I don't know how to do this! But you do!

[camezzo]

Hello friendly knitters!  I want to learn to knit. I have no clue how to start learning to knit. Do you have any helpful ideas as to beginning projects, where to go to find technique...etc?

thanks!

[mandyandbingley]

I watched this video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CitalL86#p/u/13/G9hv44QwQ-A

If I remember right the video is in 12 parts. It was really helpful, and I made my first project a simple garter stitch scarf with fringe.

Since then, if I need help learning a stitch, I look up videos on youtube. You could also get a video from the library if you'd rather watch on your tv, that's what my cousin did, but now she prefers youtube.

[soozeq]

There are lots of basic videos at http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/learn-to-knit that show how to begin, knit and purl, decreases and increases and how to end a piece. Plus lots of other useful information including a Glossary that has most knitting terms used in patterns with videos for some that aren't in the basics. Get some inexpensive light to medium colored yarn in a medium weight (a worsted or '4'), and needles about size 10 and just practice what you see on the videos.

[ragdoll193]

I second knitting help.com! I am no longer a beginner, and I still go there to learn different cast-ons, increases and decreases, etc.

[Kaeleira]

My first project was a dishcloth, I believe. Small enough to finish quickly, but good for practicing garter stitch, increases and decreases! Also mine came out hilariously wonky-looking because my tension magically changed between the increase half and the decrease half 

I would stay away from scarves until you're more comfortable with the stitches. Until you can go along at a decent pace scarves take forEVER to knit and it may be hard to keep up the patience to finish it. Headbands make good quick winter weather projects, and ipod or coffee cozy's can be good little projects to try out knitting in the round.

[PenguinSoup]

I used Debbie Stoller's Stitch N Bitch: A Knitters Handbook to teach myself how to knit. And I'm better than my family members that have been knitting for years. Knittinghelp.com is also great but I love the book format. You could also look for a stitch n bitch group in your area and go with some needles and yarn and see if anyone is willing to teach you.

[Painted Sparrow]

I third knittinghelp.com! I had an old set of instructions that were in my grandma's old stuff that had me almost to tears trying to figure it out, but then I found knittinghelp & I was able to understand it like *that*. I still reference it all the time to learn/refresh stitches.

My first project was a scarf, It was a stockinette stitch all the way down that occasionally reversed the stockinette stitch so you would have inverted stripes. I thought it was a really great first project because I didn't have to follow a pattern (I could have, but I just added the "stripes" whenever I wanted & ended it when I thought it was done, lol) & could just work on getting the stitches right, evening out my tension & getting to a point where I felt comfortable with the very basics.

[soozeq]

I used Debbie Stoller's Stitch N Bitch: A Knitters Handbook to teach myself how to knit.

Just take note of the way a YO is shown. It says bring the yarn to front and knit a stitch. That's somewhat inaccurate - a yo doesn't include a stitch, what it should say it 'work the next stitch in the pattern' which could be a purl, a decrease or k3 sts.

[PenguinSoup]

I had a pocket guide that I ended up using to learn to YO while KIP so that part never bothered me. Now that I know how to knit if I come across a stitch or something I don't know I use knitting help. Like Today I just looked up SSK because I forgot. It's much easier than digging through a book but I found the book a great place to start and learn the basics. I'd recommend buying it from thebookdespository. com because it's cheaper and they have free shipping worldwide which is amazing!

[soozeq]

The site linked in the above post is only a link site to several online book retailers. The real book depository site is at http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/