To write a knitting resource guide I had to ask myself the question ‘what kind of yarn, needles, patterns and other gadgets do you need when you are knitting?’ There are so many options and several places to purchase these items. Knitting does not have to be an expensive hobby!
This post contains affiliate inks, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you and helps support this site. Thank you!
The first question to ask is what would you like to knit? Has anyone asked you for a baby hat or blanket? Do you like to make shawls? How about warm weather gear? Christmas stockings? Sweaters or children’s clothes? The list is endless!
The next question is, what is your skill set? Do you know how to knit? Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced knitter? I have only been knitting for 8 years but I would be considered an advanced knitter. But what I love about knitting is that there is always so much more to learn!
For starters, if you need to learn how to knit, I would recommend taking look at Knitpicks Learning Center. They offer several articles and tutorials on beginning to advanced knitting techniques.
Social media is a fun and simple way to begin looking at projects and patterns. My favorites are Pinterest and Instagram.
The first place I go to when picking a pattern is pinterest. I was one of the first people to sign up for pinterest back in 2012 when I started to look at knitting patterns. I set up different boards for each type of project that I wanted to knit. I have been collecting patterns for 8 years now. If you would like to see my boards or follow me I am at candyloucreations on pinterest.
Instagram
Another social media platform that has wonderful ideas for knitting projects is Instagram. I am @candyloucreations if you would like to check me out. I follow some pretty great knitters and there is a little ‘save’ tab that I hit whenever I see a project I may want to try. I often go to their bio to find their website to see what else they like to knit. The photos on instagram can be quite inspirational. I have upped my game with photographing my knits because I so enjoy posting my projects on instagram. It is like an online diary that I keep of my progress.
Check out my Instagram Smart Bio
Once you have an idea of what you would like to knit and have taken a few classes to get your basic skills down, it’s time to head to Etsy and Ravelry to look at patterns. Etsy features paid patterns while Ravelry has both free patterns and paid patterns.
I love Etsy. I would go as far as saying that anyone who loves to knit already knows about Etsy and loves it like I do.
Etsy has patterns and yarn. They include several pictures of the knitted projects along with people’s reviews. They have the capability of providing instant downloads for patterns. They make it easy to message the seller with questions. Sellers who respond quickly get higher ratings and consumers can read about them in the reviews. I have an Etsy store myself @candyloucreations with a few patterns that I wrote. The sales from the store help pay for my online presence which is purely entertainment for me.
If you are a knitter you know about Ravelry. It is like facebook for knitters in a way and an unparalleled knitting resource guide. People post their patterns on ravelry for everyone to see. They post pictures of their projects and if someone decides to knit one of the patterns, they can set up a project and post photos of their knitting. It all links back to the designer who posted the pattern.
Some designers charge for their patterns and others offer them for free.
At my ravelry store I charge for some of my patterns. Writing patterns is a lot of work, especially where charts are involved. I do not begrudge designers the small amounts charged for their patterns. I also offer some of mine for free if they are simple to write and I enjoy sharing my work.
A ravelry account is a must for all knitters who enjoy going online and buying patterns that way.
If you would like to take a look at my ravelry projects page you will see that I have been posting my knitting projects for about 6 years. I can see how my knitting has improved as well as my photography skills!
My online ravelry store lists the patterns I have posted. Some are paid patterns while others are free.
There are several places to go for yarn. The first place I’d like to mention is Etsy.
Some of my favorite yarn includes these skeins from Etsy:
You can’t go wrong when you use a beautiful yarn like this! Malabrigo Rios Yarn is 100% merino wool yarn. It has gorgeous stitch definition and is super soft.
The skeins of yarn come in hanks so it will be necessary to wind them. Don’t be afraid of this! There are easy ways to wind yarn and there are more difficult ways to do it. I definitely do it the easy way. All you need are a couple supplies from Knitpicks – a swift and a winder. It’s a very relaxing beginning to a new project.
In this set you will get a winder and a yarn bowl along with the swift. For me, these are essentials. Th bowl has little swirls and holes in it so that you can keep your yarn in there, feed it through the holes and nothing gets tangled up.
Lion Brand Yarn has so many things going for it. It’s sold in big box stores and online. It’s inexpensive. It comes in lots of different weights and fibers. I highly recommend Lion Brand Yarn for a variety of projects!
This yarn has been a favorite of mine for baby blankets. It comes in dozens of colors, is inexpensive and holds up in the washer and dryer. New parents will love the ease of this wonderful yarn.
Another set of needles I use a lot are the Knitpicks Majestic Interchangeable Circular Needles. The joins are smooth and the wood feels so good in my hands.
Have you ever tried these “shorties” from Knitpicks? The needles are 16″ and come in all the traditional sizes, but the tips are short. They are really great for smaller projects like hats.
Knitting is a craft that is easy to learn when you have the right tools. I hope that in this article you have learned where to go for knitting classes, for pattern ideas plus my favorite yarn and needle sets. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
