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Good Morn....Afternoon!
Sep. 22nd, 2014 02:21 pmBeen a lazy day here - I did make 2 batches of soap this AM before school, but it's been lazy ever since.
Thanks for the complements on the sock! I've got #2 started and hope to be able to knock it out quickly - I want to knit something...mindless next. :lol:
H: Glad the box arrived!
Learning to Knit: OK. I'll toss out some ideas, but a lot of it depends on the person. If they can teach themselves from books, I have a TON of suggestions; if not then videos/in person. Let's see:
BOOKS:
The #1 book I recommend is "Knitting Without Tears" by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Classic - BUT. If you (the learner, I mean) needs a lot of hand-holding, this isn't the best. EZ teaches, yes, but she teaches you to be in charge of your knitting and to take patterns as suggestions.
"Kids Knit!" by Sarah Bradberry is good, but very basic. (If your niece is a young adult, she might find this one too.....young.) The projects are very, very basic - but you get a good foundation.
"Stitch 'n B***h" - not sure of the author; it's good, the title can be off-putting, and they teach yarn-overs wrong. However, a LOT of people have used this book to get started (I have the 2nd in the series; I haven't found the first one at a price I'm willing to pay yet. I...collect books. :lol:)
"The Ultimate Knitter's Guide" by Kate Buller is a nice, not too in-depth book. The photos are good - nothing spectacular, but good.
There's a LOT of books out there, but these are the ones I'd start with. Or, take her to a book store and let her loose. :lol:
Videos:
www.knitting-help.com : the BEST. Good, clear camera angles and very nice production value. They have videos for just about *everything* in knitting, and the folks KNOW how to knit. (On YouTube, it's hit-or-miss.)
Um.....yeah, that's about it for videos. :lol: Oh! Go to Ravelry, sign up (it's free!) and poke around - they have a ton of beginner boards that can help get her started - AND, they can point her to a knitting group in her area.
Honestly, if at all possible she needs to find someone to help her get started (unless she's very determined and no one is around (like....here, for example.) Knitting isn't hard, but it's easier when you have someone nearby that can troubleshoot for you. *Some* yarn stores (not big-box stores, actual YARN stores) will help beginners, but most prefer you sign up for classes (of course). BUT if you find out when they have a knit-in, you can usually find someone willing to help for free (but it's nice if you buy your yarn/needles there as a token of good will.) Around here, knitters meet at Starbucks and Half-Price Books (here being not *here* here, but Dallas.) and at the yarn stores on Saturday. Ravelry probably has a group in her area that she could get in touch with and find out when the next knit night is.
If she's around here, I'll be happy to help. (No, seriously - getting to spend time with someone who wants to learn is a blast; both my kids already know the power of knitting. :rofl:)
I really should get to knitting myself.....onward and upward, as they say.
Thanks for the complements on the sock! I've got #2 started and hope to be able to knock it out quickly - I want to knit something...mindless next. :lol:
H: Glad the box arrived!
Learning to Knit: OK. I'll toss out some ideas, but a lot of it depends on the person. If they can teach themselves from books, I have a TON of suggestions; if not then videos/in person. Let's see:
BOOKS:
The #1 book I recommend is "Knitting Without Tears" by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Classic - BUT. If you (the learner, I mean) needs a lot of hand-holding, this isn't the best. EZ teaches, yes, but she teaches you to be in charge of your knitting and to take patterns as suggestions.
"Kids Knit!" by Sarah Bradberry is good, but very basic. (If your niece is a young adult, she might find this one too.....young.) The projects are very, very basic - but you get a good foundation.
"Stitch 'n B***h" - not sure of the author; it's good, the title can be off-putting, and they teach yarn-overs wrong. However, a LOT of people have used this book to get started (I have the 2nd in the series; I haven't found the first one at a price I'm willing to pay yet. I...collect books. :lol:)
"The Ultimate Knitter's Guide" by Kate Buller is a nice, not too in-depth book. The photos are good - nothing spectacular, but good.
There's a LOT of books out there, but these are the ones I'd start with. Or, take her to a book store and let her loose. :lol:
Videos:
www.knitting-help.com : the BEST. Good, clear camera angles and very nice production value. They have videos for just about *everything* in knitting, and the folks KNOW how to knit. (On YouTube, it's hit-or-miss.)
Um.....yeah, that's about it for videos. :lol: Oh! Go to Ravelry, sign up (it's free!) and poke around - they have a ton of beginner boards that can help get her started - AND, they can point her to a knitting group in her area.
Honestly, if at all possible she needs to find someone to help her get started (unless she's very determined and no one is around (like....here, for example.) Knitting isn't hard, but it's easier when you have someone nearby that can troubleshoot for you. *Some* yarn stores (not big-box stores, actual YARN stores) will help beginners, but most prefer you sign up for classes (of course). BUT if you find out when they have a knit-in, you can usually find someone willing to help for free (but it's nice if you buy your yarn/needles there as a token of good will.) Around here, knitters meet at Starbucks and Half-Price Books (here being not *here* here, but Dallas.) and at the yarn stores on Saturday. Ravelry probably has a group in her area that she could get in touch with and find out when the next knit night is.
If she's around here, I'll be happy to help. (No, seriously - getting to spend time with someone who wants to learn is a blast; both my kids already know the power of knitting. :rofl:)
I really should get to knitting myself.....onward and upward, as they say.
