Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Knitting is not only a craft by which thread can be turned into cloth or it is not only for grannies or babies; now it is in style and is really cool. The most important thing you will need to start with knitting is knitting needles.

Now the most important thing about these needles is their size. All different types of knitting needles are available, in many various sizes and these sizes are denoted by numbers. Knitting needles are also called knitting pins, knitting sticks, wires, rod or even knitting wires. As length and thickness of knitting needles changes depending upon type of yarn and what type of fabric to knitted.

Modern knitting needles that are available in the market place were invented in the beginning of the 19th century; these needles are usually known as straight needles. These needles have one narrow end and another end of the needle is caped with knobs. You can easily knit flat patterns like squares or rectangles. These needles are so popular because of their knobs; these knobs prevent sliding off the stitches.

There is one more type of needle, circular needles. Using these circular knotting needles you can create seamless tubes. But when you knit with circular needles, you are knitting on only one side of fabric, which is not the case with straight needles, so this means you have to change patterns accordingly. The great advantages of these circular needles are the weight of knitted fabric is evenly distributed. This is great option for four pointed needles.

There is another type of needle called double pointed needles. Even these are used for knitting tubular fabrics; however, these double pointed needles have tapered ends on both sides. The length of needles depends on what kind of fabric you want to knit, if you want to knit small fabric for socks; for example, then smaller needles will do. But if you want to knit longer fabrics like shawls, then you will need long needles.

Needles can be made of different type of materials. It can be made of metals or wood. Antique needles are also made up of ivory, walrus tusks or tortoise shell. Modern day’s knitting needles can be made of many different materials like aluminum, steel, bamboo, wood, glass, plastic or casein. Circular needles are also made up of metals and connecting tube of circular meta,l is usually made up of PVC or plastic.

To keep needle points sharp for many years it is very important to store them properly. Usually needles are stored in tall, cylindrical container with padding at the bottom; this will keep points of needle sharp. Usually this container is made of plastic or fabrics which have compartments with which you can keep needles together but separate. It is very important to keep circular needles dangled in maximize space. It is very important to keep check on tubes, as they can easily wound up. To uncoil these plastic or nylon circular needles keep them soaked in hot water for some time and they are ready to knit.



LEMUEL

Lorie Grant DeWorken asked:


I decided to learn to crochet in college. Crazy way for a college student to spend free time? Definitely. I assure you that I was not as big a loser as it might make me sound though. One night, for some strange reason, I found myself on a creative kick. My mom had taught me to cross-stitch as a child but that wouldn’t do anymore. I was ready for something new and exciting.

I ended up at Wal-mart late at night (best time to go for a college student!) browsing through the craft aisles and inevitably drawn to all the cool yarns. Ok, so what to do with them? Knitting or crocheting? At the time, knitting seemed over my head and maybe even a bit “granny-ish”. Crocheting was so much… cooler. Yeah, that’s it.

So for whatever reason, I picked crocheting. I envisioned super trendy afghans and throws adorning my dorm room and great gifts to impress my fiancé’s parents. It was something that I could learn to do that could be useful in the future. I could decorate an apartment or house, clothe the children I’d one day have, and even give great cheap gifts to all my friends.

Good in theory, but I never finished my first project — an afghan. What can I say? I was an easily distracted college student. And my reason for not having finished it since college? Let’s just say I’m an equally distracted adult. But despite my early failure, I did learn to crochet and, later, I even learned to knit.

Overall, there are two big things that I’ve taken away from my experiences in learning to crochet and knit:

First – you CAN be “self-taught” with the help of a good how-to book. There are quite a few out there. Just take a trip to any store that carries craft materials and patterns. Browse through the books to find one that is most user-friendly for you. One note — don’t be alarmed if some of the books with great instructions have patterns and pictures that take you back to the 70s or 80s. (My first how-to book had some real winners — cheesy vests and sweaters with terrible color schemes — but then again, 80s fashions are back aren’t they?)

Also keep an eye out for how-to kits. I started with a kit that included several crochet hooks and tools plus additional patterns — which were much needed! Except for yarn, these kits should provide you with the basics but don’t walk away from the store yet. It’s a good idea to go ahead and buy some additional crochet hooks or knitting needles since not all sizes are included in your kit. Other tools that could come in handy are: counters, markers, stitch holders, point protectors (knitting only).

Second — it’s good to have someone who can help you. This person does not have to be a full-fledged teacher, just a “consultant” — someone you can turn to when you have questions — because, let’s face it, even the best how to knit or how to crochet book can confuse you at one time or another. In my early attempts to learn to crochet I got stuck on a particular type of stitch. No matter how many times I read the explanation I just could not make it work. It just didn’t look right.

