Beginner Knitting: Everything You Need to Know to Start Knitting

Perhaps you’re interested in learning how to knit for the first time. Or maybe you did some knitting as a child, but it has been so long that you can’t really remember how to do it.

You might want something to keep your mind and hands busy. You may have heard that knitting is a good way to relax. Or perhaps, in an age where AI can produce almost anything in seconds, you’re craving the experience of slowly making something real with your own hands.

Whatever brought you here, this guide will help you work out what you need to start knitting, which yarn and needles to choose, and what you might like to make first.

But before we get into any of that, we need to talk about what it feels like to learn something new.

Be patient with your brain

Learning to knit can feel surprisingly confusing, especially if it has been a while since you learned a completely new physical skill.

I often explain it like this.

When we know how to do something well, our brain has created a super-smooth highway to that information. We can travel down it quickly without having to think too hard about where we’re going.

When we’re learning something new, there is no highway yet. Instead, we’re travelling down a bumpy, unsealed road filled with potholes. It can feel slow, uncomfortable and, at times, genuinely painful.

Your brain can build that new highway, but it takes time.

If you’re learning to knit, you need to be patient and kind to yourself. It probably won’t feel easy or natural immediately. You may find parts of it frustrating, and your hands might seem determined to do something completely different from what your brain is telling them.

That is normal.

We don’t expect perfection from a child learning to walk, someone getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time, or a person learning to play an instrument. There is no reason to expect perfection from your first knitting project either.

Try to learn when you feel reasonably relaxed and happy. If every knitting attempt happens while you’re stressed, tired and muttering at your needles, your brain may begin to associate knitting with stress.

Take your time. You are learning a new skill, and learning new skills is hard.

Work out how you learn best

Before choosing your first project, think about how you usually learn.

Are you good at reading and following written instructions? Do you prefer watching a knitting tutorial? Are you confident searching YouTube and working things out by yourself? Or do you need someone sitting alongside you, showing you what to do with your hands?

I generally need a mixture. I can watch or read something, but sometimes I need another person to show me a technique and explain it. Once I have seen it properly, I’ve got it.

We all learn differently. Knowing how you learn best can help you decide whether you need:

• A written beginner knitting pattern
• Video tutorials
• A knitting class
• Help from a friend or family member
• A local knitting group
• A combination of these things

There is no bonus prize for teaching yourself everything alone. Use the type of help that works for your brain.

What do you need to start knitting?

You only need three main things:

• Yarn
• Knitting needles
• A pattern or project to follow

You’ll also eventually need scissors and a wool needle to sew in your ends, but you don’t need an enormous collection of knitting supplies to begin.

The important part is choosing yarn, needles and a project that work well together.

What knitting needles are best for beginners?

Traditionally, people were often told that they had to learn to knit on straight needles.

I don’t believe that is always the best option.

For many beginners, I recommend going straight to circular knitting needles. We’re used to holding something shorter, like a pen, so the shorter needle tips can feel more natural in our hands.

Circular needles also give you more options as your knitting skills grow. You can use them to knit backwards and forwards in rows, just as you would with straight needles. Later, you can use them to knit in the round and make beanies, sweaters and other seamless projects.

They are also useful if you are a slow knitter or need to stop frequently. If you’re halfway through a row, you can slide your knitting safely onto the cable and put it down. Your project isn’t balanced precariously on two long sticks, waiting for someone to knock it onto the floor.

What size knitting needles should a beginner use?

I wouldn’t normally recommend beginning with anything smaller than a 4 mm needle.

For most beginners, the sweet spot is somewhere between 5 mm and 7 mm.

These needles are large enough to make the stitches easier to see and help your project grow relatively quickly. That matters when you’re knitting slowly and need some encouragement that your project is actually getting bigger.

Once you reach 8 mm needles and above, they can feel quite chunky and unwieldy. They may still work for some people, but needles between 5 mm and 7 mm make it easier to learn good knitting movements without your project taking seventeen years to finish.

What yarn is best for beginner knitting?

