Learning to Knit

I adore walking into a boutique and finding beautiful knit tops delicately laid out on a table. I immediately go to them. I touch them and admire their patterns and intricate needlework. I then try one on and don’t want to take it off.

When I look at all the lovely knits I’ve collected over the years, I can’t help but wonder why I don’t try knitting some of my own. Perhaps starting with a scarf and gradually working my way to a sweater. I could choose my own color and yarn, while calmly deciding whether to knit a sweater that is either loose with an open-airy design or slightly more fitted with a denser Guernsey stitch. I can contemplate various knitting patterns and personally decide on the one I wish to use, maybe even changing my mind along the way. To be the owner of such gracious freedom leaves me feeling as light as a peony in the breeze.

I’m intimidated, of course, and feel knitting will be too hard to learn, so I ask experienced knitters what they think. They all tell me how easy it is and how they can now knit with their eyes closed.

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It seems the best way to learn how to knit is to visit a yarn shop. Everyone who works there knows all there is to know about yarn and knitting, and can offer precious insight on what type of yarn to buy and which needles are best for beginners.

Choosing that right first yarn is key; if the yarn doesn’t feel good to the touch or is not easy to work with as a newbie, it can make us want to quit knitting before even giving it a fair chance.

Yarn shops also offer courses and workshops. Courses are typically for beginners and workshops, which usually only last a day or two, are for experienced knitters wishing to experiment with a new technique or style, including colorwork techniques, such as Intarsia or Fair Isle. The classes are held right there in the store.

There are plenty of tutorial videos available online if there are no yarn shops nearby. Specialized books and magazines offer lots of theory and detailed instructions with practical illustrations.

With so many helpful resources to capture the imagination and guide us on the right path, knitting our own clothing may very well no longer be a dream.

TEXT BY FATIMA RIZZO