How I taught myself to knit.

On my last knitting post Christina from C + C Marriage Factory asked how I started the process of teaching myself to knit.

So today I will review a few of the knitting books I purchase and used to learn.

The first book I bought was actually a kit, 'I taught Myself Knitting Beginners Kit' by Boye.


They had it on sale at Michael's. It came with every thing you need to get started. I read the book and tried to work my way threw the examples. I didn't get very far with it. There was something about it that just didn't draw me in. The illustrations clearly showed what I was supposed to do, and the written direction made sense, but my hands just wouldn't do what the book was telling me to do. But it was a good price for all the items needed to get started, and I wouldn't have thought to purchase them separate.

So I tried a different approach I have a few friends that knit, so I asked them to tell me what I was doing wrong. That's when I learned that every person knits different, That was crazy. They all hold there yarn different, they all pick up a stitch different, they all wrap there yarn different. I got even more confused. There is the English way to knit and the Continental way to knit, and everyone has an opinion as to which way is best. A friend finally told me, 'Do what feel best for you'.

The first thing I decided was that I was going to knit the English way, then I went and found knitting video's on YouTube. There are plenty of then on there. I tried to go find the one's I used in early 2008 but I couldn't. I did find those from theknitwitch to be better than some of the others there now. The video's a clear not shaky and you can clearly see what her hands and the yarn are doing.

I started to get the hang of the knitting at that point, but I didn't want to knit in front of the computer for ever. I forget things quickly, when I don't use it often. So I went on the hunt for another book. I sat in the middle of the isle in a book store and read all the How To knitting books there were.

Then I found it 'Stitch 'n Bitch The Knitter's Handbook' by Debbie Stoller.


I fell in love when I started reading, yes reading she actually talks to you. Tells you about the history of knitting, examples of knitting supplies, explains the yarns. Gives you life stories. Then I took a look at the step by step illustrations and they were clear, I could see the placement of the fingers in regards to the needles and yarn, and which way the yarn was going. I took it home and that book doesn't leave my knitting bag.

Plus she mentions the knitting software company Cochenille that I work for!!! I was excited, I knew she had purchased it, but at the time 'This famous knit designer called to place an order' I had no interest in knitting. I really missed out.