The best beginner’s knitting kits

Knitting is a great pastime to take up to keep your cogs whirring, hands busy, and to give you the chance to make fun new creations while relaxing in the comfort of your home or garden.

However, if you're not a seasoned pro and learning to knit is something you want to get started with, it can be hard to know where to begin.

Below we've listed some great knitting kits including everything you need to get started so you can use them to make a huge variety of things for yourself or your loved ones.

Related: Twiggy: 'I love to knit and natter'

Why use a beginner's knitting kit?

From the outside looking in, there seem to be so many different things to take into account for knitting; From the needle size to the yarn type, the technique to the stitches - it can often seem quite overwhelming before you've even decided what you're even going to knit.

Getting started as a beginner with a knitting project kit is an easy way to start, as everything you need is included in the pack as well as simple-to-follow instructions and an image of your finished product to hand.

The finished product will look as good as anything made by more advanced knitters, and no one would know you used a beginner's kit to get your knitting skills off the ground.

As well as being fun to make yourself, we think these kits would make great gifts for birthdays or as surprise presents for any friends that love to get creative!

The best beginner's knitting kits

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This kit is perfect to give as a gift to a buddy beginner knitter as it comes in a beautifully designed cardboard box, or you could try making this cute mummy and baby bear yourself. Before you get started it would be best to know how to cast on and off for the smoothest knitting experience.

Finished bear sizes are approximately 35cm and 19cm.

Included in kit: Bamboo needles, yarn, rainbow yarn, yarn needle, fibrefill stuffing, safety eyes, and instructions.

**Beginner review: "**Very good little kit. Easy to follow instructions and has everything that’s needed. All you need to know is how it cast on and off and knit."

Knit a stylish oversized scarf with a choice of two vibrant colour combinations: white and grey, or pink and grey. It uses 100 per cent super soft lambswool for a luxuriously soft final product.

The finished scarf measures approx. 180 x 35cm.

Included in kit: All the wool you need (4 full balls of yarn), easy knitting pattern, and needles. The yarn is a luxury lambswool that is beautifully soft and comes from a spinner sited in the Yorkshire Pennines with a rich family history dating back to 1766.

Beginner review: "Beautiful wool to knit with. I'm enjoying this, so relaxing."

We love this adorable Miffy Hat Kit that you can knit for a baby aged anywhere between 0-12 months, with a choice of colours including bright white, dove grey, and soft teal wool.

Included in kit: 2 x 50g 100 per cent merino wool, contrast yarn for the embroidery, 5mm bamboo knitting needles, sewing needle, how to knit basic guide, Miffy Hat pattern, and Miffy woven label.

Beginner review: "As a complete beginner I thought the instructions were easy to follow especially with the online tutorials. The pattern is a good and basic pattern to start with. Happy with the end result and my son looks so cute."

Perfect for those new to knitting and with 19 colours to choose from, these mittens will keep you cosy in the winter or out on autumnal walks without your fingers feeling trapped. This kit will take roughly 5 hours to make, and once you've completed the kit you'd have mastered the garter stitch ready for more creations!

Finished mittens are one size fits all.

Included in kit: 1 ball of Feeling Good Yarn, Shining Star Mittens pattern, 1 pair of knitting needles 6.5mm (optional), sewing needle and a Made-by-Me label.

This block colour cushion cover is perfect for adding a bit of fun and brightness to any home. The pattern is aimed for beginners and the kit contains all you need to get started to make a soft and snuggly accent for your sofa or favourite chair. Choose from colour combinations stormy grey and mustard yellow, fossil grey and true red, or stone teal and ivory white.

Size of cover measures 40cm x 40cm

Included in kit: 3 x 100g S&S The Chunky Wool, pair of 12mm bamboo knitting needles, Masley Cushion Cover pattern, sewing needle, and basic knitting instructions.

Beginner review: "Fab kit, everything you need to start straight away. I am a total beginner but have managed to make this without too many mistakes!! Doing my second one now after ordering more wool, which is also lovely to work with and super soft."

Personalise and make your very own beautiful blanket to suit you and your bedding. Make it as big or as small as you like, choose from 25 colours, and you can decide whether you'd like to make it plain or striped. You can use the knit guide over again once your blanket is completed to make more blankets for family and friends, making this a kit that keeps on giving.

Make a blanket from 1m square right up to 2.5m square, or any variations in between.

