Let’s face it: there’s not really a whole lot to do in Buckhannon in the middle of winter. It kind of just makes you want to curl up in your bed with a steaming cup of coffee (or another warm beverage that you prefer) and hide yourself away from all forms of civilization, especially the frigid outdoors! But after a while, all of that inactivity can get a little monotonous. You need a way to keep busy, but you’re fresh out of ideas; you’ve already finished all of your homework, watched a full season of Pretty Little Liars on Netflix, and reblogged everything you could on Tumblr.
So, why not try out a DIY project? My personal favorite is knitting. I know, it sounds very old lady/crazy cat lady-esque. But it’s actually a great stress-reliever and money-saver. In fact, knitting nourishes the brain and eliminates anxiety by allowing it to focus on your current project rather than all of the tests and papers you have coming up in the near future. It also can help you save your precious supply of cash. Knitting supplies are usually a fraction of what you would normally pay for a hand-made scarf at a boutique or even a factory-made product from American Eagle. You can even sell your creations and turn a substantial profit! The best part is that you’ll have a totally one-of-a-kind creation that you made! When people ask where you got your knitted project, you can smile smugly and say, “Oh, this? Yeah, I made it.” So, I’m going to teach you guys the step-by-step process of knitting so that you won’t have to look up a series of endless YouTube video tutorials that are usually far from helpful. Then, you too can have an original creation to keep you cute and cozy in the bitter winter air!
Step 1: Finding the Right Supplies and Project
The best thing about knitting is that you can make just about anything you want. However, all of these different projects have various skill levels, ranging anywhere from “beginner” to “expert.” Trust me, if you’ve never so much as looked at a pair of knitting needles before, you don’t want to dive right into beanies, infinity scarves, and gloves. If you’re just starting out or you’re a knitting veteran and just want a simple project to take on in your spare time, then the knit-stitch scarf is the ideal project for you! This scarf is usually about five inches in width and four feet in length—but this all depends on how you want your scarf to look. You will need a thick skein of yarn (Look for skeins labeled as “Super Bulky.”), size 19 needles (These are some of the largest needles out there. They may look weird at first, but trust me, your project will be ten times easier and faster!), scissors, and a crochet hook.
Step 2: Casting On
Okay, now it’s time to get down to business! First, you will need to measure the tail-end of your yarn. Wrap the yarn around the needle 10 times (This is how many stitches we will be casting on.). Slide the yarn off of the needle, keeping place with your thumb and index finger. Now, create a slip-knot. You can do this by wrapping the tail-end of your yarn that you just measured out around your index and middle finger one time. Once you have a loop, pull your yarn through it. Place the knot on your working needle and begin to cast on 10 stitches. To do this, keep the tail-end of yarn draped over your thumb and the ball-end (meaning the end that is connected to the skein of yarn) between your middle and index fingers. Take your working needle under the yarn connected to your thumb and over the yarn in between your middle and index finger. Continue to do this until you have a total of ten stitches.
Step 3: Knitting
Yeah, I know, right? You’re probably screaming at your computer screen right now: “You mean we haven’t started knitting yet?!?!” No, we actually haven’t. But once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze! Here we go! First, take the other needle and slip it under the last stitch you cast on. Wrap the ball-end of yarn around this needle, using the other needle to slip the yarn off and on to it. Repeat this step with the remaining stitches until they are all on the other needle. Congrats, you knitting-machine, you! You’ve just knitted your first row. Continue knitting until the scarf is the desired length—usually, the longer the better!
Step 4: Casting Off
Praise be! You’re almost done! When your scarf reaches its desired length, you will begin to cast off. First, knit two stitches. Using your free needle, slip the first stitch you knitted over the last stitch you knitted. Knit another stitch and repeat this step. Continue to do this until only two stitches are left. Slip the last remaining stitch over the one you just knitted. Then, carefully slip the last stitch off of your needle. Using your scissors, snip the ball end of yarn so that only about five inches remain. Pull the yarn through the final stitch and pull tight. Using your crotchet hook, weave the loose ends up and through the scarf. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add fringe to your scarf. Cut 20 individual strands of yarn that are about ten inches in length. Now, put them in pairs of two’s. Take one pair and fold it evenly in the middle and hook the crochet needle through this point. Pull the crochet needle through one of the bottom lateral sides of your scarf. Be careful! Don’t pull it all the way through; leave a small loop protruding through the scarf. Then, pull the ends of your fringe through the loop. This will create a knot.
Finish off this end of your scarf by continuing this process with the remaining four pairs of fringe. Do the same with the five remaining pairs of fringe for the other end. You can use your scissors to even out any of the wonky edges of your fringe.
Now your scarf—and your wintry look—is complete!