The great folks over at KnitFabulous have launched their First Annual Charity Project, Addicted to Granny Squares. The project is intended to bring awareness to those affected by cervical cancer and HPV. For more information, click on the link to KnitFabulous.

Granny squares are easy to do and fun to put together. Join in this worthy project! (Looks like crochet granny squares are also welcome.)

Now we're talking about my personal favorite topic. I have to stay out of yarn stores - seriously. I think I still have yarn I bought in 1975. I've since learned that ALL yarn is irresistable (at least to me) and that I should not buy it unless I have a project planned for it.

The problem (for me!) is that there is so much of it - and so many different types. And I love all of them! So here I am, just helping out those of you who may not be up-to-date on what's available in yarns.

Alpaca. This very soft and fine wool comes from the alpaca, a native of South America and smaller relative of the llama. It's expensive, however - the average yield for alpaca wool is 2 pounds of wool per alpaca every two years.

Angora. This yarn is made from the fine, lightweight fur of Angora rabbits. It's relatively delicate and has a very high moisture absorption capacity. This makes lovely finished products - but aren't you glad you're not the one shaving those rabbits??

Camel hair. Camel hair has a slightly natural shine and pure camel hair cannot be died, which is why products made with pure camel hair come in limited shades of "camel." High-quality virgin wool is very similar to camel hair and is usually spun with the camel hair fibers to produce a yarn or fabric that can be dyed.

Cotton. Another one of my favorites. When cotton in made into yarn, it's a double whammy for me! Cotton is the oldest known fiber in the world. It is also sustainable and renewable, making it an excellent choice for green living. It is excellent for baby knits, as it is allergen free (organic cotton is recommended). Even in hot weather, cotton feels cool and comfortable - which is why it continues to be popular and is sometimes known as white gold.

Cashmere. Cashmere comes from Cashmere goats. They are not shorn, like sheep - their hair is combed out when they lose their coats in the spring. Cashmere is very expensive because the yield per goat is only approximate 1/4 pound of wool per year. It is very light and soft and provides greater warmth than other types of yarn of the same weight.

Lamb's wool. Lamb's wool refers to the first shearing of young sheep. It's especially soft and warm.

Linen. Linen is a plant fiber obtained from flax plants. It makes a fabric that is cool and slightly shiny, relatively stiff and not very pliant. Linen yarns are best suited for summer clothing, as it provides little warmth and rapidly evaporates moisture. For hand knitting, linen is usually mixed with other types of yarn.

Mohair/Kid Mohair. I remember when having a mohair twin set was all the rage. Did I just tell you how old I am? Angora goats have a long, white, curly coat. They wool obtained from young goats is called kid mohair. It produces a very soft and delicate knit.

Silk. Silk keeps you cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold and is also very comfortable to wear. However, it's not easy to knit silk. Finished pieces stretch the first time they're washed and it's not a yarn recommended for inexperienced knitters or the faint of heart!

Viscose. This is the only yarn on this list that is chemically obtained. Chemically pure cellulose (from wood and other plants) is treated with soda lye and carbon disulfide to obtain viscose, which is then spun into yarn. Viscose is easy to knit and the finished pieces drape very beautifully. Viscose is often used as a shiny specialty yarn in mixed yarns.

Wool. Wool yarn comes in several varieties. Virgin wool refers to wool that is being spun for the first time. Yes, wool is recycled - shoddy or recycled wool is wool fabric that is torn apart and respun. Worsted wool is a strong, long-staple combed wool that is very sturdy. Woollen is a short-staple carded wool yarn. Shetland yarn is made with the wool of Shetland sheep and is known for being a very robust wool yarn. Merino wool is prized for producing a very fine, lightweight, but warm wool fabric.

For a complete listing of yarns for sale, go to the Knitting Mart Yarns page.

Knitting needles are a must for knitters (obviously!), but they aren't the other useful tool you need to have in your basket.

Knitting Needles

Everyone has their favorite type of knitting needles. For the beginner, it's best to ask your teacher what to start with.

Straight knitting needles have the same thickness over their entire length.

Circular knitting needles are usually either nickel plated or made of aluminum and come in a variety of sizes. Many knitters find them easier to handle, especially when knitting large pieces. They can be used to knit patterns where two rows on the right side or the wrong side have to be knit one after the other.

Flex knitting needles have a thicker tip and a thin, round plastic strip with a length of about 20 inches. These are also easier to use when knitting large pieces.

