Helpful Information for Knitting Clubs/Groups
Where to Get Supplies:
Big box stores like Walmart or Target may carry some knitting supplies, primarily acrylic yarns and a
limited range of needles. Craft stores like Michaels, A.C. Moore and Jo-Ann Fabrics have a larger
selection of yarns (again, primarily acrylics), needles and other supplies. Local yarn stores (LYSs in
Ravelry lingo) carry a wide variety of yarns in various fibers like wool, cotton, and alpaca, as well as a
large assortment of needles, knitting patterns and books. You can also usually get more personalize d
help at a local yarn store. However, they do tend to be a little more expensive, depending on what you
are buying. Examples of LYSs in New Jersey include Woolbearers in Mt. Holly and Pins and Needles in
Princeton; you can search for yarn stores in New Jersey or anywhere else using the website Knitmap
(http://www.knitmap.com/). You can also order yarn online at sites like KnitPicks
(http://www.knitpicks.com) and WEBS (http://www.yarn.com/).
Knitting Needles and Yarn:
For beginners, it’s easiest to learn with short (10”) long needles in sizes 8, 9 or 10. Knitting needles
come in a variety of materials, mostly metal or wood. For some beginners, it is easier to learn with
wooden needles because the stitches don’t slip off quite easily. Others like the metal needles.
When first learning, it’s best to use a light colored worsted weight yarn, either acrylic or wool. Novices
are drawn to the glitzy novelty yarns, but they are surprisingly difficult to knit with, even if you’ve been
knitting for a while. A light or bright color makes it easier to see your stitches when learning.
Info on the Yarn Label:
There is a lot of helpful information on the yarn label, including how much yarn is in the skein, fiber
content, whether or not it’s machine washable, and what size needle or crochet hook the manufacturer
recommends you use with this yarn. Labels also include a recommended gauge you knit the yarn at;
gauge simply means how many stitches and rows you get to the inch in a knitted sample of this yarn.
Gauge doesn’t really matter with beginner projects like the ones I’ve demonstrated or with something
like a scarf where fit isn’t important. It does start to matter when you knit garments like sweaters, when
a gauge mistake can mean either something that is way too small or way too large. Most knitting
patterns will include a suggested gauge, which is helpful when you find a pattern you want to knit and
would like to purchase appropriate yarn. Yarn labels also include dye lot numbers; this is for when you
are knitting an item that uses more than one skein of yarn and you want to make sure the colors match.
Teaching Lefties – Advice varies on this. Knitting is a two-handed activity, so a knitter has to coordinate
both hands. It is sometimes helpful to have the lefty sit opposite a right handed knitter and mirror what
they are doing. Some left handed knitters find it easier to knit continental style rather than the English
style I learned and teach.
Knitting Rhymes –
Traditional
Nontraditional
In through the front door
Stab him
Around the back
Choke him
Out through the window
Rip his guts out
And off jumps Jack
Throw him off a cliff
Please feel free to contact me with any questions!
Kathleen Gruver
kgruver@bcls.lib.nj.us