Spinning Yarns

How To Knit – Knit Stitch Tutorial

March 18, 2017 by Liz-DVD

Knit Stitch Tutorial

If you’ve been with me from the beginning (AKA: the getting started guide) you’ll know that any pattern (no matter how complex) is made up of combinations and adaptations of two basic stitches, knit and purl. Knit stitches create a little “v” shaped stitch that is smooth on the front. Purl stitches create nubby or bumpy stitches. Creating a knit stitch vs a purl stitch is all about how you insert the right-hand needle into the stitch and wrap the yarn.

To create a stitch you insert the right needle into first stitch on the left needle. Inserting the needle from front to back with yarn held in the back produced a knit stitch. Inserting the needle from back to the front with yarn held in the front produced a purl stitch.

So let’s break down the knit stitch. Make sure you’ve got your yarn and needles and you have stitches cast on. Don’t freak out if that meant nothing to you. Click back through the getting started guide and tutorial on how to cast on stitches and you’ll be all set!

How to Knit – Getting Started How to Knit – Casting On

Step 1:

Hold the needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand. Right hand holds the empty needle. Check back for more information on holding the needles and yarn right here.

Step 2:

Insert the right needle into the first stitch from front to back.

Step 3:

Loop the yarn tail around the right needle. Yarn should loop behind and come forward between the two needles.

**NOTE: Notice the needles are turned in this picture to show how the yarn comes in between.

Step 4:

Next, bring the right needle forward through the first stitch on the left needle. Catch the wrapped yarn as you go, bring it forward with the right needle.

Step 5:

Slip the first stitch off the left needle.

The good news: You have now created a new stitch on the right needle!! Whoop!
The not as great new: You have to do this many more times. Ha! But it’s worth it. Keep going!

Repeat steps 2-5 until all the stitches on the left needle have been worked onto the right needle.

Each time you work all the stitches from the left needle to the right needle this is called a Row.

Move the needles with the stitches into your left hand and knit another row. Keep knitting rows until your piece is a long as you like.

Helpful Tips:

Yarn is held along the back of the work for a knit stitch.

Hold the yarn with whichever hand feels right for you.

I wrap the yarn tail around my pinky finger to help create a little tension on the stitches. More on what tension is and why it’s important can be found here.

Holding the needles and yarn and coordinating both hand to work together can take some time to master. The only way to get better at this is to PRACTICE! Don’t worry, it’ll soon start to feel normal/comfortable/like an extension of your body.

So there you go! Keep practicing! If you are brand new, you’ll practice this stitch today and then tomorrow pick up the needles and feel like you are starting from scratch again. Don’t Freak Out! Don’t give up! Bookmark this page and come back tomorrow and we’ll go through it again. You’ll build up muscle memory and this will get easier!

Yarn Weights and Knitting Needle Size Conversion Chart

March 13, 2017 by Liz-DVD

Yarn Weight and Needle Size Conversion Chart

I’m providing this Yarn Weight and Needle Size Conversion Chart to help you choose the right needle for your yarn or visa versa. Yarn weights in this chart give an approximation of appropriate needles size.

The exact needle size you choose is based off a variety of factors including:

Your own tension as you knit.
How dense or loose you want your piece to be.
Needle size and yarn weight specified in your pattern.

When in doubt, gauge swatch first! More on gauge swatches and knitting tension can be found here.

How to Choose Knitting Needles How to Choose Yarn

How to Knit – Casting On Stitches

March 13, 2017 by Liz-DVD

Casting On
(AKA how to get stitches on the needles)

You’ve got your supplies. Now what?

Choosing Needles Choosing Yarn

Time to get stitches on the needles! This is called casting on. There are multiple ways to cast on stitches. I’ll cover a quick and easy one. I use this method 99% of the time when I’m casting on. I also like this method b/c it’s essentially a knit stitch so if you can cast on you’re halfway to knitting your first scarf or ear warmer or washcloth!!

Tie A Slipnot

First, tie a slip knot. Your tail should be at least 3 inches.

Place the loop over the left needle.

Now you are Ready. To. Rumble!!…or Cast. On. Stitches!!!

For a primer on how to hold the needles check back here.

Step 1:

Insert the right needle into the front of the yarn loop. The needle should go in from front to back.

Step 2:

Holding the yarn in your right hand, make a loop around the inserted needle. To do this, bring the yarn around the back and then in between the two needles.

**Remember, some people prefer to knit Continental style and hold the yarn in their left hand
…lefties I’m looking at you!

Step 3:

Draw the right needle from the back to the front. Catch that yarn you just brought through the needles as you bring the right needle forward.

Step 4:

Now you have another loop on the right needle. Yay! You just created a new stitch! Pat yourself on the back…wait you’re holding needles. Let’s wait a second…

Step 5:

Insert the left needle into the loop on the right needle. Slip the new stitch on to the left needle.

Now you have two stitches on the left needle. The original slip knot and one cast on stitch.

Now pat yourself on the back, take a sip of coffee, reward yourself with an M&M. Whatever floats your boat! You did it! You rock!

Wait, wait. Don’t stop yet.

