Any knitters?

[HotelMinion]

Can recommend me good beginners book?
I've read some at the bookstore, even the kids one but I just can't understand what all the codes mean. It's like first page: how to hold needle, then second page: how to make a sweater. Wtf? Too fast.
I'd like to make some baby stuff and hats, maybe a sweater. I already know how to make a scarf Any help would be appreciated....
Thanks!
I looked at videos but I learn best by reading.

[Sliceanddice]

i recommend bookmarking this http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-glossary
watching videos for things you want to do
experimenting as needed and looking for patterns with step by step pictures you can use to catch mistacks fast with.

[Elspeth]

Had a few knitter friends recommend this. It actually made some sense. My Mom, Aunt & Grandma are trying to get me to knit. Don't start with socks. I am about to burn the ones I am working on

http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-n-Bitch...titch+in+bitch

[dalesys]

... Don't start with socks. I am about to burn the ones I am working on...

My ex's first knit project was a large cat doll... every leg was a different (varying) diameter.

[Kaylyn]

Stitch-n-Bitch is really amazing. But what you really need to do is just learn how to cast on, then work on the knit stitch, then the purl stitch. Everything else is just a spinoff of those two stitches. Garter stitch = knit on both right and wrong side, stockinette = knit on right side, purl on wrong side (this gives you those pretty smooth V stitches that you normally think of when you think of knitting). Ribbing and seed stitch are different variations on knit 1, purl 1.

It might be a bit more useful to learn from Youtube or knitting websites with videos. Seeing how the needles cross and go into stitches and how the yarn wraps around and comes through via video makes a WHOLE lot more sense than looking at static pictures.

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/learn-to-knit

Also if you're learning from books you're probably learning English style knitting (holding yarn twined around the fingers of the right hand). I personally love English style, but some people get really frustrated with it and do better with continental style, which holds the yarn in the left hand and you sort of pick up the yarn with the right needle, rather than using your right hand to wrap the yarn around the needle. If you've ever crocheted you might find it easier. Both methods make the same stitches, it's just a matter of personal preference. I only mention it in case you get frustrated with how the books usually teach knitting. I think a lot of the videos on the KnittingHelp link I posted show both English and continental if you want to give them both a try.

[Seanette]

I prefer continental . For me, it's faster (not that I'm in danger of my needles overheating or anything) and less awkward. For English, I basically have to let go of the right needle, yarn over, then pick up the right needle again. Ugh.