Here's a series of links to very useful knitting resources, where you can find tutorials, knitting patterns (mostly for free) and tips & tricks to improve your knitting skills and make wonderful handmade gifts to your friends and yourself. All these sources have been "tested" by myself, I use them regularly so I can assure you they are not a list of random links. :) All the resources are in English, unless stated.
Here we go:
Verypink.com: this is probabli the best beginner website I've ever come across. It is linked to a Youtube channel where you can find free video tutorial for all the basic techniques (a part from the very basics like knitting or purling). Here I learned how to knit socks, how to do fair isle and intarsia, how to avoid holes in my work and many other techniques. Most of the patterns need purchasing, but you can follow the tutorials with other patterns as well. I think this is probably the best online resource for first time knitters.
Knitty.com: this is an online knitting magazine, with articles, features, tips but also many interesting (an very cute!) free knitting patterns. So you can read, you can learn, you can knit.... all in one. I actually knitted some of their patterns and found them easy to follow and great to wear. This is probably my no.1 resource for intermediate and advanced patterns.
Ravelry.com: this website requires free registration, but it's a huge and helpful online community where you can find free patterns, advice from expert knitters, tips and you can post your own patterns as well. I love it and couldn't live without it!
