Learn to Knit During Quarantine

It's day 542 of the COVID-19 pandemic, and perhaps you all at home have run out of books to read, movies to watch, and things to do. And though we all wish that circumstances were different, perhaps this a good time to pick up a new crafting hobby! As a devoted crafter and maker-of-things, I have plenty of suggestions for places you can look to find information on how to get started with some of my favorite kinds of crafting - today we'll focus on knitting!

Knitting is my go to craft because you can make such cool things with it, it's very portable so you can take it along wherever, and once you get the hang of it, you can do it while watching TV!! The ultimate multi-tasking craft. Here's a great beginner series from the Sheep and Stitch that will show you the basics of knitting: making a slip knot, casting on, learning the knit stitch, and learning how to cast off. 

With these four techniques, you can make the most beginning of beginning knitting projects - a scarf! Pick a fun color, and start practicing away. 

Some things to know about knitting:

- As the video says, start with a thicker yarn for your project! It's easier to knit with, see what you're doing, and your project will also knit up faster.

- Don't worry if your stitches are uneven in the beginning - figuring out your knitting tension takes a WHILE to do, and it only comes with time and practice. After a while, your hands will get used to the motion of knitting, and you can focus on making your stitch tension even.

- Looking for projects? Ravelry.com is a GREAT place to find projects. There are thousands of free patterns you can search for, and if you make an account, you can save items into your library and keep track of what you have completed.

Interested in learning more about knitting? Here are some resources that I recommend following and watching:

- Quinceandco.com: Sustainably produced yarns, with beautiful patterns and designs. 

- Very Pink Knits on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/verypinkknits): Knitting instructor and designer with tons of short videos on how to do different knitting techniques. She's great at explaining what she is doing, and I usually look for her videos when I am learning a new technique.

- Amanda Bjerke (@knaturlknitwear on Instagram): A local knit designer and instructor! Her Instagram is full of the cool projects that she is working on, and has lots of great ideas for new projects you can cast on.

Feel free to share pics of things that you are working on, or reach out to HYP Board Member, Amelea Kim (amelea.kim@gmail.com) with any crafting questions you have. Happy to answer if I know it, or direct you to someplace/someone who does!