Knitting: An Old Granny's Thing Or A Fun And Cool Hobby?
During my free time at school, I have a terrible habit of reaching into my bag and pulling out the needles and wool. This is reacted to with skepticism, curiosity and downright cluelessness.
“Why are you knitting?!”
“Is it hard to knit?”
“What are you doing?”
And, of course, there’s the infamous: “Isn’t knitting for old ladies?”
My response is no way. Knitting is a great way to pass the time and make yourself something cool and customized. It’s something I’d rather do than go out, get drunk and end up licking my own vomit off of the pavement!
Yes, knitting does ask for a certain level of patience from the knitter, which makes me wonder how I - the most impatient person in the world - can manage to knit. But here I am, knitting away.
I’ve knitted scarves, gloves, wristbands, a baby blanket and so much more. And I feel good for doing so because I know that everything I knit is one of a kind. Your knitted projects make great one-of-a-kind presents. You would not believe the satisfaction you get from sitting down and creating something.
But knitting’s stupidly expensive! I hear ringing in my ears.
No, actually. It’s only expensive if you make it expensive. For example, in my local knitting shop, it costs £7.50 ($12.39 according to an online currency converter) for a 100g ball of Rowan’s Big Wool. I managed to get a cheaper brand of wool that’s just as good called Big Softie for over half that price. At the moment, I’m in the process of knitting myself a black and purple waistcoat. The wool (on sale) cost me £2.90 ($4.79) all together (two 100g balls). So, to make this waistcoat, I’ve only spent £2.90. Hardly stupidly expensive, is it?
Knitting is also a great way to socialise. There may be a local knitting circle where you live. Or perhaps you and your friends could all get together and have a chat whilst knitting. If you study textiles, knitting is a great skill to learn. Knitwear is very popular today.
You may be worried about learning to knit because you might think it’s too hard or complicated. Don’t worry, there is plenty of help at hand. Youtube has an excellent tutorial video from expert village and there are plenty of books available designed for beginners or young people - I would recommend “I Love To Knit“ by Rachel Henderson. Or you can go into your local knitting shop, explain that you’re a beginner and are looking for some help - I’m sure they’d be willing to help you out.
Wool comes in all sorts of cool colours. It’s not just the boring old lady colours any more. My knitting bag boasts a variety of neon greens and oranges and purples. A friend of mine who I often knit with over a cup of Earl Grey (very English!) is knitting herself a coat in the most gorgeous dark red! It’s not all baby pinks and blues any more. Knitting companies have realised this is the 21st century.
I really can’t promote this great hobby enough. Not only does it encourage individuality and creativity, it’s also a great way to pass the time and relieve stress!
Knitting: An old granny’s thing or a fun and cool hobby?
Have I convinced you to start knitting?
Great! I now offer some advice, if you’re willing to take it.
Needles: I’d recommend you start off with some fairly biggish needles. My first pair of needles were 6mm needles which were okay but I probably would’ve been better off with something a little bit bigger. I would recommend anything between 8mm - 10mm. Although, I wouldn’t rule out 6mm, I think you’ll find it easier if the needles are bigger.
To find out what size needles you’re holding, simply look at the packaging or at the end of the needles. They always say what size they are.
8mm may look clumsy and huge but they’re easier to use and the bigger your needles, the faster your project is to make.
Wool: This will depend on the size of needles you’ve chosen. With 6mm - 8mm try using double knit wool. For 10mm you’ll probably need chunky wool. If you’re not sure, either check the band of the wool which will have a little cross symbol somewhere and it should say e.g. 10mm which means you should use 10mm needles for that wool. Or, if you’re really stuck, ask the person at the counter. They should be able to help you out - if not they’re stupid for working in a knitting shop!
With your needles chosen, and the weight (thickness) of the wool selected, time to choose your colours. Ooh, exciting! Pick yourself a colour or two (depending on how many balls of wool you buy) and make your purchase.
Knitting: I would recommend practising before you try and knit anything straight away. Try just knitting a square of about 8 stitches or so, unraveling it and starting again. The purpose of this is to practise getting your tension (how tight you knit the wool) right - if your tension varies, the size of the project will vary as you look at it. It also helps practise keeping the same amount of stitches - it’s possible to pick up extra stitches or drop one, don’t worry if this happens, it’s easily fixable!
