Sprite Stitch Board!

Alright, so after seeing all of these wonderful and super cool pieces on this site, I have been wanting to learn cross stitch more and more. Because I enjoy all of your work so much, I figured I may as well as all of you if you have any advice on getting started. Should I just start out by buying one of those small kits you can get in shops, or what? And what sorts of materials should I start out with?

Any advice, tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.

I would definitely start out with a small kit. By small, I mean that finished product should be no larger than your hand.

I would consider getting a hoop, as these don't come as standard in kits. The needles you will want will be called "tapestry" needles in case your kit does not come with one (some do).

Cross stitch is a lot of fun, and very easy to learn. Kits, IMO, are ideal for this as you don't have to go searching for supplies or worrying about how big you need your fabric to be, etc.

Totally start on small kits, Mum used to let us learn on the free kits she got with her Crossstitcher magazine. And the small kits in hobbycraft are good. They will have everything you need and good instructions too.
Then once you got a good taste for it you can go out and buy a few bits to start. I suggest 16 count aida, size 26 tapestry needle, or any needle really that says cross stitch on it, but those are few and far between, more likely to find ones that say tapestry needle. You can always take the needle from one of your kits and take it to the store to compare. A small pair of scissors is essential, none of the cheap ones, blunt scissors is like trying to cut it with a wet fish.
Choose a project before you get your thread. I use DMC. Once you choose your project then get the threads you need for it, which will create a good base start for your future thread collection. I have a bobbin winder to put them on card bobbins, to organise in a plastic box. I tried making my own bobbins but they were always so flimsy or the card was so thick it took too much room or I was worried it would grate against the thread, so I buy card bobbins, again at hobbycraft. My favourite craft supplies shopping is done at independent small shops, Sue's Crafts for me, they are actually interested in what your doing and more knowledgeable and willing to help.

Thanks for the advice so far. The next time I pop in to a craft store, I'll have a look for a small kit and check if they have hoops and tapestry needles for future. Not sure how soon I'll be able to give it a go, but when I do, I'll share any progress and pictures.

Tips you've probably seen dozens of times here but always bear repeating for new stitchers:

• Start with a manageable thread length. Longer thread is tempting because it means fewer trips to the bobbin for a refill, but in the long run it leads to knotting and bad tension.
• Anchor your thread at the start by stitching over the tail end, not by knotting the end, as the latter method will cause bumps in your finished piece and may slip through the hole (especially with Aida).
• To secure your thread when you're done with that color or section, use your needle to thread it under existing stitches on the back side - three is sufficient, but four or five is more secure.
• Make sure that all your crosses are going in the same direction (i.e. the bottom halves of all your stitches align with one diagonal and the top halves align with the other).
• If you need to go across more than a short distance - say, five squares - to get to the next square that calls for the color you're using, it's better to just secure the thread where you are, cut it, and start anew at the next location.
• When you pull the thread through, gentle firmness is all you need. No one plans to be the Hulk when stitching, but the habit can creep in if you're not mindful.
• Railroading, on the other hand, is an excellent habit to get into and is very simple.
• Wash your hands before stitching and keep any source of oil away. If you like to have snacks on hand, do what other awesome Sprite Stitchers have posted about and eat with chopsticks.

I second everything RMDC said. To elaborate on his 4th point, check out a post I made to this point with a gif and everything viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14464#p75103

There are a line of kits by Bucilla called "My 1st Stitch" that are great to get started with. They come with the aida, floss, needle, and a little frame. They are quite inexpensive and stitch up quickly.

I started with a kit, to get back into the rhythm and make mistakes and learn how to fix them. The started small projects and went up.

I bought some needles for 14ct and 18ct, the 14 are bigger then the 18, and it sucks trying to use ones on the other, the needles are either to big or so small you miss the holes and go through the fabric. They should tell you on the package what size cloth they are for.
I pick up a roll of fabric about every time I go, and some floss. I pick a pattern I want to do and get those colors and always grab a few extra. And some random colors too. So you will need a box to put them in, any craft store or even walmart has them. Get some bobbins, I write the floss number on the corner with permeant marker and numerically organize them so I can find the color easily or if i even have it. Some small scissors and a needle threader for getting the floss through it, sometimes it just doesnt want to go through, and the threader helps a lot.....i think there about 2-3$.
And how you stitch is up to your, some people use hoops, scrolls, free hand, Q snaps.....I love scrolls myself. Sooooo.....I would say get a box and some bobbins, the white things in the 2nd pic. should be less than 10$
Pick some patterns and get the floss, about 30 cents a piece, about 3$ for 10 of them. Cheap. always buy more than what you think you need and any extra I just put in that big ziplock bag.
some needles, probably about 3-4$ a pack
I have some extra hoops and a really small kit that I can send you if you want it. Just PM me an address and I ship it out as fast as I can.

Thanks for all of the information everyone! This is really helpful.

Am I the only one who absolutely hates those little cardboard thread holder things? I gave up on using those a long time ago, opting to put cut thread in little baggies and leaving the uncut thread as is. I bought a little desktop chest of drawers to keep them all in, along with spare fabric etc...