Interactive lesson

Knitting and weaving, step by step

Interactive lesson: from a ball of wool to socks and rugs — needles and yarn, knit and purl, the tension swatch, socks on double-pointed needles, weaving on a frame and felting.

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The whole lesson as text

1. Needles and yarn

To start you need two needles, a ball of wool and one winter evening.

Needles to suit the yarn — Fine yarn (350–400 m per 100 g) goes on 2–3 mm needles (US 0–2½), medium (220–280 m) on 3.5–4.5 mm (US 4–7), thick (150–200 m) on 5–6 mm (US 8–10).
Straight needles — A pair of straight needles 30–35 cm long is for scarves and jumper pieces.
Five needles and a circular — Five short needles pointed at both ends (15–20 cm) are for socks, gloves and hats. A circular needle knits hats and jumpers without seams.
Yarn to start with — Choose light-coloured, smooth, medium-weight wool. On dark, hairy yarn you can't see the stitches or the mistakes.

Why: Needles are chosen by the yarn. Too thin a needle gives fabric as stiff as cardboard; too thick a needle gives holey fabric that stretches.

Wooden or bamboo needles feel warm and don't slip; metal ones are faster. For home-spun, coarser yarn, wood is better.
Home-spun hill-breed wool is excellent for hats and welly socks, but it may itch in a jumper next to the skin.

2. Basic stitches

Knitting is made of just two stitches: knit and purl. Everything else is a combination.

Casting on — Make a slip knot on the needle, then cast on stitches one by one, over the thumb or by knitting them on. Cast on loosely.
Knit stitch — The right needle goes into the stitch from the front, from below. The yarn is wrapped round the right needle and pulled through the stitch, and the old stitch drops off the left needle.
Purl stitch — The yarn is in front of the work, and the right needle goes into the stitch from above, from the right. The yarn is wrapped and pulled back through.
Casting off and ends — Knit two stitches and lift the first over the second, to the end of the row. Thread a 10–15 cm tail with a darning needle through 5–8 cm of the knitting on the wrong side.

Why: A tight edge doesn't stretch, so the hat pinches. That is why you cast on and cast off loosely.

Garter stitch (every stitch knit) gives thick fabric that doesn't curl, for scarves. 1×1 or 2×2 rib is very stretchy, for cuffs and hats.
Decrease by knitting two stitches together; increase by knitting twice into one stitch.