[knitbeginner]

Hello, I am a beginner in knitting, never even got a knitting needle in my hands. I came across 4 books so that I can learn knitting in the best way possible. Can you please help me in choosing two books that when combined will allow me to learn the basics? Any tips you might have for beginners are also welcome! Thank you.

The books I found are:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knitting-Dummies-Pam-Allen/dp/076455395X

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Knitting-Bible-Step-step/dp/1843404508

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Knitting-Book-Frederica-Patmore/dp/1405368039/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knitty-Gritty-Knitting-Absolute-Beginner/dp/0713685425

 

[Nina Weddle Tullis]

If you go to "you tube" it will save you some money. Just type in learn to knit and there will be videos that you can watch at your leisure. That is a wonderful teaching tool. They will teach you every stitch you need to know. If you are close to a Public Library that is a great resource for your knitting. You may preview the book then purchase it if it would be what you would need.
9a=Nina

 

[crispie]

Welcome to the wonderful world of yarn! Glad you want to join us. I don't know where you are located, but if you have access to a library near you, perhaps you might want to look at their books before you purchase any. And, if you like to see things visually, there are many, many videos on youtube.com that help you see the motions so well. Here is just list I looked up quickly: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=beginning+knitting+tutorial

I learned a lot from books, but it also can help if you see things in person, and often in slow motion.

Local yarn shops can often be a help, although I have had less success in mine.

I am sure you will get lots of suggestions on this forum. Good luck!

 

[bevqual]

I agree with the YOutube vote! That way you can actually watch and do.... They do have some decent start knitting books/kits at Walmart for like $10- needles booklet etc all in one if you really want a booklet to learn from.
I have one somewhere here, and I think it's called 'I can't believe I am knitting' or something like that.

 

[Jalsh]

YouTube's iKnits is a good one. Christine will walk you through a project. My tip is to use a worsted weight yarn in a light color.

 

[denisejh]

knitbeginner-I would suggest that you go to Craftsy.com and look at Stefanie Japel's beginner's knitting class, Knit Lab. It does cost $29.99 but it's well worth it (and not that far off the purchase of a few knitting books!). She demonstrates and explains everything very well. Once you make the purchase, the entire class is available to you 24/7 and is always there for you. Craftsy has lots of other knitting (and other) classes and frequently has them on sale. Denise http://www.craftsy.com/classes/knitting-fundamentals?_ct=sbqii-sqjuweho-jefys&_ctp=knitting-fundamentals http://www.craftsy.com/class/Knit-Lab-Projects-Patterns-Techniques/17?_ct=sbqii-jxucu-huse-ycw&_ctp=2&_egg=sekhiu_wqbbuho_20131031&_ege=17

 

[Peggy Beryl]

Just a note regarding buying knitting books. It is very difficult to choose a book without having seen it; and, no matter how good your local library is, they will not have many books which might be of interest to you. Most libraries are connected into an interlibrary system, though, where they can borrow a book for you from a library that does happen to have it in inventory; and it will usually cost only the postage the local library is charged to get the book sent to them.

If you are in the U.S., we have a special mailing rate for printed educational materials which is much lower than the mailing rate for merchandise. My most recent interlibrary loans have cost under $3.00 each. Some other countries have similar arrangements as a means of promoting literacy among citizens.

If you ask at the check-out desk at your library, someone will be able to help you with this. Once you have seen what a particular book has to offer, you can make an educated decision about buying it for your own library.

YouTube is my first choice for knitting education; but I would like to suggest one inexpensive book that I have found to be very useful: The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe. On the cover it says, "Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face/ Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask." It isn't quite that good, but it comes close; and I keep it by my computer at all times for quick reference. KPers have asked several questions that I have been able to answer for them by referring to this source, and I always tell the readers that this is where I am getting my information.

EDIT: I just noticed the UK notation on the Amazon links in your original post so I guess that indicates your location. Try the interlibrary loan arrangement anyway to see if it is available to you.

 

[Peggy Beryl]

And a note about Craftsy classes. Most of them are GREAT! Have a look at what they offer and enroll in a couple of the free ones to get started. Many of them have an introductory lesson that you can watch to be sure the course will interest you.

The ones I have taken require that you do some "homework" if you are going to derive the most benefit from them. The instructor is available to answer questions and keep you going on any project that is part of the course. Patterns are often provided as part of the course, and the instructor knits along with you and illustrates any new/different techniques before you need to do them.

