I have been asked to teach a teen knitting class as a part of the summer program at my local library. I’m just wondering how far I should go in teaching them in the first class. I have an hour and a half. Any advice would be appreciated. I am very nervous about this. I am not horribly advanced, but I love to knit.
i taught my friend tho knit when we were in high school (so we were teens)
i would say cast on, garter stitch and cast off is ambicious enough… if there are some who have knitted before (or catch on quicker) you could tailor theirs to add purl…
I agree. Casting on, the knit stitch and binding off should be more than enough for a first class.
I agree with what those above me said. I am a teen knitter myself (we are small but mighty 
) and that’s what I teach my friends when they get curious about knitting. However, if you have time, it would be a great idea to teach them purl stitch, so they can see the true variation that knitting has to offer. Instead of just thinking ‘okay, wow, we do one stitch over and over again. That’s what I have to look forward to when I get advanced. Whoopdeedoo’ they’ll see that there is another stitch, and even if they don’t master both, they’ll see what more knitting has to offer. Us teenagers are fickle creatures, you have to grab our attention :teehee:
Just a thought about the class. I agree that you should have them know what a cast on is, a knit stitch is, and the purl. If you have the time to knit up a couple of swatches to show what the different stitches look like ,that may help them to see what it will look like. Then go on to teach the cast on and knit stitch. Sometimes see something will help them learn.
Have a good time with your class.
:shock: :thud:
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Wonderfully understated. :whistle:
:roflhard:
Don’t forget the silly little rhymes…
Knitting stitch:
In through the front door,
up over the back,
peek through the window,
and off jumps Jack.
Purl stitch:
Under the fence,
[we] catch the sheep,*
back we come,
[and] off we leap.[SIZE=“1”]*or wool[/SIZE]
It might be good to have a glossary of knitting terms and their abbreviations for hand out.
Some people learn better by seeing: Handouts with step by step pictures or drawings would help them (for practice outside the class).
Fun and easy projects? Cell phone cozy? I cord shoe laces? Head band (can be example of in-the-round or work flat with seaming stitches).
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There is Lion Brand Yarn’s Learn to Knit that might be a good guide for beginners. I don’t know if the library has a copier budget for the class but you could ask.
How many classes are there going to be. I think it would be nice if they could go home and practice knitting something they would use. Something small, simple and can be completed in one or two classes.
I think you should definitely bring some finished projects along so they can see what it would look like finished. It is always good to bring some inspiration. Bring some patterns so they can all you can do with knitting. Whenever I teach someone, i steer them away from scarves as their first project (boring and take too long)
I would chose something pretty simple but more interesting than a scarf as a knitalong if you are going to continue the classes. Have the teens vote on it and pick it out.
Def cell phone cozies. We teenagers are currently obsessed with our phones. 
Also, def with the finished objects. Bring little samples of stitches if you’re teaching them different stitches. We need the whole visual thing to see what’s goin’ on.
Yeah. Most people say that first projects should be a rectangle, but that doesn’t automatically entitle them to knitting a scarf. Like previously said, cell phone cozies can be seamed later, and that would be a good chance to learn the mattress seam. (Watch some videos here on KH before the class if you don’t know what I’m talking about.)
[color=#300090]Down-size your scarf to the size of a book mark… You will be at a library, yes? 
I saw a pattern in library book I signed out last week. It was Harry Potter inspired projects, Wizard Knits or Magical Knits or something like that. :think:
:doh: The book is, [U][B]“Charmed knits : projects for fans of Harry Potter” / Alison Hansel. ISBN: 9780470067314[/B][/U] which is viewable on Google books.
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