50 Times People Mastered The Art Of Knitting And Shared Their Creations Online

Knitting used to feel like something made for granny souls. But the times are changing and as the world is shifting towards a more sustainable lifestyle, slower consumption, and homemade goodies, knitwork is back in the much-deserved spotlight.

So in order to find out what it takes to master knitting skills and become a proud knitter, Bored Panda talked to Ida, a knitwear and pattern designer from Lapland, Finland who runs her website “Knitgrammer.” Ida said that in Finland, kids are taught how to knit in school already, which makes knitting an essential part of education. “Since I'm in my 30s I have been knitting for more than 20 years,” she added.

Ida explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people were forced to stay at home, due to which knitting became incredibly popular. “For instance, Finnish yarn company Novita reported that their sales increased 18% compared to the previous year, being approximately 24 million euros,” the knitwear designer told us. Moreover, “Here in Finland, people also got so excited about knitting traditional Icelandic sweaters that last spring I couldn't find an online store that had the yarn available,” she added. It turns out, even the factory didn't have the yarn in stock.

Ida assured us that anyone can learn to knit. “In Finland, it is taught in elementary school and if it is not a school subject in your country, nowadays there are plenty of videos online from which you can learn.” She also said the knitting community is very friendly and the more experienced knitters will be very happy to share their wisdom with beginners.

Meanwhile, “A pro knitter knows the technique, understands how different materials and stitch patterns affect the fabric qualities, and also knows the math behind knitting.” Having said that, Ida added that you can still “knit beautiful and usable things if you learn the basic techniques and follow good patterns as well as use the yarn recommended on them.”

“The first thing you need to learn as a beginner knitter are the two basic stitches: knit and purl as well as how to cast on and bind off. Good beginner projects are for instance a garter stitch scarf, basic hat, hot pad, or dishcloth.” After mastering the basics, you can move on to more complex techniques “such as colorwork and lace,” Ida said.

But don’t expect to learn everything instantly. “As with many skills, knitting takes practice. Learning the basic stitches does not usually take more than a few hours, but developing your muscle memory might take a while. After you have practiced enough, your knitting becomes more even and you don't even have to watch your hands when you knit.”