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Knitting
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To get your first scarf finished fast, just find a few hours a week to work on it-on the bus, while watching TV or a movie, having a cup of coffee with friends, or during craft night at your favorite hangout. Knitting can be extremely relaxing and meditative, perfect after an annoying day at work or during a boring wait in line.
For those of you who have never knitted before, let me introduce the most basic knitting concepts. Casting on is making the first row of stitches on your needle. The knit stitch is the simplest way to make a stitch, and the purl stitch is a variation on the knit stitch, which creates a different pattern in your knitting. Binding off means ending your finished piece with a neat edge which won't unravel.
Check out these sites for good, easy-to-follow instructions for getting started:
Vogue Knitting has step-by-step instructions (with clear illustrations, too) for getting started, mastering the basic stitches, and binding off, plus a glossary of knitting and crocheting terms.
Learn to Knit
also has instructions, a FAQ page, links, and a forum to post questions or get advice.
Another option is to take a beginner class at a yarn shop, or join a knitting or craft circle and learn there. It's really nice to have a live teacher walk you through the frustrating moments when you've dropped a stitch or tangled everything up somehow.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you're choosing your yarn and needles. For a thick scarf that knits up fast, use chunky yarn and large needles. For a delicate scarf, use finer yarn and smaller needles. Most commercial yarn labels will suggest a needle size (or a couple to choose from) to use for it. Try knitting a few rows to see how it turns out--you can always pull it out and start over if it's not to your liking.
Making a gauge swatch (which is just making a sample piece of knitting, usually 4" x 4" in size, and then counting the stitches) is the best way to see exactly what your work will look like, and it's crucial if you're following a pattern. If your stitches are too small or tight, switch to a larger size needle, and if they are too big or loose, use a smaller size needle.
So now that you've figured out the basic steps, try knitting a scarf!
Cast on your stitches-the number you start with will determine the width of your scarf. A skinny scarf is nice for a first project, because it goes much faster!
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If you knit every row, your work will be in garter stitch, and both sides will look like this. This is the easiest way to knit-you never have to switch stitches or think about what row you're on. | 
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| If you knit one row, then purl the next, you will make a stockinette stitch, which will look like this on the "right" side and like garter stitch on the "wrong" side. The stockinette stitch has a tendency to roll at the edges, so knit the first 3 or 4 stitches on each edge in garter stitch to keep it lying flat. | 
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Stripes are a good way to keep it interesting. To mix in another color, knit to the end of a row and cut off your yarn, leaving a tail of at least 6 inches. Tie another color on, making a good knot, and keep knitting using the new color as the working yarn. When you're ready to add a new stripe, repeat the process, and make sure to add the new yarn on the same side of the knitting (especially if you're using garter stitch). If you want to make a "box of crayons" scarf, mix in stripes of every color you have-it looks especially cool if you vary the width of the stripes. After you've finished the scarf, weave the loose ends back in using a plastic yarn needle.
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Another way to texture a solid color is to mix in "stripes" of the stitch (stockinette or garter) you're not using. Three rows of the opposite stitch will make a noticeable pattern in your knitting. Mix them in randomly, or count rows to make them consistent. |  |
Whenever you think your scarf is long enough, just bind it off, and you're done!
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To cover a dropped stitch, or just embellish a plain scarf, try sewing on tiny cut-out felt flowers or stars. Secure them with just a few stitches of sewing thread and add a single bead in the center for extra fanciness. |  |
Add fringe at the ends by cutting a piece of yarn twice as long as you want the fringe to hang. Fold it in half and ease the doubled side through one of the small spaces on your scarf ends. Then feed the two tails through the loop and pull tight. Do this all the way across the end. Alternating colors on fringe looks cool, or cutting it different lengths.
Recommended knitting books:
Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'n Bitch, the Knitter's Handbook has great patterns and projects-it's perfect for beginners and experts alike. I cannot say enough good things about this book!
Vicki Square's Knitter's Companion is a good spiral-bound portable reference for stitches and techniques.
Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English is just what the title implies.
And here's an online resource for finding a good yarn shop near you, too.
Happy knitting!
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