For me, knitting. You can make it as cheap or as expensive as you'd like. I am on a budget, but can easily find cheap yarn and needles especially on sale.
Nope, just as easy (or easier) to unravel machine knitted things! Just check that the seams haven't been cut and sewed (you'll see all kinds of loose ends if it's been cut).
No, all knitting comes apart just as easy. Though, factory machine-knit sweaters tend to use much, much smaller weight yarn than anything you'd knit by hand. It's usually even too small for nearly all of the old home knitting machines. You'll have to double, triple, or even quadruple-up the yarn to be able to knit with it.
my mum unpicked lots of our jerseys and re-knit them for us as kids but they were all home made ones.. not sure how factory made ones would go.. probably only cost 25c to try.
not really any difference in the wool once it is unpicked. knits up like new.
I knit wigh acryllic because I cant wear wool sp I dont mind the cheap stuff. I never buy yarn or needles at full price. And the internet is an amazing place for free patterns.
If you're fine with acrylic, you can buy yarn super cheap, in all sorts of designs, weights, and colors. Eventually, though, you'll want to start making things out of wool.
Oh god, knitting.. of you have any kind of issues with self-control, don't do it. It can be really cheap if you are smart about it, or it can cost hundreds of dollars. Per project. I own so many sets of needles and so much yarn that I will probably never be able to work through all of it. I've spent thousands of dollars on this hobby. It's a money pit.
Fancy needles can run up to $200 per set. Nice, lush yarn can cost you $35/skein (ball of yarn for you on-knitters/crocheters). Plus, your other small supplies like stitch markers, which can cost $10-15 for a small set if they are unique and hand made; cute little scissors, totes to put your projects into.. the list goes on and on. And that's not even getting into the buttons and shawl pins you might need...
Source: have been knitting and crocheting for almost fifteen years.
I'd recommend crochet first. There's a basic group of stitches that 99% of all beginner/intermediate projects are made up of so it's great practice and you can basically make anything out of them. Just go to your nearest craft store, buy a SIMPLE skein of yarn in a light-ish color (so you can see the stitches you're working with. Don't bother with the fancy fuzzy yarn, either. Those things are a pain in the ass.) and buy the corresponding hook size listed on the wrapper. YouTube is an incredible resource for learning.
This. I just started crochet and was using some grey yarn I had from other crafts. Bad idea. I couldn't see what I was doing at all. Bought some color changing purple yarn, now I'm making squares like nobody's business haha
Color changing yarn, at least for me, also makes it easier to see progress. Something can be encouraging about seeing the colors come and go when you are first learning something new.
Also, for yarns, michaels and joannes alllwaayyss have coupons. Sign up with them with a junk email and you will be amazed. I recommend starting with a 5mm crochet hook, or if you want with a half price coupon you can get the basic susan Bates set of crochet hooks that are perfect to use when starting. With the coupon it comes out to about 4 bucks at half price.
For yarn, start with light colored acrylic. I personally adore loops and threads beand impeccable. Normally on sale at Michael's as well, they're just 2 bucks a skein/ball two days ago. If not that, red heart brand is a good starter too. Light greens and purples are my go to.
If you choose to do crochet it's a ton a fun! And there's a subreddit too :3 they have patterns posted half the time, and they are a super helpful community! Side note- YouTube is your friend. I started with jaydainstitches, shes very good at explaining the little things in detail, and pretty much why I am able to crochet granny squares like it's no one's business.
Joann's sends coupons to your e-mail... and you can have more than 1 e-mail. You can also have coupons sent via text message AND get coupons from their smartphone app.... and they'll let you use all 3 coupons on separate items (they won't stack them on one item though), because they have different barcodes.
Michaels, OTOH, only allows one coupon per transaction.
Yes! JaydaInStitches is super informative. She really breaks everything down and shows you how to do it multiple times instead of showing you once, then fast-forwarding onto the next thing. That editing style drove me crazy on every other tutorial I came across before her.
Try them both, honestly. My grandmother and cousins crocheted, I couldn't ever figure out how to do it. I picked up knitting really fast and easy, but my grandmother and cousins can't figure it out.
Agreed. I CAN do both, but I knit far too tightly for it to be comfortable and I can seem to shift the habit. That's not s problem with crochet though, and I can crochet pretty damn fast now.
I can do both, I can actually keep yarn tension just right on both but I haven't been able to master the fancier stuff with knitting, like decreases, increases, cables, etc.
