Asked to teach Gdd to knit!

Callistemon21

^Not long ago I saw a young woman on the bus so laboriously lifting the yarn for each stitch - I was dying to show her, but was afraid of being seen as an interfering old bag^

If you see an actor on TV doing that you know for sure they can't really knit.

And there was recently an advert on tv where a woman in a care home was seen knitting a crochet blanket!

That is hilarious!

Urmstongran

When our Boy Wonder was expected my daughter said ‘no home knitteds thanks mum”!
🤣

DIL was thrilled when an elderly person knitted an outfit for DGC1 when she was a baby, so I picked up my needles again and knitted a lot for the DGC until they were about 9 when they preferred sportswear!

Witzend I knitted a poncho for DD not long ago, but in subdued colours; she does wear it. They're very 'in' just now, apparently.

MawtheMerrier

The ultimate crochet threat - be afraid, sons-in-law, be very afraid!

Thanks for the laugh- yes, enough to put anyone off for a very long time!

I learnt to crochet when spending 7.5 months in hospital aged 19- on my back- no tv, no internet, no phones these days- and knitting needles were too long to use in bed. Just suggested it as it is much easier with regard to 'tension' for a beginner or child, and results are quick too. Squares, hearts, toys.

Of course, different regions of the world have very different knitting methods too.

I’m sure any poncho you made would be lovely, Callistemon!

😁 not sure about that!!
But she does wear it (I think!)

I am left-handed and was taught to knit by a right-handed person. I knit right handed but people have said it looks awkward, too late to try to knit left handed now.

We were taught knitting and crocheting at primary school, age 6. By age 7 we could knit socks. Pity these crafts are no longer taught at school now.

I attempted to teach both crafts to DDs when they were younger but they found it boring. Now in their forties, they both asked me to teach them again last summer. Success this time and they enjoy their efforts. DD1 has even joined a local knit and natter class.
I also taught both GDs, when they asked me to knit clothes for their dollies, eldest took to it quickly, youngest, ran out of patience. Circular needles are a great invention especially when doing blankets/throws.

When I was 5, and suffering - quite mildly - from measles, my aunt came to stay and taught me to knit. To this day, I sometimes repeat the 'mantra' in, over, through, off'. I can't remember how old DS1 was when I showed him how to knit, but he must have been four of five and was a quick learner. He made a scarf for his teddy bear all by himself. He is now 52 and, to my knowledge, has never lifted a knitting needle since!
When I try to crochet, I become all fingers and thumbs and none of them working together.

Good luck! 🧶

Your post brings back memories of teaching my dd’s to knit - or attempting to. They’re both left-handed and I’m not. Neither of them have picked up the knitting ‘bug’, sadly.

My dil wants me to teach her to crochet which will also be a challenge - yup, you guessed it, she’s left-handed too!

Sorry if my knitting style offends, it’s the only way I can do it, and though it might make me slower, it doesn’t stop me producing lots of hand knits which people seem to like.

Nonna, how do you knit? The Italian method?

As said above, there are many different ways of knitting, depending on country.

I tend to crochet in a different style than most people (don't ask me how or why) and I have noticed an expert crocheter in our craft group watching me quizzically.

With 6 grandsons and no girls in the mix, I was delighted when one of the boys said they wanted to learn to knit. I don’t think we’d even got to the end of the first row before he pronounced it boring and dragged me outside to play football. To be fair, I’m only a basic knitter and my mother had to put up with the same treatment when she tried to teach me. I didn’t used to make her go in goals though!

MawtheMerrier

The ultimate crochet threat - be afraid, sons-in-law, be very afraid!

OH DEAR, OH DEAR!

I nearly died of laughter!

Anyone else remember the craze for knitted garments in all sorts of colours in stripes in the 1970s- shapeless jerseys knitted on circular needles, socks in multi-coloured stripes and so on?

Here in Denmark, some bright spark christened it hønsestrik which translates literally as hens' knitting.

To me, being bilingual, the expression conjured up the vision of a gaggle of Glaswegian women and lassies busily knitting. No-one could share the joke as "hen" in Danish has no application as a pet name for anyone female.

Callistemon21

I tend to crochet in a different style than most people (don't ask me how or why) and I have noticed an expert crocheter in our craft group watching me quizzically.

I crochet like I knit with the hook and yarn in the same hand. My left hand is purely to hold the work when crocheting or the none-active needle when knitting. It does draw puzzled looks.

Witzend

Fleurpepper

Good for you. Actually, I'd start with crochet and macramé- before knitting. Holding tension is so hard with knitting.

Slight snag there, in that I never learned to crochet - and alas I’m not going to start now. In fact I really don’t like the look of crochet - very unreasonable of me, I know, but it’s probably down to a pre-marriage housemate who was forever crocheting the most hideous, garishly coloured things - usually ponchos, which I had to pretend were lovely. I lived in dread of her presenting me with one - and having to wear it!

Oh Witzend, a group of us post-retirement women learnt in our 60s and 70s. We all have knitted since we were tiny.
Have a look at Bella Coco
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bella+coco+crochet+for+beginners

Anyone else remember the craze for knitted garments in all sorts of colours in stripes in the 1970s- shapeless jerseys knitted on circular needles, socks in multi-coloured stripes and so on?

They're back in again, grandtante, another retro fashion. We're just not with it, are we.
😂

Here you are - but squares, not stripes! From my Sirdar link 🙂

If you're young and a size 8 or 10 you can wear anything.
DD pinched my oversized Christmas jumper - oversized is in, apparently.

I had an amazing teaching assistant who taught my 30 five year olds to knit a few rows with cotton yarn and cocktail sticks ( no, really!) to adorn their Mothering Sunday cards.

My gran taught me when I was 8. I made my first garment -a tank top when I was 13 and now aged 66 I wouldn't be without my knitting needles. Not a day goes by when I don't pick them up.

My DD and her best Friend at school were both left handed. Their teacher gave up on them and declared that they would never knit. Really!!! It took me one wet Sunday afternoon to teach both of them. I am right handed but sat opposite them rather than beside them like a mirror image and they both got the hang of it easily, knitting left handed. I thought teacher would have been impressed but she was not. She declared that a left handed knitter would not be able to work to a pattern as these were all written for right handers, but that did not seem to bother them at all and they both managed scarves, hats, dolls pram covers and clothes, cushion covers, etc. Neither of them particularly enjoyed knitting, regarding it as a chore, like hoovering or washing dishes - I blame the teacher's attitude for that.

YouTube has some excellent knitting tutorials. When I taught by grandson, I sat behind him guiding his hands as he watched the screen. The young ones all seem to learn from a screen these days.

Granny23. Mum taught me to knit by sitting opposite me rather than beside. It must have been tedious for her but I love knitting and would do much more if it wasn’t for the dreaded arthritis!!! Tried teaching my daughter but she never really got the hang of it! However she has mastered cross stitch (which I love as well) She completed a cross stitch for me for a Christmas gift a few years ago. She admitted she was constantly in touch with her mum in law to get it done. Very proud of her. Now have a 3 year old granddaughter so will see if she wants to take on the craft mantle for the family - the boys (4 - aged 26! 23, 20 and 12 are into cars, engines and anything greasy!

Fleurpepper

Nonna, how do you knit? The Italian method?

As said above, there are many different ways of knitting, depending on country.

My Swedish friend thinks my way of knitting is very weird. Can’t comment on hers - I’ve never seen her knit - I don’t think she ever does.