The best yarn for a beginner is one you enjoy holding.

You don’t need to buy the most expensive yarn in the shop, but I do think your first knitting experience should be pleasurable. Choose something that feels soft in your hands and comes in a colour you genuinely love.

If you dislike the feeling or colour of the yarn, you’re probably not going to feel excited about picking your knitting up again.

For a very first project, I often recommend a simple merino yarn in:

• 8 ply or DK
• 10 ply or worsted weight
• 12 or 14 ply chunky yarn

These yarns are generally easy to handle, and you can clearly see how your stitches are formed.

Very dark yarn can make the stitches harder to see, so a lighter or brighter colour may make learning easier. I would also avoid anything very splitty, textured or slippery for the first attempt.

Is mohair suitable for beginner knitting?

Mohair and fluffy yarns are often used in beginner-friendly patterns. They can knit up quickly and are wonderfully forgiving because the fluff hides small mistakes.

However, I don’t usually recommend mohair for your very first knitting project.

When you’re learning, it helps to be able to see each stitch clearly. Mohair can make that harder, and it can be difficult to undo if something goes wrong. It also helps to develop a little understanding of tension and gauge before working with very fluffy yarn.

Mohair can be a fantastic choice for one of your early projects. I would simply learn the basic knitting movements with a smoother yarn first.

What should your first knitting project be?

There is no single first project that will suit everyone.

Some people are perfectly happy knitting a simple square, facecloth, scarf or blanket. These projects allow you to practise the same stitch repeatedly without too many additional instructions.

I would have found that incredibly boring.

I’m neurodiverse, and I need to feel as though I am making something I’m excited to finish. I want to love the colour and enjoy the yarn in my hands. At the time, I need to believe I’ll wear or use the finished object, even if I decide a few years later that it isn’t really my thing.

Think about what will motivate you.

If repeating the same stitch is relaxing, a facecloth, scarf or simple blanket may be ideal. If you need a stronger sense of progress and completion, choose something smaller that you can finish relatively quickly.

One project I often suggest is the Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit. Although the original pattern uses finer yarn and 3.5 mm needles, it can also be knitted using a thicker yarn and larger needles. You could use an 8 ply or 10 ply yarn with approximately 4 mm or 5 mm needles.

You can follow the same basic pattern directions, but your scarf will be larger and may use a different amount of yarn, so ask us for help choosing the right combination.

Other possible first knitting projects include:

• A facecloth
• A small scarf or neck scarf
• A simple cowl
• A basic beanie
• A small baby blanket
• A straightforward scarf knitted backwards and forwards

The best first knitting project is not necessarily the one somebody else declares the easiest. It is the one that teaches you the basic movements while giving you enough motivation to continue.

What basic knitting skills do you need?

Knitting is built around two basic stitches:

• The knit stitch
• The purl stitch

Nearly everything else is created by combining or manipulating those stitches in different ways.

If you knit every row while working backwards and forwards, you create a fabric called garter stitch. Garter stitch is often used for beginner knitting projects because you can practise the knit stitch repeatedly without having to swap between knitting and purling.

To complete a simple first project, you will usually need to learn how to:

• Cast on your stitches
• Make a knit stitch
• Possibly make a purl stitch
• Cast off
• Sew in your yarn ends

There are many different methods for casting on and casting off. You do not need to learn all of them.

Choose one simple method and use that. You can learn the others later if and when you need them.

If someone can cast on the first row for you, that can also be helpful. You can begin by learning the knit stitch, get comfortable with that movement, and then return to learning how to cast on.

You don’t have to learn everything at once.

How do you choose a beginner knitting pattern?

The word “easy” doesn’t always mean that a pattern is suitable for someone who has never held knitting needles.

An easy pattern might be easy for someone who can already cast on, knit, purl, increase, decrease and read common knitting abbreviations. That is quite different from being suitable for an absolute beginner.

Before choosing a pattern, check which skills it expects you to have.

