kids knitting club help!

Janerowena I admire anyone who teaches adults - much harder than bairns. Far more set in their ways and much more demanding too!

I can't remember being taught to knit but it must have been by my mother as I could rattle off the stuff they had us doing in school as fast as the Dragon that disguised herself as the home craft teacher. I lapsed for about 20 years and only took it up again last year as something that I could do when going through chemo and radio treatment now I am properly addicted and start to panic if I don't know what my next project is going to be!
I would post a photo of the wee rabbits I thought I would do with the bairns but haven't figured out if it can be done.

My DS knitted a garter stitch scarf for his teddy when he was about 5 - he hasn't knitted anything since then. When I was in bed with measles, my aunt came to visit and taught me to knit: "in, over, through, off". And I never looked back. At school we knitted a garter stitch square which was a kettle holder, or, with a bit of sewing, we managed to make two of them into a pair of slippers which I am sure none of us ever wore. Then we progressed to mits (in Scotland we called them 'pockies'), socks, gloves and finally jumpers. I much preferred knitting to sewing and still do.

Dotsmam Good for you!

The garter stitch to start with will get them used to holding the needles and just doing basic movements.

Someone taught my Dad to knit when he was a boy. He knitted some baby clothes for my son.

I did quite a bit as a teenager then when my kids were small but only started again when my friend dragged me along to a knitting club when I retired. I am probably addicted now.

I run a knitting club for adults, I have been so surprised by how long they have taken to pick it up, I hope your children are faster. For a couple of them it took two whole 2 hour sessions to learn to cast on! One spent six weeks knitting just six rows, because they had to be unpicked so often. I'm guessing that you will come across similar problems, as I have taught classes of children to sew years ago, they will all be at differing stages. If you go the dishcloth route, I suggest coloured yarn, they do like colour.

The adults tried to run before they could walk. They came armed with all sorts of expensive lacy scarf and cushion kits. Most have ended up making garter stitch, moss stitch or ribbed scarves. A couple are making cushion covers. A couple more are making very short scarf/snood things that fasten across with a popper and a button. One ambitious lady is making a long waistcoat, another has learnt to knit squares diagonally and is making her twin girls blankets for their dolls prams.

You may find that they have their own ideas about they would like to make, I taught DD and DS when they were younger than yours, and DS wanted to knit a superhero outfit for his Sweep. (As in Sooty)

We started in mid January, fifteen of us. Last week I actually managed to get some of my own work done, I only had to spend perhaps twenty minutes picking up dropped stitches and losing made stitches. I felt quite proud of them! They all have good tension now, too.

My DS was taught to knit by my mum, the first thing he made was a scarf for a soft toy he had had since a baby. He still has it. You could try scarves for toys. Only need about 10 stitches and they grow fast. Boys can be persuaded they are OK if you make them in football colours.

Oh isn't that lovely, Andyf and welcome to Gransnet

Thanks for that link thatbags - I didn't really think anybody would bother knitting dishcloths these days, but I imagine the yarn can be used for all sorts of other crafty things.

Hello, this is my first contribution to a Gransnet forum. Reading this reminded me of the rhyme that I was taught whilst learning to knit.

In through the front door
Run around the back
Back through the window
and off jumps Jack.

I don't remember whether it was helpful in teaching me to knit but I still remember it and I still love to knit.

I guess they could always donate the wee rabbits to the red cross for Nepal if they wanted to. I could give them the option.

I've always thought cotton was harder to knit with than wool (or wool-like yarns) because it has less give.

It does.

Of course, when I made them you could buy dishcloth cotton, don't suppose it exists any more

If they want quick results, you could show them how to make a dishcloth with craft cotton. Just garter stitch, but wrap the yarn around both needles first before going round and in between needles to form stitch. I used to love making them as a child!

Yes, something for them, or they might like to make something for needy children. 9-11 can be very concerned about children their own age who are suffering.

They will be 9 to 11. I had thought of the squares but making them into a rabbit afterwards so they got to take them home. I think you are right garter stitch is the way to go. I am determined to be nicer than Mrs Mowat who took the girls for homercraft while the boys got to do interesting things like make balsa wood aeroplanes! She was sooooooooooo scary!

The thumb method is easy:

www.deramores.com/cast-on-with-thumb-method-video

How old are they?

DM taught both my older DC to knit, although I doubt they can remember now!

If they are very young you could start with scarves (perhaps for teddies?), if a bit older then yes, a garter stitch scarf.

Or squares which could be joined together to make a blanket to send off to charity?

8" square is 40 stitches in DK on 4mm needles, keep knitting until it is a square. Other sizes can be found online.
They might like doing that, particularly if someone is willing to join them together and they could look up charities online and choose one to send the finished blanket to.

I remember we used the thumb method to cast on but I can't do that now.

Rather you than me

Just garter stitch.

When I did that with 10-12 year olds we made short, not very wide scarves. Then we put a twist in before sewing the ends together to make a neck warmer.