Saturday, February 11, 2012

Guide For Selecting Knitting Patterns For Starters

By Hank Roach


Knitting is a great hobby to have. It helps to relieve stress, gives you something to concentrate on and makes useful gifts. Once you have gotten past the very basic stitches, you can find knitting patterns to use for beginners which will help you make gifts. Something like a scarf is fairly easy to knit and is great to make for yourself or for others to use as a quick and homemade gift. Homemade gifts always are more heartfelt and thoughtful than store bought ones.

It is important to note that not all knitting patterns are created equal. There are ones of various skill level from easy beginner to hard advanced ones. If you are just starting out, it is important not to jump right into an advanced or even an intermediate one. You should only try ones that are right for your current abilities so you can become familair with the knitting needle.

Choosing a pattern that is beyond your skill level could have multiple consequences. First, you may make too many mistakes to salvage it, resulting in lost yarn, effort and time. The other consequence could be more severe - you could end up getting frustrated and quit altogether.

To ensure that you or the person you are looking for does not quit, trying finding a knitting pattern specifically for beginners. Many books and knitter's magazines have resources for all skill levels. Check the pattern or article and see what level it is. It is usually marked somewhere towards the top or perhaps in an information box to the side of the page the article appears on.

Looking on the Internet will also yield a wealth of projects that are perfect for beginners. There are a vast array of websites and blogs that have these projects on them. They are usually marked in some way with the level needed to make them so you can determine if it is right for you.

In the rare event that there is no skill level marked for the project, you can use your intuition to determine if it is right for you. First, look closely at the stitches required for completion. Do these sound like stitches that you have used before, or are good at? Also look at the yarn number, which should be 3-4. Anything more would be too thick for most beginners and could unravel, causing a botched project.

Also look to see if the pattern is for an item that is very fitted. Fitted items require exact measurements which can be difficult for someone new. Instead make sure it is for something that will be fine if it fits loose. A scarf is a good example of this type of project.

Knitting patterns are easy to find, you just must be careful to find one that is right for your skill level. Print them out from the Internet or make a copy from a book or magazine and get started. Follow all instructions and remember that it is fine to make some mistakes, that is how you learn. Be proud of your final project once complete.




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