Keep casting on stitches.

Repeat steps 1 through 5 until you have the required number of stitches on your left needle. If you’re just learning, cast on 15-20 stitches for practice.

Once you’ve cast on your stitches click through to knit the stitches you just created.

How to Knit – Knit Stitch

You’re doing great!! Keep going!

How To Knit. Easy Guide for Beginners.

March 13, 2017 by Liz-DVD

Every thought about learning how to knit? Seen a group in a coffee house or someone on public transportation with needles and yarn making something fantabulous? What?… that’s a word.

Not sold? Need inspiration? This chick crocheted HER WEDDING DRESS during her commute. Crazy right?? Okay that’s crocheting and not knitting but seriously MADE HER WEDDING DRESS.

I’m not saying you’ll be making fair isle sweaters within a week of starting, but if you want to get there you absolutely can!

Here are the things you should know:

Knitting is NOT hard!

Knitting does take PRACTICE!

Lots of practice…but you can do it almost anywhere!

Every pattern, no matter how complicated, is made of only 2 stitches, knit and purl.

You CAN ABSOLUTELY make a simple scarf or washcloth on your first try.

Still with me?

What you’ll need to learn to knit:

Needles – grab regular, straight needles, size 8 – 11 or something that feels comfortable in your hands. You have my permission to fondle the needles in the store.

How to Choose Knitting Needles

Yarn – start with a medium weight yarn (the yarn will have a number on the label, medium is 4). Don’t go for anything crazy! Look for a simple, cheap yarn at your local craft store. Fondle the yarn too!

How to Choose Yarn

Holding the needles:

Don’t freak out if knitting feels like juggling with two stabby sticks when you first get started. Add a yarn ball and …. well, that’s a joke for another day.

The needle with the stitches is held in your left hand. The other needle is held in your right hand.

As you knit, the stitches will move from the left to the right needle. Once the row is complete there will be no more stitches on the left needle. You’ll move the right hand needle to the left hand and begin knitting the next row.

**Some people knit Continental style with the yarn tail in their left hand. It’s really all personal preference! If you are a confused Lefty, I feel your pain. As you learn how to knit practice to see what feels right for you.

You’ll guide the yarn and control the tension by holding the yarn strand in your right hand.

Understanding knitting tension and gauge swatches.

Now you’re ready. Next up is learning how to knit is casting stitches onto your needles!

There’s a lot to know about how to choose needles and yarn. Oh there are so many yarns, colors and textures! One of the best part of knitting is BUYING ALL THE YARN!!!

How to Choose the Right Knitting Needles

March 13, 2017 by Liz-DVD

When you’re just starting out, don’t stress too much about what needles you’re using. As you keep at it you’ll probably pick up a feeling for what works best for you. If you want to know what’s out there, here’s how to pick the right knitting needles that are appropriate for you and what your are yarn and project. Each of the needle types has it’s pros and cons.

Needle Materials:

Needles can be made out of metal, plastic, wood, or bamboo. I personally like bamboo. They get smoother as you use them and are warm to the touch (a plus for me, it’s a real thing). They provide a little more friction or grab on the yarn. Even though they are a wood product they are smooth enough not to snag the yarn. Metal and plastic needles are more slippery. This is a good thing if you have a dense knit (i.e. using needles a little smaller than your yarn calls for). If you have a delicate knit you want to keep control of, they aren’t so great. There’s nothing worse than working your butt off knitting something just to have half the stitches slide off accidentally. Metal needles are also noisier. They make a clicking noise as you knit. Not always the best choice if you knit while your partner sleeps.

Needle Length:

The longer the needles the more stitches you can work with. It get really difficult to work with needles that have too many stitches on them. Your work is compressed and you can’t see the stitches. It’s really easy to drop a stitch this way. Conversely, longer needles can be harder to hold and work with. Personally, if I’m knitting a larger piece I prefer circular needles. They have a smaller “footprint,” meaning they aren’t bulky, and I’m less worried about the stitches slipping off the needles.

Needle Size:

Needles size corresponds to your yarn size and size of the stitches you want to create. The smaller the needles the more delicate your knitting can be. Think delicate lacey knits. The larger needles make those chunky, massive knits that are so popular now. There’s even Extreme Knitting with needles are almost 2 inches thick! Needle sizing is typically in numeric US and metric sizing in mm. Needle size corresponds to the diameter of the needle. The size should be marked on the needle. However, it’s great idea to pick up a needle gauge. It makes it easy to check the size of a needle in your stash. Plus, some of them are really pretty! No, seriously, people make jewelry out of them. Check out a few here and here.

You can see a full knitting needle conversion chart and yarn guide here.

Needle Types:

Straight needles have a pointy end and a blunt end. On these needles you’ll knit one row, switch the needles and knit the next row.

Circular needles have a plastic connector between the needles. The connector can be anywhere from 16in up to 36in or more. These needles allow you to knit “in the round.” In other words, knitting in a continuous loop. Think infinity scarf. Circular needles are also great for knitting larger items like blankets that won’t fit on the standard needle length. When knitting in the round, make sure you choose the appropriate length for your circulars so the stitches fit comfortably. Most pattern will specify the length if circulars are necessary.

