You’ve bought the needles, the yarn, the pattern books – and perhaps you’ve even cast on. But help! What the heck do all those symbols mean? Have I bought the right kind of yarn? And meh! You’re not so sure you like the knitting pattern after all. And maybe you’re wondering why your work is growing… so… incredibly… slowly!

If this sounds like you, don’t worry; you’re not alone.

In this article, I’m going to tackle some of the most common issues new knitters face and show you how to conquer them – once and for all – so you can kickstart your knitting journey.

My knitting is taking too long

Knitting can indeed take some time, especially when you’re just starting. It’s normal to feel like you’re moving at a snail’s pace, but here’s some advice to speed things up:

Start with small projects: It’s easy to get carried away at the beginning and embark on something big. But the best advice is to start with small projects with very little shaping, like fingerless mitts, cowls and even dishcloths. They’re easier to complete and will give you a sense of accomplishment.

Use Chunky or Super Chunky Yarn: Thick yarns which are knitted on larger needles means you can make things MUCH more quickly, making you feel like a knitting champ in no time. In the US and Canada, these yarns are known as Bulky or Super Bulky. They’re exactly the same as Chunky or Super Chunky – it’s just the name that’s different.

Practise Regularly: Like any skill, practice makes perfect. The more you knit, the faster you’ll become. It won’t be long before knitting becomes automatic – it’s a cliché, I know, but it’s a bit like riding a bike or driving a car. And who knows? You might eventually start knitting as fast as my late granny – it was a blur; you could hardly see her flicking the yarn round the needles!

I’m so confused with all those knitting terms!

I once got a bad review for one of my knitting books because the reviewer said it all looked like Greek to her! Fair enough, but they’re all standard terms – she obviously just didn’t know about knitting. Now that I’ve got that gripe over, let’s move on!

In almost all knitting patterns, there’ll be a list of all the terms used in the pattern and what they mean – k2tog, p3tbl and so on. But there are still some terms pattern writers use that they expect you to know – and this is one of the most frustrating of all beginner knitter problems. My advice is to just take this in your stride. If you come across a word that isn’t familiar, just Google ‘knitting terms’ followed by the word you’re not clear about. Google should then come up with a definition of what the term means.

‘A swatch in knitting is a sample knitted piece of a bigger project or garment. Think of it as a prototype or first attempt before tackling the real thing. It resembles a piece of the finished fabric as closely as possible to ensure everything is working properly.’

What’s the best way to sew my knitting together?

So you’ve learned to cast on, cast (bind) off, and how to knit and purl. But what about sewing the different pieces of your project together?

There are plenty of patterns that require no joining at all or very little. I’m thinking scarves and blankets, mostly. But sooner or later you’re going to want to knit something that has seams.

Sewing your knitting pieces together, like joining a sweater’s sleeves to the body or the back seam of a hat, can be a bit tricky when you’re just starting out. And actually, it’s not just newbie knitters that find it difficult. I’ve seen many a super-confident knitter seam their projects together badly – in some cases ruining all that time and effort they’ve put into their knitting project. For me this was definitely the worst problem as a beginner knitter. So to avoid that happening, here are my top tips.

Invest some time in learning some basic seaming techniques – this is just as important as learning knitting itself. The main one is ‘mattress stitch’. This is a great technique because the seams you use it for will be virtually invisible. (By the way, I don’t know why it’s called mattress stitch as it doesn’t seem to have much to do with mattresses). You can use mattress stitch to join two vertical pieces of knitting (for example, the side seams of a sweater), two horizontal pieces (for example, the shoulder seams of a sweater), or a vertical seem to a horizontal seam (for example, the top of a sweater sleeve and the front of the sweater).

Look for beginner-friendly tutorials on YouTube or knitting websites. You may need to look at a few before you find a presenter that you seem to gel with. They’re not all as clear as they might be. So if you’re looking at one and it doesn’t seem clear, don’t get frustrated – just look for another one. On my Knit Me Quick patterns, which I’ll be launching soon, I always include links to video demonstrations of techniques that beginner knitters may not be familiar with.

