I'm knitting again first time in 30 odd yrs

Like you I started knitting when my first grandchild arrived two years ago and now really enjoy it. I find YouTube very helpful when there is a technique which I don't know how to do. You can keep replaying it and stop it at crucial points!
Good luck.

I picked up my knitting needles again last year and knitted myself a slip-over for bowls. Decided I would make a similar thing for my son in law this year, and having got everything ready, promptly broke my wrist! Thought you might like this story - My grandson (21 & at univeristy) thought he would knit his girlfriend a Dr. Who scarf (never having knitted anything in his life - I did show him how it was done, a long while ago.) So every thing bought, lots of help from mum whilst at home, then back to uni. "what's happened to the scarf?" he was asked. "well, I left it for a while, because I was a bit busy, and we have mice so they made their nest in the wool". The joys of being young!

I took up my needles to make a cardigan for my first grandson - I managed the back and the front but somehow the arms never got completed. I tried again for the next gc, but no luck. For the next, I unravelled the whole thing and started again. I gave it a rest for the next 4, and tried again for the last one with no success.I have now decided that I am totally useless and will donate my collection of wool to a charity shop! The first grandson is nearly ten

Printmiss what a fabulous story. My son was taught to knit in his early 20s by a friend of mine in Australia (he was living with her family on a gap year) and sucessfully knitted a scarf for his sister.

I also started knitting again after something like 30 years, and now I love it, and my creations are very popular with the younger members of my family (I don't have grandchildren yet). I stick to small items where I can have quick wins. Some of the most popular ones have been a headband (found the pattern here on gransnet in a thread); yoga or stirrup socks (where the heel and the toe are open) - that happened when I couldn't master full socks; countless berets in different patterns; and last year I had the best fun making knitted poppies for Remembrane Day.

jeanie99 perhaps it's got something to do with muscle memory - the way it all comes back!

I love knitting but can only hold lightweight projects so the family will have to continue producing babies! I find it very therapeutic. Sorry about your wrist Printmiss but it may prove good exercise when you are fully healed.

Thanks for your good wishes. wrist now out of plaster, and exercises being done, so hopefully I shall be able to get something stsrted before too long.

Our lot don't want hand-made knitted things so instead I've bought double knitting, found my Grandmother's needles (circa 1960!) and one day I shall actually start on a cable knit short sleeve jumper for myself! I've hardly knitted anything at all since I made an arran calf-length winter coat in 1978!! 252 stitches to cast on at the bottom of the back! Took me 7 months while getting over an illness! Don't "watch this space nor hold your breath" for news of a finished garment, however!
Right, I'm off to wait for the young lady who is buying my car, so no time for knitting yet, then!

Well ladies I have just finished my first little baby coat it has pockets and a hood and I really enjoyed the work.

It is so cute and I am so pleased with myself, even my husband, who thought I would never finish it said it looked good.

So what's next, I am buying two more balls of wool tomorrow for another cardigan, we are away from next week for three weeks so I'll be knitting in the evenings.

I intend knitting at least three cardies before my first grandchild arrives in October.

Well done! I've just been away for a week, and managed to cast on and knit at least 1/2 an inch!

I knitted a hoodie similar to this for my GD, in a mint green with multicoloured random wool for pockets. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kids-Hooded-Jacket-Knitting-Pattern-With-Pocket-Teddies-/200625276948 It was very popular and not too old-fashioned.

That's lovely Shysal was age group did it cover?

Seller of the above also has some very cute patterns in 'view seller's other items'. My GCs are way too old for knitted stuff now, preferring their favourite labels.

aka, if you scroll down the page you will see that the pattern has sizes for age 0-3 years. It is a live ebay advert, so still available.

There are also loads of free patterns available on the internet. Some wool and pattern companies let you download free patterns. I just typed "free knitting patterns" in to my search engine and I found quite a lot. I had to filter out the American ones as they have different names for the wool weights and I got confused!