I've seen a few articles about knitting being the new Yoga and I was thinking of giving it a try. My hubby always tells me I need a hobby....could this be it? I could really do with something to occupy my time. I spent most of last year planning my wedding and now it's over I feel a little lost.

Can anyone tell me why I should try knitting? Is it easy to pick up? Are the materials cheap? Am I going to become completely obsessed by it?

Any advice appreciated...:)

There is a new forum group for knitters just started yesterday - you will find it on the home page - I am sure this will help you!

...Can anyone tell me why I should try knitting?
Because it's very easy to pick up and once you get started you can do an incredible amount of different things with just a few variations on the same stitches.

There are some amazingly gorgeous patterns available these days. Despite what many often think, knitting isn't just about making baby clothes (not that there's anything wrong with that, of course!)

Have a browse in the 'Recommended Links' section at the top of the page. Inparticular, have a look at Vogue Knitting (http://www.vogueknitting.com/) magazine. The new Spring edition is absolutely stunning. If you want to see what sort of free patterns are available, Knitty (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/index.html)is a good place to start. I've just finished making these (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpomatomus.html), and I'm thinking about making another one of these (http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html).

...Is it easy to pick up?
I found it easy to pick up, yes. My mum taught me the basics when I was about ten or eleven. It's only in the last couple of years (after not knitting at all for quite a long time) that I've really started to branch out with the more complicated things, like kntting in the round (used to make socks), cable stitches, lace knitting etc.

In the 'Recommended Links' section, there are a couple of sites which have free instructional videos of the basics and some more advanced techniques, which are really helpful.

I've heard really good things about this book for knitting beginners:
Stitch n Bitch (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761128182/qid=1143020638/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl/202-0829807-2913454) by Debbie Stoller.

I also found this one really helpful:
How to Knit (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1843402130/qid=1143020663/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/202-0829807-2913454) by Debbie Bliss

One of the reasons for starting this group is to get more people knitting, and to get people who have been knitting a little longer to help out the beginners too.

...Are the materials cheap?
It really depends on what you want to make. There's no denying that some yarn is expensive. However, it's usually possible to substitute a cheaper yarn for the one recommended in the pattern. Or you could do what I usually do, and mainly make small things. I've got into a bit of a habit of sock knitting at the minute :) .

The good thing about knitting is that, apart from the yarn, you don't need to buy lots of things. You buy the needles as you go along, and you'll soon find yourself building up quite a collection which will last for years. My own preference is for bamboo needles, which are a little more expensive than the plastic or metal ones, but much nicer to work with and less slippy for a beginner.

Am I going to become completely obsessed by it?
Yes :D . Take a look at some of the blogs in the 'Recommended Links' section, and just see what you can do when you really get into it.

Go on, buy some wool. you know you want to... :) .

Can anyone tell me why I should try knitting?
Its really satisfying and relaxing (when all is going well) and you end up being so proud when you finish something, even if its just a few like swatches practising new stitches and techniques (well i do anyway, but i am a beginner myself really)

Is it easy to pick up?
I think that depends on the individual, i think i struggled due to learning from a book and only having one book at first and not being able to find any websites that helped me greatly (not anymore have you seen the links in 'Recommended Links and Useful Sites' section?) and not having this knitting group up and running at the time :-p I learnt from the book Hecate recommended - 'How to Knit' by Debbie Bliss, i've also got 'Knitting for Beginners' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1903258901/qid=1143027298/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_19_2/026-1054889-3612449) by Sasha Kagan which is great because instead of having drawn diagrams like the debbie bliss book it has lots of photos, which do make it look clearer. I couldn't recommend this website enough KnittingHelp (http://www.knittinghelp.com/) it has the videos Hecate mentioned. But basically, if you're interested which you must be, give it a go, and see how you get on! You might be a natural!

Am I going to become completely obsessed by it?

Most likely! :D

Morning!

Well last night I bought myself 'Stitch & Bitch' from Waterstones, and then went to Coles and bought my first pair of needles and some pink wool.
I sat down at 8pm and by half past had learnt how to do a double cast on, and then by 9 I was attempting my first knits. I found this bit harder than the cast on but I think I'd cast on a little too tight.
I managed a row and a half but I was tired and all my stitches were slipping off the needles, but I felt quite proud of myself!

I'll start again tonight and hopefully I might be able to produce my first ever swatch!:D

Morning!

Well last night I bought myself 'Stitch & Bitch' from Waterstones, and then went to Coles and bought my first pair of needles and some pink wool.
I sat down at 8pm and by half past had learnt how to do a double cast on, and then by 9 I was attempting my first knits. I found this bit harder than the cast on but I think I'd cast on a little too tight.
I managed a row and a half but I was tired and all my stitches were slipping off the needles, but I felt quite proud of myself!

I'll start again tonight and hopefully I might be able to produce my first ever swatch!:D
Fantastic! It's funny you should mention casting on too tightly at first, because that's exactly what I did when I got back into knitting after not having done it for a while. The instinct is to pull on the yarn really quite tightly, just to make sure that none of the stitches fall off!

What I did was to cast on the stitches onto two needles; the one you'd be casting the stitches onto anyway (and later working with), and a very fine needle (2 - 2.5 mm) held in the same hand. The stitches go onto both needles, and you can pull the wool quite firmly. Then, when you've done casting on, you can carefully remove the fine needle, leaving you with nice loose-ish stitches on your needle.

If you pull on the wool really tightly while casting on, it might be worth just trying to concentrate on getting the cast on stitches to sit snugly on the needle, instead of using the two-needle tip. If you pull too tightly, you might end up damaging the wool a little bit, or getting a warped cast on edge.

I cast on using a size or two up of needles - it helps with the problem of casting on too tightly:) Fantastic start anyway - what are you planning on knitting?

LisaH xxx

Thanks for the hints guys.

In stitch and bitch it says to try a few swatches first and then the first project is a stripey scarf, so then you get to learn how to switch colours.

I might try the two needle cast on tonight and see how that goes...

Just been to Coles again and been browsing through their pattern books and I never realised you could make so much stuff! I actually found myself walking back to work looking at peoples scarves thinking 'I wonder if I could knit that?'.....:hihi:

I cast on using a size or two up of needles - it helps with the problem of casting on too tightly...
That's a better idea than mine. You won't have the hassle of removing the extra needle if you use this idea, you just change to the proper size by knitting the stitches onto them.

...I actually found myself walking back to work looking at peoples scarves thinking 'I wonder if I could knit that?'.....:hihi:
I do that! I saw a gorgeous scarf in the shops; really long, long drapey tassles, silk and wool. Beautiful. But £30!! I thought 'bugger that, I could make that myself for less than that'. Anyway, I bought the yarn and some chunky needles and worked one up in about a week of evenings. Trouble is, I think I picked a yarn which was just a bit too chunky. I tend to look like I haven't got a neck when I where it :hihi: .