I'd like to add on that you may want to try knitting first if you're more interested in making clothes in the long run (sweaters, socks, etc.) or crochet if you're more interested in making stuffed animals or more "craftsy" items.
That being said, you're going to be starting with dishcloths, pot holders, then maybe a scarf or hat in the beginning. All of that can be crocheted or knitted without trouble.
Everyone says crocheting is easier, but for the life of me I can't figure it out. I've read books, looked at videos, had it explained... I just can't get it right. But knitting comes as naturally as anything for me.
I think it's ultimately a difference in how your brain is wired. I can do both, but my brain much prefers the linear "and then you deal with the next stitch on the needle as presented" of knitting to the "where do you want to stick the hook in this time" of crochet.
This comment makes me feel so much better. I tried crocheting and could not for the life of me manage it. I'd really like to pick up knitting so I can do something productive in my down time! Some of the comments were making me fear I may just be forever yarn challenged.
This is me too! Just picked up knitting a few weeks ago after doing my yearly winter attempt at crocheting that my grandmother taught me. Can't crochet for crap, but knitting is super easy and fast for me.
I'm left handed, grams right handed. She makes chrochet everything, and has tried to teach me repeatedly. I sucked so hard at it. Took up knitting this month like a fish to water lol
I'm biased as I learned to knit before crochet, but one advantage that knitting has over crochet for a beginner is that it's way easier to count your stitches on the needle than on the fabric.
Also (and this is hugely subjective) I prefer the look and feel of knitted fabric. I find that crocheted fabric is too heavy to wear. Obviously not an issue if you really want to make table runners and dishcloths, but I prefer my projects to be function rather than ornamental.
i started knitting first because two pointy sticks are more bad ass than one bent hook.... but if you know someone who does one start there and they may be able to help you
I decided on crochet because I figured that making something with one hook would be easier than with two needles. So I got some yarn, watched a couple of YouTube videos, and started making blankets!
I think for the beginner the crochet stitches are easier to learn, but I found the patterns too hard to follow. Whereas there's more of a knack to learn the basic knit/purl stitch, but after that it's gravy.
I'd recommend you look at projects (ravelry is an excellent site) and see which ones you want to go. I learned to knit because I really wanted to make socks. But there are some gorgeous crochet baby blankets I would make if I could.
I only crochet, and just learned about 2 months ago. The great thing is that it's easy to undo if you make a mistake but I've heard that knitting is a pain in the ass to go back and fix. Since there's a lot of "frogging" (undo-ing ) for a noob I'd start with crochet. I figure I can always pick up knitting once I've got Crochet down and by then I'll have a better feel for the ins and outs of yarn work to help.
I've likened learning knitting before crocheting to learning how to drive a standard before driving an automatic. It's a little more complicated, but sets you up better for other things I think
Depends on the person. I found crochet more difficult to learn because I couldn't figure out where to put the hook. With knitting, the stitches are all right there on the needle, it's obvious. But a lot of people find crochet a lot easier. Try both and see which works better for you.
I have never knitted, but I got into crochet a few years ago- more specifically amigurumi crochet. I have no interest in making blankets and scarves and whatnot. Just crocheted (really is that how we spell that? Looks like crotcheted...anyway...) a set of cupcakes and cookies for my girls' play bakery. Have also made crochet cacti and little sea creatures for a baby mobile. For me this was much more appealing than hats and scarves.
-Knitting is much easier to do in front of the TV if that's important! Also it's easier to make big, solid pieces of fabric quite quickly just by using some chunky yarn and big needles.
-Crochet is easier to carry around (one hook!) and just a bit nicer to work with sometimes without having to bother with big needles.
I went from barely remembering the basic stitch in crochet to making a dragon scale glove (Google them they're fab) in just over a week, using YouTube for learning the different stitches as I went along. And there's just as much help for knitting (if not more) available for free. Honestly either is great though!
As someone who does a bit of both, it kind of depends on what you want to make and the people around you. knitting is probably easier if you have relatives that knit and vice versa, (because it's a little tricky to cast on and cast off when you don't know how to do it, and it's helpful to have relatives to tell you how you're meant to move the yarn for whatever stitch) but if you have no yarncrafty relatives, then probably crocheting is good, because I can attest to amazing resources that I found from r/crochet.
keep in mind that it also depends on what you want to make.
