What age were you

Nowadays, I hardly need to do more than sew the odd button on



Whilst the rest of us, of course, (the hoi polloi I believe we're called) are so desperately poor that we need to knit and sew for ourselves.

i was about 12 years old. i am left handed and my mum taught me to knit right handed .i suppose i could knit a hat or a blanket but thats it.....

We learnt how to do embroidery at primary school and how to do different sewing stitches, tacking, running, back stitch, hemming etc and made ourselves skirts. I don't remember learning how to knit or crochet at school.
Do they do that these days?

I can't remember what age I learnt but I never managed to knit anything decent. It all turns out uneven so I gave up. I was better at crochet. I learnt fine thread work first, doilies and stuff. Only later did I find out you could crochet wool and make hats and scarves and blankets.

I think I was about 9 or 10 when I started.

Gosh, Maywalk, you've started me knitting again. A few years ago, I found a simple pattern for a woolly hat and knitted quite a lot for the Sailors' Association annual woolly hat appeal. This afternoon I got an urge to root out my yarn and needles once again. I've spent a very contented couple of hours just listening to the radio and clicking away. Very therapeutic, thanks - and a sailor somewhere will get the benefit!

I can knit well, crochet - so so, sew very well and used to do lots of embroidery. Nowadays, I hardly need to do more than sew the odd button on.

I was about 7 or 8 and was taught at school. First we made a " pot holder" this was two identical sized knitted squares approx 6x6 inches and then sewn together around the edges using blanket stitch with a small loop for hanging it up. These were used by ours mothers" and grannies for putting on saucepan handles when they got hot, or transferring the kettle of hot water. No electric kettles in our house. Next we made a scarf and that was a triangular shape at each end, to teach us how to increase and decrease. Finally a pair of mittens on four needles. Girls were taught to knit early on, as it was considered a necessary skill to have. Most families had lots of hand-knitted items rather than shop bought ones in those days.

About aged 8 I learnt to cast on, plain knit, perl knit but had no idea how to cast off as person who showed me was no longer around. After that I quickly lost interest.

I remember knitting in first year Juniors, probably aged 8. Mother knitted continuously. My first effort was a button-up cardigan in white bri-nylon DK with raglan shaping. I would be about 11 or 12. I have knitted ever since, jumpers, 2-pieces, twin sets, Aran, fair-isle etc etc. A lovely Little Pony cardi (wish we still had it). Also a fine yarn Christening robe, plain bodice, lacy-knit long skirt. Everything has to be absolutely stitch perfect!

I was 5 when I learned to knit. It was the 50's. In my circle of friends, all the girls would knit and the younger ones just picked it up from the older girls. You would start off getting a small knitting set (basket housing a couple of balls of wool and little needles). Bit like a Knit 'n' Natter group for 5-9 yr olds! Over the years knitting has brought me much pleasure. I've met many young ladies today who've said they wish they could knit /sew / cook - the latter two were conpulsory lessons at my secondary school.

I was about 10 when I could knit,just doll's clothes nothing fancy. Mum tried to show me how to crochet but somehow didn't get the hang of it. I got knitting sets for Christmas. My interest came in embroidery when we were taught the different stitches in school and I loved it so mum ironed transfers on the corners of a plain small tablecloth and I got cracking on that.
However, come the early 60's and a baby due I was knitting matinee coats and cardigans galore and even a pram suit with fair-isle across the shoulders. Went completely mad as mum did but she was starting to suffer rheumatism in her right hand so eventually had to stop.
I love to see home knitted clothes on babies they look so snug.

I probably started knitting when I was about five years old, all females knitted in those days so it was not unusual to see a room full of women and children knitting and nattering. I knit bay clothes for my sister who was born when I was ten and I also knit all my own hiking socks and sweaters. Socks were knit on four needles and I often knit the gloves to match, fiddly but very satisfying to complete. At fifteen I knit Fair Isle sweaters with matching hats for a skiing trip to Norway.
All my baby clothes were handknit and most of DC's jumpers but I stopped when it came to GC because they just did not want granny knit cardigans, preferring organic cotton clothing.

My Mother taught me how to knit when I was about 5 years old. Now 70 years down the line I am still knitting for Charity, it has always been my main hobby.

