New! Purl Soho’s Learn To Knit Kit!
If you’re a knitter, then you surely remember your first journey into the world of knitting. Inevitably, it started with a scarf and was accompanied by a wonderful tremor of excitement. A whole new passion was in store for you, a life of creativity and fascination, of joy and beauty.
At Purl Soho, our mission is to share this passion, and so our new Learn To Knit Kit is specially designed to spark a creative fire in the hearts of new knitters everywhere! Our goal was to create an experience for new knitters that would be as satisfying and enchanted as were our own first forays into knits and purls.
We believe that beautiful materials are at least half the pleasure of knitting, that just because it’s your first scarf doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate tactile delight and sumptuous beauty. That’s why we equipped the Learn To Knit Kit with two gorgeous skeins of our new Super Soft Merino, enough to knit up an equally gorgeous, totally cuddly, absolutely wonderful scarf!
Also tucked inside our kit is an indispensable first-time-knitter companion, our Learn To Knit instruction booklet! Filled with dozens of full-color, close-up photographs and explicit explanations, this guide will hold your hand through every step of the process, from winding a ball to casting on, knitting, purling, combining the two, adding a ball, binding off, weaving in ends and blocking. This may sound like gibberish to you now, but by the time we’re done with you, you’ll be completely fluent!
In fact, the Learn To Knit booklet is so chock-full of practical and valuable information that, in the end, you will have the knowledge and confidence to choose one of three scarf patterns to knit up your very own scarf. Garter, seed, or rib? You’ll know exactly what we’re talking about!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoLearnToKnitKit, and #PurlSohoSuperSoftMerino. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Packed inside a sturdy, use-it-again tube is absolutely everything you’ll need to actually knit a scarf! Each Learn to Knit Kit includes…
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, enough to make one scarf. Choose from our whole palette of twelve lovely colors!
- A pair of solid birch knitting needles, size US 13 (9 mm). Made in the USA.
- A yarn needle for finishing.
- An everything-you-need-to-know Instruction Booklet which includes patterns for three scarves.
And with the holidays around the corner, now is a very good time to learn how to knit so you can give a scarf imbued with the love and devotion of hand crafting! Or, equally meaningful, share your own passion for knitting with someone who doesn’t yet know what she or he is missing. Now, that’s a gift that will truly last a lifetime!
If you’d like to order a Learn To Knit Kit just click right here. And happy knitting!
Update: Now In All Colors!
November, 2019
For the first time, you get to pick your Learn To Knit Kit in any of our Super Soft Merino colors! There are almost three dozen to choose from, so just because it’s your very first knitting project, doesn’t mean you can’t express yourself. From Super Orange to Oatmeal Gray, pick the most you color! To read more about this colorful Kit update, click here!
UPDATE: NOW A 2024 WIRECUTTER PICK
SEPTEMBER 2024
For the second year in a row, we are so proud that New York Times Wirecutter has picked our Learn To Knit Kit as one of the best fiber craft kits for adults! Since 2003, we have turned thousands of people into lifelong knitters, and every bit of that experience went into creating our Learn To Knit Kit, from sharing our time-tested methods of teaching to choosing yarn we know beginners will love.
UPDATE: NEW LEARN TO KNIT A COWL KIT
SEPTEMBER 2024
Our new Learn To Knit A Cowl Kit is the sibling to our best-selling Learn To Knit Kit. You can start out as a true beginner with either kit, and both come in a charming pink tube packed with 2 skeins of Super Soft Merino, clear and thoughtful instructions, and everything else a new knitter needs. While our original Learn To Knit Kit shows you how to knit a scarf “flat” with straight knitting needles, the Learn To Knit A Cowl Kit teaches you to “knit in the round” on circular needles (and explains what that means!). In the end, new knitters will have a beautiful, soft, and squishy cowl that they will feel really proud of!
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
My grandmother taught me to knit and crochet umpteen years ago. While I've never stopped crocheting, I've forgotten most of my knitting skills. Does your tutorial show both ways of knitting– I believe they are continental and English??? I think I'm a continental knitter (a picker?) if my memory serves me.
Beautiful yarn! I'd love to ask for this for my birthday.
🙂 Hettie, CelticMommy
Kudos to you for starting them out right! I learned to knit from a similar kit, purchased online, only not with yarn as nice as yours. For my second project, a LYS owner introduced me to quality yarn and good needles and I was spoiled forever. Ten years later, friends and family are still wearing some of my earliest garter stitch creations. The stitches werent all perfect, but they were knit with beautiful yarns that more than compensated for a tension issue here and there. Once you knit with the good stuff, theres no going back.
I hope I get one for christmas. Peacock blue looks amazing and I've been wanting to learn for a long time.
