Don’t be fooled by the image

When you think of knitting the first image that comes to mind is that of a granny knitting socks or something for her grandchild. However this is far away from the image you should have about knitting.

In fact its fair to say knitted clothes and accessories are always in fashion and even many Hollywood stars and celebrities are featured and like wearing knitted clothes, likewise many top designers often feature knitted garments in their collections - just glance through any fashion magazine and you’ll see loads of knitted clothes.

Getting started

For many of us, we are just happy to wear knitted clothes, others start knitting themselves and really get the bug. . If you are looking for a hobby or a way to spend a pleasant time but not without a purpose with a great result at the end of it, you should consider starting to knit. You will soon love knitting, and will start trying different patterns and different yarns to achieve different effects as you become more adventurous.

Relax & Enjoy

Knitting represents a hobby for many people because it is so relaxing. Some enjoy knitting in front of the TV, while others even knit in a group. Some people who have started knitting say that the repetitiveness of it is very soothing. For others, knitting is a form of artistic expression. Even more than that, it’s an extremely useful art form. We just have to think of how many interesting things we can make, from clothes to kitchen accessories.

People enjoy knitting because it combines the creativity they have with practicality . Art is about expressing yourself and so is knitting but knitting has the added bonus of making things people can use and enjoy including giving friends and family handmade gifts that are truly individual.

Consider your projects carefully

Of course, you have to be very careful for whom you knit because some people may not appreciate your efforts. There is also an old rule that says : “Don’t knit a sweater for your boyfriend until you have dated him for three years” ie: you need to know the person you’re knitting for fairly well. And then be careful that you don’t make the mistake of making your present too large or too small. You can overestimate the size and make something your friend will never wear.

Don’t be afraid to become a knitter, its not an old fashioned past-time as many would believe just start by looking for knitting instructions in books, magazines and patterns You will see that it is not as hard as you thought. Just start with simple things like scarves and your skills will develop. A word of warning - Do not decide to jump to the difficult things unless you have practiced the basic methods. But most importantly get started & enjoy.

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In this brief article we aim to just give a basic understanding of knitting needles, their sizing and what you need to look out for.

Size IS important…………….

Knitting needles come in different sizes. It is important to know the size of your knitting needles because their size is related to the size of your stitches and, implicitly, to the appearance of the finished work.

Knitting needles are given different numbers according to their measure. Do not think of their length! It is important how big round the needles are. However, these numbers can differ from one country to another. For example, a knitting needle of 3.75 mm is number 5 in American measurement and number 9 in British measurement, or you may see on the bag of the knitting needles you buy it is simply written as a 3.75 mm needle.

Notice that the American measurement has low numbers for needles with smaller diameters , and the numbers can go up to 50 for a larger diameter like 25 mm, while the British measurement has high numbers for low diameters and the numbers decrease when it comes to high diameters like, for example, 000 for knitting needles of 10 mm , Therefore, you need to look up a knitting needle conversion chart to ensure you end up with the correct needle size.

To confuse you still further if you have a 4.5 mm knitting needle, in that case the size number coincides, with both countries calling it size 7.

Understanding Guage …………

In knitting, there is the concept of gauge and it means the number of stitches in a given length. This concept is related to the pattern you have and, if in your pattern it says there are supposed to be , for example, 5 stitches to an inch and you can make only 3, than you should and need to change the size of your knitting needles. Each pattern requires that you knit a certain number of stitches using a particular yarn and a specified needle.

However, it is not necessary to stick to the yarn or the needles specified in the pattern, but it is important to get the correct number of stitches per inch in order to have the right size, length and other characteristics of the pattern.

Different Kinds ……….

You can also choose between circular needles and straight needles. Some people prefer circular needles because they are more comfortable to use and you can knit both in the round or back and forth like straight needles. You can find circular knitting needles, double point knitting needles and also single pointed knitting needles made of different materials such as steel, wood or bamboo. There are also different types of knitting needles like Addi knitting needles, Clover knitting needles, Misc knitting needles, Crystal Palace, Rosewood and HiyaHiya

To find out more pay a visit to a good knitting or haberdashery store & ask for advice.

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Background……….

Yarn is a string composed of interlocked fibers used in the production of textiles, crocheting, sewing and knitting.

There are many different fibers that can form a knitting yarn. Cotton is the most popular natural fibre and wool is the most common animal fibre. However, other types of animal fibers are used too, like angora, cashmere and the latest trend in knitting yarns - the alpaca knitting yarn. The alpaca fibers that form a knitting yarn are notable for their strength , which is significantly higher than that in wool fibers, for their softness and, moreover, the alpaca fiber comes in an impressive range of natural colors from white, beige, light brown, dark brown, to black.

Blending for quality ………..

However, it had been demonstrated that by blending alpaca fiber with wool , we obtain a yarn of a higher quality. When it comes to the knitting yarn composed solely of sheep’s wool , we talk of two categories of wool used in knitting yarn: worsted and woolen.

The yarn that results from worsted wool is smooth and firm, whereas the one that results from woolens is fuzzier and not so strong

Other Types ……….

.As for the natural fibers, silk and linen are also used for knitting yarn. Knitting yarn can be also made of synthetic materials, chiefly acrylic. There are all acrylic yarns or acrylic blended with wool. Nylon is another synthetic fibre used in a small quantity in the yarn designed for use in socks as an example.

There are many different types of knitting yarns you can find obviously according to quality and price. You want. For example, you can find usual yarns like cotton and wool and then luxury yarns like super merino, pure silk, possum worsted , Hana silk , baby alpaca , zephyr(50% Chinese Tussah Silk and 50% fine Merino wool)

What you need to know before choosing…………

You need to know the properties of your knitting yarn because they affect the look and the feel of the garment. Your first point of call & where you can find out a lots of information is by looking at the label, such as the fiber content, weight, type of the knitting yarn, and its suitability for the project you have in mind and naturally how many meters of knitting yarn you have and washing instructions.

In most instances however the pattern from which you’ll be knitting will identify and/or suggest the best material with which to knit the item. It is also advisable to buy a little more knitting yarn than the pattern requires.

About Yarn Weight ……………….

Yarn weight is the thickness of the knitting yarn. You will see there is a vast range going from very fine weight or baby weight and chunky yarns as well.

What does it mean?
Yarn weights are separated into different categories, six categories actually. There is :

1-first a baby, fingering, sock category, which is super fine

2- the second category is is called baby, sport category and is fine yarn weight;

3- the DK, light , worsted category which is light,

4-the afghan, aran, worsted category ,

5- the chunky, craft and rug category and the fifth,

6- super bulky yarn weight which can be bulky and roving.

In the UK yarn is labeled in ply. A ply is a single strand of yarn. Lace weight, or 2-ply/3-ply is a very fine yarn used for lacy garments . scarves and baby clothes.

Fingering knitting yarn or 4-ply is used for baby clothes but also for adult clothes.

From Around the World

Sport weight or DK 8-ply in Australia it is a very popular type of yarn because not only it comes in different colors , but it also comes in a range of different effects, such as heather, blushed, tweed and more; Aran, worsted or triple, 12-ply in Australia is generally used for heavily texture garments; chunky or bulky, 14-ply in Australia is a heavy yarn used to make large sweaters and jackets. This last category is called in America super-bulky.

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