Hi all, after a failed attempt at a scarf in december (my mum finished it for me cos I couldn't remember what to do), I decided to go back to basics, and yesterday I bought a book with all basic instructions in to help me remember how to knit.

So this morning I've logged on to your forum for the first time, and you all make it sound so complicated, now I'm really worried! (in fact it's put me off a bit).

Do you have any very basic (ie easy!) reading/patterns for beginners? Do you have meets so that I can come and pick your brains?

Good morning Scoop and welcome to the Knitting group:wave: We really don't bite - very hard anyway:D
Take a look at the Recommended Knitting Links at the top of the thread pages, in there are some VERY useful links if you need help with any of the techniques.

We are a very varied group ranging from beginners and scareds like yourself through to OLD hands and very experienced like Hecate our forum moderater (please don't take it personally Hecate I like being part of the group and would hate to be "struck off")

Take it slowly and we will all try to help you if that is what you want so don't be timid, pick up the needles and try and before long you will be doing a Rooty. She was a beginner like your self and before we knew it she was helping Jabberwocky with cast on!!

We are a virtual group so don't actually MEET up anywhere.

Hello Scoop, and as turra21 says, welcome to the Knitting Group :) .

Knitting isn't complicated, honestly! Yes, there are certain aspects of it which can seem complicated and which can take a little time to get into, but usually you wouldn't attempt those until you've been knitting a while.

It's like anything; the more you practice it, the better you get. Take knitting socks on double-pointed needles (DPNs) for example. When you first attempt it, it feels like you're trying to wrestle with a particularly spikey octopus - needles and yarn all over the place. After a few attempts though, you soon get the hang of it. Unless you're me and you're trying to do the Magic Loop method... :hihi: .

As for suggestions, as turra21 said, have a look in the recommended knitting links (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=98114) section. I'd particulalry recommend having a look in the section entitled 'Help with knitting problems', and especially the videos (The Knitting Help web site is very good).

I'd also recommend having a look at the book 'Stitch n Bitch' by Debbie Stoller. It was the book I used to refresh my mind about knitting basics a few years ago, and I found it particularly helpful.

If you have any questions about, well, anything really, don't hesitate to post them. As a virtual group, we don't meet up (not all of us are in Sheffield). However, I don't rule that out for the future, if there's sufficient interest. I'm way overdue a trip back up to Sheffield, and there are a few yarn shops that I'd love to visit...

So anyway, good luck with getting back into the knitting. Not that you'll need it, of course :) .

EDIT: Please don't be put off!! If we talk about anything that seems complicated, it's only because we're talking to someone who's working on something similar. For example, turra21, LisaH and I have been working on the Magic Loop method, so we've been discussing that a lot lately. We cover ALL aspects of knitting, from the basics to anything we think we can cope with (or not, as in the case of the Magic Loop and me; not that I'm letting it get to me of course :hihi: ).

I'm just learning how to knit and I got a good grounding by attending a free lesson at John Lewis'. LisaH has kindly put the information on the board (which is where I found out about them). See here (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=111080) for dates and how to book. I'm now knitting my first scarf and found it easier to do now that I have been shown how to do it, rather than just through a book.

Hi:D Dont be scared of us - some of us are trying some very unusual techniques at the moment - I find any new technique scarey:D There are plenty of newbies too - including hopefully Jabberwocky:D Just ask what you need to know and Im sure that someone will be able to help or will point you to a link that will show you how. A good place to start would be the videos on www.knittinghelp.com or a nice book would be stitch and bitch, or I quite like How to Knit by Debbie Bliss.

Lisa xxx