OK virgin knitters and beginners, if you're looking for a little extra guidance from a pro, look no further. We've reached out to some of our favorite knitters to help guide you through your knitting journey in an effort to avoid any tears, pokes or dropped stitches ... From the right posture to empowering you with helpful phrases, our pro-knitters have you covered.

Laura Hopf of Scarffaces

Keep an open mind. Your knitting might not look exactly how you want it to look right away, it will take time! The more open minded you are about what your end product will look like, the happier you'll be!

Count your stitches! it's really easy to add a stitch at the end of each row if you're not counting, so make sure to count and start with a project that uses an easy number of stitches to remember (5,10, etc)

Learn with a friend! There's nothing better than spending some quality time with a friend while also learning a new skill.

Esther Kao of WhollyKao

Practice makes perfect! The more you knit, the easier it gets, and the more uniform your stitches will look.

YouTube is a lifesaver. Whenever I don't know a stitch, I hop over and watch a couple tutorial videos. It helps my patience too!"

Sarah Goldschadt of SAH-RAH

Don't give up. Give it time and patience and you'll find way to make knitting fun and enjoyable.

Meghan Navoy of A Wool Story

Don't start out with a long scarf for your first project, it's much better to try something smaller (fingerless gloves, hat, headband) so you're able to have that instant gratification of completing your first project. Long scarves in garter stitch can be quite boring, especially using worsted weight yarn and smaller needles. If you'd like to make a scarf, I would recommend bulky yarn and 10 mm needles.

Learn the purl stitch! Generally you learn the knit stitch when first learning how to knit and sometime can be intimidated at the thought of learning a new stitch when you may not have mastered the knit stitch quite yet, but fear not! Once you can knit and purl in knitting, you can make almost anything! It's very empowering to be able to have the creative freedom to make whatever you want!

Watch your tension. Beginner knitters tend to knit very tightly, which can be frustrating if the loops are too tight to fit the tip of your needle in. Remember to relax your shoulders, hold the needle comfortably (preferably not like a gripped dagger) and try to concentrate on keeping a consistent and looser tension. This way you will be able to see your stitches more clearly and get rid of some of the frustration of tight and rigid knitting.