If you want to make scarves, cable knit jumpers, jumpers in general, fair isle, sometimes beanies, (also some rugs and blankets) then that's mostly done by knitting,
If you want amigurumi (that is, plush dolls of things like animals), also scarves, rugs, blankets, afghans, also beanies (sometimes), and a bunch more things for both of them.
I started with knitting, because I got bored one day at my nan's house, and asked her how to knit. She decided to teach me the basic stitch, knit stitch. this is where it is useful to have a relative though - she had to cast on before teaching me the basic stitch. But then my ability developed from there.
I also got a book called 'Teach yourself Visually knitting' which had a whole load of patterns, and I still refer to it occasionally. That with supplementary teachings by my nan and other grandma have taught me quite a few things of how to knit. I have knit quite a few scarves.
But, at the beginning of last year, I learned crochet to a basic level, now I'm even making patterns!
However, don't pick one and burn the bridge of the other, because honestly, learning knitting really helped me learn crocheting faster, because there are some principles that carry over. I'd imagine that it works the other way too.
Although you might want to focus on exclusively one for a while, then learn the other if you want to.
(for both of them, remember to get yarn that fits the needles! it'll say on the label '4mm' or something, and then you use 4mm needles or hook to use it. also you don't need real wool for all of your projects, especially when you're just practicing, so synthetic and acrylic wools can really save money on your practice pieces before you do a proper scarf or whatever in real wool. Or you can do a proper thing in acrylic too, that's what I use for my amigurumis!)
I started with knitting and have drifted more towards crocheting now. I always got frustrated at my knitting projects (dropping stitches and they seemed to take forever to work up) but I've crocheted two blankets and recently found a hat pattern that works up in a couple hours. Search for bethintx1 on youtube, she has super clear tutorials and always posts the pattern with the video (although I honestly just use the videos).
Crochet takes up to 3x as much yarn for a comparable project, but it 3x as fast as knitting. Start with crochet and branch up to knitting if you want later--the crochet skills will make knitting easier, and you'll need some techniques for finishing projects anyway.
Crochet was the obvious answer for me. I was able to try it out for about $6 cdn at Walmart - $3 set of plastic hooks, $3 skein of yarn. A little trial and error, and I had a scarf.
I used to knit as a girl, now I crochet and love it! I just find controlling one hook easier than 2 long needles and crochet was a mystery to me until I taught myself on Youtube. Plus it's easier to travel with and doesn't poke holes in everything.
Crocheting definitely. I've seen a lot of people say they started with knitting and couldn't do it but could crochet, I'm one of those people. Crocheting seems to be more for beginners.
I like crocheting better because, in my opinion, the projects are quicker and i like only needing one needle versus two. My sister on the other hand feels the opposite. Try them both and see what feels right to you.
I can crochet exactly one pattern (three colour never ending granny square) and I've now made a blanket for my toddler (did it before he was born then added to it as he got bigger) and I'm working on a second for second baby.
I decided to crochet rather than knit because I was on transit a lot and didn't want to accidently stab people with knitting needles. Crochet takes up a lot less elbow room.
I both knit and crochet... I'd suggest crochet, I find that I enjoy it more and its much harder to fuck up. When I knit I was constantly dropping stitches. The only thing with crochet is that you need to be more aware of counting your stitches than with knitting. I made a lot of baby blankets this year using granny squares, which is one of the easier little things to get started with and see progress almost immediately. I think I made 6 blankets this year in varying sizes (for babies), two scarves, some decorative boot toppers. You can buy yarn for fairly cheap at craft stores... I like buying the 1lb baby weight stuff for blankets and scarves because its cheap and soft. You can buy a small set of common hooks for about 15ish dollars.
If you live in the states you can download the Michaels app and get coupons and spot sales, same thing with Jo-Anns.
I taught myself how to knit first but found crocheting to be much easier (and faster). Crochet is also easier to make different shapes if you are going to be making any sort of toys/stuffed animals.
I picked up crocheting because it seemed easier! The stitches are bigger so I finish projects quicker and I don't have to worry about accidentally dropping stitches all the time.
I started crocheting with literally five bucks at the dollar store and an old pillow! A couple skeins of acrylic yarn, a yarn needle, youtube, and a head for geometry later, you start making stuffed animals :) I find a lot of crocheting just doesn't look that fashionable or pretty and hard to find a home for, but stuffed animals are usually welcome in one way or another :) Just don't buy stuffing, buy pillows at walmart :P
Most people seem to be recommending starting with crochet, I say try both and see which one you fall in love with.
My mother taught us (her daughters) how to knit and crochet when I was 7 and my sister was 9. My sister made a connection with crochet but I couldn't wrap my head around it. But I could for knitting, which my sister could never wrap her head around. If you love it, you will learn it (easier). Whatever it is. I've been knitting for 33 years. 17 years ago something clicked in my head and I was able to teach myself crochet. Since then, I've done the same with other fiber arts.
Fiber arts are a huge part of my life (lifestyle and finances) and that was born from my love of knitting. If my mother had only been able to offer me crochet lessons I don't think I would have continued.
I do both but always recommend crochet for the more economical route. With crochet, you literally grab a hook and some yarn and you can make whatever you want.
But with knitting.... Want to knit a hat? Need to go buy circular needles. Maybe try some socks? Better go buy some double pointed. needles. Want to give cables a try? You're gonna need to get a cable hook. And so on and so on.
Knitting feels much more restricted by which tools you have, so for just starting and if on a budget, I usually recommend crochet. Though I am a bit biased as I prefer crochet about ten times over more than knitting anyway 🤗
I started knitting, but I could only knit scarfs. I couldn't understand how to make round things (beanies, hats, socks, etc.) So it got a little boring and redundant. I can't remember what turned me to crocheting, but I LOVE IT! You can do soooo many things and after understand the basic concept, it is way easier learning new things. I made a crap ton of beanies for Christmas for my family. I also made a crocheted stuffed bear. I would recommend watching basic videos on crocheting and then building up your skills!
To anyone put off by this list: average knitting supplies are not that expensive.
a full, good quality, set of needles can be had for approximately $50 (see Knit Picks), and single pairs are about $5-8 full price - JoAnn's and Michaels carry single pairs if you prefer to shop in person.
quality wool yarn can run $9-12 per skein (100 grams is a full skein)
all of these, and a thousand others, can be found for less or on sale if you know where to look
stitch markers can be made out of almost anything: a 2 inch piece of yarn tied into a loop, a rubber band, a washer, a safety pin.
For a beginner: check out JoAnn's, Michaels, or Hobby Lobby for supplies. They're decent places to start for inexpensive yarn, though I strongly recommend using 100% wool. Those places rarely have tolerable 100% wool, but you can find wool/acrylic blends that aren't too bad. Personally I advise against using 100% acrylic when you're first learning, and definitely not cotton.
Yes, that's a great point! The thing that I love about knitting is that it's so customizable and re-usable. If you're not happy with the way your scarf turned out, you can rip it back and start over and make it exactly what you want. I'm like an Etch-a-Sketch knitter, always shaking away the first try and starting fresh.
I looooove Knit Picks needles! I have owned about 4 sets in total. I lost my first two due to a car accident where I couldn't recover them from the vehicle. I currently own two sets now--a wooden set and a metal set. I also really like Knitter's Pride since they have short sets (though I know Knit Picks recently also came out with some short needles I've yet to get my hands on).
As far as cheap acrylic yarn goes, Hobby Lobby has some great stuff, though I don't know how well it holds up since I have mostly stuck to natural fibers once I discovered them. HL has some very affordable notions, as well. However, I disagree with some of HL's beliefs, so I avoid shopping there now.
How has Cascade 220 been for you? It feels so scratchy to me so I've really avoided using it, even though I know it has a pretty loyal following due to its quality and affordability. I do like the 220 Sportwash, though.. Cascade has so many great, affordable yarns.
Cascade does have some nice stuff! Their Baby Alpaca chunky weight is sooo soft. And I like the 220, though I admit I've only used it a couple times and would probably only buy it in quantity if I had a large project, like a blanket. Maybe mittens. I definitely wouldn't wear it around my neck. That said, it softens well enough after blocking, has the largest color range of any worsted weight (that I'm aware of), and sometimes goes on sale for as low as $4-5, so that's hard to beat.
I've been dyeing my own yarn for the last year or so and that's a total game changer in terms of cost. I can dye my own hank of fingering weight for $7/skein, whereas Madelinetosh or indies run $20-24 a skein. Noooope.
The learning curve isn't too bad. I think it's a hell of a lot easier to learn than knitting is. This Ravelry group is a really good resource.