Practise on swatches: Before tackling a big project, practise seaming on small swatches. When you’re practising, it’s really helpful to sew your work together using a different coloured yarn, as you can see more easily where you’re going – and where you’ve been. Once you’ve got a bit of practice under your belt, you’ll feel more confident and much less worried that you’re going to spoil your work. I speak from experience. I completely understand the heartbreak you can feel when you sew something together badly – and when you’re undoing a wonky seam you accidentally cut the actual work itself!

Never, ever, ever rush. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. So often when people finish knitting all the pieces for their project, they’re in a mad dash to get things finished – often when they’re tired and just about to go to bed.

For example, what if you don’t know the meaning of the word ‘swatch’. This is the first result that came up when I searched for ‘knitting terms swatch’:

Where can I find patterns suitable for beginner knitters?

Finding beginner-friendly knitting patterns is essential when you’re just starting. Here’s how to discover patterns that suit your skill level:

For your first few projects, I recommend that you steer clear of anything with lots of colour changes – for example, Fair Isle knitting, though simple stripes should be okay.  Similarly, choose something in stocking (stockinette) stitch, garter stitch, or rib – you don’t want to start on any fancy lace stitches.

Look at Ravelry and Pinterest: These websites offer a treasure trove of knitting patterns. Use search filters to find patterns labelled as “beginner” or “easy.” But remember these terms are relative. If possible, take a look through the pattern before you buy either the pattern or the yarn to check that it all makes sense and you think you can handle it.

Knitting Books: Many knitting books cater to beginners. Visit your local library or bookstore to explore their knitting section.

Online Communities: Join knitting forums or social media groups where more experienced knitters can recommend easy patterns for newcomers.

All the patterns I can see look old fashioned

Sometimes it’s hard to find a pattern that matches your taste, particularly if you’re looking for something trendy. And what’s the point of investing a lot of your time and money to create something you think is a bit meh? Here’s my advice for overcoming this challenge:

To my mind, the two sites with the best selection of up-to-date knitting patterns that are quite easy to find are Etsy and Love Crafts. This is because a lot of the designers on these sites are independent – and they’re patterns are new. I have quite literally seen patterns online and particularly on sale in knitting shops that I can personally remember from about 1982. So it’s hardly surprising some of these look a little out of date!

Ask for suggestions: Seek advice from fellow knitters or online communities. They can recommend the sort of patterns you might like.

Do I have to use the yarn the pattern says?

You’ve found a fantastic pattern that you know you can manage. But you can’t find anywhere that sells the yarn that’s recommended in the instructions. Or perhaps you just don’t like any of the colours it comes in.

The good news is that, for most patterns, you don’t have to use a specific yarn – you can use something similar – though it might slightly alter the look of what you’re knitting.

To find something similar, my best advice is to go to Yarn.sub. This is a fantastic resource where you can key in the recommended yarn to find similar ones. The site will even tell you how similar the yarn is and the sort of difference it might make. In some cases, it even tells you websites in the USA and UK where you can buy a particular yarn.

However, if you want to browse potential yarns independently, there are a few things to bear in mind.

You must choose a yarn of the same weight (for example, DK, Aran/Worsted, Chunky/Bulky etc) that knits up on the same size needles. Also, I recommend you choose a yarn with the same or similar composition. For example, if the recommended yarn is 100% wool, don’t go with a cotton one. If you do, the result will almost certainly be really disappointing.

Check the pattern’s tension (gauge). This means the number of stitches and rows there are in a 10-cm (4-in) square. Also, I’d have a look at the length of yarn. If the recommended 50g ball of yarn is 80m long, choose one that is close to this.

Why is knitting yarn so expensive

Some knitting yarns can be expensive and, when you’re starting out, you might not want to risk buying top-end yarns in case things don’t go according to plan! However, if you choose really cheap yarns, the results will be disappointing. You don’t really want to put in a load of effort to produce something that will never look very nice however brilliant a knitter you are, because the yarn just isn’t good quality. The positive news is that there are yarns that are not too expensive and also very nice quality. And I’m going to be writing about these in future posts. Also, check out and see what’s on special offer or have a nose around sites like eBay. There are often some great bargains to be had.

In conclusion, all beginner knitter problems are common. But with a bit of patience and perseverance, you can overcome them quite easily. Start small, practise, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from the knitting community – or get in touch with me through the contact page on this blog. I’ll always try to help you out.

In the meantime, happy knitting everyone!