I recently combined my two favorite things. I enjoy teaching and I love knitting. So I decided to start providing knitting instruction to anyone and everyone who wants to learn. I held my first "official" class and it was one of the most fulfilling things that I've ever done.
We looked at independently dyed (indy) yarns and garments that I have made. Then we began. I watched as they fumbled with finding a comfortable way to hold the needles, tried to determine which way to wrap the yarn, and struggled to keep the loops from slipping off of the needle. I smiled seeing myself in them as I remembered my very first lesson. We joked and laughed and they enthusiastically followed my every lead.
After awhile, with trial and error and effort, they slowly got it. I began to see a bit of comprehension on their faces. No, their stitches were not perfect. But they understood what they were supposed to be doing even if they didn't always know how to do it. This was the mark of being off to a great start. And I was extremely pleased.
I encourage you to teach someone to do the thing that you delight in, whether its
dancing, baking cupcakes, playing chess, building model cars, or gardening. Whatever it is, share the love. You'll be glad that you did.
**NOTE: If you would like to learn to knit or learned as a child and would like to pick up the skill again and are in the DC metropolitan area, please contact me at cheryl@liveloveknit.net. I'd love to have you join me.
2 comments:
Great advice Cheryl! Quick question. At what age can a child learn to knit? My son who is seven keeps saying that he wants to learn but I think he is too young.
Good question, Celeste. Knitting is a great support tool in academia. There are even school districts that use it as a part of their curriculum. It is great for hand-eye coordination and the development of fine motor skills. With that said, your seven year-old son is not too young to begin knitting, especially if he is expressing an interest. I offer parent/child classes where the parent learns free of charge with the paid registration of the child. Let me know if you are intersted.
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