Wilkinson - Learn to Knit, Love to Knit

Text, projects, and designs copyright 2012
Anna Wilkinson

Photography copyright 2012
Laura Edwards

Artwork, design and layout copyright 2012
Quadrille Publishing Ltd.

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Potter Craft, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

www.crownpublishing.com
www.pottercraft.com

POTTER CRAFT and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Originally published in the United Kingdom by
Quadrille Publishing Ltd., London, in 2012.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wilkinson, Anna, 1987
Learn to knit, love to knit / Anna Wilkinson. 1 [edition],
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-8041-3680-8 (pbk.) ISBN 978-0-8041-3681-5 (ebook)
1. KnittingPatterns. I. Title.
TT825.W554 2013
746.432dc23
2013008139

Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-8041-3680-8
Ebook ISBN 978-0-8041-3681-5

Photographs by Laura Edwards
Jacket design by Claire Peters
Jacket photographs by Laura Edwards

v3.1

For my parents, Joanna and Martin Wilkinson.

When I was learning to knit, I found the hardest part was getting used to how the yarn and needles felt in my hands and how to manipulate them with my fingers. I remember my hands feeling very rigid and awkward at first, but this feeling quickly passed with just a little persistence, practice, and a few inevitable dropped stitches. Once you have learned the basic knit stitch, and really gotten the hang of it, I believe anything is possible. Every other knitted stitch is just a variation of this one technique and, once you are familiar with the basics, you will be well on your way to mastering any pattern you put your mind to.

The LEARN TO KNIT projects in the first section of this book include some very basic and straightforward patterns, so starting with these will enable you to become familiar with the craft and the simpler knit stitches. The patterns then build in difficulty, introducing techniques in different projects, giving you the chance to learn and practice new skills. Some of the LOVE TO KNIT projects toward the end of this book may look daunting, but everything is perfectly achievable. Certain projects are simply more time consuming than others and may require more concentration. Just remember, do not panic if you go wrong or drop a stitch. The beauty of knitting is that stitches can easily be unraveled and reknitted.

My career in knitwear really launched for me when I graduated from Winchester School of Art in 2009 and went on to win the Gold Award in the Knitted Textile Awards, which was showcased at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. This was an amazing opportunity for me. I met designers, including Debbie Bliss, who Ive since had the pleasure of working with on a freelance basis. Before all of this though, a long time ago, I learned to knit at quite a young age. I was taught by my mother, who encouraged me and my two brothers to be creative in all ways; I really wouldnt be writing this book now if it wasnt for all her support. I grew up with color, art, and textiles around me, so now I cant imagine doing anything else. Im just so grateful to be able to spend my time doing something that I love and call it work.

While at university, I learned to machine knit; however, for me, there is no comparison between hand knitting and machine knitting. Hand knitting is charming and has personality, plus the labor involved makes it utterly priceless. Whether you wear it yourself or give it as an incredibly generous gift, a hand knit will be loved and worn until it is falling apart and threadbare. You simply cannot create something so special using a machine. The possibilities with hand knitting are endlessyou can dream up practically anything and make it yourself. Within this book, I have produced a collection of garments and accessories that I loved designing and making, and each of which I want to wear myself. I really hope that you too enjoy making these projects, whether you are a beginner or have been knitting for years, and I hope that you feel inspired to continue knitting and exploring other patterns and possibilities.

KNITTING NEEDLES Knitting needles come in a variety of lengths and thicknesses, depending on the yarn you are knitting with and how many stitches you want to hold on your needle. You will find that when you knit with really thick yarn you will need thicker needles, and the finer the yarn you are using the thinner the needles you will need to use. When you buy yarn, the label always has a suggested needle size on it, but you can always play around with if you want a tighter or looser stitch. You can also get circular needles for knitting in the round. Basically, these are two shorter needles connected by a long nylon wire. You can use circular needles for knitting in rows as well as working in the round, just make sure at the end of each row you swap the needles over in your hands and knit back the way youve just come, rather than continue to knit round and round.

STITCH HOLDERS You will need a few stitch holders when knitting garments. They are used for holding stitches securely that are currently not being worked, for example, around a neckline while you continue with a different section of knitting. These stitches are then later returned to the needles from the stitch holder once you are ready to work with them again. Safety pins are a good alternative for holding a small number of stitches.

CABLE NEEDLES Cable needles are small open-ended needles used for holding just a few stitches at a time and are used when you make the twist in a cable.

YARN NEEDLE Make sure that you have a few blunt-ended yarn needles (called tapestry or darning needles) with a big enough eye to fit yarn through for stitching up knitted garments. Its preferable not to use needles that are too fine or you might find yourself stitching through the knitted yarn and splitting it. A bodkin, which is similar to a needle but is very thick with a big eye, is perfect for stitching up bulky knitted garments.

PINS AND SAFETY PINS These are always useful for pinning seams together before you stitch them, so you know youre sewing evenly.

TAPE MEASURE A tape measure is essential for checking that your gauge is correct. Also, you may find that some patterns use measurements instead of row numbers.

PEN AND PAPER For marking off where you are in your pattern and making other notes.

SCISSORS For snipping yarn.

ROW COUNTERS These are tiny cylinders with rotating numbers that you can slip on one of your knitting needles. Each time you complete a row or round, change the number so you know where you are in your knitting pattern at all times.

NEEDLE GAUGE If you have a collection of vintage knitting needles, which can be picked up from thrift stores or garage sales, a needle gauge is really useful. If the needles are foreign or the number is rubbed off, this will confirm the size.