Purls of wisdom

Christine Perry

Christine Perry has some practical advice for those starting out with their knitting

A yarn lover for many years says keep it simple when you’re a newbie knitter

Are you new to knitting? Did you hear the siren call of yarn and needles during lockdown and realise that you were powerless to resist? Well, if you did, you are not alone – as survey figures during the last year or so have shown that more people than ever used their time to discover the delights of this creative and absorbing hobby.

SMALL BEGINNINGS

It made me think back to the time when I first started knitting and how it seemed to me that there was so much to discover and how little I knew. I still feel like there’s always something new to learn, but when I first started knitting seriously for myself in the late 1980s, the yarns and patterns available were generally whatever was in stock at your local yarn shop. It wasn’t until many years later, having discovered a passion for sock knitting and having also exhausted the local yarn shop’s limited supply of two or three shades of yarn, that I even thought of looking on the internet to see if there was anything di erent available.

A BRAVE NEW WORLD

Wow, wow, WOW! I had absolutely no idea there was so much out there! Do you remember that moment in the film The

Wizard of Oz where everything changes from black and white to colour? Well, that’s what it was like for me when I typed ‘sock yarn’ into the search bar for the very first time! I don’t mind admitting to you, it completely blew my mind – and I expect that the experience is still very similar for those who are just starting out on their knitting journey. So many yarns, types of needle, stitch markers, blockers, yarn holders, project bags… The online choice

now is far more than when I first started looking – so it’s easy to understand how people get overwhelmed by everything that’s out there and keep wondering how much of it they actually need.

BACK TO BASICS

Actually, you really don’t need much at all to get going. A set of needles and some yarn in a colour that you love (choosing the yarn that shouts loudest to you is always an incentive to get a project finished!) – that is usually enough to get you over the starting line – then you can build up your kit from there. Patterns? These are available in abundance these days, both to download and to buy in print format, and you can choose either depending on your preference and storage space. Interchangeable needle sets will give you a wide range of needles to knit with, all contained in one small package – and you can call anything that holds your yarn and knitting safely a project bag.

JOIN THE CLUB!

The thought of being new at anything can be daunting at first, but becoming part of the knitting community is, in my view, one of the best things that you can ever decide to do. You’ll find there are so many people to help and o er advice, so many ways to wrap yarn around needles and create something wonderful to wear and so many beautiful yarns to choose from – created by people who love the craft too. Far from being overwhelmed, be amazed and inspired, and most of all, enjoy every minute of it. We’re so glad you’ve come to join us.

Find Christine at www.winwickmum.co.uk. Have you got a creative story to tell us? See our contact details on page 29