Double point needles are 4-5 single, short needles that are pointy on both ends. Used as a set, they are for knitting in the round when circular needles are not small enough. Great for making hats where the circumference gets progressively smaller as you knit from the bottom to the top of the hat.

If you’re just starting out, I suggest using short, straight metal or plastic needles, size 8-11. They are big enough to easily see the stitches you make but are not too unwieldy for beginners. I’ve tried a lot of different types and really prefer the bamboo circular needles. I would suggest them for anyone. Metal and plastic are cheaper ($4 vs $10 for a set of size 10 needles). If you aren’t sure if knitting will be a long term hobby for you, feel free to start out with cheaper supplies at first. Or you know, make friends with a fellow knitter and ask to try out different needles!

Now that you got your needles, lets check out the yarn.

How to Choose the Right Yarn for Knitting and Crochet

February 20, 2017 by Liz-DVD

Haaaave you read about needles? Confused yet? It gets better. Let’s choose the right yarn. Once you get started knitting it all starts to make sense.

Take a stroll down the yarn aisle at your local craft store. There’s a huge variety of yarns to choose from. Let’s put aside talk of the different colors, ’cause seriously ALL THE COLORS!!!

What should I call my yarn?

Be honest, you didn’t even know this was a thing, right?

If you want to blend seamlessly into to packs of herding knitters you gotta speak the lingo. Say this with me: Skein. Rhymes with keen. Now say Peachy Keen Skein. Now say that 5-times-fast.

A skein is a wound length of yarn with a center pull strand. Meaning you can pull both ends of the yarn, one from the around the outside of the skein and the other from the middle. The is different from a ball of yarn where one end is enclosed inside the ball and one one end is free.

I prefer winding my skeins into balls before I work with them. That completely personal preference.

How to Choose the Right Yarn – What is it made of??

Yarns are made from different materials. Most of the yarn you get in a craft store will be acrylic, meaning no natural fibers. However, a lot of commercial brands are coming out with acrylic / wool blends now. There are advantages to using natural fibers. And an entire group of knitters that won’t use acrylic yarns at all. If you’re a newbie don’t sweat the material. Natural fibers are more expensive than acrylic. If you want to knit a cashmere sweater, the yarn alone could cost more than simply buying a sweater at a store.

If you’re confused about what yarns are made of here’s a quick list. This is not exhaustive list by any means…I’ve seen a book on how to make yarn from dog yarn. No, I’m not kidding.

Wool yarn is made from sheep or goat fibers.

Cashmere is made from a specific goat – the cashmere goat.

Alpaca is a llama-like creature. Alpaca yarn is notoriously soft and beautiful.

Mohair yarn is made from the Angora goat.

Not be confused with Angora yarn, which is made from the Angora rabbit. Right? I know. But do me a favor, google “Angora Rabbit.” (pause here for Awww’s and Squeee’s).

Cotton yarn is made (obviously) from cotton.

Acrylic yarn is a man-made fibers. This is much like man-made fibers in most of the clothes we wear.

You can get acrylics and some wool at the big-box craft or fabric stores. Small local shops and online stores often carry the natural fiber yarns. Yarn label, like clothing labels, should indicate what the yarn is made of.

How To Choose the Right Yarn – Yarn Weight

Yarns have different sizes, called weights. The different weights correspond loosely to different needle sizes. I say loosely. You will always choose the size needles that work for your yarn, your project, and your knitting tension. You can see below, the thicker the yarn the larger the recommended needle. Pretty simple.

Read more about tension and gauge swatch here.

Yarn labels will indicated the yardage (or meters) and the weight of yarn in the skein. Fatter yarns will have less yardage per weight than skinnier yarns.

Commercially produced yarns and some specialty yarns will have a label on them that can help you decide what size needles to use. Here’s what to look for.

Look for the square icons on the yarn label.

The yarn weight is listed in the yarn icon. This weight can give you an idea of where you should start to pick a needle size. I created a handy needle size and yarn weight guide here for reference.

There is a square for knitting and one for crocheting. These are generally instructions for making a 4 in x 4 (10cm x10cm) in gauge swatch.

I’ll cover how to read the knitting square but the crochet instructions are read the same way.

Needle size is indicated (in US and mm). “S” indicates how many stitches to cast on to the needles. “R” is the number of rows you should stitch. Knit your gauge swatch and it should be approximately 4in x 4 in.

As you practice you’ll learn the types of yarns you like to work with. It is really personal preference and your own knitting style. Now go out there and practice! Grab the colors you like and start trying them on different needles.

If you want to know my tried and true method for choosing yarn, walk into the store and rub your face all over the yarns. Pick the ones that pass the face rub test! Ignore the people that stop and stare at you.

Hopefully now you feel a little more comfortable choosing yarn for you project. Or maybe you just want to adopt an angora rabbit? I can’t help you with rabbit rearing. Next step in your knitting saga it to get started. Let’s learn to cast on stitches!

Head over to the Skill Center for more tutorials and info!