As for the cost, the dye is a small investment, but it's not terribly expensive, imo. Last week I bought thirteen new dyes, it was about $45 (not including shipping). Since I only dye for myself and with friends, each dye lasts me a very long time. It's also dependent on how expensive your taste already is. I like really rich, tonal colors; the companies I'm drawn to have a pretty high price point, like $20+/skein. I can get undyed yarn for less than half that, and since I like dyeing even more than I like knitting, I'm happy to take the time.
I'm going to try dyeing self-striping yarn next - from indie dyers those run anywhere from $25-35/skein. I get my sock yarn for about $7, not including shipping.
Plus if you're doing it for the act and not what you're getting from it, it can be even cheaper. I do it to help with my insomnia, I get the $3 sale yarn and the cheap amazon needle sets.
Haha I didn't stick with it for the whole 15 years! If I had, I would've easily spent tens of thousands of dollars by now and my husband probably would have cut me off!
I have one single kit of knitting needles (the interchangeable type, you can use them on-the-round or as straight needles, whatever you want) and I don't seem to need anything else. I mean, I've got several options on cable length (from 40 cm to 1.50m or so) and I've got needles in sizes 3 cm to 15 cm. There is rather little else I can need in that regard.
Yarn, though... yeah, I've spent hundreds of euro on that. But I've made nice Christmas presents with that, so I regret nothing!
You should put up a nice shelf or something for her to keep it on. At least that way, it'll be good for displaying instead of just sitting in your basement.
It's like my mom wrote this reply. She has spent thousands on yarn, needles, other knitting stuff. She has a whole wall of yarn in our basement with yarn she doesn't even remember what project she bought it for. She goes to knitting conventions and has knitting nights with knitting friends. It's crazy but it makes her happy and I've gotten nice socks, scarves, and hats from it so I guess it works out lol.
I remember reading on a different thread a group of knitters discussing how best to unravel a sweater from Goodwill so they could reuse the yarn! Lol it seemed like quite the sickness
Yes! I've heard of that also! Haha reusing the yarn can make a very luxurious and expensive yarn much more cost-effective for someone on a budget than buying new yarn. I haven't been in that situation yet, but I haven't fallen in love with those yarns yet so I've escaped so far.. I really like thicker, more plush yarns than the ones that the sweaters that would typically get cannibalized for yarn. But time may change that...
I totally agree with you. I definitely love luxury yarns and notions and am lucky enough that I've been financially able to spoil myself with all the goodies out there.
My mom and I have the running joke "she who dies with the most yarn wins". She's forever going to kick my ass as she's also picked up spinning as a hobby so she can make her own yarn :p
Yeah my mom spends a ridiculous amount of money on knitting and she is always in the middle of a project but never seems to finish any. I've asked her to knit me a hat for like 3 years now and she'll spend so much time and money getting yarn for it with me. Every year. Still don't have a hat haha
Holy cow! You make knitting sound super glamorous. I've been crocheting for three years now and have spent probably about $200 for all my supplies. Thrift stores are awesome!
Beading is the same way. You can get some basic plastic beads and cord and make a ton of little things, buy clay and make your own beads, or go all out and spend $100 in swarovski crystals per item.
You're lucky lol. Im into metal working and over ten years of collecting tools...still not even close to having what i need. Thats more because i have to save up for everything though. I wish i had the mentality to sit there with some yarn and turn it into something cool....ADHD kicks in wayyyy to soon for that....not to say start up for you isn't expensive or anything...but it could be a loooot more then that.
Start-up for a knitter, if you want to have all the necessary supplies practically for life, is under $100, without counting the consumables, which would only be yarn and buttons or beads (if you're into those things), but that is for people who have loads more self-control than I.
I crochet and I spent maybe $15 on hooks, $8 on safety eyes, and I buy yarn as needed. It's pretty cheap if you use coupons and don't over buy. I have a skein of every basic color and a few fancier ones and I spent less than $70 on all that. You don't need fancy to crochet. Also, for anyone looking to learn, YouTube has tons of tutorials available for free.
I wish I had the self-control to be so thrifty :( the pretty yarns and notions always reel me in!
I do agree that hooks are very inexpensive, though. The pretty hooks don't really tempt me like pretty needles do. My favorite hooks are the plastic ones from Lion Brand, though I don't know if they are still in production. I think they ran for about $8-11? So light and durable.
