Knitting is a favourite hobby of mine. I find it cathartic and calming, and it’s always good to have a hobby that ends with something you have made. I love to knit little items for friends and recently I have branched out to knitting items in chunkier wool with bigger needles.
I know people will say that knitting is hard, but actually basic knitting is easy once you get used to working a rhythm, keeping count of your stitches and making sure your tension (how tight or how loose your stitches are) is right. You can learn to do lots of fancy stitches but basic knitting is manageable. You don’t need a lot, and you don’t have to buy expensive wool.
Knitting is something that many people do, even famous people, and it’s not something that is just for girls either. It’s a great way to practice hand-eye coordination.
My children have both asked to learn to knit. I was delighted but slightly nervous when I started to teach the teen (when she was a lot younger) because I am left-handed and I knit left-handed style, and that is slightly different from how someone who is right-handed knits.
But it can be done. Then I got them to sit next to me and watch me do some slow basic stitches. Then I set them up with some needles, usually 6mm which are not too big but not too small to grip in smaller hands and some easy to grip wool and after I have cast on some stitches get them to practice basic knit stitches. If they make a mistake they can start again. A few practice rounds in simple rows and then I let them do simple makes like a basic square with 10-20 stitches. Knitting is reparative so for kids it’s an easy thing to learn and get to grips with. I watched a couple of YouTube videos on how someone would knit right-handed and then let the teen (and now the boy) watch them. This one is a great one to show you, it’s very clear and easy to watch. I get them to knit along to the video too, to practice if they need to.
When they are confident they can start on a small project. I also teach them how to correct a mistake like a dropped stitch, or how to hold it until I can come to their aid to fix it.
Now it’s a great hobby for them, and a way to keep them busy that isn’t screen time. They love showing me what they are making, and we knit together.
Emily shared a post about learning to knit, and why she likes knitting, and now she feels like a pro, and is able to help me teach her brother.
If you would like to learn how to knit and are left handed then this tutorial is a really good one that shows you how to get started and technique.
Do you knit? Why not give it a go?