About what age was the youngest knitter that you have heard of? What age is a good age for a child to be co-ordinated enough to knit?
My really good friend learned when she was 7, but she didn’t start up again until she was 11. I’d say 10 is a good age for someone to teach you. To learn from a book would be at least 12.
I really think it depends on the child. Some children have enough patience and dexterity to knit at 6, others might not be ready till they are 12.
I have seen childrens Learn to Knit kits at the hobby stores with large plastic needles and they are recommended for ages 6 and up. I’m not sure you can stamp and age on it. I would think that it depends on the child and their ability to pay attention and will to sit still. I don’t think it would be worth the aggravation to try to teach a kid whose attention is all over the map or a kid who prefers to play outside until they are around 12 or 13 years of age.
Having taught kids for years I can honestly say, it really just depends on the kid and if they really want to learn.
My kids both learned to knit at school when they were 7. They went to a Waldorf school and knitting (well, handwork in general) is a big part of the curriculum.
They begin by teaching finger knitting in the early childhood and then having the children make their own needles from dowels and begin to knit in the first grade. That said, there are kids who can only make a tangled mess of their work for the first year and others who pick it up quickly. I still have the rather odd shaped piece of knitting that was my son’s first work somewhere around.
I would guess that most kids can get the hang of working with knitting needles around the age of 7 but agree that it depends on the child and their level of interest as to whether they’ll stick with it or not.
My friend reports that her 8 yo dd has become a pretty good knitter (for an 8 yo), but before that, she just didn’t have the patience to sit still long enough to do something. I think I learned when I was about 10 or so.
My 8 year old is a good knitter with the co-ordination and patience needed. My 5 year old is not able yet
I learned to knit when I was 5 years old. Last summer I taught a 9 year old girl with ADD. It was remarkable. She would sit wioth me for extended periods of time and knit. This is a child who is constantly in motion and always yelling. She is a neighbor’s child and the entire neighborhood was surprised to see her sitting quietly with me.
I wonder if there have been studies on this sort of thing. Kids with ADD doing crafts to keep them focused. I wonder what the results would be.
I learned to knit (from a friend) when I was around 10. Never learned to bind off, so I put it down for about 16 years. I picked it up again from a magazine, and taught myself how to bind off. I’m still learning new things even now.
I asked my mom to teach me to knit when I was 7. She had the patience of a saint. Even though I wanted to learn, I had a tough time getting the hang of it.
I’d say between 7-10yo. Or whenever the child shows interest.
I don’t know how young. But God love anyone who’s willing to teach an 8 yo how to knit. I’m in the process of teaching a friend of mine who is 34 how to knit and there are times I could pull my hair out. She just lacks the dexterity to get this easily. I can’t imagine what it would be like to teach someone that young. Maybe I’ll grab one of my nieces and force my hobbies on them just to see how it goes.
I’m in the process of teaching myself to knit left handed. Ugh, my tension is horrible. It has given me empathy for all the beginners out there.
I’m reading “Andean Folk Knits” by M.Lewandowski. Children in the Andes learn to knit when they are 5. And are doing multicolored pattern work before they are 10. So I guess it is possible to learn younger.
Why do you want to teach yourself how to knit left-handed? For a special project? I’m a lefty, but knit right-handed (didn’t know it until years after I’d learned.) Just curious. 
I have arthritis. Not real bad, but enough that my hands ache if I hold the yarn in the same manner all the time. So I switch out styles, English & Continental. And also vary the way I carry my working yarn.
I’m learning so I can make the wear & tear on my hands balanced. The idea is to knit across with one hand & back with the other. No flipping the work needed. And each hand gets a break between rows.
Have you checked out Portuguese knitting? I know some who have made the change and they do say it helps with arthritis and carpal tunnel 
Last weekend during a visit, I found out my granddaughter knows how to knit! I was fumbling (a beginner) & she took over… :eyebrow2: Surprise -She learned how to knit in 3rd grade (7 years old). :knitting: AS if it was a natural occurance. Okay, she is in Boulder,CO - they do things differently there. Life skills, hands-on learning… Indigo children.
Yes, [COLOR=“Blue”]WALDORF [/COLOR]school.
Does she knit now? [B]No, never.[/B] Children 7-10 are just too active. No interest. (Except showing Grandma how to knit.)
**Important to note: Many years later, she still knows how to knit! Maybe it is similar to teaching children different languages while they are young. Worth a thought…
Children are amazing!
Lee
I tried carrying over my left shoulder. And I ended up sitting on my yarn all the time. Guess it wasn’t for me. The article mentioned teaching blind people to knit. Wow, I thought teaching beginner was challenging enough.
Lee, I agree. I think learning to knit increases dexterity in children.
Never thought about dexterity. Good point! I was astounded when my granddaughter took over my knitting - needles flying perfect rows of sts!
Portuguese knitting - teaching the blind. WELL, I am [COLOR=“Blue”]visually impaired [/COLOR](can not even drive now). Teaching myself to knit. However, I do have visual aids and - more importantly - the gift of touch (as magnificant as a child’s gift of dexterity)!
[COLOR=“DarkRed”]When you lose some of one sensual ability, your other senses improve (greatly)[/COLOR]. Knitting - I knew I would have to rely alot on my sense of touch. Did not know if it could do this. STILL a beginner, but I am knitting, really knitting!cloud9
Switching hands or trying Portuguese knitting to handle arthritis or carpal tunnel -good for you!
Teaching a child or handicapped person (blind or arthritic) may be challenging, but definately worth exploring!
Life is FULL of surprises… If you do not try, you will not succeed.
Smiles to all of you!
Lee
I tried to teach my daughter to knit when she was 5- she didn’t have the dexterity or patience for it then, so I taught her to finger knit. She loved that. I taught her to needle knit at 6 and she did great. She’s now 8 and making her friend a garter stitch shawl.