THE KNITTING NODDY
The next step after finger knitting is
using a knitting noddy. You hold a
knitting noddy in one hand while you
use your other hand to work the yarn
around the points. The result is a
knitted tube that you can use for belts,
hair ties, headbands, play rope, or
whatever a child’s imagination can
conjure up.
THE RHYME
You can teach children under 7 or 8
to knit with two needles, but you will
generally have more success with
children 8 years or older. It also helps
if the child knows how to read, so that
she or he can follow a simple pattern,
if desired. When you are teaching
children to knit on two needles, you
can break down the steps by reciting
the following rhyme:
In through the front door(sticking
the right needle into the first
stitch),
Once around the back (wrapping
the yarn around the right needle
at the back of the work),
Peek through the window(pulling
the wrapped yarn toward the
front, through the stitch),
Off jumps Jack(pulling the new
stitch up and off the left needle).Pick Up Your Needles and... chapter 16
ENCOURAGE THEM
Always tell new knitters how well they
are doing so that their interest doesn’t
wane. Even if their first knitting is
misshapen and riddled with holes, find something positive to say to keep them going. And remember to keep that first
sample so that they can look back later and see how much they have progressed.