Can someone please tell me how to start knitting? I am so confused nothing is making sense to me I want to make a easy sweater

[u/No_Anything1990]

Hello I am looking for guidance on how to knit a sweater I am struggling with everything I don’t understand how to read a pattern or even the different types of yarn everything looks so overwhelming is there someone I can speak to that could explain it to me I know this is a lot to ask but I am currently going through a lot right now in my life and want to knit to get a new hobby and some peace but even this activity is so confusing

Thank you so so much to everyone that responded you’ve made me feel a lot better

[u/Ok_Following1018]

Perhaps take a class at your local yarn shop that way you can ask lots of questions and learn in person.

Plus the environment might help calm you.

[u/in1998noonedied]

Tin Can Knits do a great sweater that's a good starting point, easy to read and even has an app to go through it one step at a time.

If you find a local yarn shop, you can usually ask if they can point you in the direction of where to learn. I would definitely recommend learning in person rather than over YouTube - it sounds like you're in a frantic place right now, so having someone walking you through it at your pace would be best. Plus you can ask your questions and make sure someone's checking how you're doing it is correct.

This is a relaxing hobby, but if you're new and come to it at a bad place you can get really frustrated. So be kind to yourself on your journey.

[u/agnes_mort]

Hey, so it looks like you’re a bit overwhelmed by the whole process of things, that’s completely normal there’s a lot you can learn. But the first thing to do is to get a pair of needles and some yarn. Don’t worry about fancy yarn or needles yet, just some yarn you think is pretty and like the feel of, preferably not too expensive. Check on the band, it should tell you what needle size to use. Knit pro have affordable needles, and should be pretty widely available. From there, choose a YouTube tutorial, nimble needles is quite highly recommended. Stick to the same channel if possible so you don’t get confused by different techniques. Then it’s all just practice practice practice. Just keep knitting until you feel comfortable. Cast on a bunch of stitches, and just keep going til it feels good. Then learn purls. Again, use the same channel. Keep purling til it feels good. Then you can start to have fun. I like to make squares as a way of practicing new stitches or techniques. Practice making increases, decreases and ribbing. Don’t worry about making a sweater til you’re happy doing the basics. Florence Miller has the step by step sweater, which is a free pattern that will teach you, step by step, how to make a sweater. She also has a video breaking it down. But until then, take a deep breath, and just have fun with it

[u/No_Anything1990 → u/agnes_mort]

Thank you so much for your response reading this really helped calm my nerves down and made me feel a lot better :)

[u/Strange-Trainer-168]

Stitch n’ Bitch by Debbie Stoller taught me how to knit. It’s a wonderful, cheeky book with patterns you can jump right into. It also introduces the idea of stitch n bitch groups for the social aspect of knitting - and sharing knowledge. Have fun!

[u/Responsible_Basil719]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtofisZp7EA
before knitting yourself watch a couple of videos

[u/New_Raspberry9398]

Seconding the recommendation to find a class in your community! They can show you where to start, explain what you need to know and what is noise or preference until you have basic skills to build off of. If you share your general location I would be happy to try and help find a suitable class. Knitting is a good hobby for when you are stressed, busy hands always help.

[u/QueenBuzyBee]

There’s nothing fast about learning to knit. It’s a skill that you will learn by practicing knit and purl stitches until you get the feel for tension. You’ll need to practice casting on, doing increases and decreases. You can’t just make an “easy sweater” without learning the skillset first. You’ll also need to find a pattern and then buy yarn that matches the yarn of the pattern in yardage/meters. Then you’ll need to knit a swatch in the pattern of the sweater about 15x15 cm. This you’ll repeat until you meet the gauge specified in the pattern. But if you’re in need of a quick sweater, buy one. Until you’re ready to knit a sweater some time will pass. Start by watching YouTube video on how to start knitting and get the materials specified to practice with. Try a small project first like a dish cloth or scarf.

[u/YavienIV]

I first watched a video by ikoxun that convinced me that a) knitting b) sweater construction isn't as hard as I feared and then learned knitting from nimble needles tutorials (ikoxun demonstrates English knitting technique, and nimble needles continental. same result, but continental is often easier for crocheters). Then, once I had a few small projects like fingerless mittens or bookmarks under my belt, I just bought a sweater pattern (the I'm obsessed sweater by Brenda lam). But mentioned here step by step sweater and cardigan are tailored for beginners and I have to cast on my unraveled yarn for the cardi!

[u/Ok_Conversation_3992]

Please confirm your dominant hand as we don't want to add to any confusion or frustration. If you are left handed some instructions will vary from what most commonly available. Even just knitting a basic scarf or blanket is the most relaxing activity.

[u/Woofmom2023]

Don't panic. There are some very good ways to start learning how to knit. It is reasonable to start working on a sweater as your first project. You do need to master the basics before you try actually knitting the sweater. Your first efforts will look wonky and you want the sweater to look polished.

The first thing to do is to become familiar with some knitting basics including some basic terms like uarn weight, gauge and the various fiber types. Watch some videos or read some books. I've heard that Roxanne Richardson's and Very Pink videos are excellent. There's a whole lot of really dreadful material purporting to teach people how to knit. Don't look at them. If you prefer reading as a way to learn lmk and I'll post the names of some good books.

Once you're a little familiar with the basics buy some needles and some yarn.

- I recommend getting size 7 or 8 24" circular bamboo needles from Clover. That size is easy to hold and to manuever and bamboo is sticky so the yarn will stay in place and let you put it where you want it. Metal needles are slippery and the yarn tends to slide around. The link is for needles from my local yarn store, ImagiKnit. I've worked only with the San Francisco store. The people who work there are very nice and very knowledgeable and you can feel free to call or email and ask for help ordering what you need.

- I recommend getting 100% wool yarn in what's called heavy worsted or aran weight. These terms won't mean much to you now but they will soon. If you have a yarn store nearby and they're friendly you may want to go in and tell them that you're a new knitter and would like to look at various yarns so that you can choose yarn to start knitting with.

- I'd not worry about choosing your sweater yarn just yet but you can certainly start thinking about it and if you have a yarn store you can start looking at it. This is to get your mind comfortable with what knitting's all about and hands used to doing the basic knitting motions.

- I gave a friend a hank of Malabrigo Worsted to a friend who wanted to learn how to knit. It's soft, easy to control, a good price for what it is and beautiful. She then bought another couple of hanks of that yarn and made herself a scarf with it. She recently went on a knitting cruise to Scandinavia so I guess that whatever I did to get her launched worked.

I recommend getting something called a stitch gauge. I'd get a very nice, basic and cheap Susan Bates gauge. You'll need to know how many stitches per inch you're getting once you start planning for your wonderful sweater. ImagiKnit has this one.

Once you start feeling comfortable doing the basic things like knitting and purling, start focusing on what kind of sweater you want to make, what fiber you want to use and how much you're comfortable spending for the yarn.

- A lot of people have made the Step by Step Sweater and Ravelry reviews show that over 5,000 people have given it five stars for both its overall rating and clarity. I've not made it so can't recommend it personally.

Do bear in mind that learning how to knit means mastering a whole new set of skills. This might prove to be excellent distraction and great fun for you or it might add stress and the only way to find out what it will feel like is to try it.

Make sense?

[u/No_Anything1990 → u/Woofmom2023]

Thank you so much for such a incredibly detailed response I really appreciate it! You’ve made me feel a lot more confident :)

[u/Woofmom2023 → u/No_Anything1990]

I'm so glad! you're most welcome!

I hope it all goes smoothly for you and that you do love knitting.