by Melanie Cath

Knitting is the art of creating something beautiful from a ball of yarn. Although at first it may seem like magic, after a while a person will get the hang of it. There are two important things for beginners to remember, if they don’t want to get discouraged and quit before they have completed their first masterpiece. First, start slow, so that you can give your hands a chance to adapt. And second, start with a real project.

When a person is just learning about knitting, it is important for them to start slowly. This is the best way to avoid injury, since your hands need time to adapt to this new skill. A good way to control the time you knit in the beginning is to make a schedule. Start by practicing only 30 minutes a day. After a while you can build up to longer periods of time. If at any time you start to feel a discomfort in one of your hands, call it a day. With time, your hands will get used to knitting and you will not feel discomfort at all.

Another very important thing to keep in mind, when you are just learning how to knit, is that you should start with a real project right off the bat. A good beginner’s project is a simple Afghan square. You can practice different style patterns in each square, and improvise with colors. Once you have knitted enough squares you can putt together your Afghan and you will have completed your very first project successfully. This will build up your confidence and you will have something to brag about in front of your friends.

Learning the skills of knitting requires two basic things. By starting up slow, so that you don’t hurt your hands, and by finishing a simple project, you will lower the chances of giving up on your new hobby.

About the author:
Mel writes about knitting, crafts, and other hobby-related topics.

by Don Parks

Simply Knitting. As I was beginning early this year. I could’ve won a trophy last Xmas for the circus act that my vacation shopping turned out to be. Even though it was hardly spring, I knew it was time to plan out my Xmas gifts. My family and friends are important and merit a little thought put into them. I was anxious for my gifts at home regardless of how long it took!

Beginning with my three crazily lovable nieces, I selected to knit matching hats and scarves. They were reasonably close in age and I knew their folks would be thankful to save a little cash on the winter items. Although knitting was a fairly new skill, I expected every day I was able to knit. An hour spent on knitting was an hour spent wisely. I knew with my nieces would like their wintry presents!

I purchased some pretty blue, pink, and purple yarn that had a little glint to them. Downloading a free knitting pattern, I started out with the first set. Making a hat wasn’t nearly as difficult as I expected; in fact, I even attempted one with earflaps! Following the step-by-step instructions that were obviously laid out made the project fly by. Surprisingly, I had finished with all three sets in just a couple of weeks. Eyeing my homemade wonders, I knew they required warm woolen mittens to everybody I had left over yarn, and fortunately it was still early in the year.

Fortunately, I am able to locate all my free knitting patterns online. The Internet. I can now sit back and enjoy the holidays with those dear to me, knowing they will have a knitted treasure under the tree come Christmas morning.

About the author:
Don Parks writes regularly about self-help related topics. I hope you enjoy this article.