Archive for the ‘How To Knit’ Category

Aran knitting is a form of knitting where you use one solid color of yarn and essentially make patterns and cables by using various basic stitches and needle techniques.  The Aran knitting technique is also sometimes called sweater knitting, cable knitting, or fisherman knitting, because Aran knitting techniques were used in the past primarily to knit cable sweaters.   Today, Aran knitting techniques are used on a wide variety of hand knit items from the more traditional sweaters to blankets, scarves and bags.

While Aran knit garments and household items may look very complicated to knit, they really aren’t all that difficult to do once you have mastered a couple new techniques.  Anyone with basic knitting skills can learn to do Aran knitting and create wonderful heirloom items for their friends and family.

In addition to traditional knitting needles, for Aran knitting you will also need to have a cable needle which you will use to make the special cable designs with.  Cable needles come in various shapes and sizes.  The shape and size you choose to use in your knitting is mostly about personal preference as they all perform the same function.  Personally, I know that I prefer wooden cable needles because they are less likely to slide out of my projects.

Yarn selection is probably the most important step in knitting anything.  I know I started out with a cheap and just “okay” yarn.  I ended up with a just okay looking finished project.  When you are putting a lot of your time into something, you are well advised to use the best materials you can afford to use.  This is so that you can be proud of the way your finished project turns out and to insure that it will stand the test of time.

The absolute best yarns to use for Aran knitting are wools and cottons.  You also only want to use a yarn which is a single color.  The trick to Aran knitting is that you want the patterns you knit to stand out – not the yarn itself like in many other knitting projects.   You do not want to use a yarn with a lot of fluff or extra bulk to it for Aran knitting.  Stick to the easier yarns for your first couple projects and then branch out from there into the more creative yarns and fibers if you so desire.

While the cables and designs of Aran knitting look terribly daunting, they are created by moving stitches over to the cable needle and then back to the main project surface again.  You will be varying the order in which you knit the stitches and this forms the cable designs.  The process of Aran knitting really is that simple.

If you want to learn Aran knitting I would suggest picking up one of the many books on the subject or even better have someone show you how it is done.  By learning a few basic techniques you can create some intricate looking patterns to add to your garments and blankets.  As with any knitting project you will have the best results however, if you have someone show you how to do the techniques and can be there to assist you if something doesn’t look right.  It will take a few rows of knitting before Aran knitting starts to look right or wrong.

Congratulations on your decision to learn to crochet!  Crocheting is a pastime which has been enjoyed for many years by our mothers and grandmothers alike.  And, it has been popular for good reasons.  Crocheting not only allows you to make some wonderful garments and household decorative items, but it also allows you to create while you relax and watch television or listen to music as well.

Crocheting gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment when you are finished with a project.  Whether you are making a blanket, sweater or even a simple scarf, you will be proud to show off your handiwork work when you have finished it.

Being new to crocheting, there are a few things you need to keep in mind so that you will have the most success possible.  They are:

Crochet Yarns and Fibers for Newbies

When you are first learning how to crochet you should stick to using natural fibers and yarns.  These natural fibers tend to be less slippery and easier to work with.

Just as important as the fibers you use is the way that you hold them in your hand.  By learning the “correct” way to hold your yarn and crochet hook from day one, it will be much easier for you to advance your crocheting projects without having to relearn how to hold things.  Here is the best way to hold your yarn and crochet hook:

1. Place the yarn over your little finger, below your ring finger, and above your fore and middle fingers.
2. Hold your crochet hook as you would a pencil or fork.  This allows you the best hold to heave the yarn from your fingers down to the loop in the hook.

As you begin to crochet more and more you will come up with just the right positions for you.  But, it is always best to learn in a more classical style from the start and adopt your own style from there.

When you purchase yarn or fibers for your projects make sure you take the time to get all of it from one dye lot.  The packages of yarn will be marked with a number and you want to make sure they all match.  This ensures that all of your yarn is an exact match to each other.

Crochet Hook Sizes

One of the most important considerations for any crochet project is the size of the hook and the yarn you choose to use.  Crochet hooks are labeled with numbers and letters.  These numbers and letters correspond to different sizes.  The higher the number or letter then the larger and thicker the size of the hook, and when you are new to crochet this means the quicker your project will be completed.
Crochet With Others

Being new to crocheting offers some challenges.  One of these is trying to learn to crochet well from a book or off of the Internet or television.  Crocheting is one of those things which appears much harder than it really is.  If you have a friend or relative who crochets, ask them to show you how.  If you do not know anyone who crochets, then you might want to take a class at your local community college, or join a local crocheting group.  While you can learn to crochet on your own, and many people have, it is a lot easier to learn when there are people around you who can show you what to do.

Learning to crochet allows you to make new friends and to create beautiful works of art while relaxing at the same time.  By taking care to use the right supplies for beginners, and for looking for groups where you can learn new techniques, you will be on your way to crocheting complex sweaters and blanket projects in no time.  You will soon find that you have a long list of potential projects you want to complete.

Congratulations on your decision to learn to knit!  Knitting is a pastime which has been enjoyed for hundreds of years, and with good reasons.  Knitting not only allows you to make some wonderful garments and household decorative items, but it also allows you to create while you relax as well.

Knitting gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment when you are finished with a project.  Whether you are making a sweater or a scarf, you will be proud to show off your work when you have finished it.

Being new to knitting, there are a few things you need to keep in mind so that you will have the most success possible.  They are:

Knitting Needles

Knitting needles are not all created equal.  By far, the easiest needles to knit on are made from wood.  Wooden knitting needles allow you to knit much easier because your yarn will stay in place on them.  When you use plastic or metal knitting needles you will soon find that your yarns want to slide off the needles if you are not careful in handling them.  When you are new to knitting it really is best to stick to wooden needles.

If you cannot find wooden knitting needles in your area, you can take a dowel of wood and cut it to be about a foot long, sharpen the end with a pencil sharpener to a blunt point, and then rub a bit of candle wax on it.   This makes a great pair of inexpensive and custom knitting needles.

When you are a beginner at knitting you should create your first project with large needles for a couple different reasons.  The first reason is that the large needles are easier to work with and allow you to see your mistakes much easier.  If you drop a stitch you will immediately know it and can rip out and start again fairly easily.  The second reason is that large knitting needles make your projects much quicker to do.  You can very easily finish a scarf on large knitting needles in only a couple days.  This sense of accomplishment is great for newbies.

Yarns and Fibers

When you are new to knitting you will want to start out with natural fibers such as cotton or wool.  The reason you want to stick to the natural fibers is because they will not slide off of your knitting needles quite as easily as synthetic fibers will.  While all those fancy yarns look inviting, they can be a challenge to work with if you are new to knitting.  It is best to start off simple and move you way up.

When you purchase yarn or fibers for your projects make sure you take the time to get all of it from one dye lot.  The packages of yarn will be marked with a number and you want to make sure they all match.  This ensures that all of your yarn is an exact match to each other.

Knit With Others

Being new to knitting offers some challenges.  One of these is trying to learn to knit well from a book or off of the Internet or television.  Knitting is one of those things which appears much harder than it really is.  If you have a friend or relative who knits, ask them to show you how.  If you do not know anyone who knits, then you might want to take a class at your local community college, or join a local knitting group.  While you can learn to knit on your own, and many people have, it is a lot easier to learn when there are people around you who can show you what to do.

Learning to knit allows you to make new friends and to create beautiful works of art while relaxing at the same time.  By taking care to use the right supplies for beginners, and for looking for groups where you can learn new techniques, you will be on your way to knitting complex sweaters in no time.