Lucky for me, I happened to be home from college on my winter break. I also happened to have what I was working on with me at a friend’s house (not sure why — again, I promise you I wasn’t a loser!). Her mother had been crocheting for years and I took the opportunity to ask for her help. She was able to show me exactly what I needed to do. That set me straight and I’ve been crocheting just fine on my own ever since.

My knitting “consultant” was (and is) my mother. After I got my first knitting how-to book, I knew I’d have some questions. I found out that some friends wanted to learn to knit too. So we set up a “knitting night” and all learned from my mom. A good social hour and quite educational! If you’re able to find some people to do this with, I highly recommend it.

Knitting and crocheting are great pastimes. I’m no expert, but I have learned how to do both. There are some great resources out there for anyone else to do the same. Find yourself a good how-to book, and that “consultant” you can turn to when you get stuck, and you’ll be well on your way. I never did finish that college afghan but since then I have crocheted several dish clothes, a baby blanket, a girl’s sweater, and now I’m knitting another girl’s sweater. If I could pull off these projects, anyone can! So go get started! Learn to crochet, learn to knit today!



COLBY

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.



CARMELO

Graham williams asked:


For a light weight, trouble free knitting experience you need to use bamboo knitting needles. These needles are made after extensive research was done, to make your knitting experience as smooth as possible. They are manufactured using a high technological processes. The companies that manufacturer these needles maintain, high quality, smooth finish and a perfect needle points. The high quality and standard of these needles will make your knitting, an experience you will not forget.

By using bamboo knitting needles, you will minimize any possibility of splitting yarns, these needles also maintain a smooth flow of yarn over them, because of the smooth surface they have. This all helps to make your knitting trouble free. As these needles are of such a light weight your hands will not tire even after long hours of knitting.

The smooth wooden finish of the needles makes them glide over each other in perfect unison, hence minimizing the noise created by other needles such as aluminum ones. The amazing thing about these bamboo needles is that they become even smoother, the more you use them. Thus, knitting with these smooth bamboo needles all helps to make a comfortable experience, unlike the plastic and aluminum needles that are often used.

The bamboo knitting needles are made only out of the finest quality natural bamboo, that is grown in parts of Japan. The manufactures make a great effort to prepare bamboo needles of the highest standard. The strict quality control that is applied, assures that the bamboo needles prepared last longer and produce some of the most exquisite knitting patterns you can see.

The bamboos used to produce bamboo knitting needles are harvested during the cold winter months. The bamboo that is from these cold climates is far more resilient, and hard. During the winter the water contained in the bamboo is at a minimum. Thus, this avoids any staining, or mold.

During the winter months the woody fibers of the bamboo become tighter, hence these bamboo shoots are used to produce needles that are of strong density. The use of a fully matured bamboo shoot means, that the needles produced are strong and long lasting.

These bamboo needles are available in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The tapered point of the needle, ensures that every loop is even, which leads to a beautiful stitch. Thus, these needles are perfect for the beginner and the people who like the feel of a smooth warm bamboo passing between their fingers.

These needles are recommended to be used by beginners as they are not as slick as the plastic or metal ones. Thus, the possibility of the loops sliding from your needles becomes much less likely to happen. Professional knitters prefer bamboo knitting needles as they are able to knit quickly without any mistakes.

The flexibility, strength and comfort provided by these needles are second to none. Knitters can get a good quality bamboo needle at an affordable price. Unlike the bamboo needles the wooden needles are much more expensive, and if they are homemade then it will cost you a lot to own a set of them.

Bamboo knitting needles are available in a wide range of varieties, such as double points, single point and circular types. The size of every needle is so accurate that you can use various same sized needles and still get a high quality uniform stitch. You can also purchase bamboo needles with paperweight tops.

The needles come with a bulb of glass containing beautiful flowers, or other patterns. These needles are often collected for their beauty and elegant look. The beautiful glass design adds an exquisite touch to your knitting experience.

Even though bamboo knitting needles are long lasting, if you are using them for long periods of time it would be beneficial to you, to sand their tips, doing so will keep them smooth. This also stops the needles from splitting yarns, and of course them breaking. Apart from this the bamboo needles virtually maintenance free.



CLAYTON

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


As you know there are many different types of knitting needles available, Circular knitting needles are one of them. With using this type of needle you can create seamless tube. Knitting with this kind of circular needle is also sometimes called knitting in the round.

