New at Knitting help reading patterns

[bgonzalez]

This is my second day trying to learn how to knit over the internet. I have watched the videos on this website, and it seems pretty easy. My problem is reading the patterns. I would be very grateful if someone would make sure I am reading the below pattern correctly and give me any tips they can. I really don't have the liberty to take a class, so I am hoping I can get all of my lesson/tips online.

Below is the pattern I am reading, and what I think it means and my questions on reading a pattern (My questions in blue):

Materials: Worsted weight yarn, about 24 ounces, plus 29” circular needle, size 10½ (I bought my yarn and needle before I started learning. I knew enough to buy the needle to go with the yarn, but I wasn't thinking yarn for specific project. I don't know what kind of yarn I have, but I had to by a 5mm needle. With this just being my first project and just basically getting the hang of knitting, can I use what I have, or is it worth going out any buying the right stuff?)

Gauge: 4 sts = 1 inch and 14 rows = 2 inches

Directions:
Cast on 4 sts, and knit across. (This just seems really short to me 4 stitches? I still don't understand how everything ends up getting wider. I was told that as I knit rows that it only forms the length of the material. Can anyone clarify for me why I would only can on 4 sts?)

Start pattern: Row 1: Knit 1, knit in front and back of next st, k across.
Repeat this row until 208 sts on needle. (increased by 1 st. each row.) (Does this mean hanging from the needle, if on the needle do I need a special needle for bigger projects? I don't think my needle will fit 208 sts on it.)

I appreciate any help I can get in learning how to knit.

[suzeeq]

You probably have the correct type of yarn, but the 5mm needle is a size 8, the 10.5 is 6.5mm, so the one you have is smaller than in the pattern. It sounds like you'll be knitting a blanket that's knit on the diagonal, so using the size 8 may be okay, or it may be too dense a knit. I'd get the larger needle myself, but you might knit looser. (see more info below)

You start at a corner with the 4 sts, then you kfb in the first st of every row. That will increase your sts and it's done by knitting in both the front and back `legs' of the stitch. That's how you go from 4 sts to begin with to 208 all on the needle. If you got straight needles, this is going to be difficult to fit them all on which is why the pattern suggests circular ones. You can knit with them like straight ones, but they hold a whole lot more sts, so if the size 8 you bought isn't circular, you may really want to get the other size needles. For understanding how to do the kfb, go to the Increase section - http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/increase.php
It's also called the Bar increase.

[bgonzalez]

Thank so much. This really helped a lot.

[silvia castillo]

I'm also new at knitting, but I would suggest that you as well get familiar with the different stitches, etc. that you will be doing. www.knittinghelp.com, www.lionbrand.com for instance have glossarys which help a lot and also show you how to do the different stitches. Good luck with your pattern:yay: