I recently taught myself how to knit. I was interested in the mechanics of knitting, especially how it’s possible to weave string into cloth with just a few simple tools and techniques. It was also appealing because it’s something that can be done in small sessions rather than requiring long spans of continuous attention. Furthermore, knitting is a skill that allows you to make really cool things.
To get started, I picked up an awesome introductory knitting book, Stitch N’ Bitch. The friendly folks at Knitty City also helped me pick up some needles (size 10) and yarn that were suitable for a beginner.
My first project was this simple ribbed scarf. Admittedly, it took me a long time to figure out the purl stitch, but I finally had some success with the English method of knitting. At the beginning, I made some mistakes and had trouble getting the yarn tension right which resulted in some oddities in the knitted fabric. By the end of the scarf, however, the stitches were even and consistent, resulting in a cool stretchable ribbed pattern.
For my second project, I wanted to try something a little harder. I made the Official Kittyville hat. I used a cheap wool yarn so it wouldn’t be an expensive mess if I screwed the whole thing up. This required needles that were smaller (size 7) than the ones I used for my first project. The hat also involved some new techniques, such as knitting in the round, decreasing size, using double-ended needles, and picking up stitches in the middle of the fabric. Overall, the stitches were still slightly too tight, but the end result came out well. It’s definitely something I will wear when it gets a little colder.
I’ve added lots of knitting project ideas to my ever-growing project list. I want to try combining conductive yarn and Fair Isle knitting to make functional and attractive knit circuits. Of course, there are lots of great non-technical projects in there too, like these Dalek mitts.
And, by the way, did you know that knitting is good for your health? Sources say that it is an excellent stress reliever and could possibly have the same effect as meditation. I’ve definitely found myself getting lost in the motions of moving the needles.
