New to knitting or crochet? You’ll get the hang of it in no time with our at-a-glance guides
TOOLKIT ESSENTIALS
Tapestry needle A blunt needle with a large eye, perfect for threading with yarn. It’s used for weaving in ends, sewing seams and embroidery – a must-have!
Stitch marker Used to identify an important place in your knitting or crochet to help guide you – there are ring markers and locking stitch markers available Stuffing We’re all about the toys, so you’ll need stuffing to turn them from 2D to 3D Safety eyes Bring your toys to life with a pair of eyes, but don’t let the name fool you – they’re not suitable for very young children Stitch holder Used by knitters to hold live stitches when not being worked on the needles
BEGINNER BUY
Sirdar’s Kith & Kin range of knitting and crochet kits are perfect for beginners. With makes including homewares, kids’ clothes and accessories, these bright and colourful kits come with everything you need to complete a project. Sirdar also has a collection of handy how-to videos on its website to help absolute newbies take their first steps. The kits retail at £15 to £25 from sirdar.com
IDENTIFYING STITCHES
purl st
knit st
Beginner knitters often ask, “How can I tell the difference between a knit stitch and a purl stitch?” It’s actually really easy! A knit stitch looks like a ‘V’, and a purl stitch appears as a bump. This is useful to know when working patterns like rib that involve switching between the two, or when following instructions such as ‘knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches’.
LEARN TO K N I T
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slip knot
You need to make a slip knot on your needle before casting on. It counts as your first cast-on stitch
1 Hold the yarn under your left thumb, wrap it twice around your left index and middle fingers, with the second loop closer to the base of the fingers. With the backs of the fingers uppermost, insert the tip of the needle beneath the first loop and over the second, then pull the second loop under the first.
2 Remove your two fingers and gently tug on both ends of yarn to tighten the slip knot around the needle.
cast on
This method, also called the ‘two-needle method’, is great for beginners 1 Make a slip knot on the LH ne