Bamboo knitting needles/wooden knitting needles. Bamboo knitting needles are especially light. For people with metal allergies, they provide the additional advantage of being allergen-free.

Cable knitting needles are available straight or angled. The angled cable knitting needles prevent stitches from accidentally slipping off the needle as you work making cables.

Knitting needle sets or sock knitting needles consist of four or five double-pointed needles. The stitches are divided among three or four of the needles and you knit with the fourth or fifth needle. Confused? Now I know why I've never attempted socks! The short needles work especially well for knitting baby booties or gloves.

And if you just have a difficult time figuring out what size your knitting needles are - and if you're like me, you have a lot of them - a knitting needle sizer is an absolute must-have time saver!

Other helpful Knitting Tools

This is not, by any means, a comprehensive listing of all the tools available - just the ones we think you'll find most useful.

Line marker. Some of those pattern charts are difficult to read and if you're like me, your eyesight isn't what it used to be. A line marker keeps you on the correct row.

Stitch markers, row counters and needle guards. Stitch markers are available in a variety of colors and sizes. They make it easier to count stitches and rows (more about that in another article that we have planned) and for marking pattern sections, such as an armhole. Row counters can be slipped onto the knitting needle, and for knitting in the round there are counters with open loops. Needle guards are not intended to protect the needles, but to keep the stitches from slipping off the needles when you're not knitting. (It would have been terribly useful if someone had told me about these when I first started learning to knit!)

Yarn boxes help keep your yarn under control - and not just if you have a cat that likes to play in the yarn! They keep balls of yarn from rolling away and keep tension on the yarn more even than if you're yanking and pulling on a loose ball.

For many beginning knitters, a dishcloth or some similar small, square object is the first project. The knitting pattern is easy to follow and the knitting stitches are simple. The finished product has no seams and no curves.

It seems simple, doesn't it? Yet, even for something as simple as a dishcloth, gauging your stitches is important.

Quite simply, the gauge is the number of stitches you take to produce one knitted inch. The stitches per inch multiplied by the number of inches will determine the size of the finished product.

Some people knit with a tight stitch. Some people knit with a loose stitch. If they both follow a knitting pattern without first determining their gauge, one will end up with a finished product that is too small and the other will end up with one that is too large. The knitting patterns are gauged on an average knit stitch, using the knitting yarn specified in the pattern.

On every knitting pattern, you will find the gauge for the pattern; i.e., "Gauge: 9 sts = 2 in." The pattern is measured so that if the knitter stitches (on average) 9 stitches every 2 inches, the finished product will be the desired size.

Here's the really important thing about gauge:

• The swatch must be made using the needles and yarn that you will be utilizing for the project.
• The gauge swatch must be in the pattern stitch specified.
• Make the swatch when you are comfortable and at ease (in other words, in the type of environment and mood you are usually in when you are knitting).
• Make the swatch at least 4 inches wide.
• Don't try and count the stitches per inch in the swatch itself - measure the swatch, count the total number of stitches and divide by the number of inches to get the average number of stitches per inch.

The added benefit of using the same knitting needles, yarn and pattern stitch as you will be using in the project is that you can get an idea of whether or not you even want to do an entire project!

Any swatch that is less then 4 inches wide will not give you an accurate gauge. You should make a gauge swatch even if the instructions don't call for it; that is, if you want the finished product to be anything close to the specified size!

Cast on 4 inches worth of stitches and work even in the pattern stitch for 4 inches. If the gauge is 5 sts = 1 in, then cast on 20 stitches for your swatch. When you measure the swatch, you want to be careful that you don't distort the fabric and throw off the measurement.With the side that will face out (the side people will see, in other words), lay the swatch on a flat surface. In the middle of the swatch (not at the top or the bottom), measure across the piece, gently uncurling the side edges if necessary. It should measure 4 inches.

What do you do if the swatch doesn't measure 4 inches? If you're under 4 inches, use larger needles; if you're over, use smaller needles. Then make the swatch again. Do this as many times as necessary until your swatch measures 4 inches.

Experienced knitters know that it's necessary to check the gauge again. After you've knitted your piece for about 2 inches in pattern stitch, spread it out and measure the total width again. If your needles aren't long enough to make the project lay flat, spread a portion onto a smaller-size circular needle so you can measure the gauge flat. If the width is correct, then you can continue on in confidence!