The 5 Best Online Knitting Classes [Ranked]

What is Knitting?

As you may probably be aware of already, knitting refers to the method of molding a fabric or piece of textile to use it in any one of a variety of different kinds of pieces of apparel.

One of the most common aspects of embroidery is that while embroidering, there will inevitably develop a number of loops of yarn, also called stitches, in a straight line or in a tube shape. While cross-stitching, there are bound to be a number of stitches actively caught up in the needle at the same time.

A piece of fabric that has been knitted will have multiple successive rows of connected loops. As you advance your progress with each row, a new loop will be formed, which will then be pulled through one or more loops already in place from the previous row or rows.

This new loop is put on the gaining needle and the loops from the previous rows are then pulled off using the other needle.

By Hand Or By Machine?

There are a number of different types of yarns which you can use to knit (twists, textures, and types of fibers), differently sized needles and multiple kinds of stitches. All of these can be utilized to end up beautifully knitted pieces of cloth with unique and dazzling properties, which include the texture of the cloth, its color, weight, level of heat retention, its appearance, its water resistance and overall strength/integrity.

Essential Skills and Tools

When it comes to the art of embroidery, there are a few basic skills that you need to become adequately good at before you can start churning out well-made pieces of knitted fabric.

These basic skills revolve around the types of methods that you will utilize in your various embroidery endeavors as well as the stitches that you will have to handle. There are more advanced types of knitting which involve purl stitches. This will be discussed in detail further on in this article. For now, some of the very basic skills that you need to grasp are:

• Learning how to form a slip knot and cast it on a piece of cloth,
• Learning how to create the knit stitch,
• Learning how to create the purl stitch,
• Learning how to 'bind off' or 'cast off'.

Apart from these basic skills, you will also require some basic tools that are needed for embroidering anything before you can get started. For your first few tries at embroidery, you should try to be modest, instead of planning a large knitting project that would likely overwhelm you and cause you to quit halfway through.

So for starters, just get a hold of a simple pair of needles (size 6,7 or 8 sized needles are recommended for beginners). You will also need to get a ball of yarn of average weight, along with a yarn needle or a crochet hook. These are the basic tools that you require to get started embroidering.

Other, more advanced tools can come later after you have become adequately proficient at embroidery with these basic tools.

Selecting a Good Pattern for Beginners

Now that you have basic tools needed to get started embroidering, you will need to decide a design or pattern that you want to knit for your first knitting project. For beginners, it is recommended to make their firs project something plain, flat and small so that it won't need any shaping, which requires greater embroidery skills.

A great idea for your first embroidery project is to knit a scarf. One benefit that knitting scarves have for beginners is that since they are so lengthy, it will be perfect for making you learn the essentials of basic stitching. If a scarf doesn't catch your fancy, you can go for a dishcloth. A dishcloth is a similarly simple piece of fabric to knit that can be done quickly and enjoyably.

Knitting a scarf and then a dishcloth will give you the confidence you need to go ahead with more difficult things to knit. You should keep your first attempts at embroidery in sight, such as by hanging them in your room, to keep you motivated and remind you that you can do it.

Once you have decided that you would like to advance to more complicated things to knit, you should do research about various methods and tips about embroidery, according to your current level of skill, so that you can choose a perfect project for your first proper piece of knitting.

Health Benefits

According to scientific studies, knitting with your hands, or doing some other kind of work that involves handling needles with your hands, actually has a number of benefits for your health. These studies have shown that when you use your hands in a repetitive and rhythmic manner, such as while embroidering, your levels of stress, depression and other negative emotions will go down significantly while you are knitting.

The result of less stress and anxiety is that your immune system will boost its effectiveness. Along with this, embroidery also provides a calming and relaxing effect to the nerves, which in turn lowers your blood pressure and pulse, which in turn greatly reduces the chances of you developing heart-related problems.

Scientists who specialize in pain management have found proof that embroidering with your hands has a direct effect on your brain, by increasing the amount of 'feel good' chemicals in your brain (serotonin and dopamine), thus making you feel good as well.

Knitting with your hands, or doing something else like that with your hands, has been shown to have a direct link to lowered chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Just like being physically active has positive effects on the strength levels of the body, so does mentally exercising your brain through activities like embroidery, can have the effect of making your brain more elastic and resilient.

Asides from these health benefits, embroidery also has plenty of social benefits. Knitting is something that only people who are dedicated to it do on a regular basis. So joining an embroidery club is a great way to meet like-minded people with whom you can interact and socialize and develop great friendships.

Finally, another of the many ways that embroidery is great for you is that it helps a lot in improving the dexterity of your fingers and hands. The more you knit, the more limber and flexible your fingers and hands will be. This is of special advantage to those people who suffer from arthritis. If you suffer from arthritis, making knitting a daily habit can go a long way towards reducing the pain in your hand and finger joints.