Get Started Knitting!

Want to learn to knit, but intimidated by the idea of starting on your own? Or perhaps you've tried before, but got stuck? Join us! Claudia, Maureen, and Julia — friendly knitters all — will help get you up and knitting. We'll go over the basics, then work one-on-one to cheer you on, diagnose problems, and allay frustration. We'll also share tips and resources we've found helpful in our knitting adventures.

“Really, all you need to become a good knitter are wool, needles, hands, and slightly below-average intelligence. Of course superior intelligence, such as yours and mine, is an advantage.” — Elizabeth Zimmermann (http://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/12/us/e-zimmermann-is-dead-at-89-revolutionized-art-of-knitting.html?pagewanted=all)

Please bring:

• Yarn: a smooth, light-colored, worsted weight yarn, made of wool or acrylic (NOT cotton, linen, silk, alpaca, or angora — these fibers can be harder to manage when you're starting out)

• Needles: Size 7 or 8 straight single-point needles, OR size 7 or 8 circular needles at least 24" long.

Notes on materials

These yarns are great for beginners:

• Cascade 220 (100% wool)

• Patons Classic Wool (100% wool)

• Lion Brand Wool-Ease (acrylic-wool blend)

• Plymouth Yarn Company Encore (acrylic-wool blend)

Needles come in many different materials (wood, bamboo, aluminum, plastic — just to name a few!). Choose what feels best to you.

Straight needles are most common to learn with, but if you have circular needles, it's fine to bring those. They both do basic back-and-forth knitting — what we'll focus on — just fine.

NOTE: for some brands of circular needles, the plastic cable will be stiff and curly from being stored in the packaging. You will need to relax the cable before using the needles (here's how (http://blog.yarn.com/tuesdays-knitting-tip-how-to-fix-curly-circular-needle-cords/)).

Local shops where you can buy yarn and needles:

• Knitterly (http://www.knitterly.net/) (Petaluma)

• Yarnitudes (http://www.yarnitudes.com/) (between Cotati and Sebastopol)

• Balls & Skeins (http://ballsandskeins.com/) (Sebastopol)

• Cast Away & Folk (http://www.castawayandfolk.com/) (Santa Rosa)

And of course, Jo-Ann's and Michael's carry basic yarns and needles, too.

If you have any questions, give us a shout in the comments!

Parking:

Parking in downtown Petaluma is free. Street parking has a strictly enforced 2 hour limit. Or use one of the two nearby parking garages (also free):

• The Second Street Garage entrance is located on C Street between First and Second Streets. It's all day parking on every level and a very short walk to the Apple Box.

• Keller Street Garage is located on Keller Street between Western & Washington. The bottom level parking is 4 hour and the higher levels increase from there.