Learn to knit with an easy project

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Learning to knit is easy! Like anything else, you learn the basics, get the right tools, and practice! And why not start with an easy project? For example, a scarf, a stylish dishcloth… or a project that really inspires you!

Once you know how to cast on, knit and purl, and how to increase and decrease stitches, you can do anything! Our biggest obstacle… is ourselves. So, let’s get comfortable; relax, and above all, don’t forget the tea, a good coffee, or even a little vino!

Always keep in mind that knitting is the yoga of the soul. Just like yoga, with its many poses and exercises, knitting has many stitches. But you learn them as you go. You practice them, you mess them up… and you start again! In knitting, this practice is called frogging. When I started, I knit and frogged almost equally. After a few years, I still frog! It’s part of knitting… just like poses or movements in yoga!

Materials needed to learn to knit

Having the right tools to learn to knit is not something to overlook! Here’s what you’ll need:

DK weight yarn

A DK weight yarn contains on average between 205 and 245 metres / 100 grams per skein (for hand-dyed yarns). For commercial yarns sold in big-box stores, this is usually referred to as weight 3–4.

There are many types of yarns and blends, but what I recommend is wool, not acrylic. You can find more affordable commercial yarns at your local yarn shop—yarns that aren’t hand-dyed and are a bit less expensive. If you’re just starting to learn to knit, a commercial yarn is excellent. Compared to acrylic, your knitting will last over time, and you’ll enjoy knitting!

4 mm circular needle

There are 2 types of needles: straight needles and circular needles. Needles can be made of wood, stainless steel, or plastic.

Personally, I recommend learning to knit with circular needles, because with this type of needle, you’ll be able to knit 99% of the patterns out there today. The needles are connected by a plastic, nylon, or steel cable coated in rubber. You’ll find several needle brands on the market… but you guessed it, my favourites are Chiaogoo. I knit with Chiaogoo interchangeable metal tips, but I use the nylon cables (in the stainless steel kit, the cables are steel coated with a rubber membrane) and the Spin bamboo kit (wood), which comes with nylon cords that are much more flexible, in my opinion. You can buy them in sets or individually.

If you want to love knitting, it’s essential to buy quality needles!

The basics of easy knitting!

Let’s start learning!

Casting on

There are several ways to cast on, but let’s start simple. Here’s 1 tutorial for casting on:

Long tail cast-on (or long-tail cast-on)

To get started with this cast-on method, watch the video below for a handy tip on how to measure how much yarn you’ll need so you don’t run out for your cast-on: