Thank you for the positive feedback about my socks on Wednesday! Such a confidence booster!
This is the scarf that my daughter started when I taught her to knit a few years ago. We finished it up together during our first little planned craft time, I have just not had the chance to post it yet. Obviously we decided to turn it into a headband instead, a much better first project. Minus that I think the yarn she chose is hideous, it turned out pretty cute.
Listening to a knitpicks podcast lately I learned a few things about teaching people to knit. This should make teaching my next daughter a little easier. She has been asking to "knid" with me lately.
Here are the things I've learned.
1. Don't teach the long tail cast on. Teach the knitted cast on instead. They are making their first row of knitting as they cast on. I only knew the long tail cast on at the time I taught my daughter. It was challenging for her to catch on to.
2. OR just cast on yourself and knit a few rows then hand it to them. They can learn to knit and later go back and learn to cast on. Casting on is harder than knitting.
3. Don't start with a project. Just have them knit with no project in mind. Then they don't feel like it has to be perfect or worry about how long it will take to finish. It is a learning piece that they can throw away in the end.
4. Start with something smaller than a scarf! Kelly suggested a potholder for kids and washcloths for adults. (I never had a desire to knit a washcloth but I recently saw some really cute patterns and may need to make one.)
So there you go. A few suggestions if you run into someone dying to learn to knit...
(No she is not a cancer patient! As my funny husband suggested :)
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Labels: Children, Finished Objects
