If this is your first project, you need to make sure that it isn’t going to be too difficult for you. It doesn’t want to be a massive item that is going to take months to complete. It has to be something you really like.

If it is too difficult, too big or too boring you most likely won’t finish it. It will stay as a WIP (Work in Progress) for ever or you will end up ripping it all out and possibly giving up altogether.

First of all choose a selection of items that you really like the look of and then go through them one by one. Put aside anything that has a really complicated pattern, or looks like it is going to take a long time and anything that is very fine. Go for something in a fairly chunky yarn to start with.

A good starting project is a dishcloth. It doesn’t matter if the tension is a bit screwy, the yarn is cheap to buy and they are nice and quick to make. Really useful too, they are great for washing the floor or the car where you need a good strong cloth. Make several of these and experiment with different stitch patterns.

You don’t need to buy a pattern for these. If you are lucky enough to have a booklet with lots of different stitch patterns in it, you can just use this to make your dishcloth squares. Or check around on the internet for some free patterns.