Many knitters wonder if they should buy their own needles or if they should just start knitting with a kit. There are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches. It is important that you understand the differences so you can choose the option that is right for you. This article will also talk about the difference between knitting with a kit and knitting with a supply.
Knitting with a kit is very convenient because all you have to do is bring the items you want and it will come together for you. The drawback is you usually do not get a choice in the size or color of the knitting needles. You have to choose from a small, thin, flexible needle or a large, stiffer, stiff knitting needle. Also, you can only get one type of fabric with every kit you purchase. If you would like a specific fabric, you will have to purchase that too. The advantage is the selection is much larger than with a supply.
Starting to knit with a kit is a good idea if you are a beginner. It gives you experience using the pattern for the first round of knitting. If you knit with a blanket, the blanket may be too thick or bulky for your first round. If you use a kit, you can simply pull up the first round and make as many changes as you need until you reach the desired result. If you just keep repeating the same stitch, your work will become too flat and hard to pull through the ruffle.
If you choose to knit with a supply, you can actually go ahead and do all the knitting yourself. You can pull out the first round of knitting on your needle, cast on the stitches and then just continue with the project as if you were following a video tutorial. The challenge with this method is that you have to make sure you have always been casting on the same size stitches. If you have ever worked with knitting yarn, you know that once you have picked up a stitch, it stays in place unless you remove it with your fingers very quickly.
When you start knitting with a kit you will also get a chart. The chart is basically a layout for your project. This will help you keep track of where you started each round and how many stitches you have completed. You can start at the beginning or any round before your current round. The video tutorial will show you where to place each stitch as well as the names for them.
In the first stitch, the yarn has not been picked up so it is called a loose stitch. You will either pick up the yarn or place a marker (the yarn becomes a loop). After you have placed your marker, just wrap the yarn around your hook and make two loops. You will now be working in the round with the loose yarn.
The second stitch will be a pick up yarn. The yarn will now come off the hook and you will place the yarn tail between your thumb and first finger. This helps ensure that your yarn does not slip through the loops on your hook. Just wrap the yarn tail around the hook again making three loops. Then, just like the first stitch, wrap the yarn tail round the hook making four loops and attach to the end of your sweater.
To learn more about knitting go to our website below. There is a special page dedicated to the beginner. You will find lots of useful information there on knitting terminology, knitting categories and the different yarn weights. You can also purchase our popular eBook below which is packed with great information for any newbie to knit.