Included in kit: 100 per cent natural cotton bag stuffed to the brim with; Super Chunky Yarn in your choice of colour/s – choose your amount of yarn according to blanket size, How To Knit instructions, knitting pattern, (optional) Tapestry needle, and (optional) 15mm circular knitting needles.

Beginner review: "I love this knitting kit!! Colours are gorgeous and the wool is so soft!! Love the little bag it comes with as it is super handy to keep all your wool in one place. Not quite finished but it's getting there!"

Knit yourself or a loved one this friendly dragon with spikes and wings. If you have a little knitting experience, this kit should help you improve to hone your craft in a cute and fun way.

Once complete your dragon will measure approximately 23cm tall.

Included in kit: 3.25mm bamboo knitting needles, 100% acrylic yarn wool, needle, polyester toy stuffing, safety eyes and instructions.

Review: "Very nicely packaged so very good for a present. Contains everything required to knit the dragon, even the knitting needles. Good quality wool."

This beginner-level Himba Snood Kit from 'We Are Knitters' is perfect for keeping you warm in the winter months or keeping out a chill. You can choose from a whopping 25 colours, each yarn made of 100 per cent wool to be extra snug and cosy.

Finished snood will measure 60 x 28cm.

Included in kit: 1 skein of wool (200g), 15mm wooden knitting needles, the pattern, a small knitter's sewing needle, and the embroidered label.

This gorgeous snuggly blanket from 'The Knit Kit Company' is simple to make, and a perfect gift to keep little ones cosy. Classic and surprisingly quick to make, choose from a range of pretty, cool colours for a blanket that'll be cherished by mum and baby.

Included in kit: Clear knitting pattern for beginners, premium knitting yarn, knitting needles, tapestry needle, 20-page help booklet, and Knit Kit Company cotton project bag.

Review: "Stuck in lockdown and struggling to think of a present for a close friend’s imminent new arrival, found this online. Had a couple of queries and Helen was super helpful, replying really quickly.

"Thrilled when the kit arrived, then panicked as thought bitten off more than I could chew - haven’t knitted since prep school 40 years ago. Videos in the help section saved the day. I am 20 rows through and it is looking good. Not as perfect as the photos naturally but really lovely. If you are undecided - go for it!"

Add some festive cheer to your home by knitting the adorable Albert the Robin. This is a great project for a beginner with no need to knit in the round. Don't feel limited to knitting this at Christmas time - we love seeing robins all year round!

Included in kit: Acrylic yarn, cotton and paper pattern.

Beginner review: "Gorgeous little kit with everything you need except for the needles. Easy to follow instructions too. I bought this to make for my mother-in-law and now my son wants a blue-footed booby bird! Kit was quick to dispatch."

This high-quality knitting kit will help you to make a vibrant chunky, oversized jumper with an easy moss stitch. Suitable for beginners, you can snuggle up in your jumper with pride or even pass it along as a gift.

Choose to make a jumper S-M or L-XL with 26 colours to choose from and the option for knitting needles to be included.

Included in kit: Eco-friendly tote bag, between 8/10 x 100g balls of cheeky chunky yarn (100 per cent Merino) depending on your size, sewing needle and moss sweater knitting pattern.

Beginner review: "Quality of the items was great! Lovely wool and the knitting kit was very nicely packaged. I am an absolute beginner and I personally found it a bit difficult to follow the instructions both from the manual and the videos. However, I would definitely recommend the kit to somebody that has a basic understanding of knitting as I think they would find it much easier."

Top 5 knitting tips for beginners

Here are some quick and easy pointers to help you get going with your needles and wool:

• We would recommend using wooden needles as this will have a better grip on your wool. It should stop the yarn sliding off so easily when going for your next stitch compared to metal or plastic needles.

• As a beginner, start with a thicker yarn so it's easier to see the stitches. Not only that but your finished knit will come along a lot quicker too.

• Don't worry too much about the way you hold your needles, there isn't a right or wrong way. The two most common ways are to hold the needles from over the top or to hold them from underneath like a pencil.

• Keep it simple at first until you've built up your confidence. You don't want to lose your motivation by going in straight away with a tricky pattern, so stick to your kit or practice the basic stitches first.

• If you need any more guidance, look for videos online. There are some great beginner tutorials and Merion from LoveCrafts has a great step-by-step guide on how to knit, including making a slip knot, casting on, the knit stitch, and casting off:

Visit LoveCrafts for more tips on how to knit, or try their knitting calculator to see how long it will take you to make your new projects.

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