The Brand New Knitter

A Comprehensive Guide for the Never-Held-Needles-Before Knitter-To-Be.

At over 3 hours, this DVD is jammed pack with knitting know-how for the beginning knitter. Check out the topics covered on the right.

Become a confident knitter with Lucy. Starting with the basics of kitting and purling using either hand, a range of important skills are then introduced. These include casting on, binding off, shapings and joining yarns. Also a full expose of the strange things that sometimes happen to new knitter's stitches and how to avoid or fix the issues. You will also find an introduction to knitting terms and abbreviations, how to read a pattern, even cables and knitting in the round. Patterns are included to launch you on your creative journey!

This DVD will take you step by step through the process of learning to knit, with emphasis on building a solid base of knowledge and understanding, so that you will feel in control and ready to experiment. Includes free patterns.

DVD Topics Include:

The Basic Maneuvers!

• Getting started (a.k.a casting-on)
• The slip knot
• Casting on: Knitted method (Right hand)
• Casting on: Knitted method (Left hand)
• Casting on: Long-Tail (Right hand)
• Casting on: Long-Tail (Left hand)
• The knit stitch (Right hand)
• The knit stitch (Left hand)
• A knit row
• The purl stitch (Right hand)
• The purl stitch (Left hand)
• A purl row
• Binding off (a.k.a. casting off)
• The last stitch

Working To and Fro

• Garter stitch
• Public and private sides
• Caution! Beginning a row of Garter stitch
• Structure of Garter stitch diagram
• Stocking stitch, public and private sides
• Working Stocking stitch
• Stocking stitch curls?
• Reverse stocking stitch

The Equipment

• Yarn
• Needles
• Other paraphernalia
• Hands: Right and Left
• Knits - Right, Left and holding the yarn
• Purls - Right, Left and holding the yarn
• Holding the needles
• Holding the yarn

Mixing Knits and Purls

• Purls and knits in the same row and mysterious extra stitches
• Ribs, working as set and repeats
• Work as set
• Binding off in pattern

The Mechanics

• What does a stitch look like?
• What does a row looks like?
• The Happy Stitch
• Stitch size
• Stitch width and height ratios
• How a stitch is made
• Yarn rotation around the needle
• Stitch mount
• How a knit affects the stitch below
• How a purl affects the stitch below
• The alternative purl rotation
• Making happy stitches
• The miserable edge stitches

More Maneuvers

• Slipping stitches knitwise (kw) and purlwise (pw)
• Slipping stitches as a group
• Slipping edge stitches
• The yarn-over (O, Yo or yfd)
• The make one increase (M1)
• Other increases
• Decreases - Right slanting (K2tog)
• Decreases - Left slanting (Ssk)
• Basic cables
• Pinhole bind-off

Joining Yarns and Pieces

• Joins at the edge
• The Weaver's Knot
• Splicing and spit-splicing
• A mid-row join
• An invisible join
• Darning in tails
• Mattress-stitch join

A Funny Thing Happened . . . and some fixes

• Dropped stitches and a crochet hook rescue
• Rescuing lots of dropped stitches
• Ripping back stitches stitch by stitch
• Ripping back rows
• The not-quite knit stitch
• Beginning of row confusions
• Mid-row confusion and which way should I be going?
• My knitting is getting wider!
• Quick fix for an extra stitch
• Quick fix for a dropped stitch
• Sharing out extra yarn
• Split stitches
• Twisted stitches
• My knitting is getting narrower!
• You can do anything!

Knitter's Terminology

• Stocking stitch
• Selvage stitches
• Reverse stocking stitch
• Garter stitch
• Rib
• Work as set
• Binding/ casting off in pattern
• Live stitches
• Pick up and knit or knit-up stitches
• Through back loop
• Slip
• Slip with yarn in front
• With yarn in back
• Blocking
• Abbreviations

Guides and Markers

• Running yarn
• Life lines

Reading a Knitting Pattern

• Yarn, needles and gauge
• Reading a gauge swatch
• Gauge swatch tips
• How to read a pattern and sizes x (y, z)
• Stitch dictionaries and reading multiples
• Charts
• Be brave (and where to get help)

Reading Your Knitting

• Identifying a row
• How many rows have I done?
• Does the cast-on row count?
• Identifying decreases and increases

Rescue Skills

• Ripping back stitch by stitch
• Ripping back row by row
• Rebuilding a dropped stitch

Working in the round

• Casting on and joining on a circular needle
• Starting the second round
• Purling in the round on a circular needle
• Stocking stitch
• Garter stitch
• Reverse stocking stitch
• Ribs
• Sets of double-pointed needles and Garter stitch
• Switching from a circular to dpns
• Decreases in the round on dpns

Beginner Projects

• Things to keep in mind
• The gauge swatch
• The all-important check
• The IQ Hat and the three inch test
• Facecloth recipe
• Scrunchie Hat or Headband
• A Ribbed Scarf (with optional cables)