Make me a knitwit!

December 3, 2014 11:04 PM

I bought some beautiful yarn on a whim with the intention of re-learning how to knit. I did a bit of knitting as a kid - scarves, potholders and the like - and I still have the muscle memory, but I would like to learn how to make more complex items. The thought of plodding through another scarf as practice bores me to tears, mostly because I don't really want another scarf. I would like to start with wrist-warmers. Can you help me select a pattern and needles that would work with the yarn I have?

The yarn label says:

50% wool 50% acrylic
50g ball at standard condition [I have two balls]
Meter age (per ball) 135m

Tension
10cm x 10cm
16sts x 22 rows

Needle size 5.5mm

I know I should probably have bought the pattern first and then bought yarn and needles to suit, but this yarn was gorgeous and on sale so I just decided I'd give it a try. Please explain to me how best to turn it into wrist warmers, as though I am 10 years old (which to be honest, is probably the last time I knitted).

posted by embrangled to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Response by poster: (I should add - I've never worked from a knitting pattern, so resources for learning to do that would be helpful too - or suggestions of patterns that are particularly beginner friendly).
posted by embrangled at 11:07 PM on December 3, 2014

The best resource for knitting patterns is Ravelry (you have to make an account to access the patterns but it's free!). You can search for wrist warmer patterns, as well as patterns based on needle size and/or yarn size. You can also search for beginning, intermediate, or advanced patterns as well, and see other people's projects on the site. It's great!

As for learning how to knit wrist-warmers, you will probably need to learn how to knit in the round, and youtube is perfect for this. I learned how to knit about 10 years ago, made a few scarves, a couple hats and a bag (thanks to Stitch and Bitch) and then put it down for about 7 years before deciding that I wanted to learn how to knit socks. In the years between, youtube tutorials had sprung up and all you need to do is google "knitting with double pointed needles" or any type of knitting pattern instruction and you can find a video that shows you how to do such thing. When I was learning how to knit, I taught myself how to read patterns by reading the Stitch and Bitch book cover to cover. The patterns in it are ok, but the instructions on how to read patterns and how to knit all sorts of different stitches and such are just fantastic.
posted by ruhroh at 11:36 PM on December 3, 2014 [4 favorites]

I second everything ruhroh said, especially the parts about Ravelry and learning knitting techniques/pattern reading from Stitch and Bitch.

Here is a very easy pattern for hand warmers that doesn't require you to knit in the round. It is free on Ravelry (you need to sign up for a free account to access it, I think.) You do need to know how to cast on, bind off, knit, purl, and seam up the side. But it has a photo tutorial and is meant for a beginner.

It's meant for slightly thinner yarn, but because you will knit to fit, it won't matter much.

Good luck! And have fun. Knitting is wonderful.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:50 PM on December 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

I love this website. This is where I re-learned to knit and read patterns. The best part is their so-called school of handcraft, which is a collection of tutorial videos. Also, some more complex patterns are accompanied by videos explaining them. For me, the visual aspect of these videos worked so much better than explanations in books! All the patterns on the website are free and every pattern has a comments section where you can ask questions if you come across a problem. (Also, for future reference, most of the patterns are translated into at least 15 different languages, inclung both british and US english.)

This pattern, for example, would work for your yarn and is simple enough for beginners (requires no round knitting). It has a cute picot edge, which may seem hard, but it isn't!

(I also have to say, I love the yarns they sell: great quality, not expensive and there's always some yarn on sale so you can stock up.)

Good luck! And don't be afraid to try something new or seemingly hard! You'll learn so quickly, I promise.
posted by leopard-skin pill-box hat at 2:01 AM on December 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Thirding Ravelry. It's free to join, and you can search for patterns which use not just the weight and yardage of that yarn, but also sometimes even by that specific BRAND of yarn; and you can also search for even free patterns (there are tons). And for each pattern you can also read reviews of each pattern, and even see a list of people who tried the very same pattern themselves, and you can email them and ask for tips - and heck, you can post in threads asking for tips in general, and you can find threads like that which are run by local people, or knitters, or left-handed knitters, or Doctor Who fan knitters, or Christian knitters or Atheist knitters or anything (there's even a Metafilter knitter group on Ravelry). And you can also post pictures as you work on it and then pictures when it's done.

I literally just now did a search on Ravelry for free wristwarmer patterns using the needle size your yarn called for, and found 118 of them. Your yarn should also have something on the label that says how many yards per ball it is, and that's also something you can look for (meaning, you can also ask the pattern finder to look for "patterns that only use between [x] and [y] yards"), but I suspect that you have plenty for any of the 118 patterns I found.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:43 AM on December 4, 2014

One thing to be aware of: the number of stitches per inch you make as a knitter with 5.5 mm needles may be different than the number of stitches per inch the yarn says it will make (in this case 4 stitches per inch). This "stitches per inch" is called "gauge" and every knitter's gauge is a little different. If you knit more loosely, like me, you make bigger stitches with the needles called for and need smaller needles to get the right measurements. If you are a tight knitter, you'd need bigger needles.

For handwarmers, this may mean very little, because the size of the warmer won't change too much if you're a little off; the important thing is to make sure you like the fabric you're getting (not too loose and floppy, not too tight and stiff), and adjust accordingly.

For what it's worth, I would take all the folks saying "avoid knitting in the round" with a grain of salt. Everything in knitting is possible with patience and time, and in my experience, new knitters who love the pattern they're using can do anything - wanting the finished object is a great motivator. Have fun!
posted by deliriouscool at 5:58 AM on December 4, 2014

I mostly learned from a (not good) book, and then found the videos on knittinghelp.com. I find them really easy to understand and follow along.

Also nthing Ravelry. The people on there can do anything - and are encouraging and supportive enough that you will also think you can do anything.

Have fun!
posted by loolie at 7:43 AM on December 4, 2014