Now that you can cast on, knit, purl and cast off, you can begin a project. One of the simplest things to make is a scarf. The handy little scarf shown above is only 40 inches long and a little over 3 inches wide. I knit this one on four needles so it is double. When you knit around on four needles the pattern that emerges looks like stockinette stitch, but you do not have to purl. By knitting around, the yarn stays in the same position relative to the knitted stitches.
You can create a scarf of similar dimensions on two needles in garter stitch. If you have mastered these four basic steps, you have the skills to follow a pattern for a scarf knit in garter stitch. The colorful scarf shown on the Home page is an example of a simple garter stitch scarf knit in a soft and colorful yarn. The yarn itself has variegated colors.
How can you start?
You have already picked out a yarn that you like.
You have already knit a piece 20 stitches wide.
Look at this piece. You can make it into a scarf. It may be the right width for a narrow scarf. If you want a wider scarf. you can start again and cast on more stitches. If you want it half again as wide, for example, cast on 30 stitches.
Will you have enough yarn? This is a little harder to estimate. You can just start out and see how far you get. You will gradually develop a sense of whether you are running short of yarn. If you run out, you can go back and try to buy more, or you can change to a different color.
What do you need to learn next?
About dye lots
How to find your own gauge
About dye lots : The paper label that comes on a ball or skein of yarn has lots of important information. Try to figure out a way to keep track of the label to the yarn you are using and any other yarn you have on hand. One bit of important information is the color of the yarn and the dye lot. They may both be expressed as a number. If you run short of yarn, and go back to get more, you need to match both the color and the dye lot. Let's assume a yarn company has 15 colors of pure wool knitting worsted. One of them is Forest Green #33. Each time the company makes Forest Green #33, it assigns a number to all the yarn that was dyed green in that batch. This is called the dye lot number. All the yarn in the same dye lot will match. But yarns dyed the same color at different times may vary a little. In other words, the color may vary slightly from one dye lot to another.
How to find your own gauge: Taking the time to find your gauge can save you from disappointments later. Let's assume you want to knit a big scarf that is 8 inches wide. How many stitches do you need to cast on? You need to know how many stitches make one inch.
When you have knit about 4 inches, measure the width of your 20 stitches. Divide 20 by the number of inches. If your piece measures 4 inches, for example, then your gauge is 5 stitches per inch. (20 divided by 4 =5.) More likely it will not come out that even. In the sample on the left below, I counted 15 stitches to make 4 inches. (15 divided by 4=3.75 stitches per inch.)
For now, you only need to know that gauge is important and and how it is measured. When you knit a garment like a sweater that has to fit, then it is important to follow instructions for finding your gauge and adjusting it to come as close as possible to the gauge stated in the pattern you are following.
Gauge can be changed by using a different size of needle or a different weight of yarn. If you want more stitches per inch, use a smaller needle. If you want fewer stitches per inch, use a larger needle.
In the picture on the right below, you see a sample I knit to find my gauge for a sweater. In this case, I made a larger piece in the cable pattern called for in the sweater directions. I also tied a yarn label to the sample to keep them together.
In the picture, at the left below, I made a sample to test the yarns I was using together for a design in a technique called intarsia where separate colors of yarn are used in blocks. The picture on the right shows a partially finished child's mitten. The red device held in place with a safety pin is a counter to keep track of how many rows have been knitted. The thumb has not yet been knitted, and the stitches for the thumb are held on a small stitch holder.
To learn more about knitting, there are many good books. Three of my favorites are shown below.
Mon tricot Knitting Dictionary is available in many editions. Mine are decades old. Newer ones have even more stitches in them.
Knitspeak is a basic guide which explains knitting terminology. It is arranged alphabetically as a handy reference.
Andean Folk Knits shows interesting folk designs from South America.
Sample pages of each book are shown below.
Mon tricot Knitting Dictionary is shown here in two editions, and a sample page from inside. You can see the clarity of the photos used to illustrate the stitch patterns.
Andean Folk Knits is shown on the left above, and Knitspeak is on the right. If you click on a picture you can see an enlarged version.
Knitspeak is a small book, a handy size to carry in your knitting bag. It is a good reference for all knitters, from beginners to experienced knitters. It addresses variations in knitting terminology and the characteristics of different methods of casting on, for example.
These titles may be available in your local library. That is a good place to start looking for ways to use your new skills. If you have questions about any of these pages, please go to the Blog and submit a comment there.