When I wanted to learn to knit, I walked into my local yarn shop (LYS) and asked the first person I made eye contact with for help. She handed me a large, floppy book by someone called, “Susan Bates.” The book was filled with curious drawings of hands, needles and (I assumed) yarn, plus a full-color pattern section featuring the most hideous coterie of sweater-vests, baby vests, men’s vests, and duck vests I’d ever seen.
“Is there a website I can go to?,” I tried. She stared at me for a moment and said, “Uh, yeah, I think so.”
Assuming you are in the same boat of bewilderment I was at that tender young age, I present to you a handy guide to knitting resources on the web. They’re organized by their strong points, so if a particular site has both amazing tutorials AND patterns, it will be listed under the Learning section.
Happy knitting!
Learning to Knit
1. KnittingHelp.com
Thank goodness for the Internet! This site has videos that show you every stitch and technique you need to know to become a needle master. I use this one all the time (when I need to be reminded how to do a ssk, for example.)
2. Lion Brand’s Learn to Knit (www.learntoknit.lionbrand.com/)
Lion Brand – an popular yarn company – has put together a page of basic techniques for you to click through. This site reminds me a bit of that old Susan Bates book, but it’s solid information and may fill in some gaps for you.
Yarn and Needles
1. Knit Picks (www.knitpicks.com)
One of the most horrifying revelations I had as a new knitter was that yarn is… expensive! Who knew? After much pulling of hair and rending of garments, I discovered KnitPicks. They contract directly with alpaca farmers in Peru to bring you an expanding line of natural fibers for far less than you’ll pay anywhere else. You do get what you pay for, but some of their yarn are quite high-quality and a real bargain. KnitPicks also sells needles. I recommend getting a set of circular needles to start. Circulars can do everything straight needles can do, and more. Plus, you’ll always have the right size when you need it.
2. eBay (www.ebay.com)
You’ll need to create an account before you can buy anything on this site, but it really does have everything (including knitting needles and accessories). Many knitters buy their yarn exclusively from eBay auctions to save money. Do your homework before bidding, though, or you could end up overpaying!
3. Peace Fleece (www.peacefleece.com)
Based on a sheep farm in Maine, this company has clearly defined values (can you tell by the name?) and originally began as an act of collaborating peacefully with folks in the Soviet Union. They continue to work for peace in the world and at the same time are turning out some really great yarns, needles, and hand-painted accessories (“notions” is the more appropriate word but I confess I hate saying, writing or thinking it.)
4. Google.com
Enter “yarn shop” and your zip code and hit Enter. Why shop online when there’s a great yarn shop in your own neighborhood? Stop in for yarn you can touch before you buy and meet fellow knitters (always good for technical assistance or inspiration.) Your LYS can also hook you up with local stitch n’ bitch groups, events, etc.
What to Knit
No shortage of options on this front. Try googling “free knitting patterns.” Here are a few of my favorite resources to start:
1. Knitting Pattern Central (http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/)
The name says it all. Want to knit a hat? Click on “hats” and access almost every free hat pattern on the web. They’ve also got knitting instructions and an ever-expanding stitch dictionary. The only downside to this site is that it can be overwhelming, and you have to click on every pattern to see a photo & description of it.
2. Knitty (www.knitty.com)
A quarterly online magazine chock full of independent designs submitted by readers. Some really beautiful, really weird, really useful stuff can be found here. Be sure to click on “archives” to get the full pattern collection after you’ve read through the current edition!
3. Ravelry (www.ravelry.com)
Last but definitely not least, Ravelry is a brand-new site that provides almost all of the services a computer-savvy knitter could want. It’s still in beta (testing) mode, so you’ll have to put your name on a list and wait for an invite. But once you’re in, you’ll enjoy access to user-submitted photos and notes about damn near every free pattern in the world. There’s also a stash (that mountain of yarn that will eventually take over some part of your house) management and trading system, yarn reviews, and a very active forum. If you click on one link today, let it be this one.
Good luck! For those about to knit, I salute you.
