I am well aware this is a strange question.

[jackandahat]

I learned to knit as a kid, so I don't remember that much about it. Now I'm writing a character who has suddenly decided he's going to learn to knit. So. Assuming a fairly intelligent adult who does stuff with his hands (drawing, sewing), with the usual book/internet resources - how long would it take someone to learn to knit things? How long before being able to do a scarf you could wear in public, or learn to knit in the round and start on socks?

I know it's going to vary hugely from person to person, but I'm curious about guesstimates.

Comments

[damned_colonial]

I think it depends a bit on manual dexterity and whether they're used to doing other fibre/needle crafts. I suspect someone who eg. does embroidery or weaving would find it easier to pick up than someone who doesn't. Even someone who does eg. model-building or ties flies for fishing might find it easier than someone who has none of those sorts of hobbies.

For someone with reasonable manual dexterity and/or other fiddly hobbies, I think it takes about fifteen minutes to get the simple knit stitch down. Then a few sessions knitting with a friend, or a bit longer independently, to sort out things like tension, not accidentally making yarnovers, picking up dropped stitches, etc. Someone who's good with their hands could probably make acceptable dishcloths within a week, and be moving on to more complex things (eg. hats or plain socks or simple lace or a basic sweater) within a few weeks.