Picking up a new hobby means that you got to start from somewhere. You take baby steps and achieve one small goal after the other before you take on a mountain of a goal.
This is the same with knitting. There are various patterns and loops that you will need to master to produce a masterpiece, so before tackling that, why don’t you start from the easiest knitting pattern and work your way up to the hardest?
Knitting difficulty will depend on the person’s experience; after all, intricate designs take time to master, but once you get the hang of it, you will soon find the most tedious tasks enjoyable. You may also find pride in your work that would show your expertise in the skill.
One of the more difficult parts of knitting are the heels on the socks, thumb gussets, and some would say sweater yolks.
Of course, the difficulty level of the knitting pattern is subjective, but would it not be great if, due to hours of practice, you can say that most knitting patterns for you are just a walk in the park?
How Difficult Is Knitting?
Learning a new hobby and starting from ground zero can be intimidating but do not worry; this hobby is relatively easy to learn. You can start with easy patterns and work your way up to the most difficult part.
Knitting may be new to you, but it is an ancient art dating back to the 5th century in Egypt. If you have ever heard of the phrase walk like an Egyptian, then you might find it comical to imagine that some of them would wear knitted socks.
Knitting requires fine motor skills, patience, and focus. If you have all these three, you are off to a great start.
Knitting is not that hard, so do not worry about it; it is just that you have to get used to the mental and motor task that this hobby demands. Unless you are already accustomed to needle crafts, you might not finish a pair of socks or shawls overnight.
If you ever feel dazed at the knitting pattern, remember to take a break and not pressure yourself. If you want to, you can take as long as you like to complete a project because you have to remember that it is only as hard as you make it.
If you are starting with the basics, it is best to master first the easiest way to hold a yarn, which is the English (American) Style. This is also sometimes called flicking or throwing.
With your right hand, you hold the yarn and wrap it around the needle, hence the name flicking or throwing. That is pretty simple, right?
With this style of English, you can easily accomplish simple patterns in no time. You may even challenge yourself and finish a project in a few days.
Can I Learn to Knit in a Day?
The easy answer to this question is that yes, you can learn to knit in a day. But do not take my word for it; it is best to try it out yourself.
Mastering basic stitches and binding offs is easy to learn but do not take it too lightly, as you may be left with false expectations. At the same time, you should not make a mountain out of a molehill, so before you commit to anything, you should research this art extensively.
According to Jabberwolly.com, it should take 20 to 30 hours to learn to be decent at making basic patterns. So the good news is that producing a finished product will not take you 10,000 hours.
But if you want to delve deep into this art, then go ahead and master the art of knitting; I am sure that in no time, you will produce beautiful masterpieces.
Now that you know that knitting in a day is achievable, it is time to familiarize yourself with the community’s terminologies for this craft. Some may be weird, but it is worth knowing if you ever want to get serious with the art of knitting.
- Guage Swatching – This step is at the start of the project, where you knit a sample piece to gauge how many stitches per inch you need to use on your project.
- Casting off – Casting off is saying goodbye to the endless rows of stitches at the end of the project, where you get the stitches off the needle so that they do not unravel.
- Blocking – This is the last step before a project can be done. It is when the knitter dampens, steams, or manipulates the fabric to take the shape of the desired form.
- Casting On – Casting on is getting the first row of stitches onto the needle.
- Frogging – This term is coined after a frog’s sound in correlation to the act of ripping the project the knitter has given up on. In this case, the action would sound like a frog “rip-it, rip-it.”
- DPNs – Double-pointed Needles or DPNs are usually for the more seasoned knitter. They are used to knit round items with small circumferences.
- LYS – Once engulfed in the craft, you will often frequent LYS, which stands for your “local yarn store.” You can get lost for hours and hours browsing through the shelves of yarns of different colors and textures. Do not spend too much time in them, though; you might find yourself entangled in them, and it might take you a few hours to break out of it.
- U.F.O. – Nope, this is not an unidentified flying object. For the knitting community, this means an unfinished object. Some projects will take longer than others to finish, and until then, they will be known as U.F.Os
- Shadow Knitting – This is the appearance of a knitted fabric that changes when viewed in different directions.
- Slip-Stitch Knitting– This is when a row of stitches is not knitted; or missed and then knitted on a subsequent row.
- Mosaic Knitting – This is a form of slip-stitch knitting that forms alternate colored rows and forms a mosaic. These patterns are often stiffer than other fabrics.
Is Knitting Harder Than Crochet?
Knitting and crochet are pretty similar. When knitting, you will need a pair of large needles, usually made of steel, to make loops. Crochet, on the other hand, uses one hook to make the stitches.
Another difference between the two is that in knitting, the stitches take a form of a “V” while in crochet, the stitches are knotted together.
The difficulty level of the two is where we find people divided. Crochet may be easier for some, but knitting beats crochet when it comes to intricate patterns and designs.
That is not all knitting stitches usually guarantee that you end up with a lot more flexible garments. The flow is more natural, and it drapes better than projects that are done by crochet.
It is a running joke in the arts and crafts community that the knitters and crocheters are like the fans of Marvel versus D.C. that they do not get along well as they try to best each other, but that could not be further from the truth because the comradery of being yarn siblings bonds them.
What Are the Hardest Things to Knit?
There are levels of Knitting expertise, and an experienced knitter will tell you that some of the more complex patterns use stitches like short rows, fair isle lace patterns, intricate intarsia, cables, and multiple color changes. And if you spend years mastering these skills, you will surely produce amazing products.
For some people, it takes a while before they can consider a once-hard pattern as easy, especially when the task is mainly repetitive. Here are some Knitting Techniques that serious knitters should know by heart.
Mega Knitting
Micro knitting
Short Row
The Armenian Knitting Technique
Wrap and Turn
German Short Row
Japanese Short Row
Twined Knitting
Wrapping Up
At the end of the day, you do not need to stress yourself with patterns that are too hard to master. After all, this is a hobby that should be enjoyed.
If you feel like being overwhelmed or bored with the current project, then do not hesitate to pause and take a break. Put it on the shelf, tag it as a U.F.O. or an unfinished project, and walk outside.
Who knows, you might get a sudden hint of inspiration to add to your current design or, better yet, start a new one. Just do not hoard too much yarn, as you might find it troublesome to get rid of it someday.
Projects that are made with love should be given to families and friends, and remember that time spent with what you do best and what you enjoy is time well spent.