I must have been about ten and then began to knit again in the 80s when it was a fashionable thing to do in Germany and spent hours watching Tv and knitting with my two DDs then in their teens.
I knit English and they knit the German way; they don't wrap the wool round the needle but take it from one needle tz the other, holding the work very close.
Germans knit very fast but I've heard it causes a lot of strain and English knitting is easier on the hands and wrists.

I always got some funny looks when knitting but I've since read that our way is also the South American way.

It took me years to knit for my DH as a previous boyfriend left with a lovely black and white check knitted pullover and now I would like to know the pattern but it is now too late.
I have knitted for all the family and for every baby I've known - a tiny jacket for the first two weeks. I knitted it three times for tiny triplets and it was the only thing that fitted them.

I'm knitting socks at he moment on 4 needles. aäways a welcome xmas present

I was taught to knit by my Dad when aged about 5, and have continued to knit on and off ever since, although I do struggle with more complicated patterns these days. When I was younger, I could memorise a pattern after just one through, but now I have to read it as I work which is a pain, and probably explains why I don't do so much these days.

My Uncle's wife used to knit all the fair isle jumpers fashionable in the 50s and 60s. She used to knit the displays in the local wool shop.

First thing I knitted was a scarf it was a pattern where you cast on 50 or so stitches and then dropped every other stitch and picked it up on the way back. They were all the rage at the time and in wool not yarn at the time so lovely and warm.

Later I bought 2 balls of 2 ply, when I was 13, to knit a short sleeved jumper. I though, as it only took two balls, it would be finished quickly!!!! In the end my next door neighbour helped me finish it. It was lovely cannot remember what happened to it.

I still knit but my concentration isn't as good and I have a number of items unfinished. The dog does not like me knitting, that's my excuse anyway.

Bought some lovely wool and a pattern in Victoria BC last year it is a Ravalry pattern, there were three wool shops within a short distance of one another. I suppose they need something to keep them busy in those cold winters. We weren't the only people on our trip to find these shops a number of others purchased things in them.

I never knitted or crocheted. I started tablet weaving and embroidery a year or two ago.

About 8, taught by a great Aunt who knitted left-handed.
Anyone watching me knit always comments hos odd it looks. I am right handed.

I taught myself to knit when I was about 14, still love knitting especially for babies and children.

I was about 7 or 8. Sadly I can no longer knit as my thumbs are too painful, but I loved knitting for my children.

I always enjoyed knitting, and made most jumpers and cardigans for my two children. Usually I used double-knitting wool, occasionally 4-ply. They were always admired, relatives and friends asking me to knit for their children.
I branched out into crocheting baby blankets, and eventually knitted for a local shop, usually using mohair. Done on thick needes, the items were soon made.
Don't knit these days, am often on the internet, reading Gransnet and other items.

I learned at school but hated it and didn’t pick up needles again until I was eighteen. The first thing I knitted then , was an arran sweater.
Now I knit or crochet every day. It’s my main hobby.

I could knit before I went to school at the age of five by watching my mother and crochet soon afterwards. During the war we used to unravel jumpers, steam the wool and reknit in another style. Until recently have always been an avid knitter. Years ago would take my knitting everywhere, on the bus and train etc. I used to take a monthly magazine called Stitchcraft and knit or embroider something from it every month and I still have some of the magazines from 1956 onwards at which time because wool, it was real wool then, needed points from clothes rations used to knit with 2 and 3 ply wool. Even babies vests were hand knitted.

Interesting to see the stories of jumpers started for boyfriends who subsequently dumped the knitter (happened to me, too, in 1980). On Ravelry it's know as the curse of the boyfriend sweater; general advice is to avoid knitting anything more complicated than a hat for your fellow until there's a ring on your finger ...

Learnt in 1962, aged 5, at infant school. Took it up again 12 years ago. Carpal tunnel problems limit how much I can do, but I try.

Technical improvements and innovations over the last couple of decades mean that modern knitting can be done very differently to the way it was in the twentieth century. And indeed the creative exuberance of modern pattern designers knows no bounds! I thoroughly recommend Ravelry.com as a source of inspiration.

Other Gransnetters might like to try Combination knitting - like Continental in that you hold the wool in your left hand but slightly easier for purling - which I do think is faster and neater particularly when it comes to ribbing and moss stitch. There are videos on YouTube.

Sock knitting on circular needles is also something I find much easier than using the traditional sets of 4 or 5 double points. Takes a bit of mental resetting but totally worth it!