A knitting guide for beginners: Let's knit items you can really use...

It may be a strange title as we knit something to use.

But some people who don't knit may think, "I don't know if I can actually use such an amateur-ish handmade outcome ... "

We can find plenty of fashion items at stores at reasonable prices.

I think it's described well in one my favorite essays "How to make wealth" written by Paul Graham, a hacker and an entrepreneur.

Kids know, without knowing they know, that they can create wealth. If you need to give someone a present and don't have any money, you make one. But kids are so bad at making things that they consider home-made presents to be a distinct, inferior, sort of thing to store-bought ones-- a mere expression of the proverbial thought that counts. And indeed, the lumpy ashtrays we made for our parents did not have much of a resale market.

I really understand this. I knitted some scarfs or tried to knit some when I was teenager, but I've never really used them ... My partner is interested in knitting for the last years but he had never started. He my have the same wonder.

But now I know I can knit things for real-life use. Even if you are just starting out, you can probably knit something usable. Here are three items I can recommend for everyone who is interested in knitting.

Socks

The first item to knit would be socks. Typically simple scarf is recommended but I think it's hard to compete with those sold at stores at least in the beginning of one's knitting career.

The heel part is a bit complicated, but other than that, all you have to do is knit a tube. You only need 2.5mm and 3.0mm circular needles, and a needles to bind off the lib at the end and to hide the threads.

I recommend the following pattern. I knit so many pairs according to the pattern that I memorized it. You can arrange the pattern and knit almost any kind of socks.

Ravelry: Lifestyle Toe Up Socks - No Swatch Needed pattern by Charisa Martin Cairn

If you want to get crafty, you can play with yarns and colors. Playful wooly warm socks are definitely practical and make you happy.

Hats

Knitting with thicker yarn, you can knit up hants quicker than socks. Same as socks, you only need three needles: two circular needles and a needle to bind off and hide threads.

As for hats, I haven't found life long pattern yet. But there are tons of patterns in the hat category on Raverly. I'm sure you always find something you want to knit.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#pc=hat&sort=best&view=captioned_thumbs

I didn't wear hats so often in Japan but I wear it everyday here in colder Germany. I wanted to choose a hat according to my mood, so I bought some yarn last week to knit another one.

This is the pattern I think about followin:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wheat-cable-beanie

Sweaters

And if you want to knit something larger, a child's sweater is the way to go. I know you want a sweater of your own.

If you start knitting adult size sweaters as one of your first projects, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of the work and give up (I knitted one in my first winter in Germany, but I have not knitted an adult size sweater since).

You may wonder kids can only wear a sweater for one season. But no worries. If you knit a top-down, loose-fitting sweater, you can extend the arms and body as they grow. It lasts for several years for the best case.

Image: sweaters I have knitted for my daughter. They are all top-down.

Once you knit a kids' sweater and get to know what is it like to knit a sweater, it's time to start for your own.

Photo: My own adult size sweater that I knitted with great vigor.

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So we can knit items we can really use in our daily life. Especially socks, which I am knitting almost all the time during winter.

Doesn't it sound fun? If you are interested in knitting, I recommend you to start knitting socks or a hat during your winter holidays :)

なんか変なタイトルですよね w 編み物をしない人の中には「そんな素人の手作りのものなんて実際使えるかわからないし・・・」と考えている人もいるかもしれません。お店では良いものを安く売ってますもんね。

ハッカーで起業家のPaul Grahamのエッセイのこの部分と近い感覚だと思います：

Kids know, without knowing they know, that they can create wealth. If you need to give someone a present and don't have any money, you make one. But kids are so bad at making things that they consider home-made presents to be a distinct, inferior, sort of thing to store-bought ones-- a mere expression of the proverbial thought that counts. And indeed, the lumpy ashtrays we made for our parents did not have much of a resale market.
How to Make Wealthより
　
子供たちは、自分たちが富を生み出せることを、知らず知らずのうちに知っている。誰かにプレゼントを贈る必要があって、お金がなければプレゼントを作る。でも、子どもは下手だから、手作りのプレゼントは市販のものとは違う劣ったもの、つまり、大切な思いを表現したものに過ぎないと思っている。実際、私たちが親に作った灰皿は、売れるものではなかった。

私にもこう思う気持ちがないとは言いません。

でも、実生活で使うものも編めます。実戦編み物です。何年もかけて極めるとより良いものが編めるようになりますが、始めたばかりでも多分使えるものを編めます。編んで使える3つのアイテムを紹介します。

毎日はける靴下

何を編むといいかというと、まず靴下がいいのではないかと思います。かかとは少し複雑ですが、そこさえ乗り切れば、あとはくるくる編むだけです。道具は輪張りの2.5mmと3.0mmのふたつと、最後にゴム編みを閉じたり、最初と最後の糸を隠したりするとじ針がひとつあればOKです。

編み方は下にリンクしたページの編み方だけでなんでも編めます。私は編みすぎて暗記してしまいました w

Ravelry: Lifestyle Toe Up Socks - No Swatch Needed pattern by Charisa Martin Cairn

こりたいと思ったら、毛糸や模様で遊べます。お店には売っていない変わった色や模様の靴下は、編むのも履くのも楽しいし、何よりあたたかくて実用的です。私は毎日毛糸の靴下を履いています。夏は裸足で、秋になると普通の靴下を履き始めて、毛糸の靴下にかえて、真冬の寒い時期には普通の靴下の上に毛糸の靴下を履きます。

帽子も実用的

太めの毛糸で編むと靴下よりもすぐに編み上がります。靴下同様、本体を編む太い輪針とゴム編みを編む細い輪針、とじ針の三つがあればOK。

帽子については、暗記してしまうほどのパターンとは出会っていないのですが、Raverlyの帽子カテゴリには山ほどパターンがあって、必ず編みたいものがみつかります。
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#pc=hat&sort=best&view=captioned_thumbs

でも、日本ではあまりニット帽はかぶらないかな。ドイツは寒いので毎日のようにかぶります。気分によって帽子を選びたくて、もう一つ編むべく先週毛糸を買ってきました。

セーターは子供サイズから

さらにもう少し大きいものを編みたくなったら子供のセーターがおすすめです。自分のセーターほしいですよね。でも、そこは我慢して子供用を。いきなり大人サイズを編み始めると、その大きさに圧倒して諦めかねません（私はドイツはじめての冬に若気の至りで編み切りましたが、以来大人サイズは編んでいません）。

まずは子供用で練習しましょう。いいものが編めますよ。トップダウンでゆったりしたセーターを編むと、成長に合わせて腕と胴を長くして数年切られます。

画像：これまでに子供に編んだセーター。どれもトップダウン。

ここまできたら、実生活で着られる自分の大人サイズのセーターまで編めるようになるはずです！

写真：勢い余って編みきった自分の大人サイズのセーター

お店ではいいセーターが売られていますが、自分で作ったものもなかなかですよ。作る工程は長いけれど楽しいですし。私もまた自分のセーターを編もうかな。