this is a good one to see the various stitches, as it's formed and how to do it
http://www.stitchguide.com/

Knit net has videos to watch as the stitches are formed. This is helpful to see.
http://www.knitnet.com/sampler/toc.htm

Crochet lessons at http://crochet.about.com/library/blbeginners.htm?PM=ss11_crochet have step by step photos. I'm thinking of learning crochet, properly and finally and I've bee looking around for lessons.

frugal haus has free patterns that use up odds and ends of yarn http://frugalknit12330.goeserv.com/homepage/freepats.htm

Knitlist's free patterns http://www.knitlist.com/ListGifts.htm is one of the best resources, my sister in law keeps showing me stuff from there. She loves to knit.

Sock Fever is hilarious, but also a fun sock knitting place
http://www.nettally.com/infocon/knitsocks.htm
I love the jokes there.

and the old favourite, about dot com. http://knitting.about.com/ where there are all kinds of free patterns, and good knitting tips and ideas. My sister in laws other favourite web resource.

and for crochet http://crochet.about.com/ where you can find a selection of free patterns.

a lot of them come from Patty's Patterns, http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/pisa/22/stat.html
and home page
http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/pisa/22/filet.html
where the lady who designed all that, is designing more, and sharing her work. I think if I ever manage to learn to crochet finally, I want to do some of her doily patterns.

for dishcloths http://www.jimsyldesign.com/~dishbout/kpatterns/javaindex.html which includes some easy free crochet patterns for dishcloths too.

Hope that is fun browsing for anyone who like knitting or crochet.

forgot a favourite link from when I was learning socks. My sister in law kept pointing me here for various patterns and tips to look at. Her favourite to teach me was joans woolease socks and the you are putting me on. did I make them? no, but I did refer to the patterns when learning to turn the heel.

http://www.woolworks.org/slippers.html

and they have more in their regular patterns section, seem to be connected to knit list in some way.

OMG, WOW!! Thank you, I have a ton of bookmarking and reading to do.

You just have to scroll down the sock fever one, and enjoy the questions and answers to the sock lady.

the one about knitting dental floss into booties for bugs in the garden is hilarious.

I'd like to make some leggings, with the stirups, can I just make the top half of a sock. It needs to be looser tho, to go over slacks. Anyone come across a pattern, with multi-colors of yarn?
thanks,
lacyj

You just knit a tube to fit your legs, starting with some ribbing around the knees and work down.

If you want to knit flat, you make it with a seam and sew it up after

If you knit in the round on 4 needles it goes way faster and easier but you need to see how to knit in the round. (I think the about.knitting com one had that)

Decrease for the ankles.

make two stirrups. graft in the center.

You need to figure out what gauge you knit to, on the needles you have with that yarn. So many stitches widthways and lengthways per inch.

Then measure your calf, and knit either in the round or flat to fit, decreasing as you work down.

If you are just starting to learn to knit, stick to a garter knit scarf to start, but once you do that leggings are easier than socks or mitts.

here is a link to the woolworks leg warmer pattern to give an idea
http://www.woolworks.org/patterns/legwarmers.txt

for those wanting to play with Aran knitting, (Irish sweater patterns) here are some Aran patterns (not the sweaters but the stitches) so you can do stuff. I've always liked the look of a cream Irish knit purse with this stuff worked as a sampler.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~coolhoun/patterns/patterns.html

Some free Scarf patterns from Berocco yarns: http://www.berroco.com/nts_scarf_central.html

and it's worth looking at their past issues of knit bits newsletters for some other free and interesting patterns.

WOW - great list of links, some of the sites I have been to but lots I haven't. Thanks very much.