There's something about the turn of the season that makes you want to make something with your hands.
The mornings are cooler, the evenings are drawing in, and suddenly sitting still with a project in your lap sounds like exactly the right thing to do. If you've been meaning to learn to knit, properly, this time, we suggest that now is the moment.
Autumn in New Zealand is genuinely one of the best times to pick up needles for the first time. The weather nudges you inside, there's no pressure to be anywhere, and the payoff, something warm, made by your own hands arrives right when you need it most.
We've taught a lot of people to knit over the years, and the ones who start in autumn almost always stick with it. We think we know why. Let us explain, and then point you toward exactly what to make first.
Why Autumn Is the Perfect Time to Learn
In summer, there's always somewhere to be. The beach, the garden, a social obligation that somehow takes up the whole weekend. Knitting can feel like something you'll get to eventually, but eventually keeps not arriving.
Autumn changes that. The pace shifts. Evenings feel like they belong to you again. And there's something deeply satisfying about learning a new skill precisely when it becomes useful, when the idea of knitting a warm hat or a cosy shawl isn't a hypothetical but an actual, pressing need.
And perhaps most importantly: knitting is something you can do while watching television, while talking, while sitting on the couch under a blanket with a cup of tea. It doesn't demand a dedicated creative space or a cleared schedule. It just asks for a small corner of your day. Autumn has those corners in abundance.
What Makes a Good First Project
The number one reason people give up on knitting is that they started with something too complicated, or too small. A complicated pattern when you're still figuring out how to hold the needles is demoralising. Something tiny, like socks, means you're making the same fiddly movements over and over without ever feeling like you're getting anywhere. The sweet spot is a project that:
- Uses a straightforward stitch, ideally just knit stitches, or simple knit and purl
- Is big enough to feel satisfying as it grows
- Produces something you'll genuinely want to wear or use
- Can be picked up and put down without losing your place
All three of the patterns we're recommending below tick every one of those boxes. They're by Petite Knits, a Danish designer whose patterns are beloved precisely because they're clear, well-written, and achievable for newer knitters. And we've paired each one with yarn from our studio that we think makes them particularly lovely.
Three Brilliant Autumn Starts. Our Top Picks
Here's where it gets good. Pick the one that speaks to you and cast on this weekend.
1. Sophie Shawl by Petite Knits
Skill level: Easy
The Sophie Shawl is about as gentle an introduction to knitting as you'll find. It's worked from tip to tip in garter stitch, which means you're doing the exact same stitch, back and forth, all the way through. No purling, no pattern to memorise. Just the quiet rhythm of knit, turn, knit again, watching something beautiful grow in your hands.
Why it's perfect for autumn: Shawls are the perfect first project for autumn. They're generous, you can feel them getting bigger, and garter stitch is wonderfully forgiving of the slight unevenness that comes with learning. This one also has a built-in i-cord edge, which sounds fancy but is really just a neat little detail that makes the finished piece look polished without any extra effort.
Yarn pairing: Beaut (100% Merino) + Mint (Kid Mohair Silk).
Kit: Shop the Sophie Shawl Kit here.
Our kit includes two skeins of Beaut (our 100% Merino base) paired with two mini skeins of Mint (our 70% Kid Mohair, 30% Silk). The mohair is held alongside the merino as you knit, together they create that warm, slightly hazy quality that makes a hand-knit shawl feel genuinely luxurious. We include the printed pattern, stitch markers to help you track your increases, and a tapestry needle for finishing. Everything in one beautiful box.
The stitch markers deserve a mention here. They clip onto your needles at the points where you need to increase, so you don't have to count your way back to find your place. For a beginner, they're genuinely transformative, instead of having to concentrate the entire time, you can relax into the rhythm and trust the markers to nudge you when something needs to happen.
2. Novice Sweater by Petite Knits
Skill Level: Beginner
The Novice Sweater does exactly what its name promises. It was designed for people who want to knit a proper jumper, something they'll actually wear all winter, without having to understand every technique in the book first. It's a relaxed, comfortable shape that knits up quickly in DK weight yarn and is endlessly wearable.
Why it's perfect for autumn: A sweater feels like a serious undertaking, but in DK weight yarn it grows faster than you'd expect. There's something deeply satisfying about knitting a garment for the first time and having a well-designed beginner pattern means you'll finish it. The Novice Sweater has been knitted by thousands of people worldwide for good reason.
Yarn pairing: Prosper DK Merino + Mint (Kid Mohair Silk).
Kit: Kit coming soon. Join our mailing list to be first to know
We're pairing this one with our Prosper DK Merino, a smooth, beautifully plied 100% merino that's a genuine pleasure to work with. Held alongside a strand of Mint mohair, it creates a fabric with just the right amount of warmth and softness.
3. Terrazzo Hat by Petite Knits
Skill Level: Easy
If you want to start small and finish fast, the Terrazzo Hat is your project. It knits up from the brim upward in a simple combination of ribbing and stocking stitch, two techniques that together cover about 90% of all knitting. Once you can knit and purl, you can make almost anything. This hat is a brilliant way to learn both at once.
Why it's perfect for autumn: Hats are one of the most satisfying first projects because the finish line is always in sight. You can cast on on a Friday evening and be casting off by Sunday afternoon. And because it only uses one skein of yarn, it's a low-commitment way to try a colour way you've been eyeing, the perfect excuse to treat yourself to something beautiful.
Yarn pairing: Prosper DK Merino. 100% Merino in your favourite hand-dyed colourway, one skein is all you need.
Kit: Kit available soon. watch this space!
While you wait for the kit, browse our DK colourways and start thinking about which one you'd love to wear all winter. (Hint: the warm, earthy tones are particularly good for this one.)
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Start
We don't want to overwhelm you, knitting really is simpler than it looks from the outside. But there are a couple of things we always tell beginners that save a lot of frustration down the track.
Tension is something you find, not something you force
Your knitting tension, how tightly or loosely you hold the yarn will even out naturally as you practice. Don't try to control it too much at the start. Knit. Let it settle. It will.
Stitch markers are your friends
We've already mentioned them in the Sophie Shawl context, but they're useful in any project. They sit on your needle and mark important spots. The beginning of a round, a point where an increase happens, anywhere you need to pay attention. All of our kits include them.
Mistakes are part of it
Every experienced knitter has dropped stitches, lost their place, and had to rip back a row or two. It's not failure, it's how you learn. The yarn is almost always recoverable. Take a breath and start again. We promise it gets easier.
Tracking increases and decreases
Both the Sophie Shawl and the Terrazzo Hat involve simple shaping, adding or subtracting stitches as you go. The easiest way to keep track is with a row counter (a small click-counter that you advance at the end of every row) or simply a pencil and a piece of paper. Our kits include stitch markers which do a lot of this work for you automatically.
Not sure where to begin?
We teach beginner knitting lessons right here in our Ponsonby studio, friendly atmosphere, and you leave knowing exactly how to cast on and get going.
We'd love to see you there. Click here to register your interest in a knitting lesson.
