What Makes Knitting Fun?

Sometimes a little detail can make the difference between cheerful and stressful knitting. I have found the following factors to have a big influence on how enjoyable a knit can be:

The right yarn

Of course, knitting is all about yarn. For a pleasant knitting experience choose a smooth but not slippery yarn that makes it easy to see the stitches. Have you ever dropped a stitch when working with faux fur yarn? Then you’ll know what I’m talking about. Choose a sleek and nicely plied yarn that doesn’t split easily and is pleasant to work with.
If you’re a beginner, or like to experiment with your knitting, your yarn should also be sturdy. If you know that you can unravel it several times and it will still look fine, you will worry less about making mistakes.
For a cheerful knitting experience your yarn should also be pretty. I couldn’t bring myself to knit a big project in a dreadful color. After all, I’ll have to look at it for hours, maybe weeks or even months. Working with a color you like makes things so much more pleasant!

The right needles

There are so many brands and styles of knitting needles, and it might take a few tries to find your favorites. For me it’s important that they are pleasant to touch. I prefer wood in general, but for very small needle sizes I’ll choose metal or carbon. What’s your favorite material?
Also the shape of the needles is important. If you often knit several stitches together, a sharp tip can make things easier. If your yarn tends to split, a blunter tip will be easier to work with.
A good set of needles are also hassle-free. The stitches should slide along smoothly, without snagging; and if you are using circular needles with interchangeable tips, the joins should hold tight.

The right pattern

Now, this is really subjective, even more than all the other factors mentioned above. For a truly enjoyable knitting experience you should pick a project you really want. And we’re all different here. Some knitters love to make many small items, others love big projects that will keep them occupied for months. So, whether your ideal project is a keychain or a king-sized blanket – the important thing is that you are looking forward to having the finished object!
The ideal project should also feature a fun stitch pattern. And what is fun can totally depend on your mood. Sometimes you may want a plain, repetitive pattern like garter stitch, for mindless or even meditative knitting. Sometimes you want a complex, challenging lace or cable pattern. Pick what feels fun to knit – and avoid stitch patterns that contain a large number of stitches you hate to knit (looking at you, p3togtbl!).

A comfortable spot

Don’t underestimate the importance of physical comfort. Knitting isn’t fun if your chair gives you a backache after 10 minutes. Try different locations in your home; some knitters prefer to sit on a mat on the floor, others on their bed. I have a comfortable desk chair and a cuddly sofa, which are my favorite places to knit.

Decent lighting

Last but not least, make sure you have good lighting. If your light is too dim you will strain your eyes and knitting will turn into a chore after a short while. Besides, you are more likely to drop stitches or make other mistakes when you can’t really see what you’re doing. On the other hand, glaring bright light will make you constantly narrow your eyes against the brightness, which causes your face muscles to tighten up and may eventually give you a headache. I prefer to have my light sources at my back or on the side, shining over my shoulder onto my knitting and not directly into my eyes.

So there you have it – the right yarn, the right needles, the right project, the right spot, the right lighting. Five factors to make your knitting more enjoyable. Does your current project check all the boxes?