Learn to knit

The easiest cardigans to knit are worked top down or bottom up in one piece, in stockinette or garter stitch, on medium to chunky yarn. Our five favorites right now are the Ballerina Cardigan, ScandiCardi, Colorfluff Cardigan, Summer Cardigan and Bliss Cardi. All five live in the Knit&Note app with step by step guidance.

Good first knitting projects use simple stitches, chunky or doubled yarn, and no seaming. Start with a headband or scarf, move to a beanie, then take on a chunky sweater or cardigan. The six below are ordered by difficulty, and all of them live in the Knit&Note app with guidance built in.

Mohair is a fluffy, lightweight fiber from the angora goat, usually spun around a silk or synthetic core and held together with another yarn. It adds warmth, softness and a soft halo without weight. It is harder to rip out than smooth yarn, so count as you go and it will treat you well.

German short rows shape knitting by turning mid row and pulling the working yarn over the needle to make a double stitch. When you come back, you knit the two legs of the double stitch together as one, which closes the gap invisibly. Patterns use them to raise necklines, slope shoulders and turn sock heels.

Twisted 1x1 rib is ordinary knit one, purl one ribbing where every knit stitch is worked through the back loop (ktbl). Twisting the stitch tightens it, so the knit columns stand up crisp and defined instead of soft and rounded. It is our favorite rib for necklines, cuffs and beanie brims.

To start knitting you need exactly two things: a pair of needles around 5 mm (US 8) and one ball of medium or chunky wool yarn. Learn to cast on, knit, and bind off, in that order, and your first rows will become a headband or scarf you actually wear. Everything else, patterns, counters and help with the words, lives in the Knit&Note app.

A beginner needs one pair of needles around 5 mm (US 8), preferably wood or bamboo, one ball of medium or chunky wool yarn, scissors and a blunt darning needle. Skip the kits, the gadgets and the stitch markers until a pattern asks for them. The pattern, the counter and the explanations can all live on your phone.

A headband is one of the best first knitting projects there is. It is small, quick and genuinely useful, and you can finish one in an evening or a weekend. Our five favorites right now are the Joo Headband, Cuddly Headband, Honey Twisted Headband, Chunky Selbu Headband and Selbu Headband, ordered from easiest to most advanced.

A vest is the perfect step between accessories and a full sweater. No sleeves means less yarn, less time and less that can go wrong. Our five favorites right now are the Chunky Jellybean Vest, Fridag vest v-neck, Augustvest, Montpellier Slipover and Isla Slipover, all in the Knit&Note app.

Knitting gives you something rare. A calm, repetitive activity for your hands, a quiet focus for your mind, and a finished thing you made yourself. Many knitters describe it as their favorite way to unwind, and the community around it makes it even better.

The long tail cast on is the method most knitters use most of the time. You make a slip knot, hold the tail and working yarn over your thumb and index finger, and scoop stitches onto the needle. It gives a neat, slightly stretchy edge that works for almost everything. The knitted, cable and backwards loop cast ons cover the rest.

Yes, knitwear works in summer. The trick is light yarn in cotton, linen, silk or fine merino, and an airy fit. Our six favorite summer tops right now are the Always Camisole, Bliss Tee, Line's summer shirt, Square Neck Camisole, Annecy Tee and August blouse, all in the Knit&Note app.

Knitted stuffed animals are small projects with a long life. They use little yarn, travel well in a project bag, and become the kind of gift a child keeps for years. Our five favorites are the Sleepy Bear and Sleepy Bunny cuddle blankets, Svaneungen, the comforter Albert and the dogs Dag & Dagny.

Lay your cast on stitches along the needle with all the bumps facing the same way, usually inward, before you knit the first stitch. That is the whole secret to joining without a twist. To close the gap at the join, swap the first and last stitch, or cast on one extra stitch and knit it together with the first.

Needle type follows your project: circulars handle almost everything, straights suit flat pieces, and double pointed needles cover small rounds like sock toes and mitten tips. Material is about feel: wood and bamboo grip the yarn and forgive beginners, metal is fast and precise, plastic is light and cheap. If you buy one thing, buy a circular needle in wood or bamboo.

SSK, SKP and k2tog tbl all turn two stitches into one that leans left. SSK slips two stitches knitwise and knits them together through the back; SKP slips one, knits one and passes the slipped stitch over; k2tog tbl simply knits two together through the back loops. Patterns treat them as interchangeable, and all three mirror the right-leaning k2tog.

Peruvian Highland wool comes from sheep bred from Merino and Corriedale stock, raised in the high Andes of Peru. The cross gives a fiber that is soft enough to wear and sturdy enough to last, with great stitch definition and resistance to pilling. It is a favorite for colorwork, everyday sweaters, mittens and anything that needs to survive real use.

Worsted weight is the classic medium yarn, category 4 on the standard scale, sitting between DK and bulky. It knits at 4 to 5 stitches per inch on 4.5 to 5.5 mm needles and typically runs 180 to 250 meters per 100 g. Visible stitches and a steady pace make it the friendliest weight for beginners.

Yarn weight means the thickness of the strand, not what the ball weighs on a scale. Yarns run from lace (thinnest) to super bulky (thickest), sorted into standard categories 0 to 7. The weight decides your gauge, your needle size and how the finished fabric feels, which is why patterns always tell you which one to use.