My Favorite Tools as a Self-Taught Knitter
This post has been a long time coming! I have received so many emails about my favorite books and tools that I used when I taught myself how to knit and crochet! I certainly haven't tried all of the knitting needles or delved into half of the knitting books out there, but these are the tried and true tools that rest on my shelf and I still use to this day. Hopefully you find this post helpful if you have been itching to give yarn crafting a try.
First of all, when I decided to teach myself to knit, I only used YouTube videos for the longest time. I simply typed in "how to knit" or "how to cast-on" and a wide variety of videos popped up. These were extremely helpful for getting started. When I was ready to learn more, I turned to these knitting books.
1. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 1 - This book is the first in a six volume "stitchionary" series. Each book is filled with hundreds of stitch patterns. I love searching through the pages and experimenting with something new. This book covers the basics (and advanced stitches) of knit and purl.
2. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 5 - This volume delves into lace knitting. It has tons of great diagrams if you want to give a more delicate stitch a try!
3. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 2 - Cables were one of my favorite stitches to learn when I was ready to try more advanced techniques. This book is a great resource!
4. The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques - This book is getting into the really advanced level of knitting, but thankfully it is so well illustrated and clearly written that I was able to pick up techniques like intarsia and stranding in no time. This book was really helpful when I knit the Union Jack teacosy last year.
My favorite knitting tools are usually the ones I can find in the yarn aisle at Michaels. In regards to knitting needles, I started with the Clover Takumi bamboo needles and eventually switched to the plastic Lion Brand needles. I tried the metal needles but I'm not a fan of the scraping sound they make when I knit. I like these colorful needles because they are smooth, sturdy, and quiet.
I also taught myself how to crochet using YouTube. When I was ready to move on I found these two books to be extremely helpful!
1. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 4 - Another stitchionary? Yes! I guess I liked the first one so much that I knew the following volumes had to be good. This one did not disappoint! Like all of the stitchionary volumes, I still have so many different techniques to learn and test. Isn't that the best part of this craft? There is always something new to learn! :)
2. Beyond the Square - Crochet Motifs - This book was helpful when I was itching to give granny squares a try. I love the variety of shapes included in this book. A big blanket made of all different granny squares has always been on my project bucket list.
I've used Susan Bates crochet hooks from the beginning and they have yet to disappoint! It's funny how I like plastic knitting needles and metal crochet hooks...if you find my craft obsession funny. Hehe.
We all have our own preferences when it comes to yarn craft tools and I'm sure mine will change over time. This post is not sponsored or anything like that, these are simply my favorite tools from when I was getting started. Local craft shops, Barnes & Noble, and YouTube were my main resources when it came to teaching myself to knit.
I hope this post helps you a little if you are thinking about learning to knit or crochet. If any other yarn crafters out there have a favorite book or knitting needle, please let me know!
Have a great day!