Good beginner knitting projects - the guide
What is a good beginner knitting project?
When you are new to knitting, it can seem like a bit of a jungle to find your way around and get started. Because what is a good project to start with? Why do you have to do a knitting swatch? Can't I just use any old yarn for the sweater I have chosen? And what do those abbreviations really mean? And so it is with most new hobbies. It all takes time, you learn from your mistakes and slowly get better and better. But just because you're a knitting newbie, it doesn't mean you can't create beautiful knitting projects. And we would love to give you a good introduction to the universe of knitting. Below you can read our guide to finding good beginner knitting projects, and after reading this, we have more tips and inspiration for new knitters - all accessible through our "How to knit" page here.
Top 3 of good beginner knitting projects:
We have made a top 3 of good beginner knitting projects that we recommend you start out with, if you are brand new to knitting.
1. Scarves
A good beginner scarf is knitted in the round on a circular needle, and you therefore only need to knit garter sts in a long tube. If you dare to challenge yourself a little more, you can knit the scarf back and forth. That way, you really get to practice your knit and purl stitches. It will help you later in your knitting life. Just keep in mind that a scarf can be a lengthy process, so keep your hopes up and be patient. In return you get to practice a lot, and you can always spice up your project with stripes of different colors or stitch combinations.
We recommend this:
Easy Peasy scarf
2. Hats or beanies
A hat is also a great beginner project. We have made our own Easy Peasy hat + scarf set, where you can make both hat and scarf. But if you just want to start with a beanie, that is no problem. It is also not as time consuming as a scarf is, as it is significantly smaller and most often knitted in garter st on circular needles.
Our advice for your first beanie project:
Easy peasy hat from Önling
Oslo hat from PetiteKnit
3. Dish cloths
You can never have too many dish cloths in your kitchen. There are so many reasons to knit your own. Firstly, it is a fun and fast project, and you will be able to make a personal mark on your kitchen. Secondly, it is much better for the environment as you avoid microplastics if you choose the right yarn. We recommend Önling No 14, which is GOTS-certified organic cotton / linen yarn. Third, they are really good in use and very durable. You can choose whether you want them thin or thick - and then all your friends will also want some ;-)
The dishcloth is a much faster project than hats and scarves, and you are still learning knit and purl - all in all a VERY good beginner knitting project. And when you have learned knit and purl, you can always add more techniques and practice those for the next cloth.
There are so many beautiful ways to knit dish cloths, here are our favorites:
Katrine's 3 favorite dishcloths
Remember, no matter what you knit as your first project, the most important thing is to have fun while knitting and learning from your mistakes.
Some advice before you start your first knitting project
Before you start your first knitting project, there are a few more things you should consider:
Is the project meant for yourself or someone else?
There is no greater joy than to please others. And what's better than home-knitted love? You may want to learn to knit a baby blanket for your new nephew, a nice cardigan for your girlfriend to get married, a trendy beginner slipover for your niece or a shawl for your mother's round birthday. But you might want to reconsider whether your first project should be for someone else. There are several reasons for this. First, your very first project will almost certainly contain beginner mistakes, incorrect gauge, or something completely different. If the project is to be handed over to someone else, these mistakes will not be as easy to forgive as if it were for yourself. Secondly, you deserve your first project all by yourself. And then it's also super fun to see the progress through your finished knitting projects over time. So therefore - make your first project for yourself, and knit for others when the basic skills are in place.
Time, time and more time
Maybe you never thought about how long it takes to make a sweater. We can easily go to H&M and buy a knitted sweater for 40-50 dollars. But if you are going to produce your next woollen love yourself, just note that it can easily take 20-30 hours for a practiced knitter in pure knitting time. And for many other good knitters, it can take months. So have patience and maybe start with a slightly smaller project so you do not lose faith.
Learn the basic knitting techniques with videos
Before you embark on your first project, we would recommend that you practice the 2 fundamental techniques: knit and purl. If you know these 2 techniques, you will get far with your new hobby. It is a good idea to use some cheap yarn and make some samples first, while you practice these techniques. That way you get to know both your knitting gauge, but also the needles you knit with.
If this is the very first time you hold yarn and knitting needles in your hand while reading this, you should watch these videos to help you get started (note: currently these video are in Danish - we are working on translating them, but you can still watch them and learn the technique from them):
