Teach A Child To Knit

Readers, do you remember the first time you learned how to knit? If you were anything like me it was a magical moment the first time you knit a whole row by yourself. I wasn't a child when I learned how to knit. In fact, I was 15 years old, which is much older than a lot of people learn to knit.

I know many readers learned to knit from their mothers, grandmothers, or even aunts, but I learned from my sophomore English teacher. Mrs. Springer started a knitting club at my high school and encouraged everyone to come, not just the people that already knew how to knit. I remember how excited I felt when I finished my very first project, a hot pink scarf for my sister-in-law.

Having helped so many of my friends with their own knitting I also know the joy of teaching others to knit. It is a truly wonderful feeling to share something so special with another person. However, I know that teaching others can seem like a daunting task so here are a few tips:

1. Find a quiet place to teach where you both can relax and enjoy the time together. It doesn't matter if that place is your own or the local coffee shop as long as you can relax and hear each other.
2. Start the person with larger knitting needles. I recommend size 13 U.S. or size 50 U.S. if you are trying to teach a young child.
3. Choose a light yarn in a 3 or 4 weight. A lighter yarn allows the person to be able to see the stitches better. A dark yarn can sometimes be confusing to a beginner. The thicker yarn is easier to work with and knits up faster, which is perfect for someone new to knitting.
4. Begin with an easy project such as a scarf. The repetition is great for practicing stitches.
5. I recommend teaching the person in the same way you learned because that method should be most comfortable to you and the easiest to learn. However, I suggest having additional methods on hand because everyone learns a different way. You can either use books you already have, check them out from the library, or have print outs from the Internet.
6. Finally, be patient. Knitting probably didn't come naturally to you either.

I hope these tips help you to teach someone else to knit, but most importantly remember to have fun while you are teaching. If you are enjoying yourself than the other person is more likely to enjoy themselves.

God Bless and Happy Knitting!