Remember when you announced to your friends and family that you were going to have a baby? You were bombarded with tons of stuff and suggestions for things you didn’t want, need, and wouldn’t even give to someone else – because you wouldn’t do that to a person. Right? Well, guess what – when you decide to embark on a new craft, or skill, same happens!
Thankfully it did not happen to me, I just simply decided I was ready to learn how to knit, went to my Mom’s house, and raided her stash. Aren’t Moms the best?
At any rate, I do see it happening to people around me, and I don’t know if it is the consumer crazy culture we have produced, where we need to have all the bells and whistles for everything, but I’m here to break it down for you today. I have a list here of things you WILL ACTUALLY NEED in order to learn how to knit. This Knit Kit for Beginners will keep you happily knitting for some time, and by the time you’ve got the hang of it, you will want to expand your skill set and your supplies. Fear not, I’ll be happy to help then too.
Knit Kit For Beginners
Here’s the skinny. You’re going to need instructions ( you knew I’d have you covered, right?) a simple pattern for beginners, something that uses the basic stitches, and only the basic stitches ( gosh! I am so reliable!) and something to knit with, like this Worsted Weight Acrylic Yarn
The seasoned knitters might want to jump in here and tell me, and you, that a crochet hook is better for weaving in ends – and I am nearly inclined to agree. But since this list is all about NEED I left out the crochet hook, because you can do the same, and more with a darning needle.
Shopping or Scavenging List
- Worsted Weight Acrylic Yarn
- 5 mm Straight Knitting Needles
- Scissors
- Darning Tapestry Needle
- Tailor Tape Measure
About the List
You may be surprised that I have used worsted weight acrylic yarn as the go to for a Knit Kit. Here’s the thing, it’s cheaper, comes is all sorts of great colours, is washable, and has an even ‘give’ or feel to it when you’re knitting. Many many patterns are written with worsted weight ( that is when it has a #4 on the package under weight ). Acrylic yarn is the easiest to learn with because of the way it moves in your hand. Knitting with 100% cotton produces lovely finished products, and is a natural product, but when you are learning, it has no ‘give’ to it, and can unravel on you if you’re working it too hard, or undoing and redoing your work a bunch of times. And you will be.
5 mm straight knitting needles are very common, and like the worsted weight yarn, a lot of patterns are written with them in mind.
I already defended my addition of the darning needle and exclusion of the crochet hook in this Knit Kit For Beginners, so that leaves scissors and a measuring tape and well, those are self explanatory, but you likely already have some.
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