Needs For New Knitters

Good Afternoon,

I would like to focus on the new knitter.  This person has a stirring interest in knitting but not sure where to start.  Here are some suggestions:

• Visit you LYS (Local Yarn Shop).  There you will find everything you need to get started.  You will know if it is the right place for you if the shop oozes friendly.  Check out the yarn selections.  You want good quality, but you also do not need to start out on a luxury fiber either.  Check out the class schedule, usually you will find beginner classes at different times to accommodate most schedules.

• Investigate libraries, community colleges, churches, etc., these organizations often have knitting groups that welcome new knitters.  The draw back is not having supplies to purchase.

• What if there isn't a LYS within a reasonable distance?  There area a huge amount of knitting websites that sell supplies and there are also teachers, mentors and coaches that can interact with students online as well.

Purchasing your supplies can be very overwhelming.  What exactly will you need to get started?
Well, your first project should be simple, able to be completed quickly, so there is that feeling of "instant gratification".  You don't want a project that goes on and on.  Interest is lost with a long repetitive, non stop knit.  So, your supply list should be short and sweet too.  Appropriate fiber for your project...you wouldn't want to use 100% wool yarn for a washcloth, you would rather choose a cotton or cotton blend.  Your needles should be specific for your project as well.  View these as tools of the trade.  They will be reusable for many projects to come.  I have encountered potential knitters who look at needles as just an expense, but better to view the purchase as an investment.

After your first couple of knitting successes are under way or completed, you might also consider some of the wonderful knitting needle kits that are on the market now.  They come in a host of price ranges from the more expensive Addi Turbo Clicks to the very reasonable Knitter's Pride.  These are circular needle sets that contain a variety of sizes within a set.  It is always better to buy a set when possible because in the long run they are more economical. 

Speaking of needles, as a long time teacher, knitting coach and mentor, I recommend to my students to invest in circular needles instead of straight needles.  The reason being, you can knit flat on circulars, but you can't knit circularly on straight needles, also more cost effective.  If you have never knit on circulars before, there really isn't much of a learning curve at all.

If you are a member of a knitting group, there are usually as many needle brands as there are members.  Bring some yarn to swatch with and ask a member if they like their brand of needle and see if they would be willing to let you give their brand a try.  It usually only takes a few minutes or so of knitting to make an informed decision...yeah or nay.

Once you find out the knitting notions that you prefer, perhaps your LYS or your online knitting supply source has a wish list that you can print out and post in a strategic place.  That way at gift giving time, it can be used as a valued tool for the gift giver.  Include web info, LYS info, pricing etc.  The more information provided, the more likely it will be used.  Also, be sure to add books to your list as well.

I hope that this information is helpful for you and that getting started will become the beginning of a long association with the world of knitting and all it's groups and members.  We are a friendly bunch of people who love to share what we are knitting, finished or unfinished.  It is a great way to get ideas for future projects and expand your knitting experience.

My current projects are, Hemp Face Cloths, ongoing, French Beret, Layering Shrug, Little Girl's Dress, pattern writing and organizing for my classes.  I'm sure I have left out a few things as well.
I would love to know what projects you are working on.  As always, if you get stuck or have a question, post in the comment section below, or email me:  dee@youandmeknit.com.  Skype and Face Time are available as well. 

I hope you all have a great weekend and Happy Knitting!

Long Tail Cast On 'n Cats

Good Morning!

The last few weeks I have been knitting hats getting them ready to upload to my Etsy site, which isn't quite ready yet. During the process, I have been experimenting with the cast on. I have used mostly a "knitted on" cast on as well as the "cabled" cast on. But, let me back up just a bit, say about 45 years or so.

I was taught the "thumb" cast on by my Mom. My Great Aunt taught me to knit, but she always cast on for me. Mom eventually broke down and taught me how to do it by myself as she got tired of casting on all the time. I was a prolific knitter. I didn't have much for fiber, so would rip out and use the same yarn again and again. I even resorted to using butcher's cord and even tried baling twine, which I couldn't rip out because it was too hairy.

As my knitting progressed and I learned new techniques, my cast on changed as well. There were no knitting classes available at that time, but I read whatever I could to learn anything new about knitting. My "thumb" cast on evolved to a type of knitting on. Instead of just slipping the loop on my needle, I would insert the needle into the loop on my thumb then take the working end and wrap it on the needle as if I was knitting a stitch. This is similar to the "long tail" in that you had to have enough yarn to wrap the thumb each time. The edge of the cast on was bulky, and not very neat.


 The "knitted on" cast on was next one I tried and that worked very well. Then on to the "cabled" cast on, which I have used for years and still do today. In the mid 1990's, I was taking some classes locally, and learned the "long tail" cast on. I really loved that one, but trying to figure out how much yarn to allow to get the required number of stitches made me crazy, so I went back to my "cable" cast on.

A couple of years ago, while working at Amazing Threads, http://www.amazingthreads.com/ , I was talking to the owner, Susan DeRosa, about the "long tail" and my inability to come close to estimating the "tail."
She said to my astonishment, that you don't have to...just use both ends of the ball. Duh, no one was sharing this information before? What an incredibly simple solution.

That technique sat on the back shelf for a while until recently. Playing with some two color cast ons, the "long tail" became a perfect solution. Holding the M/C over my forefinger and the C/C color over my thumb,it was just what I was looking for. I had a single strand of color at the very bottom edge of the cast on. It certainly turned out to be a great edging.

Now, the correlation between the cat and the "long tail" cast on. When I was trying to figure out the right amount of yardage for the tail, it generally pooled on the floor next to me and as a long tailed cat does, gets under foot. BTW my cat would always seem to get it and by the time I tried to use it, the yarn ended up slightly frayed in some places. Cat tails and yarn tails, don't know which is more of a problem. They both are cuddly, like to be close, and, well, let's leave this for another post!