RoseRed495 said:
Crocheting is so easy once you learn the stitches...in fact, reading the directions is the hardest part! LOL! I had to figure out those abbreviations. I love to crochet but knitting intimidates me. Is it pretty simple to learn? I think maybe I should find a class or something...although I did teach myself to crochet so maybe I could learn to knit on my own too.
I think that knitting can be more intimidating, if you think of all the techniques to learn and how hard it is to make clothes (and I mainly associate knitting with sweaters and stuff that is quite advanced). But if you are content to stick with making simple things at first, it's not that hard. You can also use
Stitch Guide to see video clips of the basic stitches.
I really like
Knit Net for learning different techniques to cast on. Go to their
free page, and scroll to look for the "Knitting Primer". The person behind this Web site doesn't like the most common method for casting on, which she calls "The thumb wrap", also commonly known as the "Double Cast-On" or Twisted German Cast-on. I mainly use this method because it's so easy. But I highly recommend watching the videos at knit net when you start, and just play around one night with different methods of casting on until one of them really strikes your fancy. You can try double cast-on (Twisted German Cast-On! lol) here too:
http://knitting.about.com/library/bltgcaston.htm
I like the free stuff on the internet better than buying a pile of books, although some people say that there are some great book in print for learning, such as "The Knit Stitch". But the library has many of those books to borrow for free.
I would recommend buying a thick yarn with a tight twist, so it isn't splitting on you when you work. You could try using
Lion Brand Wool-ease Chunky with size 10.5 or 11 needles, or
Wool-ease Thick & Quick with size 13 needles. You could make a nice scarf just using a basic cast on of about 15 stitches (more or less) and just doing the basic knit stitch back and forth, all the way down. That makes your basic garter stitch scarf which is actually very nice. You might need 2 balls of yarn, but I recommend going for it. Get 2 balls of a color you like and make that scarf. You'll keep it forever and treasure it as your very first knitted project.
There are softer bulky yarns but they tend to split and frustrate newbies. If you find wool too itchy you could be allergic. In that case, you could just use any acrylic worsted that is soft.
Caron Simply Soft is nice, and since it's worsted weight, you should use a slightly smaller needle such as an 8 or 9.
But I recommend using a really pretty variegated or special yarn because your beginner projects use such plain stitches. Lion Brand just came out with this gorgeous yarn called
Moonlight Mohair which would be beautiful for a scarf! It works up on size 10.5 or 11 needles too. I like to use the larger needles so my work is a little looser and more relaxed.
You already know this from having taught yourself to crochet, but the #1 most important key to success and loving the hobby is to learn to loosen up and do not make your stitches too tight. You have to really watch yourself when you learn knitting because it's so hard to avoid knitting tightly. Try to cast on a bit looser by adjusting every stitch you cast on to be a little loose. You can always rip out your first few rows and redo them as you learn your proper tension.
Sorry for rambling on. I just love knitting and crocheting so much! Gotta share the enthusiasm!
