Note's for a beginner.
Taken from my lesson booklet

Yarns

There are a large variety of yarns on the market with new ones coming out every season. When you purchase a pattern be sure to check what type of yarn you will need. Be aware that some yarns can be pricey or difficult to work with. As a beginner you will want to stick with yarns that are inexpensive and easy to work with.

Some common yarns are: wool, acrylic, cotton and wool/acrylic blends. These yarns are generally easy to work with, because they are relatively smooth and even. They are simple to wash, except for perhaps wool, which should be washed by hand in cold water and dried flat.

Yarn not only comes in different types but it also varies in thickness. Like yarn type, the thickness is important to the pattern. You don’t want to make a baby sweater out of chunky wool or a winter sweater out of baby yarn.

With experience you will become familiar with yarn and what yarns are appropriate for a given project. As a beginner you will probably find yourself using a worsted 4 ply acrylic yarn for most projects. This yarn is inexpensive, versatile, easy to work with and widely available in many brands and colors.

Buying Yarn

There are a few important things to note when buying yarn for a project. You can substitute yarn but it needs to be as close in thickness and type as possible to the original. You need to be aware that with yarn substitution that your finished piece won’t necessarily look the same or be the exact size as the original. However, the difference is minimal and doesn’t affect the fit of garment that much.

Dye lot is important when buying yarn. On the label you will see two numbers listed, a color number and a lot number. The factory can’t completely control the color when they dye yarn so each lot or batch varies slightly. Thus the need for a dye lot number. When you purchase yarn each ball must have the same dye lot number as the other balls used for a project. If they don’t you will see a color change in your garment where you changed balls, which would be unattractive and disappointing. There are yarns out there that have no dye lots, but I would be cautious about using them for large projects as color variation can still occur. These yarns would be best suited for smaller projects like hats, mitts or scarves.

Location of Dye Lot Number

One last thing to note about buying yarn, you should always buy at least one extra ball of yarn then what the pattern calls for. If you run out, you could find it difficult to locate another ball of yarn with the matching dye lot.

Gauge

The gauge is an important yet often neglected aspect of knitting. Every pattern lists a gauge at the beginning. This helps the knitter know if they are knitting with the correct tension. Tension is how tight or loose someone knits. Everyone’s tension is different. For most the variance is so little that they won’t need to change the size of needles they are using, but some do. The gauge will help you determine if you need to adjust your needle size.

Gauge measurement

To check your gauge, follow the instructions of the pattern. You will cast on a certain number of stitches and knit up a certain number of rows. Then you will measure your swatch and see how closely it matches the measurement given in the pattern. If it is relatively close then you won’t need to change your needle size. If it is bigger by around a ½ an inch or more your tension is loose and you need to go down to a smaller needle. Conversely if the swatch is smaller by ½ an inch or more your tension is tight and you need to go up a needle size.

When your swatch doesn’t match in size then adjust your needle size accordingly, knit another swatch and check the size again. Keep adjusting your needle size until you come close to the gauge given by the pattern.

If you are really having problems, remember that the thickness of the yarn you are using affects your gauge too. Yarn that is too thick will knit up too big and yarn that is too thin will knit up too small. Check your yarn thickness if you just can’t get your gauge close, you may need to buy different yarn.

Basic Knitting Kit (besides needles and yarn)

Scissors
Measuring tape
2-3 tapestry needles
2 crochet hooks (1 small, 1 large)

Nice extras for the New Knitter
Pompom Maker
Gauge measurer
Row/stitch counter

Basic Pattern Reading

In a pattern usually the first thing listed are the materials you will need to complete the project followed by either the gauge or by sizes. Some patterns require different amounts of yarn according to which size you want to make. Be sure to pay close attention to this and always remember to buy at least one extra ball of yarn for your project.

The pattern will start by telling you how many stitches to cast on. Most patterns abbreviate things and may include an abbreviation list. Common abbreviations are:
K = knit
P = purl
sts. = stitches

Notice that the pattern starts will the patterning for the smallest size and then lists the patterning for the other sizes in order from smallest to largest in brackets. It can be helpful to go through the pattern prior to starting the project and underline in pencil the size you are working on so you don’t mix up the pattern later.
At the end of the pattern any special instructions for finishing off will be listed.