Knitch Magazine

New knitters are drawn to scarves as an ideal first project. After all, a knitted scarf is really just one hugely long swatch. Gauge isn’t too important because scarves don’t have to fit precisely like a pair of custom fitted hand knit socks. Beginners can practice their knit and purl stitches over many rows without bothering to read complicated patterns. Many gorgeous scarves are constructed in colorful yarn worked in humble garter stitch. There’s no need for increases, decreases, short rows, cables or lace. On the other hand, beginners who want to learn those techniques can explore them in a limited scope by knitting a scarf. Other finicky maneuvers like turning a heel or picking up stitches can easily be put off for later study. Scarves then are the ideal project for beginners.

What happens when the adventurous knitter is ready to move on to more challenge? How can knitters challenge themselves without getting tied up in knots with overly complicated projects that lead to discouragement and abandonment?

What can you do with a swatch?

If a scarf is one way to re-purpose a gauge swatch, consider other uses that capitalize on the rectangle shape. Although gauge is generally described over 4-inches, it is always advisable to knit a larger swatch to get an accurate measure of your gauge. Many knitters want to dive right into the project, often skipping the swatch process. Instead, make the swatch work for you. If you consistently cast on enough stitches to make a gauge swatch of approximately 8-inches and knit until you have a square, you’ll have a better measure of gauge and a piece of knitted fabric that’s the basis for several projects. Develop the habit of adding a garter stitch border to frame your swatches. Do this by knitting 3 garter ridges while keeping 3 or 4 stitches in garter along each edge as you knit the swatch, finishing off with 3 more garter ridges. The swatch will lay flat, making gauge measurement easier and more accurate. Furthermore, you can readily convert the swatch into projects, using the garter border for seaming. Whether you save stacks of swatches or use them up as soon as you knit them, these practice pieces can be turned into simple projects. Follow the same general principle, but make an even larger rectangle and you will have a greater choice of projects. You can create your own “pattern” or use one of the many free patterns based on swatches. Here are some ideas:

Spa cloth - Is it a dishrag or a spa cloth? Using cotton yarn, make an 8 or 9-inch square swatch in any stitch pattern you like. Be sure to add borders at the top, bottom and sides to prevent the swatch from curling. Center a bar of fine milled scented soap in the center of the cloth and tie with a ribbon for an instant gift.

Hat – Two swatches sewn together on three sides can make a snappy hat for kids or adults. For a snug fit and a chance to practice ribbing, substitute one inch of ribbing for the bottom border. Add a few rows of contrast color stripes for a lively look. You can also eliminate the garter stitch borders at the top and sides if you plan to make a hat with your swatches. Sew the side and top seams and trim the corners with tassels.

Afghan – If you would rather knit than keep a journal about your knitting projects, save your stitch swatches until you have enough to make a lap robe or afghan. You will preserve the memory of every pattern, the yarn and stitch used, and a cozy wrap too. If you don’t want to wait until you finish up dozens of projects, choose one or two colors that unify the swatch colors and knit some plain squares to fill in the spaces.

Stole – If a scarf is a big swatch, then a stole is just a bigger scarf. Standard sized stoles are about 26 inches wide and 60 - 74 inches long. Use a self-striping yarn for color impact without the need to change colors or darn in ends. Stoles are generally knit at a very loose gauge to achieve the drape that makes them so elegant. This is one project where you can loosen up, use big needles and not worry at all about gauge! With so little to worry about, consider a stole with a textured stitch or lace pattern.

Pillow – Make two big swatches and sew them together to form a pillow. Two even bigger swatches make a floor pillow. Standard-sized pillow forms don’t have to fit the exact dimensions of your swatch. Think of pillows as a lesson in “negative ease.” For a taut, tight pillow, use a pillow form that is a few inches larger than the outside dimension of your swatch. A cover that is the same size or slightly larger than the form makes a flatter, softer pillow. To get a custom fit for your pillow, add fiberfill to round out the corners. If you are handy with a sewing machine, sew a custom sized muslin casing and stuff it with fiberfill and you can make any size pillow you want.

What do skill level ratings mean?

Patterns are often “rated” for the skill levels of beginner, intermediate and experienced knitters. What does this mean? The Craft Yarn Council developed a set of standards that describe the skills needed to complete a project successfully. Consider your skills carefully: do you have the skills needed to complete the project? If not, can you find instruction from a book, video, local yarn shop, magazine or knitting guild? It may seem too much of a stretch to go from beginner to experienced, but determined knitters can and do succeed. Likewise, many experienced knitters want easy projects for the daily commute and eagerly seek the most basic of projects for relaxed knitting. Judge you level of interest, stick-to-it-ness and tolerance for difficulty before jumping ahead to more complicated projects.

