitting enthusiasts keeps growing. Despite the machine age eliminating the need for hand-stitched items, the popularity of knitting still continues. It is evident that many people have experienced its benefits and recognized its worth to want to continue using this craft to enhance their lives.

If you are interested to start knitting as a beginner, there are many resources available with step-by-step knitting instructions to enable you to learn doing simple projects. When you have learned the simple projects, you can proceed to do the more complicated ones. After some time, you can try to create more pieces using your own ideas. Instead of following closely to the selected knitting pattern, you can add something of your own to make the design unique.

Happy knitting!



DARRYL

Jason asked:


Knitting Book covers all the optics and tips that you find necessary for knitting. It provides guidelines to you. To put it in simple terms, it covers all the necessary instructions which will make your knitting experience a smooth and easy one.

Knitting book also presents you an opportunity to learn new things to improve your knitting. It provides you with some excellent patterns with proper guidelines to achieve them. Knitting Books are available at reasonable prices.

Knitting book has guidelines which are arranged stepwise with project work to tackle with, which is very important to improve your knitting skills. If you are looking for a nice pattern for your bag, winter sweater, purse, scarf etc then knitting books can help you find one.

Knitting can be your hobby or it can be your profession but you can always improve on it to attain that optimum level. There are number of knitting books available providing excellent patterns. These patters can be further categorized into suitable group like ribbings, twist-stitch pattern, eyelet pattern, fancy texture pattern and color change pattern.

Knitted fabrics make you feel cozy and warm during winter season. With the help of knitting books you feel that knitting is a simple process, all it requires is a yarn ball of good quality and two needles. You may have seen your grandma knitting sweaters in her own artistic way or doing some simple knitting work. Knitting Books can teach you the same technique that your grandma uses in knitting.

Knitting Books are suitable for all age groups. It is used by beginners to learn the trade and by experts to fine tune themselves. It provides you stepwise information and contains detail guidance in each step. You can present these books to your loved ones or use it for yourself. If you are dedicated and willing to work hard work then you will definitely master this art in no time.

For further details visit Knitting Book or visit http://www.knitting-book.net



BURTON

Bella Mclaine asked:


Knitting has become the hobby of almost every woman. Knitting has become a house-hold activity in their routine life. While, many women follow knitting as professional activity. Knitting is well-known globally and its main work can be seen in cold countries and in even in other countries where the climate is chilly or in winter season. Knitting business is mainly seen in small-scale industries. Knitting is used in making of different kinds of sweaters like Men’s hoodies, Men’s knitted sweater, and Ladies sweater. The fabric used in sweater is cotton, woolen, acrylic, rayon, spandex, hemp and yarn. A person can get sweater and windcheaters easily from the market. And in accordance to the choice or demand of customer they are readily available in the market. Now-a-days people are more prone to wear fashionable sweaters in this fast growing and never ending western culture.

If you are keenly engrossed to start knitting then the foremost thing that you should do is to purchase some knitting needles, keeping in mind some important points like style, size, and material. Knitting needles is of much significance because that is the only basic or prime part through which every making of work is carried on. But that does not mean the other things required can be ignored.

When you are shopping, a glance at knitting needles will widen your idea & aspects in matter of choices and uses for which they are going to be used. Commonly used knitting needles are straight, circular, bamboo and double-pointed designs. Among these three types of knitting needles circular & straight is much of famous. Where straight needles comes into use of when a person wants to do flat knitting, and circular needles for round knitting. If knitting done by these two needles you don’t have to stress out your wrists. Thus work can be done easily by circular knitting needle & straight knitting needle. Whereas, double-pointed knitting needle is used if someone wants to practice doing smaller projects like gloves, socks, scarf and winter cap.

Someone may feel that when the work is getting complete so size should not be put into account. Even if the work gets complete but then quality of the work does matter. One point you should bear in mind before buying, just draw the area of usage to be kept as of different diameters they are found of. Knitting needles size differs as per countries. You can either buy a separate needle or a whole knitting needle set.

Don’t forget to take care of even other materials. Mainly designs are made from wood, plastic, metal, glass, and bamboo. Clover Takumi Bamboo Knitting Needles are of good quality, smooth finish and is worked on harmonized principles.

Thus, before buying knitting needles one should not forget the above provided information which may come into use of yours.



BRETT

Diane Palmer asked:


Do you love to knit?.. love to create?… but maybe its too hard on the hands?.. then why not try investing in a knitting machine?

Knitting, like any creating, is good for the soul, but can be hard for some people to do, and they end up with half finished projects laying around, and feeling stressed about it, which is the opposite of what crafting is suppose to do for the heart and soul!.