Look for information about:

• Whether it is knitted flat or in the round
• Which stitches are used
• Whether you need to increase or decrease
• Whether you need to pick up stitches
• Whether any sewing is required
• The recommended yarn and needle size
• Whether there are written explanations, photographs or video support

Also consider how much support you have available. A project that might be overwhelming on your own could be completely manageable if you have a confident knitter, class teacher or helpful yarn shop to ask.

Most importantly, choose something you want to make.

A very basic pattern won’t necessarily be the best beginner pattern for you if it bores you so much that you never finish it. Sometimes your excitement about the finished project will carry you through learning a few extra skills.

Common beginner knitting mistakes

You are going to make mistakes.

Every knitter does, including people who have been knitting for decades.

Common beginner knitting mistakes include:

• Dropping stitches
• Accidentally adding stitches
• Miscounting your stitches
• Knitting into the same stitch twice
• Missing part of the pattern
• Creating uneven stitches
• Making some sections tighter or looser than others
• Getting muddled while casting on or casting off
• Struggling to sew the finished pieces together

Sometimes the strand of yarn between two stitches can look like an extra stitch. A beginner may accidentally knit into it, adding another stitch without realising.

You might also find that the tension of your knitting changes. Some stitches will look larger and some will look smaller. This is completely normal while your hands and brain are learning how to work together.

Your first project does not need to be perfect. Its job is to help your brain and hands begin building that new road.

What should you do when your knitting goes wrong?

First, check in with yourself.

If you’re getting very stressed, put the knitting down. Have a break, relax, and return to it when you have more capacity to work out what happened.

Staring furiously at the same six stitches for another hour does not always produce enlightenment.

If you know someone who knits, ask them to take a look. Often an experienced knitter can spot the problem quickly and show you how to fix it.

You can also:

• Search for a video showing the problem
• Take a photograph and ask in an online knitting group
• Visit a knitting group
• Ask your local yarn shop
• Put the project aside and return to it later

The knitting community is part of the joy of knitting. You don’t have to solve every mistake alone.

What should you knit after your first project?

You have two excellent options.

You can make the same project again and notice how much easier it feels the second time. Or you can try something completely different and learn another skill.

Some people knit an entire sweater for their second project. Other people are happy making scarves, beanies and simple projects for months.

Neither person is doing it incorrectly.

What you try next depends on your creativity, your stress levels, why you knit and how much support you have around you.

If you want a challenge and have someone who can help when you get stuck, you might be ready to try a garment relatively quickly. If knitting is something you use to relax, you might prefer to repeat familiar projects without adding too many new techniques.

The goal is to find the type of knitting that works for you.

How The Wool Shop helps beginner knitters

We love helping beginner knitters feel comfortable and confident.

If you come into The Wool Shop, we will probably ask you quite a few questions. We may ask:

• Have you knitted before?
• What skills do you already have?
• How do you learn best?
• Are you comfortable following online videos?
• Are you neurodiverse?
• Do you have colour or texture preferences?
• Would you prefer straight or circular needles?
• Do you have a particular project in mind?
• Do you have someone who can help you?
• How much challenge do you want right now?

These questions help us find a project, yarn and set of needles that suit you, rather than giving every beginner exactly the same thing.

We may even discourage you from spending $300 on yarn for a sweater if you have never knitted a stitch before. We might suggest buying enough yarn to begin, seeing how you feel about the project, and returning for the rest once you know you want to continue.

We understand how exciting a new craft can be and how quickly it can become an obsession. We’ve been there too.

We want you to develop a lifelong love of knitting. We don’t want to help you create an expensive guilt pile of projects you never quite finished.

We’re in this with you.

Ready to start knitting?

To begin, choose:

1. A project you genuinely want to make (we do recommend a SOPHIE SCARF)
2. A smooth yarn that feels lovely in your hands
3. Needles that suit the yarn and pattern
4. The type of learning support that works for you

Then give yourself permission to be a beginner.

Your first stitches may be wonky. Your tension may change from one row to the next. You might add a few mysterious stitches or lose some along the way.

That is all part of turning the bumpy road into a highway.

You only need to begin.