1 Beginner Projects for first-time knitters using basic knit and purl stitches.
Minimal shaping required.

2 Easy Projects using basic stitches, repetitive stitch patterns, simple color changes, and simple shaping and finishing.

3 Intermediate Projects with a variety of stitches, such as basic cables and lace, simple intarsia, double-pointed needles and knitting in the round needle
techniques, mid-level shaping and finishing.

4 Experienced Projects using advanced techniques and stitches, such as short rows, fair isle, more intricate intarsia, cables, lace patterns, and numerous
color changes.

Ideal first projects

Easy projects mean simple construction with little shaping. Look for free patterns from yarn companies and other online sources. Many have been tested by hundreds of knitters over many decades and will bring you reliable success even if they are a little “every day.” Jazz them up with fashionable colors and use high quality yarn for a well finished look. The simplest first step to expanding your knitting skill is to add texture or a simple all-over lace pattern. Unless you have a photographic visual memory, start with a texture stitch or lace pattern that repeats evenly over no more than six stitches by six rows. Anything more complicated can be hard to memorize and difficult to count.

For color interest, add a few rows of stripes in contrasting or complementing color. If the thought of changing yarn colors vexes you, start with a few stripes at the base of a scarf or hat. Even one or two rows of color will perk up the project and you’ll learn a lot about color theory, darning in ends, and how the knit and purl stitch affect color changes. Don’t be afraid to rip out if you don’t like the results. It’s only one or two rows.

Easy Project Ideas

Here are some basic project ideas to consider. They will challenge a beginner’s skills, but all are fun to knit while you learn:

Hat - The rolled brim has been the favorite “graduation” cap for knitters moving from scarves to their first “garment.” You can find all kinds of variations on this simple hat, many free online or in basic knitting books and magazines. Visit your local library – online or in person -- to discover the many talented knitting authors who are widely available. Many will include a simple hat in the collection. If you don’t see yourself wearing a knitted hat, donate a preemie-sized cap to your local hospital or knit a kid sized cap for a local charity. You will learn to knit to gauge, decrease stitches, knit in the round and knit on double pointed needles, all invaluable skills that will serve you as long as you knit.

Mittens – Once you master double pointed needles, mittens are an excellent mechanism for perfecting gauge, learning shaping techniques, picking up stitches, and weaving or the Kitchener stitch. A pair of mittens requires two pieces knit to the same size, and this can be challenging for anyone. Mittens are small canvases, ideal for adding a cable, lace panel insert or Fair Isle pattern. Find a pattern that you like and give it a go. The investment in yarn is minimal, but there’s a huge payoff in skills.

Slippers -- Slippers are much easier to knit than socks because they rarely require turning a heel and they are generally made with medium to bulky yarn. Lately, felted slippers have become very popular. Since felting covers most “knitting sins," consider learning to felt while you learn to knit a pair of slippers. From vintage 1930’s garter stitch slippers to hipster felted models, these patterns are readily accessible and make great gifts.

Handbag – Learn to knit flowers, leaves and I-cord or duplicate stitch to embellish a plain, striped or textured bag. Some designers use intarsia to knit intricate designs; a handbag is a small scale project ideal for practicing this skill. You can find entire shelves of patterns and books devoted to knitting and felting handbags. These fashionable accessories will help you hone your knitting skills.

Christmas stocking – The Christmas stocking is a favorite first stocking for many knitters because they only have to knit one and it doesn’t need to fit anyone. It is an ideal tool for learning to knit in the round, follow a Fair Isle or intarsia chart, turn a heel and weave the toe. Once you make a few giant sized socks, you may develop a taste for those highly popular custom-fitted socks that fascinate most knitters.

Consider these avenues as a way to expand your knitting skills away from long skinny scarves in to the wonderful world of color, texture, and custom fitted knitting.

Learn how to felt with this easy project!

Join the trendy clutch brigade by creating this sensational design with lots of extra details. We love the way you can practice your basic cabling technique, and then the finished effect is a slightly textured, quilted look. Using just one hank of Worsted Wool from Caledon Hills gives you this cute little handbag that also works great as a cosmetic bag.