You will find that when your friends and family members see you knitting, they will want to learn,
too. Here are some guidelines to help you pass on your hobby. They are geared toward children but
of course can be used to teach adults as well.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Before you begin to teach someone
to knit, it’s a good idea to collect the
supplies you need and have a few
small sample projects already made
to show your student. Some good
children’s projects are small bags,
narrow scarves, beanbags, doll scarves
and blankets, and hand puppets.
There are also short needles available
that are well-suited to small hands.
Remember that children will lose
interest in a long and complicated
demonstration or in a first project that
takes a long time to complete. Make
it fun and fast, and use fat yarn so
that the child can get excited and have
the satisfaction of finishing something
quickly.Teaching a Child to Knit.
FINGER KNITTING
Very young children have difficulty
handling two knitting needles, and
trying to teach them is likely to be
frustrating and disappointing for both
of you. The best thing for little ones
who want to “knit” along with you is to try finger knitting. Finger knitting involves simply making a chain (see page 192)
with the fingers instead of a crochet hook. These chains can be used for all kinds of things: hair ribbons, bracelets,
belts, or leashes for stuffed animals. Try using a double strand of two different colors to make the chains even more
interesting.