There are some great machines out on the market now, and there are a lot more patterns that are dedicated to machine knitting. The machines have been around for a while, but were basically reserved for scarves and blankets, but now there are some great machines with lots of features and you can make garments, sweaters, crafts and more.

You need to get a good brand name machine, that is heavy duty if you plan on machine knitting a lot, and search out some machine knitting patterns, they are popping up everywhere now as knitting becomes more popular, just make sure the pattern says for “machine knitting“ and you should be fine..

With the advance of the internet, it is now easier to find machines and supplies. If you love crafting and especially knitted garments, then why not check out knitting machines as an alternative to hand knitting. I personally would not totally replace hand knitting, as its a stress reliever for me!… but for those larger garments like dresses, knitted coats etc, you don’t want to be knitting for so long, you miss the seasons!.. Knitting has made a return as a great winter hobby, and there are so many great wools and supplies on the market now, especially the internet, that you don’t even have to leave home to get your supplies anymore! If you knit for your craft business, this would speed things up.

Get knitting, by hand or machine, and get creating!

knitting machines



GARY

Gina Williams asked:


You will find a knitting bag is as important as any needle you use for knitting. These bags make your handy work easy to carry and portable. You should always have a good knitting bag which will cater for your knitting needs. It is vital before you purchase a bag, that you make sure it has all the special compartments for your needles, yarns, that you will need.

When choosing your knitting bag, always keep in mind the type of work you will be undertaking. If you decide to make sweaters, such as Afghans, then you will need a much larger one than if you were to decide to make socks, or other small items. When choosing a bag you should always keep in mind, that your bag will be used for carrying your knitting material from place to place, so the stronger the bag you decide on, the more objects you can carry.

If you wish it to serve a dual purpose, such as a knitting bag that also serves the purpose of a purse, then look for knitting bags which come in leather, or suede. There is a large variety available in to days market. Some of them are intricately designed, while the others are simple but smart looking. So you can choose a knitting bag that satisfies your mood or is a treat for an eye.

When choosing your knitting bag, you should always keep a track of the latest fashion and what will be your requirements. While shopping for one, it is always better to purchase a bag which has hard sides as it is easy to carry and more durable.

Instead of zippers always choose one which has a snap, this is so your knitting does not get stuck in between zippers. It also is always better to purchase one that has a pocket or two for keeping your accessories in. If you decide on buying a large one, then always better to buy one with purse length handles, this will make it easy to carry it on your shoulders, for comfort and ease.

If you are purchasing a small bag to carry knitting materials for smaller projects. Then you need to consider one that has soft sides, this is so that you can fit extra material in it, without harming it. A drawstring or a short strap will make it easier to wrap the bag around your wrist, while carrying. If you carry bigger bags then it is possible that some of your smaller items may get misplaced.

It is not necessity to buy a knitting bag, if you are enthusiastic enough then you can make one for yourself. You could knit a bag, or even make it out of fabric. You will also find there are a lot of free patterns to choose from, if you do decide to make one. You can use any type of fabric or material to make your bag, as long as you choose a fabric that pleases you and is strong enough to carry your load.

A knitting bag not only makes you mobile, but also provides an opportunity to show your talents and latest projects to all your friends and family. Whether you be at your friends, family’s or at your home and people ask you about your latest project or your knitting talents, then you can easily teach them a stitch or two by carrying an extra needles and yarns in your knitting bag.



ROOSEVELT

Rohit Chopra asked:


Perhaps you find the rhythmic clicking of knitting needles very fascinating or the practical utility of knitting appealing, whatever the case may be you may have a desire to learn knitting. If you are attracted to this craft that weaves magic out of yarn, you are not the only one to have fallen prey to its charm. In the yesteryears you would find most women with knitting bags in their hands as they chatted with neighbours or sat watching their favourite television programs.

Though the craze may have dimmed somewhat in recent times, there still are over 20 million people experimenting with yarn, and a considerable number of those is that of men. So, it is not that knitting is limited to the fairer *** nor is it true that knitting is a dying craft. There still are enthusiasts who are passionate about knitting.

When people learn knitting they do not just give freedom to their creative sides but also save money by coming out with clothing and household items. For a housewife it means a lot of money saved in terms of sweaters, socks, scarves and so on. For the more ambitious ones who learn knitting it could turn into a full-fledged home business.By learning to knit you can also ensure that you will never be short of things to present to your family and friends on special occasions as knitted items make great gifts.

When you attempt to learn knitting, you must first strive to understand the basics. Know the different types of yarns that are classified according to their thickness or weights. You must also understand what a ply means, what significance the fibre content holds. Knowledge about the basic craft materials like, yarns that you are going to use will help you determine their suitability to different projects, which will mean that you learn knitting in great depth.

