# Best Resource to Learn to Knit?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-resource-to-learn-to-knit/526734>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 28, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-resource-to-learn-to-knit/526734 "2010-01-28T05:11:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-resource-to-learn-to-knit/526734/21 "2010-01-28T22:18:43Z")

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I have to second the Stitch & Bitch book. I already knew how to knit but aside from that it explains so much I’d never learned or considered before in the most clear-cut way. (What a purl stitch looks like as opposed to a knit stitch, how to modify a pattern, how to READ a pattern to begin with, etc.) It makes it seem like things are fun and no big deal and encourages experimentation.

For example when I was relearning how to knit I just grabbed some yarn I liked and started working with it. My husband said “what are you knitting?” and I said “I don’t know yet.” (I made it into a hat, after the fact, heh.)

Also for anything complicated, like a cable or anything just think: test swatch. It takes maybe 30 minutes/an hour but will save days of frustration.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-resource-to-learn-to-knit/526734/22 "2010-01-29T00:25:37Z")

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> [@lissener](#):
>
> A note to all beginning knitters: Please learn the Continental way, instead of the English way. This will serve you well in the future: for all but a few people who have weird genes or something, it’s faster, gives more consistent tension, and is much more versatile for color work or knitting multiple layers.
> 
> Please. You’ll thank me for it later.

Thank you – I feel vindicated. Though people get weirded out by what I’m doing, I honestly can’t figure out why _English_ isn’t considered “backwards.” (The yarn goes over the left needle, so, duh, keep the yarn on the left.)

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**Author:** ![Sehmket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Sehmket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sehmket)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-resource-to-learn-to-knit/526734/23 "2010-01-29T02:50:11Z")

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> [@YogSosoth](#):
>
> Grandmothers! 🙂

Ha! That’s hilarious! Clearly you don’t know either of my grandmothers!

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