Beginner project
Learn to Knit Scarf
A first scarf is the classic beginner project: a long rectangle, one stitch, chunky yarn and big needles. These notes walk through it so a beginner knows what to expect.
Independent knitting notes. Not affiliated with The Third Piece knitwear label or its owners. No shop, prices or orders.Updated 2026-11-01
The beginner scarf, step by step
- Cast on: make a row of loops on one needle; a knitted cast-on is the easiest to learn.
- Garter stitch: knit every row; the fabric lies flat and looks the same on both sides.
- Length: keep going until the scarf wraps around your neck with ends to spare, or the yarn runs low.
- Bind off: knit two, lift the first over the second, repeat to the end, then weave in the tails.
A first knitting lesson, an audience and speaking nerves
A learn-to-knit scarf is the classic first project for people who have never held needles. Many of them learn it in a class, and the first lesson is a small public moment: you fumble the cast-on while others watch, then ask out loud why your stitches are so tight. For some beginners that part is harder than the knitting.
The discomfort has a name. A 2019 meta-analysis on fear of public speaking calls it a type of social anxiety and "the single most commonly feared situation", reported by up to one third of the population, with effects on work, study and social life. The review compared psychological treatments for it across 30 randomized trials with 1,355 participants.
For a beginner who freezes when asked to explain a stitch to the group, a public speaking course is a practical next step: it has you speak in small rounds, from one minute to a full talk, with feedback after each. publicspeakingcourse.org lays out the formats. A simple ladder for a nervous beginner:
- Ask one question out loud in class.
- Explain your garter stitch to one friend.
- Show the class your finished scarf in thirty seconds.
- Give a two-minute talk in a course round, then a longer one.
Source: Ebrahimi et al., Psychological interventions for fear of public speaking, meta-analysis (2019), via PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
The full guide, reproduced from publicspeakingcourse.org
Public speaking course
A public speaking course teaches structure, delivery and calming nerves, with feedback on your talks. Choose by budget, by self-paced or live, and by certificate.
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Public speaking course types side by side
| Option | Cost | Pace | Typical length | Certificate | Feedback on your speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free online course | Free lessons; some charge for the certificate | Self-paced video | 1 to 4 weeks | Extra fee, or none | Rarely |
| Paid video course | One-off fee or subscription | Self-paced video | An hour to a few weeks | Often a completion certificate | Sometimes: recorded speeches, peer review |
| College course for credit | Tuition, or a monthly membership | One term, or self-paced online | A semester | College credit | Yes: graded speeches |
| Live online class | Per seat | Live on video, set dates | 2 hours to several sessions | Sometimes | Yes: instructor and group |
| In-person workshop | The most per person | Live, in a room | 1 or 2 days | Often | Yes: video review, coaching |
| Private coaching | Per session | Live, one-on-one | A series of sessions | No | Yes: on your own talk |
| Speaking club: Toastmasters | $25 to join, then $72 in dues every six months; visits are free | Live club meetings | Ongoing | No | Yes: peer evaluations |
| Online practice group: AmberWillo | Free to start | Live video, up to 15 people | Short speeches each round | No | Yes: real listeners, a confidence score, coaching notes |
Lengths and costs are typical ranges from public course listings; Toastmasters fees are from its own joining page (October 2026). Check the exact course before you enroll.
Free vs paid public speaking course
A free course gets you the lessons; money buys you listeners who tell you how it went.
- Free
- Video lessons, a free trial or an audit track. Rarely feedback; the certificate costs extra.
- Paid self-paced
- A fee or subscription for the full course, graded assignments and a certificate of completion.
- Live and coaching
- The highest price per hour: you pay for an instructor's attention.
What drives the price: live hours, class size, one-on-one time and the trainer's experience. Ask about group discounts, financial aid and the refund policy.
Let your employer pay. Under Section 127 of the tax code, an employer can cover up to $5,250 of your education a year tax-free (IRS Publication 15-B).
Is it worth it? Yes, if it makes you speak: the career benefits show up in interviews, meetings and promotions.