When you are thinking of learning knitting, visit jumble sales and get hold of unused balls of wool or you may even take apart an old woollen sweater for the purpose. Using these for your initial attempts at knitting is sensible, as you will not be wasting money even if you botch up the project. Likewise, practise a pattern that goes beyond the basic stitches before you make a final attempt. When you learn knitting, you should also learn to take a look at the patterns present on the yarn label.

Needle size is an important aspect to consider when you learn knitting. Depending on the item being knit the size will vary. Knitting needles are sold in pairs and the size can be anywhere from 0 to 15. There are circular knitting needles too that are used for clothing items like Afghans.

Once you learn knitting and become an expert at making different knitted stuffs, you will derive great satisfaction looking at the tasks that you have accomplished. Before you know, you will be hooked for a lifetime.



ALFONSO

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Knitting is no longer only for grandmothers or just any mothers. Now it’s a fun, creative hobby for anyone. Just get some basic information before you start knitting. All you need to start knitting are knitting needles, yarn and good patterns or instructions.

Let’s start with some basic patterns. Before you start with a pattern as a beginner, you should know the basic stitches including the knit stitch and purl stitch. For the first, pass the right needle through the first stitch of your left hand needle. Now wind your yarn over cross of two needles, over the right hand needle. Just gently pull through the loop. After that just slip over first original stitch from left needle to right hand needle. Repeat the whole procedure till you transfer all stitches from left needle to right needle.

Purl stitch when viewed from purl side of pattern. First you have to take the yarn in front of the needle, then insert right hand needle in first stitch on left hand needle. Wind yarn around back of right hand needle from right to left, then just draw loop backward which will allow stitch to slip off left needle to right hand needle. The main thing to remember about this stitch is that you have to take the yarn in front of needle. Continue till all stitches are transferred from left needle to right needle.

There is a specific way to read the patterns. First the skill level; it can be easy, medium, hard or beginner, intermediate or advance, each pattern has specific skill level, you can start with beginner and then go for complex advanced patterns.

For an easy or beginner level there are usually easy patterns, like different types of scarf or shawls or even some sweaters with easy knitting patterns. You can even make some easy handbags, mats to begin knitting. For medium or intermediate levels you can have patterns like stocking caps, sweaters and knitted scarves; usually patterns with altered stitches and patterns for advanced levels, you can have patterns which are complicated and which require lot of shaping.

If you are beginner then start with a no pattern, this means just start by knitting with a combination of just two basic stitches, knit and purl. To begin you can knit a nice pashmina style stole, just with three hundred stitches, if garter stitch means only knit stitches no purl stitches. To start you can even make some simple combination of stitches.

If you are knitting with circular needles, you can start making tubular scarf for this cast around 300 stitches, and join them together in a circle. You can try stockinette stitch it produces nice curls at the end which gives the scarf a very different look.



DEVON

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Knitting is an ancient craft, this craft has been passed on from our ancestors, but this knitting went out of fashion. This is the best way to create the desired pattern instead of buying it from the shop. To create this fabric, if you are new, means that you have to learn simple steps in order to knit.

If you are really interested in knitting, you need not worry because knitting becomes simple when using the correct knitting tools, which are called knitting looms. For this you don’t require many tools. You just have to start with a ball of yarn and a pair of knitting needles.

To begin with the stitching, your yarn spinners will give you information about stitches, and rows which that particular yarn you can anticipate to knit using specific set of needles. And if you are not getting such information from those yarn spinners, then you should ask a retailer.

Generally the numbers of stitches are found in the area of around 10 cm square or around 4 inches. This will be helpful in case of the small samples in this you can see how many stitches come into view, in 1 inch this will let skip the partial stitches and hence they will not be counted, resulting in a wrong pattern.

For this purpose you need to purchase a type of yarn that will be able to make about 20 to 22 stitches in an area of 10 cm or 4 inches for about 28 to 30 rows about 4 inches in stocking stitch. Beginner often prefer to work with 100% acrylic.

For knitting purpose another requirement is knitting needle. You must have a pair of knitting needles. To start with and for life long buy aluminum and nickel plated brass knitting needles. Other types of needles are also available in the form of bamboo, plastic, rosewood and any metal. The needles which you are purchasing must be smooth as well, not easily bendable.

Once you have all the required things, then you should learn how to make a slip knot. This knot is generally preferred for sweaters, socks and scarves. For this, first of all take a end of yarn and unwind around two to three yards. Next, hold it in between thumb and finger such that the ball end is going away from the thumb across inside of the finger. At this stage wind it around finger.

Now insert the needle point under this circle. Tip the needle over by lifting the crossing over strand back up through the loop. This is the loop now to carefully lift (the yarn) from your finger and draw it up. Making use of this loop, now start with the desired stitch. Make use of the knit stitch or purl stitches.



VALENTIN