What a " Grand Deluxe " gift idea…gorgeous yarn, beautiful sticks, great tutorial all flawlessly packaged! It's all in the details…this'll have them hooked for sure.
This is so perfect! I wish I could find something as great in french for the two little girls I'm baby-sitting: they want to learn how to knit, which is great, but teaching to 4 and 6 yo Damn, not that easy 🙂
Wow, what an incredible idea! LOVE this kit so much I wish I didn't already know how to knit. 🙂 It looks like the perfect gift for a beginner.
I love this idea, but I would hate to give a new knitter a skein of yarn without a way of making it into a useful ball!
Hi Kate-
We understand your concern but the kit comes with instructions on how to roll the yarn into a ball. We feel like it's important to let beginners know that if a yarn comes in a skein it has to be wound first.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
Best-
Molly
That's great! Every knitter probably remembers her first hand-wound ball! Love your gorgeous merino!
Is the instructional book available on it's own?
Love it! What a wonderful gift it is to teach someone to make something with their own hands, but to also begin a journey that may last a lifetime!
Do you have any kits like this for crochet??
thank you
Hi – I am left handed, will the kit still work? Thanks.
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, the kit is made for both left and right handed people.
Thanks for your question! –Purl Bee
I've taught so many friends and family how to knit. Using a kit is a great idea. And what a wonderful gift too!
wow!
Beauuuuutiful. I'm an avid seamstress but have never been able to get into knitting. I wonder if this would make me change my mind?!
Great kit!
Actually a question. Is the kit and instruction appropriate for a 10 year old?
Hi Elaine-
While it’s not written specifically with kids in mind, I think that this kit would work well for a 10 year old as long as there was an adult around who knows how to knit and can answer any questions. I learned how to knit when I was around 8 or 9 so I know it’s possible!
Thanks for your question and please let me know if you have any more!
Best-
Molly
How long are the dimensions of the finished scarves with the 2 skeins of yarn included? I might want to order extra yarn to make it really chunky! Thanks
Hi Lauren!
The dimensions vary greatly from knitter to knitter. If you do want a fuller scarf, I would definitely get an extra skein or two!
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
Hi,
I saw the pictures of the scarves above and can’t help but notice that there’s no curl in the one made in stockinette stitch. May I know how you did that? Thank you.
Hi Sandy-
The scarf in question is not stockinette, it’s a rib stitch which doesn’t curl!
Thanks for your question!
Molly
Stupid me, I just got that figured out! Thanks Molly! Have a nice day!
You’re not stupid Sandy-I thought the same thing at first, but figured it wasn’t stockinette stitch, or it’d be rolled up into a log!
I would like to increase the finished width of the scarf from 6″ to 8″ in the seed stitch pattern. Should I CO 21 stitches to achieve that instead of 15? Since I’m increasing the finished size to 8″ x 60″, how many skeins of yarn do I need total if I am using size 13 needles?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but for seed stitching I keep repeating the pattern of k1, p1, stopping with k1 and always starting with k1 on every new row?
Hello Annie!
You’re totally correct on the seed stitch pattern’s sequence! It sounds like your math is correct regarding the cast on number as well! While its hard to be precise on yarn quantities, I would recommend getting two extra skeins just in case! You wouldn’t want to end up with a different dye lot. Thanks for writing in and happy knitting! -Alyson
Great beginner kit. I had never attempted knitting till I got this kit, I wish there were a little more explanation as to how tight or loose to knit. After some trial and error my scarf is progressing right along, a little too narrow. Overall great learning kit and I look forward to ordering more beautiful skeins!
Hello Summer!
We’re so glad that you are enjoying the kit! Tension is always a tricky thing to teach, since its so unique to each individual! It sounds like you’re getting by just fine and learning how to manage the tension! Keep up the good work.
-Alyson
It has been years since I knitted. I would like to try one of you “learn to knit” kits.
All colors were out of stock.
Will you be redoing the kits soon?
Thanks,
Ginny
Hello Ginny,
Thank you for reaching out. Yes! We should be getting these kits back in stock soon. I recommend entering your email address under your desired color so that you will be notified when it comes back in stock.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi:
I am allergic to wool and was wondering if there is non wool yarn option?
Thanks,
Robyn
Hello Robyn,
Thank you for reaching out! I think that a good alternative for you would be Blue Sky’s worsted cotton. You can purchase the learn to knit pattern along with size 8 needles and a tapestry needle you will be all set to start knitting!
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Would this kit be useful for a left handed beginner?
Hello Karyn,
Thank you for reaching out! Whether you hold your yarn in your right or left hand the working yarn is always coming from the right needle. The action of knitting and purling are the same and you’ll wrap your yarn counter clockwise as in the instructions. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Warmly,
Marilla