In the course of this class, you will learn basic knitting terminology and techniques — cast on, knit, purl, bind off, increase, and decrease. At the end of the class, you'll have five washcloths, which can be used for all sorts of cleaning needs. (Why washcloths? They're small projects that give you enough time to get familiar with the various techniques without becoming too repetitive, but they're not so size-dependent as to not allow room for mistakes. Also? Dead useful.)

Materials needed:

(Confused about what all these terms mean? Check the FAQ for further explanations.)

• a set of knitting needles, size 7, 8, or 9 (4.5 mm, 5 mm, or 5.5 mm); these can be either circular or straight;
• 5 balls of worsted weight cotton yarn (2.50 oz/71 g, 120 yd/109 m per ball); each washcloth should take less than one ball;
• scissors or yarn cutter;
• yarn needle, or any large-eyed sewing needle (preferably blunt);
• digital camera or scanner (to get images of your work onto the computer).

This is designed to be a practical, hands-on class. If you're interested in taking the class but have complications that make it more challenging, let me know; I'll be happy to work with you to figure out the best way for you to learn to knit.

Schedule

September: The Loop and Backward Loop Cast Ons; the Knit Stitch; Basic Bind Off; and weaving in ends.
October: The Knitted Cast On; the Purl Stitch.
November: The Long-Tail Cast On; the Suspended Bind Off.
December: Trinity stitch; Russian (Knit-Two-Together) Bind Off.
January: Final.

Quill Requirements

To pass the class and earn a quill, you have to complete at least three (3) of the four (4) assignments plus the final. There will also be a couple of options for extra credit points, allowing for earning a maximum of 300 points for the term.

While the class is designed for the beginning knitter, if you already know how to knit, feel free to join the class anyway. If nothing else, you'll end up with some handy washcloths. And who knows? You might learn something, or, even more satisfying, share your knowledge with others.