Hey Ya'll. I have been trying to teach myself to knit. I have several "how-to" books. I get the stitching part okay, I have trouble trying to find the best way to hold the yarn. I am a right-handed and I crochet. In crocheting I hold the yarn in my left hand. I can do a knit stitch with the yarn in my left hand, but I have troulbe with the purl stitch. I know that I am supposed to have the 'feeder' yarn in my right hand, but I just can't seem to get the correct tension to be able to hold on to everything. Please, can someone please help me!!! Thanks!
I found a link that not only can help you with finding stitches and patterns, but there's also a whole bunch of videos that you can view online to help you with everything you need to know. I taught myself how to knit about 14 years ago. I'm also right handed. I knit with the throw method, which means I hold the yarn in my right hand. To get the right tension, I have the yarn wraped around my pinky, then it runs under my middle two fingers and then over my index finger. I can knit from both sides, but I'm a bit of a speed knitter, and everything seems to move faster when holding the yarn on my right. Don't give up. I remember when I first got started, I couldn't go a day without swearing at the funky knots I kept making. It will take a little time to get settled in the knitting groove, but it will happen. In the beginning, I didn't have much faith in my quest to learn how to knit, and now I don't go a day without knitting, and it has been a wonderful outlet to calm myself during stressful times in my life. Good luck and have fun. http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-tips
I'm going through the same thing. I actually knitted a sweater 40+ years ago. I used to do a lot of counted cross-stitch, but have gotten away from that and wanted another "hobby". I bought a skein of yard and needes. Printed off some instructions of how to cast on, knit, purl. Spent about 3 hours one evening just trying to "remember". I think with practice it will come back. However, my biggest obstacle has been working with the yarn. Ashamed to say how long it's taken me to unwind the skein of yard into a ball! But, I'm going to keep at it! Don't know what I want to try as my first project either.
There are two methods , continental and English. The continental is holding the yarn to feed with the left hand, the English is using the right hand . Use whichever works the best for you. There is no one right way. It's important to relax when you knit to get nice even tension . When I show people how to knit , I just have them observe someone else knit and then hold the needles and yarn the way that works best for them. Looking at pictures just isn't quite the same. I suggest going to a yarn shop and watching others and try imitating their technique. Also a knitting group is great, you can learn with others and make new friends as well.
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