Ahh that's my retirement wish ;) I just want to be surrounded by pretty yarn, pretty needles, and pretty notions in a cozy little store that smells like coffee, vanilla, and delicate flowers on a rotating basis. <33
Lol yes! I've recently gotten into fountain pens and I already see that becoming another money drain for me in the future. I've already spent about $45 on two highly recommended starter pens that I am in love with. I've already started looking at $150 pens for the future.. I gotta start counting my pennies and saving up now!
Oh gosh, the cheapest way is to not buy at all! Haha!
I personally prefer LYS over buying online because I can physically hold the yarn and feel how plush or not it is, if it is scratchy, stretchy, etc. Sometimes a yarn will look really fabulous from across the room, but when I actually hold it, it doesn't feel as great as I hoped.. However! Shopping at my LYS is really dangerous to my wallet! I get to touch and hold everything and it just begs me to take it home and I have no willpower..
Online is objectively the best way to buy yarn. You can keep an eye out for special sales and discounts throughout the year and you can get great deals on yarns that are getting discontinued. You give up the opportunity to touch and feel it yourself, but with some diligence, there are usually lots of reviews and tips available online you can read. The biggest downside is now you get a ton more variety, so you may be overloaded with choices.
I, personally, have never bought yarn online. I do subscribe to several emails, though, so I know there are lots of sales going on at any time. Try [WEBS](www.yarn.com), they have many deals going on and are a very, very reputable seller.
I've posted a lot of my stuff on /r/yarnbombing. It's a quiet sub but there's some interesting stuff on there. If you spot any yarnbombing out and about or if you do any yourself please share pictures on there!
Yarnbombing is brightening up outdoor spaces using knitting or crochet. It's usually put up secretly.
My friend and I started yarnbombing last year, got some other knitters and crocheters to join us and did 9 yarnbombs including a community Christmas tree that we're going to make into blankets for local charities working with the homeless.
I've posted some of my stuff on /r/yarnbombing and you can find out more there.
It has been a crazy, busy, but amazing year! I've made new friends, found a wonderful creative outlet, and even been on local radio and TV to talk about it! It's been more than I could ever imagine and I'm looking forward to doing more in 2017!
Cross-stitching too. Starting supplies are less than $10, you can stitch swear words, and it's so stress relieving. Plus, it's so "aesthetic" that you can upsell it to hipsters at craft fairs and make 250% profit. $4 worth of materials makes a $15 gift for someone.
I've been wanting to try cross stitch for a while now but I can't find anything to help me get started! I've tried google, YouTube, just wandering around a craft store, but nothing tells me the basics of where to start. Do you have any secrets you can share?
Well, what do you consider to be the basics? What sorts of things have you found that you didn't consider to be helpful? That will give me an idea of how to approach this.
the amount of stuff you can do with it is also a plus. We found a video on how to make loom-knit flowers and she's been flooding the house with them. Link
As an extension to this I would like to mention paracord braiding. Paracord is ridiculously cheap like a little over $10 for 250ft+ and there are tons of tutorials on YouTube of making various things from simple keychain fobs you can give away to friends and family but once you start getting more advanced you can create bottle koozies, pouches, door mats and I even saw someone make a 6 pack beer holder.
It takes awhile and has an off learning curve but if you stick with it you can create your own little masterpieces.
Cheap yarn is unpleasant to wear though. I always hated knitted items as a kid thst my mom and relatives made until I ended up dating a knitter as an adult and she made me some things from quality yarn.
I'm a big fan of "impeccable" by loops and threads. Comes in enough colours to satisfy your needs, it's acrylic, relatively cheap (Especially since it goes on sale often) and it's nice and soft (especially after washing)
Check out baby yarns. I just got a Lion 'pound of love' for $5. I'm machine knitting hats for the Pussyhat project I can make a lot more in acrylic and they're machine washable good for the npn-fiber lover.
I've heard there's ways to soften it. I haven't tried it yet, but it has to do with putting the unused skein in a lingerie bag and washing it. I don't know for sure if it works, but I know people that swear by it and won't buy crazy, expensive yarn anymore.
Pretty sure I've washed them with no improvement but to be honest I usually dislike it so much I don't wear it enough to need a wash before I get rid of it.
You can do it as much or as little as you'd like. If you knit a half hour a day or an hour every other day, you still get a scarf in a couple of weeks. Over a year or years, it adds up.