Use of circular needles was started in the beginning of 20th century and as use of these circular needles increased the long double pointed needles were out dated. With these circular needles you just can’t do knitting circularly but you can knit anything that can be knitted on two straight needles can be knitted back and forth on circular needles with very less strain on shoulder and wrist.

Circular knitting needles are lot fun to work with. You can do lot with this, sweaters, bags or you can do many other fun things with it. These needles can be made of many different types of materials like bamboo, resin, plastic or even metal. There are new glass circular needles they are many designer colors they look simply amazing. Usually this needle has two hard tip joined with a flexible cord. Length of this circular needle is measured tip to tip which ranges from 12 inches to 60 inches. 12″ is length normally used for socks and mittens and 60″ can be used for knit entire bedspread in one piece; you just have to be strong enough to hold it up. For sleeves or caps you can go for 16″ inches needles. For adult sweaters 24 to 32 inches are very good.

For getting started with circular needles; casting on process is same as straight needles. If you are knitting a round project; there are several different methods for joining a project in round. You can simply knit the first stitch very tightly, so there won’t be any gap between first and last stitch in round. ; you can even cast one extra stitch and then just slip that stitch onto left hand needle ; after that just knit first and last stitch together before starting pattern.

When you knit with circular knitting needles you are knitting on only one side of fabric every time, which is not the case with straight needles so that means you have to change pattern accordingly. Usually circular knitting is done using stokinette stitch; which makes circular knitting easier as you just have knit every row. For garter stitch instead of knitting each row you will need to knit one row just purl one row. If you purl every row it would be a reverse stokinette. These are some common stitches around.

While buying circular knitting needles the length of nylon cord between the needles. It can ranges from 6″ to 40″ inches. When you knit with circular needle; circumference is important. For adult sized sweater then go for longer cord.

You can use these circular needles for flat patterns too. Just like two straight needles, cast on and start knitting back and forth. Knitting with circular needles is great for knitting on the road.



ARMAND

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Knitting is becoming popular; loom knitting is an obvious solution for the next “time-conscious” generation of knitters. Loom knitting is very old craft, but it is in style again. Loom knitting is available in a variety of shapes such as round, oval, and rectangular. One type of them have one row of pegs, they are known as single rakes; the size of loom is a decided on fact how much you want to expand the piece of cloth. Size of pegs and their distance from each other, these factors affect the knit stitching and also thickness of yarn that works best on it.

Typically Loom is used to make knit fabric. These pegs look like a piece of knitting needle. There are various methods of wrapping the yarns on the pegs, to create knit work in variety of stitches and patterns, same as needle do. On rake loom creates a fabric that has number of distinctive right and wrong faces, while double rake loom creates a double knit fabric, both having right sides.

Loom knitting is quite an easy task; you can easily learn it, especially people who scare of knitting with needles, will surely find loom knitting easier. There is plenty of information regarding how to do loom knitting, and hoe to get the wonderful patterns, out of loom knitting, there are many websites available on internet you can easily get an idea.

Children as young as 5 years old can easily knit, there own hat using the loom. So kids will be busy during long winter vacations. Traditional needles can also make loom knit. In many countries knitting looms are usually made to give away. Instead of large floor looms or mechanically driven weaving looms these looms are lightweight and portable.

Looms can be used for knitting while watching television, though it sounds quite difficult but it’s true once you have a practice no need to look at it at all. In a waiting room, or while you are in your car and getting bore of traveling, this could be a great way of using your time, same way you will be doing something creative and productive.

There are different kinds of looms:

1. Hat looms:

Hat looms are obtainable in 4 different knitting gauges:

- Large gauge allows the use of two strands.

- Regular gauge allows the use of one strand, single stitch, and beautiful tight stitch.

- These gauges are preferred for baby items.

2. sock and bootie looms:

Sock and knitting looms are available in three different gauges:

There are three varieties regular gauge, small gauge, and fine gauge:

- Regular loom allow you to knit with different yarn thickness for different season.

3. Afghan looms: there are infinity rakes in these type. They are oval and infinity rake.

4. Mitten looms:

They are available in two different gauges, regular and fine gauge.

Looms are also classified according to the gauge size:

1. Large gauge looms

2. Regular /medium gauge looms

3. Small gauge looms

4. Fine gauge looms

5. extra small gauge loom

6. extrafine looms



RUBEN

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


During the 17th and 18th century, the Scottish Isles main occupation was knitting. Colorful patterns were made by using Fair Isle technique. The Industrial Revolution brought a major development in the knitting. The British government published a booklet by the name “Make do and mend” that supplied knitting patterns for people to knit sweaters, gloves for the Army and Navy.

