NBR: Knitting

MissAmeliaPond

Hello November Ladies! 

I decided I'm going to spend a lot of my newfound free time (my last day at my job was last friday) knitting a baby blanket. However, I still pretty much suck at knitting. 

Can anyone recommend a good first project before I attempt the blanket? Any favorite tutorials on YouTube? What's a good easy stitch pattern that would still look good as a blanket? 

I'd really appreciate it if any knitters out there can give me any tips! 

MrsBinPA

I would start with a scarf and just try different patterns on it.   I did one once where I just did different repeating patterns to practice them.  It actually looked kinda neat.

Here is a good list of a few common patterns to try:  https://www.vogueknitting.com/pattern_help/how-to/learn_to_knit/basic_stitch_patterns

When/if I get a little farther along and get more confidence I am totally going to knit myself a blanket.

Blondesweety444

I'm a crocheter, so not much help as far as knitting goes. But I LOVE the site www.ravelry.com They have so many patterns to look though and you can filter on type and difficulty.

Good luck!

EmmieAnn22

When I taught myself to knit I just had 'knitting for idiots' as a reference. It's easy to read, has picture and it's in the title it's for idiots.  I've only used YouTube to help learn specific stitches that I just didn't understand but once you learn the lingo and the basics it's very easy to figure it all out. 
 I would start with a 'scarf' just cast on 20 or so stitches and just go back and forth knitting.  Once you get the hang of a basic knit stich start working on purling.  
The hardest for me when starting was keeping my stitches consistent but that will come with practice.  Just find a book that you can understand get a couple needles and some yarn and just go for it.  
Hope that helps!

Knottie1458416769

What about stitching? I found knitting extremely hard but was good at stitching (follow the pattern etc) for pillows blankets etc. I'm getting so lazy I wish I could quit my job and do artsy projects at home instead ...sigh how many more months left till November sigh 

AdmiralKitty

I was JUST thinking I wanted to make a baby blanket @MissAmeliaPond ! I haven't knit anything since about high school but I know I have all the needles and books at my parent's house. Planning on grabbing them next time I go up. Back then I started on scarves because they weren't super wide and I could make them as long as I wanted until I felt comfortable with the stitch/pattern I was trying out. 

phoenix870509

I could never get my fingers to work knitting. Both my grandmas tried. So I crochet and cross stitch. I'm going to be cross stitching a birth announcement for the little one when they are born, maybe crochet a baby blanket. But both my MIL and SIL crochet, so I may just do the birth announcement and let them crochet me everything. But I have to agree, scarf is always the best way to start out.

shevaCC

Also @MissAmeliaPond, don't forget that baby blankets can be much smaller than full-size. I have a gorgeous blanket my BFF knit for me that's about 18 inches square. It's perfect as a lap blanket when holding a tiny baby.

MissAmeliaPond

thanks everyone! Do you think circular needles are needed for a baby blanket? I bought regular ones and realized they're probably not long enough... I have some old yard and needles that I'm practicing with for now. I keep knitting a few rows and then ripping everything out. DH was horrified when I did that last night! lol

banfrog

I knit a fair amount. When I practice or work on a new stitch or pattern I do dish cloths. Small and quick and you can tell quickly if you got it right. Redheart.com has a lot of free patterns. https://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/cuddle-bug-baby-blanket this is one of my favorite baby blanket patterns. It's quick and easy and super snuggly.

EmmieAnn22

Depends how big of a baby blanket you want.  Circular may be easier so you don't have long needles you are wresting with plus a bunch of stiches crowded on. I've made a lot of things but never a blanket so I don't know. 
I would also recommend not ripping out what you are doing.  Even if you know you've messed up what you've done just keep going.  You will end up with enough rows to see if you are keeping your stiches consistent and you will also be able to see your mistakes and learn from it.  A lot of people have issues with dropping stiches and if you keep ripping it out you won't be able to see over several rows of work if you have that issue.  

MissAmeliaPond

@emmieann22 thanks! I don't have that much practice yarn left, so that's why I keep ripping it out. I definitely have trouble with dropping stitches . I'm considering going back to the store today to get circular needles and more practice yarn... maybe I can make DH a scarf that he'll never wear! 

@banfrog your blankets are so cute! I wish you could teach me how to knit. My mom doesn't knit and my grandma died when I was 9, so I never had anyone to teach me. Thanks for that pattern website! It's awesome! 

comealongponds

I'm another crochet-er. My grandma taught me to knit when I was a kid but I can't do it anymore and I find crochet  so much easier!

I get a lot of my patters from Pinterest, but also from ravelry.com - you can filter to just free patterns if that's what you want, which is what I always do and there's tons of options! I've made a baby blanket and hat for my babies,  as well as for friends kids. It's so much fun and very relaxing.

jstinkz

Yeahhhh I'm so excited about all the crafty women on this board! I'm also a crochet-er. My husband actually taught me and his great grandmother whom I never met taught him. I'd say my go-to is hats.

I agree with everyone who has mentioned raverly. 

MissAmeliaPond

For the knitters: do ya'll think it's worth learning how to speed knit? I'm only decent at English style, but it's so cumbersome. Definitely easier, but cumbersome. 

I found this video on speed knitting. I tried a few rows of this but so hard. Should I keep trying? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIzuKBuJkZw

EmmieAnn22

That's how I knit but I've never heard it referred to as speed knitting.  

MrsBinPA

@MissAmeliaPond they lost me with the purl! I knit continental style (which I think is what he is doing).  My knit I think is the same as his, but purl is much simpler!  

This is a good tutorial:https://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkLHN3Mujw8

banfrog

@MissAmeliaPond Thanks! I totally would teach you. My mom and grandma don't knit. I'm actually self taught. Blankets can be daunting but I like to think of them as oversized dish cloths or a bunch of dish cloths stitched together (depending on the pattern). These are some full (double) size ones that I've also done as baby blankets. The pattern is actually 1ft x 1ft squares repeated that arranged in a pattern I  liked. All the squares are the same, just orientated differently. It's  just a dish cloth pattern i found. You can make it whatever size you want. I made one for a friend's son 3 x 3 and when he turned 2, she brought it back and I added more squares on it so it would fit his bed. He was so happy. It was his favorite but he had gotten too big for it.   

jarethinafrock

Like others, I don't knit, but I love to cross stitch. I am planning on doing a birth record for this baby just like I did for DD. I have already picked out the pattern and started it!

phoenix870509

jarethinafrock said:

Like others, I don't knit, but I love to cross stitch. I am planning on doing a birth record for this baby just like I did for DD. I have already picked out the pattern and started it!

Yay a fellow cross stitcher!!!! I still haven't decided what I'm going to do for mine. I might design my own. 

MissAmeliaPond

 Oh, I would love to see all the projects everyone is working on/has made for LOs and the buns in the oven! Everyone should start posting pics.

STBMrsMiller

I'm a fellow knitter and cross stitcher! Would love to have some project accountability as we work on them. My big project is a cross stitched Christmas stocking for the baby.

This was my first baby blanket project after re-learning to knit several years ago, very easy.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/diagonal-comfort-blanket