Ms Ford's Corner: The First Stitches

Starting Out
Prior to beginning my very first stitches, I embarked in some research. The very first thing I learned was that you cannot simply pick any yarn, and any set of needles. There are several different sizes and types (talk about overwhelming). Luckily for me, I found Simple-knitting, which, quite frankly has been a lifesaver. Without which, I would have never known that you must match yarn size, needle size, and project. For example, a medium-sized yarn can be used with sizes 6, 7, or 8, depending on the project you are doing.
Despite knowing this, I still managed to get overwhelmed at the craft store. I picked out 10" size 8 needles. Due to cost, I chose aluminum, and though I do not have anything to compare them to, I feel they are easy to work with. Needles were the easy part, it was the walls and walls of yarn I got lost in. I knew I wanted a medium-sized yarn, however, I was not sure where to start. There was cotton, wool, acrylic, mixes, baby yarn, the list goes on! On my first try at the store, I found a good deal, found a material I though felt nice, and the size I needed. The last task was picking a colour. Well, when it came to picking a colour, I moved over too far, selecting a yarn that was "fine-sized". This went unnoticed until I was about to get started, and had to do a double look. Long story short read the labels!!!

The "look for" on the label

Slip Knot
Finally, I had my materials, and was ready to begin. The first thing I needed to learn? A slip knot. This part was easy. The photos below show the step-by-step process of creating a slip knot.

Step 1: Create a loop

Step 2:Fold the front behind

Step 3: Use your needle to pull the back through

Step 4: Pull tight

Voila!

Casting On

The next step was to cast on. Turns out there are several ways to do this, so, I plan to try each one out to see what I like the most. The first one I have done is the single cast on. This one was very simple to do, however, it made it more challenging to start my first knit row. To perform the single cast one, you simply have to hold the needle point up in your right hand, and take the working yarn (the end attached to the ball) in your left, wrap it around your thumb, then slip it onto the needle. Below is a video by Krista Steel-Varsakis demonstrating how to cast on.

Third Times the Charm

As I mentioned, the first row of knit stitches were challenging. It took me a few tries to get the hang of it, and even when I did, the single cast on posed a bit of a challenge for the first row. After the first row, it got a lot easier! Here is what I currently have: