It is easy to knit once you know how, like with everything else. Here is a little demonstration on how to knit the Icelandic way.
Once you know this you can knit your own sweeter or socks.
Have fun learning how to knit and make your own cloths.
It is very important to get a good recipe, which will be very helpful when you are knitting. Also to check on your tension, that is making a tension test on if you have the right size of needle.
Needles to say, knitting is very fun hobby to do and you can take it with you were ever you go.
So learning on how to knit is, well I would not say life essential well not any more since you can buy your own cloths, but you can say it is very satisfactory and it is much cheaper to make your own sweater than it is to buy one.