By Alex (the Bird) Hincks

Following on from powderroom.net's hugely successful guide to crochet (click here for part one), which inspired many a girl to get her hooks out, we decided it was high-time we gave you a guide to the hottest hobby around right now - knitting.

Move over Grandma, there's a new kid in town. Knitting is making a comeback, prompting a thousand global clubs where girls (and guys) are getting together to shoot the breeze while clacking their needles together creating beanies, ipod cases, oversize jumpers, and scarves aplenty.

Anything you can think of, you can make with a ball of wool and two long sticks. Don't be put off by the old wives tale that it's harder to learn than crochet. If I can do it, a monkey can.

Knitting is also a wonderful hobby to take up if you find it hard to relax. Recent research found that knitting has a huge beneficial effect on the symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. In other words, it's very calming. Celebrity knitter and comedian Tracy Ullman said: "I knit on aeroplanes – it stops me screaming during turbulence."

I have a wee secret to tell. I find crocheting impossible. I can put a flat-pack wardrobe from IKEA together and yet I can't follow simple step-by-step instructions to make a simple hat? Tsk!

But Mr ATB brought me a book for Christmas and I'm happy to say that within a month, I'd worked through every project in the book with great success, and within two months, I'd knitted 23 beanies for various friends who kept coming back for more.

There is something really rather wonderful about knitting something for a friend as a gift. And I hope you don't think of me as a big ol' meanie when I say this, but it's VERY cheap!

So, without further ado, here is the powderroom.net definitive guide to knitting. Give it a whirl and be prepared for a whole new network of friends. Little old ladies will be uber-impressed and want to offer you tips. Or someone might want to tell you about a new knitting group to join. Good luck and post pictures of your knitting successes on the forum so we can all 'oooooooh' about them.

HOW TO KNIT

Stuff you need:

Needles – they come in lots of different sizes and are made of metal, wool, bamboo etc. The larger the needle and the chunkier the wool, the easier it is to learn.

A yarn sewing needle – for finishing your work (sewing in ends and seams)

A crochet hook – handy for picking up dropped stitches

A ruler or a tape measure – for measuring your work

And, of course, wool: the stuff that comes from sheep.

YARN

Those of you who already crochet will know there is a vast array of yarn out there, in varying shapes, weights and prices. You don’t have to spend a fortune on wool – many hardware stores will carry a good selection, as well as better-known retailers or any major department store.

Natural yarns are made from animals or plants, like Alpaca, Angora, 100% Wool, Cotton, Silk or Cashmere.

Synthetic yarns are much cheaper to buy and often easier to wash. Rayon, Acrylic, Polyester, Lycra and Nylon are all synthetic but can be blended with natural yarns.

Special yarns are seriously addictive when it comes to purchasing so be warned! I have a billion balls of fancy yarn that I have no idea what to make with but I loved it so much that I had to buy it. The great thing about special yarns (like Chenille, Lurex or ‘faux fur’) is that they can be knitted with other yarns to create something really fun.

Weight:
Yarn comes in different weight called ply, which varies from lightweight to chunky. When following a pattern, you will be given a recommended yarn and ply to use. You don’t have to follow this information religiously, but this leads us on to a thing called ‘gauge.’

‘GAUGE’ or TENSION

Getting the tension right when you knit is important. Everyone knits differently – I’m a tight knitter, but my mum is a loose knitter (not that she’s a loose woman!). Every yarn has a Gauge – the number of stitches it takes to knit an inch. When you buy a ball of wool, there will be a teeny square on the label to tell you how many stitches and how many rows will form an inch square.

It’s not a major disaster if, say, your scarf is longer or shorter than it should be, but if you knit a cardigan and the sleeves end up being really long, that’s when your tension counts.

THE BASICS

Holding the needles

There are no rules when it comes to holding needles. If it works for you, it works! The great thing about knitting is that you can hold the needles in the same way whether you are casting on, knitting, purling or casting off. Easy!

How to tie a slip knot:

TIP: It’s important to leave a tail of at least six inches (so that it’s easier to sew in the dangly bit that’s left at the end).

SOD THE BASICS! I WANNA KNIT!

The lovely people at Rowan (www.knitrowan.com) have given us this handy guide with three patterns to get you started, which you can download by clicking on the link below. There are also helpful diagrams to get you started, but if you find it difficult to learn this way don’t get your pants in a twist. The good news is that Rowan have wonderful knitting experts, known as Design Consultants, posted around the UK in many of the major department stores and they also run knitting and crochet workshops. You can find the details on their website and there’s also a helpline number: 01484 681881. See, these knitting people think of everything!

Click here to download the Rowan knitting guide.

Rowan was launched in 1978 by Stephen Sheard and his business partner
Simon Cockin, initially selling weaving kits and yarns. Over 20 years later, the company's knitting yarns, patterns and magazines are available around the world. (So it’s not just us UK based powderroomies that can take advantage!)

EEK! I’VE MADE A MISTAKE!

Picking up a dropped stitch:

Everyone makes mistakes - if you drop a stitch, it’s easily fixed. If you stop and count your stitches on the needle every once in a while, you’ll see if you’ve dropped a stitch somewhere along the way.

Too many stitches?

Being greedy with the stitches on your needle?! Suddenly you find there are 11 instead of 10? Have no fear, it’s likely that you’ve doubled a stitch somewhere. The bad news is that it’s best to unravel until you get back to the right number of stitches.

Unravelling:

Sometimes, there ‘aint nothing a girl can do but unravel her work and knit it all over again. Frustrating, yes, but definitely worth it in the long run. You don’t have to unravel all the way to the start and it might seem a little scary to unhook all your stitches off the needle. The key to successful unravelling is to take it SLOW and STEADY!

DIFFERENT STITCH PATTERNS

Different combinations of stitches can produce different types of knit – some are so easy that they’ll become firm favourites. (Moss stitch is a particular fave of mine and I would make EVERYTHING using it if I could!)

USEFUL LINKS

http://www.knitrowan.com/
http://www.knithappens.com/
http://www.dailyknitter.com/

UK sites:
http://www.knitchicks.co.uk/
http://www.knitting-and-crochet-guild.org.uk/

GOOD BOOKS TO PERUSE IF YOU GET THE BUG!

Pub Knitting by Rachel Henderson
Knitting by Anne Akers Johnson
Beginners Guide to Knitting by Alison Dupernex
Easy Knitted Accessories by Jeanette Trotman
Making Stuff – An Alternative Craft Book – Black Dog Publishing