I just learned how to knit, and I’m dreaming of a scarf (the wintery type). They had no scarf patterns at the craft store and all the patterns I find online have wierd fancy stuff like cables and pebbles, which I just don’t feel ready for. Can anyone please help me knit a regular scarf (with stripes… I have 2 different colors)?
I don’t know if this matters but I got this soft “thick N thin” yarn which says:
GAUGE: Knit: size 10 needles: (which I have)
7sts + 10 rows = 2" in st st (I don’t know what this means but it seems important)
Welcome to the club… in a short time you’ll become amazed at how simple cables and bobbles really are (even though they’re daunting at first.)
As far as gauge, that means that if the “average knitter” cast on 7 stitches and knit for 10 rows where you knit one row, purl one row, knit one row, purl one row… they would get a square of about 2 inches by 2 inches. (Your personal knitting will probably very.)
For the simplest possible scarf in 2 color stripes, in that yarn, cast on about 36-40 stitches, for each row, knit all but one stitch, bring the yarn between the needles, and slip the last stitch from one needle to the other as if you were going to purl it. Do about 20 rows of one color, and then cut the yarn leaving about 4 inches, tie on the other color (leaving about a 4 inch tail) and do about 20 rows of that. Keep going until the scarf is the length that you want it (about 5 or 6 feet is usually good). Cast off. Sew in all of the cut and tied ends. Then add fringe (if you wish).
Okay, I just learned to knit too. While knit, purl is nice and all, just knitting actually makes a lovely fluffy scarf (and it doesn’t curl at the edges so no need for banding, etc.). You just: knit a row. knit another row. knit another row, etc. Not purling at all. There’s a yarn that they sell at Jo-Ann fabric, I can’t remember the brand but it’s called “Homespun” and its soft (less tightly wound, I guess), slightly textured and comes in many delightful heathered colors.
My little knitting book basically says that to start a new color, just finish your row, cut the yard with scissors, knot the new color to the tail of the yarn, and continue knitting.
Good luck! I’m about 1/3 finished with mine and I have till christmas.
amarinth, that’s exactly what I was looking for… thanks! :o)
Hello Again, Homespun is what I have… it’s this pretty creamy color and then the other yarn I have is the same but a different brand, it’s cream heathered with purple and teal and lime.
Also, the pattern you’re doing (just continuing to knit) is called stockinette I think… that’s what I did at first becuase I had no clue about purling, and my mom said that’s what it was called.
I’m so happy, this is going to be the best scarf ever!
Alright, I’m trying to teach myself to knit to. I’ve got a little chart. But I’m confused as to what to do after the second row of stitches. Do I take the first needle off the row of loops or does it stay there the whole time? Does anyone know what I’m talking about?
And if I’m left handed is this little rightbiased chart going to screw me up?
A scarf is the only thing I could knit. I don’t think you need a pattern.
And Real Simple is a regular old magazine–you can get it at any newstand. I made the mistake of subscribing to it for a year. I thought it was going to help me simplify my life, but I found it just annoyed the crap out of me.
But did you know, you can practically empty out your closet and just get by with about 11 staple clothing items? One of them is, of course, a $367 pair of leather pants, but it’s simplification that makes it beautiful.
This is the kind of crap that kept me from even cracking the last 8 issues.
I think I understand your question. You did the casting on thing, you knitted a row, and now you’re on the last stitch and both your needles are attached and you’re like “WTF do I do now?”
At the end of every row you “switch” the yarn from needle to needle by sliding the last completed stitch off the original needle. As in, when you were knitting, you held the work in your right hand and knitted on new stitches with your left, correct? So the “new” work was going onto the left needle, correct? So complete the last stitch and simply slide the stitch off the right hand needle. Then put the work back into your right hand, take up the free needle with your left, and begin a new row.
Bingo! I’m not left handed, so I don’t know this, but I’ve read that some left handed people learn how to knit differently than right handed people. So, it is very possible that the chart is screwing you up. Anyway, you should be moving the stitches from one needle to the other, one at a time. When you get to the end, you switch the needles and do it again.
(I know there are sites on left handed knitting, I just can’t seem to find any of them right now…)
Do both… relaxing is good.
Knitting every row (where you get ridges) is called garter stitch.
Knit one row, purl one row (where you get columns of nested V’s on one side and ridges on the other) is called stockinette stitch.
I love to knit, but I love crochet even more, because I always forget where I left off in knitting and it’s easier to correct mistakes in crochet.
but both are fun. I’d suggest finding a book at a craft store or even looking at thrift stores (because they are pricey) and before you know it, you’ll be hooked! (oh, that was bad…)
I’m not good at advice giving, but I’ll cheer you on!