Self-paced vs live: what you really get
| Self-paced online | Live (online or in person) | |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Any time | Set dates |
| Feedback | Rare, or peer review | Instructor and group, often on video |
| Minutes speaking | Only what you record | Shared with the group |
| Best for | Theory, beginners, tight budgets | A big talk soon, virtual presentations, executive presence |
Do the speaking-minutes math. In a 2-day class with 12 people, even if half the time is speaking rounds, you get roughly 35 minutes on your feet: about a week of short daily reps.
What a good public speaking course contains
Public speaking is talking to a group to inform, persuade or entertain. A good course is lessons plus speeches you actually give. Use this checklist on any course page:
- Structure
- One key message, an outline, strong openings and closings.
- Delivery
- Voice, pace, pauses, eye contact, gestures and body language.
- Audience
- Audience analysis and keeping people engaged.
- Speech types
- Informative and persuasive speeches, storytelling, the basics of rhetoric.
- Slides and Q&A
- Visual aids that support you, handling questions and impromptu moments.
- Nerves
- Methods for stage fright before and during a talk.
- Feedback
- Recorded speeches, peer review, an instructor or a coach.
Red flags: no speaking assignments at all, a promise to make you "fearless" in a day, no named instructor, no refund policy.
Length, certificates and college credit
- Length: a typical free online course runs 1 to 4 weeks (AmberWillo free course guide); paid video courses run from an hour to several modules; workshops take 1 or 2 days; a college course takes a term.
- Certificate: a certificate proves you finished, not that you speak well. A recording of you speaking proves more.
- College credit: Sophia's online Public Speaking course carries 3 semester credits and an ACE recommendation; transfer rules vary by school.
How to choose a public speaking course
Choosing one means matching the format to your goal first, then the budget. For a class near you, check community colleges, adult education and local clubs. Find your goal:
reducing anxiety
Pick a course that makes you speak in small, safe steps. A meta-analysis of 30 trials found technology-assisted help works about as well as face-to-face help. For live reps from home, AmberWillo puts you on a video call with no more than 15 people working on the same thing, and it costs nothing to start.
work presentations
A short self-paced course covers the presentation skills for meetings and slides; for a high-stakes talk, take a live class with a group.
keynote speeches
Go live: a 2-day workshop with coaching and video review that builds leadership and communication skills. Speaking for a board or a whole company? See what executive public speaking training covers.
job interviews and sales
In AmberWillo's data from 1,851 people working on their nerves, 38% say their mind goes blank, rising to 46% in job interviews. Pick a course with impromptu answers and pitch practice.
corporate team
Ask for onsite or virtual group training built on your team's real talks. Some Toastmasters clubs meet inside companies.
free online course
Start with free lessons, then practice out loud every day. This online public speaking course comparison sorts more options by goal.
students and English learners
Students can earn credit; non-native speakers gain most from a coach who also corrects pronunciation.
Your first month: week 1, record a two-minute baseline; week 2, structure lessons and one short talk; week 3, delivery lessons and daily practice; week 4, a full talk to real listeners, compared with your baseline.
When it's more than nerves: if fear makes you avoid school, work or social life for months, that can be social anxiety disorder (NIMH). A therapist is the right first step; a course comes second.
No time for a course this week? Start with public speaking tips you can use today.
Course questions, answered
Quick answers to what people ask.
Which course is best for public speaking?
The one that makes you speak, matched to your goal: a free online course for theory, a live class with video review for a big talk soon, and Confidently's free practice mode for daily reps.
Are there free public speaking classes?
Yes. Many online platforms offer free lessons or an audit track, Toastmasters lets you visit a club for free, and AmberWillo's live practice sessions are free to start. Certificates usually cost extra.
Is public speaking college class hard?
Usually not if you keep up. Sophia's college-level Public Speaking course is pass/fail: you need 70% overall across 14 challenges, 5 milestones and 5 touchstones. The speeches are the hard part.
What are the 7 Ps of public speaking?
Pronunciation, pace, pause, punch, power, passion and posture. That's the list Archbishop Beck Catholic College uses; other schools use different P-lists.
Where these facts come from
- Toastmasters International: How to Join
- Sophia Learning: Public Speaking
- IRS Publication 15-B: educational assistance
- NIMH: Social Anxiety Disorder
- Public speaking fear treatments compared in a 2019 meta-analysis
- Seven-P list as taught at Archbishop Beck Catholic College
- AmberWillo: speaking problems survey of 1,851 people
- AmberWillo: free online public speaking course
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