Teaching GD to Knit

I am left handed but never felt the need to knit any other way than a right handed person does. Both my mum and my sister were left handed too and they knitted the usual way. I think it's how you are taught at the beginning. We never knew anything different.

I have been told that to teach a left hander to knit if you are right handed you sit them in front of you- haven't tried it yet but once DGD gets hang of cross stitch (without puling thread out of needle EVERY time!!) I am going to give it a go.

May start with crochet having read through this link.

I was knitting dolls clothes at 8 years old. The whole class knitted at 9/10 years and at that age I taught a friend how to knit left handed by reversing the instructions. Taught my children when they were little but both girls forgot - don't know that son's ever tried again. Taught GS1 and he was quite good - better than his mother

Agree Auntieflo. But I found that my GD could cope even better with a circular needle because it is so light. Mind you, she soon lost interest in the whole thing - would only do it when I was around. She eventually decided she wanted to study particle physics at uni. instead!

I have just noticed that the knitter in the picture leading this thread is using double ended needles. I found using these very useful for knitting things that needed just a small number of stitches. You can probably still get these needles in several sizes, and the bigger ones would be best for small hands. If you wrap an elastic band around one end of each needle, the new knitter won't lose any stitches off the end.

It was very hard to teach my GD to knit. She is left handed. However I persuaded her mum to try to teach her. She is right handed but eats the left handed way! Rachael was able to teach her!! My late husband learned to knit when he was 8 and knitted scarves for the forces during world war 2. He wasn't rhe only boy who did this.
Good luck with the knitting.

Sylvia.

I taught all the grandchildren, girls and boys, to knit, but don't expect it to be a one-off event. We were at it from about age five to eight or nine. I found it easiest to stand behind them with them in a low back chair and "work" their hands. The one who has stayed with it has worked out how she prefers to hold the wool and needles.

Persistendonor Thanks for the tip about the mirror, I might try this when the time comes.

I knew someone who was left handed and learnt to crochet and knit right handed. In fact she did everything right handed except cutting bread!

I am also left handed but was tuaght how to knit by by mum who was also left handed but knitted right handed. It means there wasn't any problems following instructions or charts. I still knit the same as a right hander now although I crochet left handed.

I am left handed and was taught to knit by right handers and it did not work, I soon gave up.

Just seen mrsmopp's post above!

I taught my daughter to knit when she was seven, using Pony short needles that are designed for children. But when she was five I gave her a French knitter so she still had the fun of using yarn and a needle and helped her sew the coils into jewellery.

I began with a wooden cotton reel with four pins at the top- the work came out like a long cord. We called it cork work but I think there are similar kits available, and may be good for a child who is a bit young to manage two needles. Just a an idea to consider as we used to love doing it and progressed to knitting when we were ready.

Interestingly, the photo leading to this thread shows Continental style with the wool held in the left hand.

Falcon bird: "...when I was about 6. It was bright red wool and I was so proud of it I took it to school in a small suitcase." This is SO SWEET.

I remember my very first knitting was a dish cloth for my grandma, but then I fell in love with some white wool with blue and scarlet flecks in it. I used it to make some baby mittens, and cords to tie them. I passed a Brownie badge with them, so they must have been good enough!

Re teaching left handers: Try using a large mirror and the child does NOT watch you, but watches what you are doing in the mirror.
I have not actually tried this, but have been told it works. Good luck.

My first piece of knitting was when I was about 6. It was bright red wool and I was so proud of it I took it to school in a small suitcase.

I go to a Knit and Natter Group where I do crochet because my hands are painful now from RSI.

I'm hoping to teach my gd to knit and crochet soon but she's only 4 so not quite ready and she's also left handed which might be tricky.

I remember being taught to knit at school. We used big wooden needles and the first thing I knitted was a dishcloth, of which my dear Mum was very proud (but I don't think ever used!). Now I want to teach my GD aged 6 to knit but can't find suitable needles for small beginners. Any ideas, Gransnetters?

eg- www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knit-bunnies

crossstitchgill look on Ravelry for easy patterns and Google search for 25g balls of yarn - much cheaper than a kit. Deramores do Patons Fab for 89p a ball.

crossstitchgill, I was thinking about teaching my GSs to knit and the only kit I found on Amazon without pink yarn was this one. However, there's a decent knitting shop in the town where they live, so I can take them to choose their own yarn.

3 of my DGC have asked to learn to knit and I said they should wait until they were 5. Then they got it slowly, but they don't get much practice as I keep their knitting and we don't see them that often (I keep it as none of their parents are knitters and so couldn't pick up the dropped stitches or get rid of the extra ones which appear from nowhere!).

For some reason, and it isn't practice (see above), DGD and DGS2 both suddenly got a lot more proficient at about the age of 8,while DGS5 is still very slow at the age of 6. I do think, therefore, that perhaps 5 is too young, but on the other hand, you don't want to put them off if they want to try.

I used much the same method as Gagagran, although had never heard of the bridges, and so just said what I was told by my mother, "in, over, through, off".

Recently I showed my nearly-6-year-old grandson how to knit with a kit of a Highland coo sent down by his other Granny. He mentioned that he had enjoyed it and would like to do some more. I have been looking for beginners' kits but they have all been pink and for girls. Does anybody know of anything for boys? I am sure lots of boys would like to knit.

Many thanks for all the suggestions, I do also crochet, well used to but have not done any for ages, so may have to have a quick revision and then start her on easy things.

I agree. I started to try and teach my GD to knit when she was about 5 and it was too young. She has taken to the crocheting though and 'borrowed' the book that I bought. Aldi and The Works have cheap instruction books for knitting and crochet and they are very good.