What is Knitting?

Let’s take a look at some basic knitting information in this post

Some people call it a hobby. Some call it an art form. I call it a passion. My journey with knitting started 10 years ago, when I got the bug and progressed through YouTube videos, blog posts and any teaching method I could find.

Fast forward and now I’m sharing information, tips and tutorials on knitting and I couldn’t be more excited. Thank you for joining me here in this post. If you prefer to watch a video over reading, here you go:

What is knitting and where did it start?

The oldest evidence of knitting was found in Egypt – a pair of socks! While these socks look very different from today’s knitted socks, it’s really cool to see that this art form dates back to between 250 and 400 AD!

Other locations where knitting really flourished are Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and Scandinavian countries. Many in these places fished, or worked out of doors, so sweaters and other knitted garments were a staple part of their survival. Ireland has become know for their gorgeous cable work in the aran sweaters. Scotland is known for fair isle knitting or color work.

For information on Aran Sweaters, the history and the stitches click here.
For more on Fair Isle, click here.

Knitting is a series of loops, called stitches. These loops are worked in a series of rows or rounds, resulting in the creation of a fabric. We call these “live loops” or “live stitches” because if they are dropped off of the knitting needle, they’ll unravel.

This differs from the fiber art form of crocheting, which also uses a series of loops as stitches. Crochet stitches are closed, or do not remain on the hook but for the first or working stitch. If this first stitch is dropped and the yarn pulled, the series of crocheted stitches may unravel.

The basic or first stitch you’ll learn is the knit stitch. You can find a tutorial here.

Needles:

The basic tools for knitting, needles come in a variety of options. Beginners commonly start off using straight needles. These are a pair of two needles made of wood, plastic, or metal. One side is tapered or pointed and the other features a flared end or stopper to prevent stitches from slipping off of the needle. When using straight needled, one knits across a row, turns the work and knits back in the other direction. This is called working flat or back and forth. Working flat creates projects like scarves, blankets, washcloths and dish towels, etc.

Another option is a circular needle. These are two shorter needles connected by a cable. You can use a circular needle to work back and forth, or continuously in one direction. The later is known as working in the round. Knitting in the round is used to make hats, sweaters, socks, and various other projects. These are often the second type of needle a knitter learns to work with.

Easy Beginner Knitting Pattern:

For beginners, I like to offer a simple Lap Blanket pattern. This pattern is short and sweet (when compared to making a scarf in a thinner yarn). You can click this link to go to the pattern.