Tips for beginner?

Hi everyone! I have gotten stockinette knitted with circular needles but knitted flat. Size 15 or 10mm needles with chunky yarn. The needles and yarn were chosen for me by the owner of a LYS. Just looking for any advice. All I have is the circular needle. I know a lot of knitted hats you need DPNs for and I don’t even know where to begin with those. Just looking for basic knitting advice. What to do next maybe? since I’ve gotten stockinette flat down with slip stitches and stuff. Although my beginning and ending of my flat knit seem extra loose.

any advice is appreciate. I’d love to knit hats and socks one day! Edited to add: I have 2 skeins of this but I’m an avid crocheter so I have all yarn weights and more chunky yarn available

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Hats are a good place to start with DPN’s because you only need them when you are decreasing for the crown and you have the stability of your stitches. If you want to learn how to make socks there are many experienced sock knitters here who would be glad to help. You can use DPN’s, long cabled circulars, or two circulars to make them. Another great beginner knitting project are wash cloths or spa cloths. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work.

I usually recommend people start with dish cloths when learning to knit. It appears you know how to knit and purl. I usually start off with a cast on of 35 stitches with a kitchen cotton (maybe you have some in your stash?)

Row 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10: knit 5 purl 5 across, end on a knit 5

Row 2, 4, 7, 9: purl 5 knit 5, end on a purl 5

work these 10 rows 5 x - you’ll have 10 checkerboard squares.

do you know how to bind off?

Then - if you want to venture into a granny’s dishcloth:

http://www.ponderingsfrommyheart.com/grandmas-favorite-dishcloth/

this will give you an introduction to increasing and decreasing - which is ideal for knitting socks and hats, too!

I generally start people on dishcloths because who cares - you are washing dishes with it!

Be careful what you ask for - we are quite an enabling bunch. Should we tell her where the sock knitting folks are?

Your knitting looks great! What is the length of the cable on your circular needle? You could knit a hat with one needle with a long cable (40") or with two circular needles. Learning how to knit a hat in the round would be a good skill to help you with sock knitting. Once you figure out how to join your knitting for knitting in the round, it’s even easier than flat knitting. You just keep knitting - no purling every other row. There are lots of great YouTube videos showing knitting techniques. It will be easy to find one to see how to join your knitting.

And I just so happen to have some plain straight needles I can use for dishcloths from past failed knitting attempts.

Thank you. I don’t know the exact length they’re Lykke circulars the owner picked out for me. I want to get dpn sets to learn decreasing with those before I try hats. That way I have them to close up with rather than weaving and scrunching the top. I’m thinking a cowl in the round with this yarn might be nice. There’s YouTube tutorials that could walk me through it. I found a seed stitch one I’ll have to post the FO of a cowl if I am successful after I try the dishcloth pattern recommended to me b

I look forward to seeing your finished piece!

I like this bind off method:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GqitE8Qt8

If you have any troubles with anything - let me know - Lots of helpful folks around here. :slight_smile:

@FreedomLover. I have the one lykke circular needle that I really enjoy. The plastic ones at joanns or Michaels always catch on my yarn where the cord meets the metal hook they’re very rough so I paid a bit more for better needles and I’ll probably stick with them for my circular brand. For DPN I see sets on amazon by like knitters pride that are super affordable so what size range should I be looking at since they seem to have longer or shorter ones depending on what you’re working on and I think I’ll mainly be doing hats until I dare venture into socks (maybe ever)

There is a method of circular knitting called Magic Loop. You use one circular needle with a long cable. I like a 40" cable. You can knit a hat and decrease to just a few bind off stitches with the same circular needle. I love using Magic Loop. I use it for hats, sweater sleeves, socks - everything! Check it out before buying more needles.

Seconding @lovestostitch recommendation on checking out the Magic Loop method. I wish I’d learned of it sooner - I would have saved beaucoup bucks on needles, because my interchangeable circular set is all I need to knit flat, or in the round on any project (yep - even making i-cord and mitt fingers!) This is a pretty good video on the technique, if you’re interested:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DIdSpc0EZpnk&ved=2ahUKEwjvtc6w1LDrAhXLXc0KHW70BxgQFjABegQIDRAO&usg=AOvVaw1yYcGP6pGZhNLBcRDctzWl&cshid=1598162865165

What an exciting time for you, exploring and learning a new skill set!!! Looking forward to following your progress!!

Everyone likes the ChiaoGoo long circular knitting needles because they have an awesome cable and it is but I love the Hiya Hiya ones. They have a pretty green cable. The regular steel tips are not the sharpest but I think they are still sharp. The metal steel needles for the ChiaoGoo ones are not as smooth as my Hiya Hiya ones, too. https://hiyahiyanorthamerica.com/

I didn’t want to learn magic loop but I like it. Two circulars and DPNs are fun, too. I want to try the other ways out there like Flexi Flips and those mini circular one’s, too. Anway, I hope people try Magic Loop! Two at a time goes pretty fast!

The most common length for DPNs is six inches, the shorter ones are for making gloves, something I haven’t done. Metal ones slide more easily through the yarn - which can be a problem depending on what you’re making - and wood ones hold onto it a little better. It all comes down to personal preference and what’s best for each project. The best thing about knitting with DPNs is doing so in public, people think you’re doing some kind of sorcery.

@MrsDanielleWilson a CAL for learning Tunisian Crochet stitches just started, have you run across that yet?

I LOVE my Chiagoo lace needles and make everything TAAT, socks, sleeves, mittts,…

@lovetostitch wow thanks I’ll check it out I’d love not to have to buy a bunch more tools to start off.

just thought I’d update;
I found some bamboo clover needles in various small sizes (like pictured) and one chaigoo bamboo in size 5.5mm or 9 and this hat I had started in doubled up fingering weight. I know it was for my husband but knowing what I know now that wouldn’t have fit him at all haha! On to start the washcloth

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Looking good!

Frogging is always sad, but at least it wasn’t going to fit him anyway.

I look forward to seeing your washcloth!

I use HiyaHiya too but I have the stainless sharps interchangeables.