Knitting has undergone a vast change. There are lot of magazines and online publications for knitting. Adirafil is an online publication that has free patterns, yarn information etc. This site is accessible in four languages (English, Spanish, Italian and French). It is published four times in a year, and it gives information about guild news, free patterns etc. Creative Design school publication gives knitting lessons and instructions. Family circle Easy knitting & Crochet is published four times a year which can be subscribed online. Heels and Toes Gazette is published quarterly and gives information about sock knitting, sock patterns and knitting tips.

InKnitters is a quarterly magazine published under Machine Knitters source. This magazine is mainly featured on patterns and articles about knitting. Interweave magazine is published by Interweave Press. It is a quarterly magazine. Knit N Style can be subscribed online and it is published six times a year. It deals with free patterns and bulletin boards.

Knit Net is an online knitting magazine, which gives more about retailer information, great patterns and articles. It is published five times in a year and its issues are available on CD ROM. KnitScape Magazine is published two times in a year and under the publishers of Interweave Press. Knitters Review is updated every week because it gives the latest information about yarns, shops and techniques of knitting. Knitting digest features about the latest patterns and designs in the knitting. It is published six times in a year.

Knitting Now, has three issues in a year which gives information about patterns and technical support of knitting. Knitting Universe is a famous magazine that is published four times a year. It also gives information about nice patterns and techniques of knitting. The European Yarn Company publishes Lana Grossa and it is issued seven times in a year. This is an online magazine. Machine Knitters Source is a magazine published 6 times in a year which mainly features on articles about machines.

Machine knitting monthly, is a website, which is updated every month and features about news and reviews, articles, hints and tips. MagKnits, is published with free patterns. Piecework Magazine is also published by Interweave Press, which is published two times in a month. There are projects on knitting, embroidery and crochet, stitch, basket, lace and other craftwork. Rebecca is German knitting magazine that gives information about free patterns and technical support.

Rowan is published twice in a year that gives information about patterns of Rowan yarns. Sandar is a knitting magazine that is published monthly. Spinoff magazine is a quarterly magazine that deals with articles of spinning and knitting.



STEPHEN

Sherry Frewerd asked:


Knitting, it’s said, is a very relaxing and satisfying craft. Knitting is a hobby that you can learn and then do while enjoying other past-times like watching television and at the same time create wonderful knitted items for yourself and others.

Multi-taskers will find that knitting works well for them. Throughout time, groups of women have been known to sit and knit while chatting with friends and family. You can watch your kids and knit at the same time as well, making knitting a great hobby for busy moms and dads.

Many people find the idea of learning to knit to be daunting. When you’re just starting out the needles feel foreign in your hands, making the process awkward and frustrating at times. Keep in mind though, that the initial awkwardness goes away and you’re left with a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Creating something with your own hands is one of the best feelings to have. Knitting can leave you with this feeling. Having the patience and correct supplies will help you achieve your goal of learning to knit.

If you’re ready to learn the simple basics of knitting, the following easy steps can help you get going.

Getting the Right Knitting Supplies

Although it may seem complicated, all that you need to start knitting are a pair of knitting needles and some yarn. Some folks start out with a pattern, so if that’s your plan you’ll need an easy knitting pattern to follow too.

Your Knitting Needles

There are many different types of knitting needles to choose from, and not all are created equal. Most knitters will agree that the easiest needles to start out with are wooden needles. The yarn seems to stay on wooden needles better, allowing you to knit easier. Plastic or metal knitting needles cause the yarn to slip off easily if you’re not advanced and know how to handle them properly. So, newbie knitters should stick with wooden knitting needles.

Start out with large wooden needles so that you can easily see your mistakes and complete your project quicker. If you drop a stitch you want to be able to see it quickly and fix the mistake easily.

Getting Your Yarn

Beginner knitters should start their first project using natural yarn such as cotton or wool. Natural fiber yarn will stay on the knitting needles better than a synthetic yarn will. Do not be lured by the fancy yarn you see in the stores. You will find working with them to be far too challenging and cause frustration at first. Start out with simple natural yarns and then go from there.

Learning Knitting Jargon

Just like almost any craft, knitting too has its own language or jargon. When you’re starting out, you’ll need to learn the jargon that goes along with knitting. Yes, at first it can seem overwhelming, but you’ll get the hang of the lingo quickly. Crafting books, knitting dictionaries and online sources will help you learn what you need to know to get started. Here are a few basics to help you out.

K = Knit, KB = Knit-in-Back, BO = Bind-Off, P = Purl, EOR = knit every other row

Knitting - Get Going!

