Knitting and kids

Today was my first day back to a knitting group with 4 children at a local school for the 2014 school season. It's at a different school this year and 4 different children are in my group learning how to knit. Well, trying to learn. Even though I have taught kids to learn previously, a new setting can always be a challenge, and new kids who you have never met before can be a challenge too.

They are all girls this year. Sweet grade 3 and 4ers with high expectations and who want results right away. As I have learned previously from teaching kids to knit is the first thing to say to them is "You will not walk out of your first class knowing how to knit, and probably not in your second class either". Telling them the realistic's of what is going to happen over the next couple of weeks can be the make or break it for the kids in your group. Going slow and doing it the right way is the best way to do it.

Children can be so funny, especially little girls. This group of girls are so sweet. They are polite and caring of each other. One girl in particular needs a little boost of self esteem when it comes to not being able to do it right away, but its fun lifting there spirits too :) Its funny to listen to them talk about little girl things and to watch there tongues stick out of the side of there mouths as they concentrate on the next stitch. 

Talking about what we are going to knit or what we would like to learn how to knit is also a fun part of the class. One girl wants to knit a dishcloth for her mother for Christmas, another girl wants to knit bracelets, One girl said she would just love to know how to cast on without help!

I gave them a little homework this week, not an actual assignment but a fun thing they can do at home. I told them to look for knitted items in there homes this week, It can be fun to examine something that has been knit, looking at the stitches and colors of the yarns, different size yarns and textures. It will also give them an idea of what they can knit. I bet they will find things that they didn't know were hand knitted and didn't know you could hand knit! ;)