Knitting

Written By Worlds Between Bindery .

This might be surprising to those who know me, but I actually attempted knitting before I even picked up a crochet hook. Back in 2016, when I practically lived in Michaels, I had two big hobbies that everyone—friends, family, coworkers—knew I was balls deep in: crochet and making miniature versions of things with polymer clay (we’ll discuss later).

My mistake that ultimately led to rage quitting knitting was lack of research. I bought the first pair of knitting needles I saw, which were giant gold 10” US 15 (10 mm) single point aluminum needles. Very cartoonish of me. On top of that poor choice of starter needles, I also bought super bulky roving yarn, which had very little give and was a nightmare to knit up and frog. Both items quickly became acquainted with the bottom of my crafting ottoman, and I decided crochet was an easier venture.

It wasn’t until last year when I decided to give knitting a real, honest try. The prospect of making wearables was the biggest draw for me. I had already bound my own books; how much more cottagecore could I get if I were able to make my own clothes, too?

🧶 Knitting Styles

During the course of learning this skill, I came to learn that there are a few knitting styles, but the most popular are:

  • throwing aka English, where the yarn is “thrown” around the needle

    • handmade by florence does thing called flicking, which is a variant of English knitting, and is quite elegant to watch, and while I’ve attempted this, my fingers just won’t cooperate…sadly

  • picking aka Continental, where the yarn is picked through the stitch—this is how I knit

There is online discourse akin to Android vs iOS when it comes to English vs Continental, but I’m not about that life. If I had my way, I would learn to do both, because it would be giving ambidextrous somehow.

🧶 Stitches

Unlike crochet that comes with a plethora of stitches, knitting only comes with two:

  • knit stitch - the most basic stitch you can learn; achieved by inserting your right needle knitwise (front to back) and pulling the working yarn to the front

  • purl stitch - the opposite of knit stitch; insert your needle purlwise (back to front) and pulling the working yarn to the back

Nimble Needles wrote an informative tutorial about these two types of stitches and how you can differentiate one from the other. Combinations of these stitches will result in varying fabrics. A few examples:

  • garter stitch - when knitting flat: knit one side, turn, and knit the other side; when knitting in the round: knit one row, purl the next row

  • stockinette - the iconic look of something knitted and my favorite, because I hate purling; when knitting flat: knit every row; when knitting in the round: knit all the rows

  • rib stitch - alternate knit & purl across the row

🧶 Needle Types

illustration of the 5 needle types

There are 2-5 main types of knitting needles, depending on how you categorize some of them:

  • straight needles - have one pointy end and a stopper at the other end; ideal for flat knitting

  • double-pointed needles (DPNs) - both ends are pointy, and allow for knitting in the round; I learned how to knit socks using DPNs; Sheep & Stitch has an enlightening metaphor that explains how DPNs work

  • circular needles - connected at a tip each by a cable; ideal for knitting “in the round”

    • interchangeable circular needles - could be a system of needles and cables of different lengths and sizes that you can mix and match according to your project’s needs; long cables may allow you to knit via magic loop

  • cable needles - less for active knitting and more an optional tool for holding stitches when working cables

The Spruce Crafts has a handy dandy guide on these types of knitting needles if you need more information.

My Needle Picks

I admittedly went overboard when I dove headfirst into knitting. The collection of needles started humbly enough with clearance items Michaels (<$5 Loops & Threads metal circular needles). But I soon found myself lugging around a (handmade!) craft bag filled with the following sets:

Material of Needle

When it comes to the material that the needles are made of, there is not one that dominates the rest. Since my collection is majority metal, I work with what I have. Although it might be helpful to consider the type of yarn you are using and how your needle could affect your workflow.

Wool yarn might snag on wooden needles, but glide on metal. Inversely, acrylic yarn might work better with grippy wooden needles. Plastic needles are the most affordable, and ideal for beginners who are not quite sold on this craft yet. Knit Picks has a post discussing needle materials if you’d like to learn more. No matter what you choose, the stakes are never that high. Get what speaks to you.

wool yarn on metal needles

🧶 Knitting Yarn

The yarn I use for crochet vs knitting are not always the same. Because crochet is more decorative, amigurumi-heavy, and rarely wearable, I am okay with using inexpensive, lower-quality yarns. With knitting, since I wear what I make, I will splurge a bit more on finer quality yarns such as alpaca wool and hand dyed twisted hanks that need a swift and ball winder.

hand dyed yarns made of natural fibers are usually at least $20+

In Sacramento, my go-to yarn boutiques are:

  • Babetta’s Yarn and Gifts in Fair Oaks - narrow aisles, very cozy with a vintage vibe; get a stamp card and have her wind your yarn for you for a small fee

  • Knitique in Elk Grove - closed in late 2025

  • Rumpelstiltskin on the R St Corridor - high-end store, expensive yarns

This isn’t to say Michaels doesn’t have any good yarns to offer. I made my Step by Step Sweater using Caron Cloud Cakes when they went on sale.

big box craft stores offer budget yarns

🧶 Other Notions

It’s easy to fall into that slippery slope of overconsumption when shopping for notions, at least for me, because they’re not that expensive and they are often very pretty. But just know that these are the items that I’ve ever needed and used in my knitting journey:

  • Snips - I prefer these over scissors because (1) they come with a cover and (2) they’re more ergonomic

  • Locking stitch markers - I prefer these over closed hoops because they’re easier to move around

  • Finishing needles for weaving in the ends - I prefer these flexible plastic ones by Susan Bates because any weight of yarn will fit through the large eye, which means less stress when you’re at the finish line

  • Stitch counter - suprisingly came in clutch when I knit my sweater

  • Point protectors/stoppers - only if you foresee yourself traveling or pausing your projects for long periods of time; these prevent your stitches from falling off your needles

🧶 Recommended Patterns

These are patterns that I have personally tried and tested successfully as an advanced beginner knitter.

Worlds Between Bindery .