If you want to get involved with knitting, it can be tempting to buy practically all sorts of materials if you’re just getting started: from yarns like West Yorkshire spinners and needles, to fabrics and even sewing machine parts if you’re working on a something much bigger like a quilting project.
It is really easy to go wild if you don’t know where to start.
Knitting supplies: The basics
Yarn
Yarn is a textile traditionally made of animal-based fibres, plant-based fibres or synthetic fibres, like polyester or nylon.
Yarns can be split into different categories depending on the number of plies (the interlocked fibres). Unlike embroidery machines, which use another type of textiles, yarns are to be used with needles.
If you’re a beginner, choosing a medium worsted yarn is recommendable. Natural fibre yarns are better for advanced knitters since they lack the same stretch as other less-advanced yarns and can be difficult to knit with.
Make sure to hold the yarn in your hands to determine if it’s the right choice for your level.
Scissors
In order to cut the excess yarn from your knitting activities, you’ll need a pair of scissors.
You can either purchase a special pair of scissors or simply use the ones you have at home. You can also simply snip a piece of yarn if you don’t have a pair of scissors available. In the end, there’s no fancy cutting in knitting.
Knitting needle
Knitting needles come in many different materials.
For beginners, it’s recommended to start with bamboo or wooden needles, as the yarn doesn’t slide off the needles as easily as they do with advanced needles.
Plastic or aluminium needles are more advanced; however, it is a wise choice to have several sets of knitting needles in your knitting kit sou can experiment with it and find which type of needle works best for your projects.