With anything that’s worth doing, the first step is to just do it. Get your supplies, patterns, instruction books and start learning to knit. Don’t go overboard with buying supplies, because you may find that once you’ve given it a go, knitting may not be your cup of tea after all.

You’ll find once you’ve learned to knit that you may start seeking out others who share your passion and enthusiasm for the craft. You’ll be able to make new friends as well as wonderful pieces of art and family heirlooms from your knitting skills. As a beginning knitter, you’ll soon become advanced if you take care to buy the right supplies for your skill level and look for proper knitting instruction. These basic tips will help you reach your goal of learning to knit with ease. Have fun and happy knittin’!



MARQUIS

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Knitting is a craft. Since many generations back, this craft is practiced home. Actually knitting is part of the act of preparing a nice fabric, with the help of thread like yarn and wool. The mechanics of knitting are simple, like that of crochet in which loops or stitches have to be pulled in between each other in specific ways so as to result in a fabric print.

Knitting actually differs from crochet in a couple of ways. Generally in the case of crochet, multiple stitches are active, meaning that they all are in use at the same time. These active stitches are used to hold the fabric being crafted, onto the needle till another loop passes through them with the help of a second needle. The second point is that in crochet only a single needle is required; whereas in the case of knitting, two needles are necessary.

You can create a fabric with the help of needles, by hand or you can get the fabric with the help of machine. But the thing is that if you want different patterns and designs, at the end you have to knit by hand. To produce a long length of fabric, make use of two straight needles this type is called flat knitting. On the other side if you want a flawless tube, you have to make use of the circular or double pointed needles in circular knitting.

To get different patterns and styles you can make use of different yarn and knitting needles with the help of different colors, texture, and weight or integrity. Basically there are two types of knitting which are weft knitting, versus wrap knitting and another type is flat knitting versus circular knitting.

In weft knitting zigzag design of yarn, can be found all over length of the fabric. This design will follow to the adjacent columns instead of rows. On the other hand in case of the wrap knitting zigzag design will follow all over the length of the cloth in adjacent rows instead of columns. The next type is flat knitting versus circular knitting. In circular knitting you will get flawless tube, in this knitting is used to cast the circles of stitches which are joint. On the other side of it in flat knitting fabric is knitted from interchange sides. This will become the right side in the flat stitching.

These are the basic types of knitting, and for knitting purposes you can make use of some yarn that acts as the thread of fabric. You can also use a number of knitting tools for the creation of different patterns in the fabric. These knitting tools are knitting needles, ancillary tools, etc. using different stitches that result in getting you different patterns as the end product.



SAMMY

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Knitting is a really fun hobby! You can get complete satisfaction by creating something very beautiful yourself. Don’t worry, even if you have forgotten all you learned in your school days, you can easily start knitting all over again. Here are some tips to start knitting.

To start, try to knit with help of plastic needles and light weight yarn, till you get evenness and accuracy. Begin knitting: first cast on. To cast on, make a slip loop over the left needle then pass right needle through loop from left to right yarn under and over right needle then draw yarn through the loop and transfer the loop to your left needle, continue this till you get a number of stitches on left needle.

There are basic five stitches you should know before you start knitting. These five stitches are “knit stitch”, “knit two stitches”, and “the purl stitch”, “stockinette stitches” and “yarn over stitches”.

Let’s start with basic knit stitch. To start with basic knitting, the most common stitch is the knit stitch, for this pass right needle, through the first stitch of the left hand needle. Now wind yarn over crossed two needles over right hand needle. Just gently pull through 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.

If you wish to have effect like a twisted rib, you just have to knit into the back of the knit stitch. For back stitch, just insert needle into back of the stitch of left hand needle. With this back knit stitch you can even create awesome textured stitch patterns.

Second basic stitch is a Purl stitch; this pattern created with purl stitch will look like a brick face, 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 the 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 sleep 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.

Third basic stitch is a Stockinette stitch. This is commonly used stitch for sweater and socks. This is simple stitch, has a combination of two basic stitches, Knit stitch and purl stitch. You have to knit one row with knit stitch and one row of purl stitch. If you want to increase the stitch then knit one stitch in regular fashion, but do not slip the stitches off the left needle, after that knit another stitch through back of same stitch and slip stitch off left hand needle.

In order to knit together two stitches. Just have to decrease a stitch just knit two stitches together or you can even two purl stitches together. For making even stitches, decrease at edges knit the second and third stitches together.

You can start knitting with five stitches and start knitting!



RODGER