Something I absolutely love is training new knitters. I think it's so much fun to see a person go from knitting their very first hollow sample patch to completing their first garment.

So here are my tips for beginners:

• Knit something you think is fun even if it looks difficult. Nothing kills motivation more than knitting something as boring as a scarf or a cloth (although scarves are very nice to wear and cloth is useful!). Knitting scarves is fine for learning to knit straight and purl, but after you have mastered straight and purl, you are ready for something more advanced. There are many different branches within elastic. I must admit that I am a little weird in this area. I have tried to knit plain clothes and textured stitches etc, but I do not think it is fun. Find your thing, whether it's socks, mittens, textured knit or pattern.

One thing I myself was very intimidated by as a beginner is how many patterns look like. You take a quick look and there are many difficult concepts and abbreviations a new knitter does not understand. I must admit that if I want to knit a garment and the change does not make any sense, I put it down right away (even now after many years of knitting).

• Knitting tension. I can not say enough how important this is. The correct way to check the knitting strength is to knit a sample patch, rinse it up and measure how many stitches you get on 10 cm AFTER the sample patch is dry. The reason for this is that many yarns change after washing. I know it's incredibly boring to knit and I have to admit that I rarely do it myself. So if you really do not want to: start knitting the sleeves and measure there. If the knitting strength is wrong on the sleeves, it is stupid, but not a crisis. Then you can adjust the pin size you use on the body and the support piece.

(Photo: Caroline and Stine learn to assemble Norwegian Forest Sweater: D)

• Knitting tension on pattern: People have different knitting tension when knitting stockinette stitch and when knitting pattern. I always have to make up one or two needle sizes when knitting pattern: D 
•  The knitting fastness also changes as you become a better knitter. New knitters often sit a little tense and tighten in the thread on hard life. It is not just the head that will learn all the movements and techniques, but your muscles take some time to recognize the movements before you finally do it automatically.

 (Photo: Line Sverdrup during training: D)

• Flaws in elastic. When you are a new knitter you make a lot of mistakes. Everything from losing stitches to knitting pattern incorrectly. The first proper garment you knit will have many flaws, but then you learn from your flaws. Many mistakes can be corrected and you do not necessarily have to straighten up the whole sweater if you see that you have made a mistake or 5. Some mistakes can be lived with and others not. If I make a mistake and feel in my body that I should record or start asking others "do you see this" then I know with myself that I have to record!: D 

I even spent a long time becoming a good knitter because I did not have anyone to train me. My mother and sister have been knitting a lot for years, but by the time I learned to knit I moved around a lot and did not have access to help. I have therefore become very good at correcting mistakes in elastic.

• Sitting position. Have support behind your elbows when knitting and relax your body. Last year I went through a round where I thought I could never knit again. It felt like I had become paralyzed in both arms. I had such stiff muscles in my neck that my arms did not get enough blood. I knit between 4 and 8 hours every day and the knitting position is absolutely crucial so that I do not get inflammation. Now I am in a special situation because I partly live by stinging, but once you get an inflammation it is difficult to get rid of it.

Hope this was helpful: D