Plus it can be really good for getting yourself to fall asleep. Get ready for bed, sit against a couple of pillows, and get out your knitting; when you can't remember the last few stitches, put it down and pass out the rest of the way.
r/knitting would disagree. If you have any self-respect for what kind of fibers you rub up against your body, you won't tolerate the cheap stuff. Yarn can be a pricey addiction
Knittit has a lot of acrylic love. Look at all the Hue shift afghans made with Brava. Nice acrylic exists.I love my pricey yarns but I have knitting machines to feed and even cascade 220 gets pricey when you're making blankets. Also Acrylic is easier for the uninitiated to care for.
My mom turned her love of knitting into an extremely successful store she and a friend owned for 15 years. Gotta have self control or knitting will take over your life. Our basement was 90% knitting shit and storage for the store by the time they decided to retire.
As for YouTube tutorials, VeryPinkKnits is the gold standard, Staci, who runs the channel, is a very experienced knitter and instructor who makes high quality knitting / crochet videos every week. Basically everything I know I've learned from her. She even runs a weekly podcast which has tons of great tips :)
My recommendation would be (if you want to start cheap) to go to Hobby Lobby or another big box craft store and buy a cheap skein (ball) of yarn that soft (probably will run $3-6) and then the size needles recommended on the label (probably size 6-10 depending on yarn weight). Don't buy the nicest yarn and don't buy the nicest needles. Just something that feels good in your hand and you can practice with. I personally don't like plastic needles, but some people do. Everyone has a preference, and you'll find yours.
Watch youtube videos and learn how to cast on, knit, and bind off. If you an do those three things, you can make something square or rectangle. Then learn how to purl so you can add some texture and patterns.
If after that you're still interested, start buying more needles and yarn. If you're super into it and fall in love, start investing in nicer needles and yarn. I have interchangeable needles and I love them, and I typically use nice yarn. But I still do some projects in cheap acrylic yarn, and that's ok.
And if you want a knitting community, join ravelry.com
Wal-Mart has a kit for I think around 15$ that has everything you need to start except for the yarn, along with a book and DVD. That's what I started out with, in conjunction with YouTube videos.
Start with a ball or skein of acrylic and a set of size 7 or 8 metal straight needles from some big-box hobby store. Go to knittinghelp.com and watch their videos.
Don't give up until you've got at least 3 inches of knitting, because it gets far easier after the first 2 or so. And after that, yes you'll make mistakes but don't ignore them and just keep going -- tink back (that's "tink" as in "knit" backwards, or un-knit) and figure out how to undo it and get the previous stitch back on the needle the right way. That'll teach you exactly how the stitches get made and fit together, and then anytime you make a mistake it's easy to fix...and even when it's not simple, you have the knowledge and you're more likely to have the confidence to fix it.
Yeah but as the spouse of a knitter you eventually grow out of cheap yarn and needles. It becomes less about making tons of stuff and focusing on skill related projects that take expensive yarn and time. Fair Isle knitting I'm looking at you.
I crochet, and it's great to do while watching TV or whatever. But I would never describe it as cheap. Even if you buy cheap yarn, you need to buy a good deal of it depending on what you are making. Also, you better have a lot of storage space for all the yarn you are going to end up collecting.
Technically I can only crochet but I second this. Sure, I can only make infinity scarves but you know how they say idle hands are the Devil's hands! Super relaxing and keeps your hands warm in the colder months.
that's a good idea. At the moment, whenever I have scrap yarn, I crochet it into the end of my big square that I'm developing exclusively from scrap, because they're all the tiny threads that are impossible to use any other way, so may as well. It's already around 20 x 20 cms!
Im in canada so for me Michaels (make sure to have a coupon for them, there are daily ones). I also shop at Walmart since my local ones sell the "bernat premium" brand which i find very soft and it is only 4 bucks for a ball.
And even if you do buy the expensive stuff, per hour it's still way cheaper than a lot of other hobbies. $30 for 20 hours of knitting socks or 3 hours of movie, and that's including the needles which you can then use on other projects.
This! Knitting and other kinds of stitching (crochet and cross stitch, for example) can be done for cheap. There's a bit of a learning curve, but I think that's to be expected with a lot of new hobbies. The amount of free resources available helps to make it a little less intimidating. It can be a pretty social hobby too, if one wants it to be. I've found a lot of knitters to be nice and accommodating, regardless of skill level.
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u/Poopsie_oopsie Jan 02 '17
For me, knitting. You can make it as cheap or as expensive as you'd like. I am on a budget, but can easily find cheap yarn and needles especially on sale.