Teaching Children to Knit

Do you have a favourite memory of your mum or grandma or auntie teaching you to knit? I have several...some are nice, and others are more traumatic, like when my grandma tried to teach me to knit left handed after I had learned the normal way... I wanted my daughter to have some nice memories too. She is not of the crafty persuasion for more than a few minutes at a time...so my dreams of happy bonding with snuggles on the sofa learning old fashioned skills have not all been like that. Funnily enough my sons have been much more receptive, though I think it appeals to them on a much more mathematical level.I learned to knit when I was about 8, and I think that's a pretty good age to start. Some kids will be more advanced with their fine motor skills to attempt it sooner, and if you make it all about FUN, it helps a great deal.So get some large needles, and thick brightly coloured yarn...this helps with the whole wrestling with a new skill thing. Anything too small will be discouraging.We also found a knitting rhyme on google that made it methodical and fun at the same time. There are several to find if this one doesn't appeal to you, and you could even make up your own... :)In through the front doorRun around the backPop through the windowOff jumps jack!Holding the yarn properly is important. Tension, which is how tightly you hold the yarn and wrap it around is something that will only come with practice. This is demonstrating looping the yarn around your little finger on your right hand, which gives an anchor for keeping the yarn tight. Don't worry if it's too tight or too loose to begin with.

So here we go!In through the front door...

Run around the back...

Pop through the window...

Off jumps jack...

Then repeat until all your stitches have moved from the left needle to the right. Put the right needle into your left hand, and start again for the next row.Some other helpful tips...-Have a project in mind before you begin, like a scarf for teddy, or a little bag that you sew up at the sides.-Keep the number of stitches in the row fairly small (about 20 ) to start with, so the end of the row comes up quickly, and the knitting grows fast.-aim to do 10 minutes a day for a while to cement the technique into their brain, and hopefully the enjoyment will follow when practice makes it easier, and they can finish and use their hard work.So I hope this helps a little to teach your son or daughter to knit and continue a family tradition...and many thanks to my 8 year old daughter, for enduring my photography session with a bad cold. What a trooper :)