beginner needing help

[mom2tatum]

I bought my first pair of knitting needles and some yarn to learn and mess around with. I learned to cast on and am learning the knit stitch now...but I am wondering, thinking ahead here, because I am getting excited - I'd like to try to knit a beginner's scarf - just a basic garter stitch with these size 8 needles (so I don't have to buy anything else right yet) and use this autumn print colored yarn. It is mediumBut cannot find anything online for that except with bigger needles. Anyone know of a scarf I can make with these materials and my new skills?

Thanks so much.

Lori

[NorthernPixie]

I would just decided how wide you want your scarf to be, cast on some stitches, and knit! If you're just doing garter stitch, then there isn't really a pattern. Cast on some stitches (less than you think, it always looks *way* smaller in the cast on than it ends up being once you're knitting), and knit until your scarf is as long as you want it to be. Then cast off. You could add some tassels/fringe by looping some yarn through your cast on/off stitches. That's all there is to it. Good luck!

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by NorthernPixie

I would just decided how wide you want your scarf to be, cast on some stitches, and knit! If you're just doing garter stitch, then there isn't really a pattern. Cast on some stitches (less than you think, it always looks *way* smaller in the cast on than it ends up being once you're knitting), and knit until your scarf is as long as you want it to be. Then cast off. You could add some tassels/fringe by looping some yarn through your cast on/off stitches. That's all there is to it. Good luck!

That's great advice from NorthernPixie. Also, it should say on your yarn label how many stitches to an inch they expect you to get on a particular size of needle. Of course, this differs from knitter to knitter but can be a rough guide. What does yours say?

[mom2tatum]

I am feeling pretty good about myself because I did actually realize that would be the most common sense thing to do BEFORE you suggested it! . I am a genius..haha! No, I probably would've been nervous to try it without someone telling me that was ok to do.

Ok, so my yarn says "4x4" 16 sts x 22 r with a 9 on top of this little diagram (forgive me, I know nothing at this point, so I don't want to guess and tell you what I think any of it means). Hmmm. Is that enough for a scarf? If not for me, maybe for my ds? I felt like my cast on was really tight, and I am having a tough time getting through the first row...maybe I am doing it wrong though - or is that possible to have done it TOO tight?

This is fun to learn...I can't wait to finish.

Thanks so so so so much for the input!

[NorthernPixie]

The '9' is most probably the knitting needle size. US 9 = 5.5mm, and I think you have size 8 needles? So in my book that's close enough to a 9 to use that gauge as a pretty good guide. However, you will know within a couple of rows whether your scarf is too wide or too narrow. If it is, you can just tear it out and start over. As for how far one ball of yarn will take you...depends entirely on how big the ball is! Maybe start with a narrower scarf for your DS and see how it goes?

So back to the gauge - 4x4 16 sts and 22 rows means that if you used #9 needles, a swatch of knitting 16 stitches across and 22 rows long would measure 4" x 4". But that is kind of an average tension, and not everyone knits perfectly like that. Probably most don't. It is very possible that your casting on is too tight. I would take it out and cast on again, being careful to keep your stitches really loose. If you have to force the needle in to knit the stitch, it's too tight.

If you wanted a scarf to be 4" wide, cast on about 16 stitches. If your stitches are tight, cast on a couple more. If they're really loose, cast on a couple less. If you wanted a scarf to be only 3" wide, cast on about 12 stitches, or 5" wide about 20 stitches...etc.

And of course if you get a little bit into your scarf and don't like it, you can absolutely just rip it out and use the yarn for something else. Knitting is good like that!

[mom2tatum]

OHHHH. ok. I get that now. I think I have plenty of yarn to do a nice long scarf...I have messed up a little on my first row, two stitches look incorrect so I don't exactly know what I did, but I guess that would screw me up when I try to do the next row, so maybe I should take it out and do it again? Practice can't hurt anyway at this point!!!

Thanks so much again! You really explain things well....to someone like me who needs it spelled out. I try to learn from knitting help.com but I've actually had more luck "getting it" from you tube video's...