Knitting: Before the Basics

Today was my very first snow day! Hello, winter!
Being a Florida girl, I'm very used to hurricane days, but I've never experienced a snow day before. Let me tell you, it beats a hurricane day by a lot. When I'm trapped inside, there's only one logical thing to do: knit.
As anyone who knows me can tell you, I have one true love. Knitting.
Go ahead and snicker about a young woman being a grandma for loving to knit, but based on the number of people my age who ask me to teach them how, I think it's quite alright that I knit.

When people ask how I learned to knit, they always seem shocked by my answer: I learned on the internet. http://www.knittinghelp.com/ to be exact. It's the most amazing website ever. If you have any desire to learn, that site can teach you. (There are lots of other great sites out there. This is just my favorite.)
When I was learning, in all of my research, there was always something missing. I never knew what tools I needed. Walk into any craft store and there are aisles and aisles of yarn and dozens of options of needles. It can be overwhelming. Before you can learn to knit, you've got to have the right tools.

For the beginning knitter there are only two required tools: Needles and yarn.
I'll start with needles.

Knitting Needles
Needles come in different sizes and different materials. Sizes are standard and the average ones range from US 0 to US 15. There are larger and smaller, but 0 to 15 is the normal range.

US 0 is the small end of the scale and they increase in 0.5 mm increments. (This picture is NOT to scale.) Needle sizes frequently correspond to yarn sizes. Thinner yarns knit well with smaller needles while bulkier yarns knit better with larger needles. A knitting pattern should tell you what size needle, and what kind of yarn, to use.

Once you know what size needle you need, there are several needle materials to choose from, each with pros and cons.

Plastic Needles

Plastic knitting needles are the most widely available and the least expensive. They can come in fun colors and are very lightweight. Some have a metal core running through them to strengthen them. They are very flexible and therefore can warp over time. Plastic needles are also the most likely to break, especially the thinner ones.
Metal Needles

Metal needles' true advantage lies in their ability to slide yarn easily lending to faster knitting. They are very widely available and are virtually indestructible. However, they are constantly cold to the touch and create that classic knitting clicking sound. (I am not a metal needle fan.)

Bamboo Needles

Bamboo needles are by far my favorite. They are lightweight, very quiet and much warmer than other needles. The bamboo creates a friction that doesn't allow for the speediest of knitting, but it hold stitches on the needles better and helps prevent dropped stitches. They are significantly more expensive than plastic or metal needles, but they are so worth it.

Hello, beautiful.

I recently saw a set of rosewood needles and immediately wanted them. They're so beautiful and elegant. Ah, someday.

Those are all the major knitting needle materials. Now, onto yarns.

Yarn

There are many, many variations on yarn basics, so I'll try to cover the main points. Like needles, yarn comes in basic sizes, or weights as they call them.

The symbol to the left is the standard yarn weight. They range from 1, the finest, to 6, the bulkiest. Each weight has various names associated with it, the names in parentheses, but the typical names are the ones next to the symbol: Fine, Light, Medium and so on.

Like I mentioned earlier, needles and yarns correspond to each other, for example, size US 7 needles and yarn weight 4 are a common pairing. The two together create a nice balance. Using a very fine yarn, like a 2, with a thick needle, like US 13, would create a very loose knit that wouldn't hold its shape well.

This is to show how large the difference in the yarn weights can be. A weight is generally twice the thickness of the weight before it and half the thickness of the weight after it. I'm only showing weights 3, 4 and 5 because those are the weights I have in my stash. I don't knit with 1, 2 or 6. Just personal preference.

1: Super fine- This is the thinnest knitting yarn and is most frequently used to make baby items and therefore often sold in baby pastels. It's also used for some heavyweight lace patterns and socks. (Lace is typically made with even thinner yarn, not often considered a knitting yarn.)
2: Fine- This weight is also known as sport weight, not because of athletics but because of women's sportswear. This is an excellent sock yarn as well as lightweight wrap and shawl yarn.
3: Light/4: Medium- These two weights are often interchangeable and are known as worsted weight. It is the most widely available yarn and can be used in almost any project. It's the best yarn to learn to knit with, but is still great for all skill levels.
5: Bulky- This yarn is great for quickly knitting up projects. Scarves and throws are often knit in bulky weight for their warmth and speed. Larger needles are required for yarn this thick.
6: Super Bulky- The largest of all the yarns, super bulky knits up very quickly on large needles. Not intended for form-fitting pieces.

I won't get into yarn material because nearly every brand of yarn is composed of different fibers and percentages of those fibers. But there are several yarn types that do deserve discussing.

Novelty Yarns
Novelty yarns are a relatively new addition to the yarn world and are considered carrying yarns. They lack substance and are intended to be knit alongside another yarn, carried along, hence the name. I DO NOT encourage new knitters to attempt these yarns.

Eyelash Yarn

Ladder Yarn

PomPom Yarn

Boucle' Yarn is not considered a novelty yarn. It knits up beautifully by itself, but I still don't encourage it for new knitters. The loose fibers can trip up even experienced knitters.

Boucle' Yarn

For most beginning knitters, I'd suggest a good old skein of worsted weight yarn, like this, in a light color. The weight is a good medium weight to learn on and the color will make it easy to see each stitch.   

So there you have it: Knitting Needles and Yarn.
Let's recap.
- There are many needle sizes and the size depends on the project and the yarn weight.
- There are several needle materials and which one to use is personal preference.
- There are 6 yarn weights, each with their own use.
- Wait to use to the novelty yarns until you're fairly confident with regular yarns.
- HAVE FUN WITH IT. Knitting is a relaxing pastime, not a chore. Keep that in mind.