10 Things I wish I knew before I started knitting

If you've ever had any hobby, you know that there are things you wish you knew before you started. Those things would have saved you money, pain, and time. Here are the things I wish I knew before I started knitting. These are in no particular order.

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1. INVEST IN GOOD NEEDLES

My first set of needles were straight wooden ones in every size. I got them for Christmas, so I at least didn't spend my own money on these. I very quickly found out that I wanted circular needles. I wanted to knit hats, socks, and sweaters. But even so, my first real knitting project was a colorwork hat, where I adapted the pattern to work on straight needles. You can read all about that chaotic project here.

I think that the best investment you can make, is buy purchasing an interchangeable circular needle set. I'm serious. The top reason for the circulars is that they also work for non-circular projects. And even better, they can hold more yarn for a larger flat-knit item. The second reason being, the interchangeable aspect is good for everything! If you need more room, less room, if your pattern calls for needle changes you can easily swap them out.

Now there are so many sets to choose from. Wooden, metal, plastic, etc. But my all time recommendation are the Chia Goo Twist Red Lace interchangeable set. They are the absolute best. The cords are always straight - you will never have to fight with them twisting and re-winding themselves up. The connection from needle to cable is flawless. They are expensive, but they are a very worthwhile investment in your knitting career.

2. BEWARE OF FREE PATTERNS

As a person trying to be alive in this expensive world, I understand the need to save money for more important things - like food and shelter. But honestly, especially as a new knitter, you should invest in your skills and purchase patterns. The free patterns often come with danger. They are most likely not tech edited, possibly not tested by other knitters, and are likely hard to follow. Whether it's the layout, lack of instructions, or just not a good design. It can make it hard to want to finish a pattern when you are having trouble following it.

Patterns that you must purchase are often the best bang for your buck. These patterns are much more likely to have been tech edited, test knit, and checked over for errors. These patterns are organized, professional, and generally easy to follow. They will save your time and sanity in the long run, and you'll have a better knitting experience.

3. LEARN NEW SKILLS WITH EVERY PROJECT

With every pattern you do, make sure you learn a new skill with it. This will help you learn quickly and be able to take on more complicated projects sooner. There are so many techniques to learn, and so many ways to do it. Make sure you learn a new increase, a new stitch, a new cast on, etc. to keep your motivation and interest in doing new things.

4. TAKE THE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT

I'm not saying to frog every little mistake. Small mistakes left in your work are said to bring luck! But what I am saying, is to take the time to make something you will actually use. I've made plenty of items that end up collecting dust on my shelves because they don't fit right. Take the time to re-do something so that you will actually use it, and it won't feel like you wasted your time and yarn on it.

I had a tank top that was too tight around the belly. It took me a year to finally frog it back and fix the issue, and in that time it never got worn. Now, I wear it every day! It's worthwhile to take time to do things right, so you can truly enjoy it.

5. ACRYLIC VS NATURAL FIBERS

Acrylic is what a lot of new knitters use, or people on a strict budget. That's because you can get a lot of it at a cheap price. It's great in that aspect, because you can practice knitting without breaking the bank. You can machine wash it, you can even put it through the dryer, and it won't change it's shape. But acrylic is one of the worst fibers to work with. It's not breathable, so you'll be left in puddle of sweat. It's also the worst fiber for the environment, it's basically plastic and derived from petroleum. Plus the texture and feel of it, at least to me, is like nails on chalkboard.

Natural fibers are so much better - and you can still get some at a great price. For example, Lang yarns Jawoll is a great sock yarn that you can get for $11 USD a skein. But the natural fibers feel better, look better, and are better for the environment. Each fiber drapes different, breathes different, and has it's own pros and cons. But it would be worthwhile to invest in great yarns, once you get the basics down.

6. ONE TECHNIQUE, COUNTLESS METHODS

The pattern tells you to cast on, but how? Which method? German twisted, Italian, knitted, cable, backwards loop, Judy's Magic method, figure 8, oh my!

Now it tells you to bind off, but how? Which method? Kitchener, EZ sewn, three needle, Icelandic, stretchy, knitted, standard, oh goodness...

Need to increase a stitch? Sounds great! Make one left, make one right, yarn over, knit front and back, lifted, and lets not even get into increases on the purl side!

There are so many ways to do one technique. Take time to learn them all, see the differences, and see what works best for you.

7. LEARN TO READ CHARTS

I've had patterns both that were charted and written out. Charted instructions are so much easier to follow. It is exceptionally easier to keep track of your progress, get a visual of what your item should look like, and it's easier to find mistakes. It's easier to take a quick glance at a chart than to re-read through a wall of written instructions to find where you left off, or to find what stitch is out of place. Charts are a time saver!

8. LEARN TO READ YOUR KNITTING

Know what a purl stitch looks like. Know what a knit stitch looks like. Know what it looks like then each of those stitches is stacked on top of each other. Know what it looks like after you've made an increase or decrease. This will help you tremendously with finding mistakes, picking up where you left off on a project from three weeks ago, etc. If you don't know how to read your stitches, you won't know how to count rows, count stitches, find where mistakes happened or fix those mistakes. This is a very important aspect of knitting that you need to know how to do.

9. KEEP YOUR STASH IN CHECK

I have a number of skeins in my stash that have just been sitting there. Most of which, I have projects for. But others, I bought because they were pretty. But now I don't know what to make with them. I bought them without a plan, and they are all multicolor - which I usually don't work with either. Now they are taking up room in my yarn bucket, waiting for a day that I'll hopefully use them for something.

Make sure you have projects in mind when purchasing yarn. This way you can buy enough of it, and you don't overrun your stash with a bunch of yarns you'll never use. And trust me, those yarns are a lot harder to get rid of than you think.

10. CUSTOMIZE THE PATTERN

You don't have to follow the pattern exactly as written. In fact, I don't know of many knitters that do. They use different cast on/off methods, they make things longer or shorter, they don't do as many decreases or maybe do more. Patterns are meant to be followed in a general sense, but everyone's body is different. It's important to change things here and there to what works best for you.

These are only my personal 10 things I wish I knew before I started knitting.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you found these tips and tricks helpful! What's something you wish you knew? Comment below!

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