Handicraft Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 27

Beginner’s guide Keep following this procedure, being careful not to drop any loops. If you do drop any loops, carefully work your way back through casting off and knit them on. If you leave any unknitted loops when casting off, your work may become easy to unravel. The pattern that you should get in casting off is shown in the above picture. If yours doesn’t look like this, then try and unravel your casting off carefully (making sure you pick up all the stitches) and try again. 27 Once you are sure that your cast off is similar to the one shown, you can keep going until you have finished (you should get an even amount of stitches. Then you will have a thread coming out of your knit, knot it and then cut it off. Knitting advice for beginners 1 2 3 Store your yarn in a dry, safe and clean place. Otherwise, it will gather dust and dirt. Be careful as some yarns you may not be able to wash. 4 When buying yarn, check the description which is either found on the label or in the information that should come with it. 5 Don’t put anything heavy on top of your yarns and needles. Your needles can easily snap as they are fragile. 6 Always check eBay, Amazon or other online shops (like Etsy) for the best deal on yarn. Be careful of postage costs, though. When knitting, try to keep an arms’ length of yarn unravelled for use. This is so your knitting doesn’t become too tight. Practice and patience makes all the difference when knitting. If you are a beginner, then take your time as you knit. 7 Carrying on from above, never buy anything yarn related you are unsure about what it is made out of. 8 Always double check the label for the size of needle it requires. 9 If you are a beginner, try shorter needles rather than longer ones as they are easier to hold. 10 Try to knit as you buy. In other words, don’t buy too much yarn or it could become overwhelming.