So, would you like to knit with me?

“Really, all you need to become a good knitter are wool, needles, hands, and slightly below average intelligence. Of course superior intelligence, such as yours and mine, is an advantage.”

-Elizabeth Zimmerman, Knitting Without Tears

New school year, new school, new opportunity for teaching people to knit! It has been quite a while since I taught a new batch of knitters. I have had a few people express an interest in learning, I know some that already know how but want to learn a new technique, and some that are comfortable with their knitting and just want to sit around with other knitters, so LETS DO IT! This is the perfect time of the year to learn!

I went to Joanns today to take pictures of everything you would need if you were a new knitter. If you are up for learning, the first thing we will do is knit a scarf. You will learn to cast on, execute the knit and purl stitch, cast off, and fix mistakes along the way. If you select one of the bigger balls of yarn shown below (those with 300+ yards) you will have enough for a scarf and a hat. You will use a chunky or bulky weight yarn and fairly large needles. We will use circular needles, not the long straight traditional needles. Circulars are much easier on the wrists and more versatile than straights.

My philosophy for teaching you to knit is:

BIG YARN + BIG NEEDLES = INSTANT GRATIFICATION

We all want that, right? Below is a pictorial list of what you need. Like EZ said, you need yarn and needles. Also a bag of some type to carry it in and a zip pouch to keep your crochet hook in as well as any other gadgets, such as a small pair of scissors, measuring tape, safety pins, pencil and notepad. A crochet hook is a must. The pictures below show you several different yarns you could select, all would give you a great knitting experience, needles (if you get in on the sale I recommend the interchangeable tips and separate cable). I recommend circular needles because of their versatility and ease in using, especially for beginners. Ergonomically they are much easier on your body.

Joanns offers a discount for Teachers–just take your school ID or a pay stub or something that proves you work for a school district. You save 15% on everything, everyday. Tell them you are a Teacher.

For those of you who work in the same facility that I do we can meet once a week for about an hour after work. For those of you who don’t work in the same facility, we will figure out a place and a time that works for us. There may need to be more than one day available, so we will work that out when I find out how many of you there are and what days fit you best. If you miss a lesson, have no fear. I will get you caught up when you come back. There is no strict schedule here. Some will complete their projects before others. It doesn’t matter to me how long it takes you. If you don’t like it, I will finish your scarf for you.

There is no fee for the lessons. I will guide you through the scarf and on to whatever comes next for you. At the end of each lesson, I’ll do a review and have one of you video it looking over my shoulder and post it here.

I hope you can join us! Leave a comment below, email me at work or at knitter@mac.com or message me through Facebook and we will get started! Here are your shopping photos!

Puzzle yarn was in the aisle today on the way back to the yarn section. I bought a skein of the color under the word Yarn. I will be posting pictures of what the scarf will look like as I work on it. I hope that we can get started knitting in a couple of weeks. You will be able to get a scarf and a hat out of this 328yd ball of yarn.

Scarfie was also in the aisle way. It is a little thick and thin, which would be very forgiving for a new knitter, FYI! Mistakes won’t be too obvious because the yarn varies in size ever so slightly.