There is so much free material online and on Ravelry and other sources you will read about here that you can really learn all you can absorb for some time without much expenditure. That way you can save your money for yarn and needles and other supplies. So my advice is to go slow about spending money for books and courses and take advantage of all this free stuff.

 

[Knitophile]

Hello, I am a beginner in knitting, never even got a knitting needle in my hands. I came across 4 books so that I can learn knitting in the best way possible. Can you please help me in choosing two books that when combined will allow me to learn the basics? Any tips you might have for beginners are also welcome! Thank you.

The books I found are:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knitting-Dummies-Pam-Allen/dp/076455395X

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Knitting-Bible-Step-step/dp/1843404508

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Knitting-Book-Frederica-Patmore/dp/1405368039/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knitty-Gritty-Knitting-Absolute-Beginner/dp/0713685425

It is a good idea to purchase a book. It is a lot faster to find things in a good book than to search for what you need on the internet. As Pam Allen is someone whose work I am familiar with, I borrowed the Dummies book from the public library just to see what was in it. I was very impressed. The only thing dumb about it is the title!

I would recommend Pam Allen's book for both beginner and intermediate knitters.

 

[Jessica-Jean]

Free online Learn-to-knit resources - in no particular order:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/
http://learntoknit.lionbrand.com/
http://knitting.about.com/od/learntoknit/a/begin_knit.htm
http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/node/29

A few words of advice:
:arrow: as long as you're producing a consistent fabric, do not listen to anyone who tells you you're doing it wrong! There are many different ways of holding needles and yarn to produce fabric, but too many knitters believe that the way they were taught is the only way. Some of them can be downright off-putting in their insistence!

:arrow: There are only two stitches to learn: knit and purl. And they are not even two different stitches! Each is the reverse of the other.

:arrow: No matter how 'handed' you are, as long as you have full function in both hands, use them both! If you're a lefty, you may want to learn so called 'righty' anyway. It will save you from oodles of mental gymnastics in future pattern reading.

:arrow: Do not let your efforts lead to frustration! It's supposed to be a fun activity. If it's stressing you, ask for help here on KP. With nearly 116,000 users, there's sure to be someone who'll know the answer and be able to help you - though maybe not instantly.

Have fun!

 

[knitbeginner]

Thank you all very much for your help! I kind of decided to buy the Knitting for Dummies book and use the Craftsy classes in parallel. If any problems arise during learning I will consult all the other resources that have been posted here! Do you agree with using this book with the online classes in combination? Thanks a lot

 

[Jessica-Jean]

Thank you all very much for your help! I kind of decided to buy the Knitting for Dummies book and use the Craftsy classes in parallel. If any problems arise during learning I will consult all the other resources that have been posted here! Do you agree with using this book with the online classes in combination? Thanks a lot

Actually, I don't agree to laying out hard-earned cash for an online class when there is at least one other that is free. Anne Modesitt offers it: "If you’re still uncertain whether online knitting classes would be right for you, please feel free to sign up for my free How To Knit class to get the full flavor (albeit just a taste) of one of my online classes!" You can access it by signing up on her website: http://www.knittingheretic.com/ and scrolling down to find the link. I've never received any SPAM from her site.

I guess there are worse books than that one, but I urge you to borrow it and some others from a public library or other knitters before laying out $$ for it.

 

[denisejh]

Thank you all very much for your help! I kind of decided to buy the Knitting for Dummies book and use the Craftsy classes in parallel. If any problems arise during learning I will consult all the other resources that have been posted here! Do you agree with using this book with the online classes in combination? Thanks a lot

knitbeginner-I am a self taught knitter but found the Knit Lab class on Craftsy to be really helpful for me-including helping me to clear up some problems I had with certain techniques. I know other people who used Knit Lab to learn to knit and still use it. There are others who don't think it's worth spending the money and prefer to use other resources. What works for one doesn't always work for another. My experience with Knit Lab is a very good one. I have the Knitting for Dummies book and like it (I'm a big fan of the For Dummies series!) but I find that I didn't really use it all that much. My suggestion there would find the book in the library or bookstore, sit down with it, and really look at it to see if it's a "good fit" for you. Think of it in terms of a future resource and how helpful you find it. You may find it's not worth spending the money. You might also check with an LYS (if you have one nearby) or your local parks and recreation department for available classes. You might find this a good way to go. The instruction videos on YouTube-some are good, some not so much. They are free and the nice thing about them is you can sit and watch them and see how well they work for you before you make a final decision. There is also the friend route. If you have a friend who knits perhaps they can help you get the basics. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best with it and hope you enjoy the process as so many of us KP'ers do. Denise