I'm not too far past asking this question myself, so let me share what I've learned after a couple hundred hours reading everything out there online I could find, and a hundred more or so in the shop.
I picked up "How To Make Knives", by Richard W. Barney and Robert Loveless, after reading over and over that it's the definitive text. It's detailed and exhaustive, and is definately at the top of the list. It' been a godsend for me.
Lots of folks also speak highly of "Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop"; don't own it, but it and the Loveless book are the two most often recommended when this question is asked.
You've also already found one of the most valuable rescources on the planet for knifemakers right here. Get some designs/drawings together, get your hands on some 1095 or 5160 or O1 that'll fit your designs, and then plug your questions into the "search" function here. Go to Advanced Search, enter your terms like you would in a Google search, limit the search to 'Shoptalk', and see what you come up with. If you don't find what you need, mess with the parameters, include the archives and/or other forums in your search, change the words around. You'll find answers to almost all your questions by searching, if you take the time to look.
There are also a number of other resources at your disposal on the net. Everything you need is out there. Have a look at the Newbie's Forum over on knifeforums. It's hosted by Jerry Hossom, a man who knows what the hell he's talking about and is incredibly generous with his knowledge. You'll find answers to most of your first questions just by reading through the pages and pages of posts.
There are several great tutorials for beginners hosted here and there across the web:
The Jonsey tutorial hosted by Jerry Hossom is the classic for first-timers:
http://hossom.com/tutorial/jonesy/
Bob Engath's remarkable legacy has found it's way onto the net with this site that is just LOADED with what you need; I've been told to read it and memorize every word:
http://www.engnath.com/public/intable.htm
Dan Gray has put together an excellent resource full of links to different valuable knifemaking tutorials here:
http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking.html
There's another pretty solid and in-depth tutorial on making a stock removal blade hosted on the ar15 site, under 'the armory: blades'. It's in the stickies at the top of the page.
Here's an excellent tutorial on making a balisong:
http://www.edcknives.com/GuinnBaliTutorial.php
And if you're going to be using a grinder, here's a site with some great tips:
http://www.metalsmithinghowto.com/tutorials.cfm?page=Grinder/Grinder tips.htm&content=132
That's probably 25 or so hours of reading right there that'll certainly equip you with what you need to make your first knife. But what's really the most important thing, is to just find a place to sep up shop and DO it! Take your time, think about what you're doing; walk away when things go bad and come back later, cause that steel won't go back on. Nothing will teach you faster than your own mistakes. And the learning curve on those first 10 knives will be so steep that you'll truly amaze yourself.
Good luck, and go get em! But be warned, this stuff is utterly addictive!!!
We save all that hot sweaty work pounding steel and just go straight to the knife part. 