Learn to purl. There are only two stiches in knitting: knit and purl. And a purl worked on the wrong side looks like a knit on the right side and vise versa. So, there is really only one stich in knitting; if worked on one side it’s called knit and worked on the other it’s called purl. But you do need to learn how to purl.
You don’t need a scarf pattern. Look for a book of stich patterns. Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns is excellent. She has a whole chapter on simple knit purl combinations and another chapter on ribbings. Pick a pattern you like. Work a sample to get your gauge (how many stiches or pattern repeats / inch). Multiply your desired width by the gauge and cast on that many stiches or pattern repeats. Work until your scarf is as long as you want. Beginners should check the stich count often. When I started I would find I had created extra stiches when I switched from knit to purl. When you finish, you will have created something unique that not only was made by you, it was designed by you.
The side with the nested V’s is called stockinette stich in the US. It is called stocking stich in England. The other side is called reverse stockinette stich. Reverse stockinette stich is used in cable patterns to provide a contrast to the stockinette cables.
If you choose to use stockinette stich for the scarf, you will have problems with curling unless you use non-curling borders, also the two sides will not look the same. Ribbing (k1, p1 or k2, p2) does not curl and looks the same on both sides. Seed stich and moss stich are also good non-curling reversable patterns. So is garter, but I’m not a fan of garter stich
Oh, yes. I love seed stitch. I am doing a scarf right now, but I am doing moss stitch (I think). I don’t like it as much as seed stitch. I can’t seem to get into a rhythm with it. I am also doing a humongous afghan with seed stitch borders and stripes–4 rows of stockinette, then 4 rows of reverse stockinette. It is coming out beeyootiful.
Anyhoo, I learned to knit from a book called Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti. Great book, and highly recommended.
I’m right now wearing a scarf I made last winter. I love to knit. My favorite scarf is k3, p3 all the way across. On the back side, do the opposite. You’ll get a nice ribbing, which matches my most excellent hat pattern, the only other thing I am an expert at (reading patterns isn’t my forte). I would be happy to share my pattern - it’s just a simple beanie kind of hat - if anyone is interested. I can make one in about a day, it’s pretty simple. Warning: it does require round and double edged needles.
Just a quick word of warning: be very careful mixing different yarns. If they are made of different stuff (different combinations of acrylic, wool, etc.) when you go to wash them, the results can be apalling because they shrink in different ways.
A scarf shouldn’t require much laundering, of course–but use caution on other projects.
Find a beautiful, soft, luxurious yarn and purchase three skeins of it at a generous discount.
Have your room-mate move out so that you can no longer afford to live in your apartment. Become unable to purchase food, so that you rapidly lose weight as winter looms on the horizon and your clothes literally start to fall off you.
Find a grumpy old woman at your place of employment, who lives just to make fun of the other employees but is really nice at heart, and who possibly also feels sorry for you.
Attempt to learn to knit on your own, and give up after hours of frustration and confusion.
Talk old lady into making scarf. This way you can decide what it looks like without actually figuring out how to do it.
Wait three weeks.
Have scarf thrown at you one day after work, when mean lady is done.
(Mine is about nine feet long, and one foot wide, and is mottled dark grey and multi-coloured. Acrylic yarn, but I forget the specific brand/style name.)
I’m very fond of Knitting Without Tears - it’s a great book for beginning and intermediate knitters. There’s a really nice baby sweater pattern in there that I’ve made for lots of friends. She teaches you how to knit left-handed or right-handed. (I’m very right-handed, but I knit left-handed, as do many of the very good knitters, a group that does not include me. I find it much more efficient and comfortable).
Not for a brand-new knitter, but I do like double-knitted scarves (where you slip every other stitch to create a double layer of stocking stitch) with a garter or seed stitch border. They’re slower to make, but very warm.
This pattern is technically called a watchman’s cap. It’s a pretty basic cold-weather hat. They’re easy to make and only require one skein of yarn, which makes them fairly inexpensive presents.
You’ll need size seven circular and double edged needles.
With the circular needles, cast on 100 stitches. When you join the ends together, k2, p2, around and around and around. You should have ribbing, not seed or moss stitch. Do this til your hat is ten inches long. (This is the time-consuming part.)
At this point, k2, p2 together, k2, p2 together, decreasing the width of the hat. (You should have 2 k stitches, 1 p stitch, 2 k stitches, etc.) Finish this row, and do 2 more like this.
Then knit your 2 k stitches together. The pattern reads k 2 together, p1, k 2 together. Finish the row and do another 2 rows like this. What you have now should be k1 p1 k1 p1, etc.
Now start decreasing rapidly. The pattern is k1, k 2 together, k1, k 2 together. This is when you need to switch to the double-edged needles, as the circular needles become unwieldy. Continue like this until you have about seven stitches left. Snip the yarn and tie it through the stitches. Weave your yarn into the hat, and voila, you’re done!
