Knitting · starter kit
What you need to start knitting
Three things — or four if you’re sewing. Total cost: ~£18. Everything you need to follow our top course pick, with budget swaps if you’re not sure yet.
Matched to our top course
Following Learn to Knit? You’ll need the specific items below. That’s the whole point — no generic “best of” list, just the exact kit for the course we recommend.
The top-pick kit
What we'd buy for a friend starting today.
Total: ~£18. These are the specific items we use and recommend — not the cheapest, not the fanciest, just the ones that get out of your way.
Knit Pro Symfonie 6mm circular needles
Our pickWarm, light wood. Circular works for flat and round projects — one purchase does both.
Drops Paris aran yarn (any colour)
Soft 100% cotton with clear stitch definition. Forgiving for uneven tension.
Stitch markers + tapestry needle
For counting rows and weaving in ends when you finish.
Total to start: ~£18
See all on AmazonSome links on this page are affiliate links — we earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we’d use ourselves.
On a tight budget?
Under £8 if you go for the swaps.
These will absolutely get you through your first course. The top-pick kit is nicer, but the budget kit works while you’re finding out if this is your thing.
Pony basic bamboo needles
instead of Symfonie
King Cole Big Value aran
instead of Drops Paris
Safety pins + darning needle
instead of markers + tapestry needle
What to skip
What we wouldn't recommend
Giant novelty needles or super-cheap metal sets
Twenty-pound knitting needles sold as “beginner friendly” aren’t. They make knots instead of fabric. And cheap metal sets tend to have rough joins that catch your yarn. Pick one mid-range pair in a sensible 5–6mm size — that’s all you need for your first few projects.
Got your kit?
Now pick your course.
We’ve reviewed the best beginner knitting courses — find the one that suits how you like to learn.
Starter-kit questions
- What's the absolute minimum I need to start?
- The three items in the kit above. Anything else is optional — fancy accessories can wait until you know you're sticking with knitting.
- Can I use supplies I already have?
- Yes, where you can. Our budget kit lists the household swaps that work. The only things we'd replace are anything that would actively frustrate you while you're learning.
- Why do you recommend this specific brand?
- Because we've used it. Each pick is the one we'd buy for a friend starting from zero — not the cheapest, not the most expensive, just the one that gets out of your way and lets you focus on the craft.
Ready when you are
You’ve got the kit. Now make something.
Pick your course and you’ll be making something real within a week.