Teaching To Knit

Posted by Kelly Gilliam Mar 31, 2006

Over this past week I had my sister come and visit me. One of the things she told me she wanted to learn was to knit, and I was more than happy to oblige - like most knitters, I love to share my knowledge and experiences. I had two balls of old acrylic yarn that I had put aside specifically for this - one white and one red. I pulled out a pair of size seven knitting needles and I showed her how to cast on.

We used the double-cast on method - my favourite, and an extremely fast and easy way to do it (you can view a handy video of the method here). She caught on fast, and as much as I'd like to attribute this to my stellar teaching style, I think it's more likely that she's a quick study and this is a simple but effective cast on when you learn it.

The next thing I did was attempt to teach her how to read the stitch; it's one of the most important things you can learn when you begin to knit. By being able to look at the next stitch on your needles, you'll be able to tell exactly what you did in the row before, and what you have to do next. The difference between the purl bump and the knit "v" might seem simple to somebody who's been knitting for years, but to a brand new knitter it's hard to read. I think I succeeded however, and she was quickly telling me which stitch she needed to do.

I taught her the difference between the knit and the purl, how to make a simple rib, I taught her the differences between garter and stockinette (and how the stockinette will unfortunately roll without a stabilizing stitch like a rib) and how to bind off.

She made the leap within one day to circular needles, and cast on for her first ever project - a simple cowl made with some second hand wool we found at a thrift store, and a borrowed pair of my needles.

I have to say I was very proud of my little sister, how quickly she caught on, how fast she learned the stitch, and her confidence to go back home and finish her project without my watchful eye. I love the feeling that I could teach my sister something not only that I cared so much about, but also that we have a bond over this one craft that we can share.

© Kelly Gilliam, 2006. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.