Hi everyone, I am a fairly new beginner and so far have only made a hat for me, a doll hat and am in the middle of a scarf. I am a teacher who works with adolescents who have dropped out or been kicked out of school. It is a difficult population to work with. One day they saw my knitting and asked me to teach them. Can anyone suggest a simple project/pattern for maybe a scarf…they are male and female from 17-20. I would love any suggestions, websites, books, etc. I feel a little nervous teaching them how to knit! I don’t even hold the yarn as the books show!Thanks in advance!!!
Terry/NYC
I have a question about teaching others
Projects: knitted scarf, made in a knit stitch, or a k one row, p one row.
Cast on 15-20 stitches, and then just knit, or k2, purl 2. Tell them if they do the k one row, p one row, the sides will curl in.
Also, they could cast on 35 sts., knit for about 21 inches, and then curl the ends around a bamboo handle pair, sew the handles on, and sew the sides up,and have a purse.
Get them comfortable with the knit stitch, and tell them to make a “fun fur” scarf.
I am sold on using the Knit Grrl books, by Shannon Oakey.
These books encouraged me to learn to use circs, dpns, to make an I cord, and to try dying my own yarn, because the books are USER FRIENDLY.
simple skinny scarf:
CO 8 - 12 stitches
knit all rows until the project is the length wanted
Bind off
block, if wool
tell me if you like it
Instead of a scarf… which might seem to take FOREVER and a DAY to a new knitter…
How about starting w/ a cell phone or Ipod cozie? Just a rectangle to measure and sew the sides up… as their first project?
Or even knit a square to learn how and put them together for a donated baby blanket? Or even just send the squares to the Warm Up America project… *Search on the Internet for this agency to see what size they need- and they want acrylic yarns… so, it won’t be costly. There is also someone collecting squares for a charity project here at KH.
OR two squares knitted together (if appropriate size) will make a hat.
THEN, you can have them make a scarf ‘after’ they get hooked.
The teacher friend that I’m currently teaching how to knit-- she wanted to make a scarf first… then, as she was learning how on her ‘first knitted square’… she decided it would take too long… and she wanted to make slippers as I’d first suggested and that is what she’s doing and her 2nd project is going to be a scarf.
She’s already started on the scarf. :woot:
I teach knitting at a summer camp, and my children are from 8-12 years old. The pattern I start them off with is a bookmark – CO 6 sts, k all rows until work measures 4 inches, BO, weave in ends. It’s the easiest, smallest pattern I know. When they learn purl, they can make stockinette headbands – CO 10 sts, work in st st until work fits around head, BO [U]loosely[/U], sew ends together (if they’re really getting it, I may introduce mattress stitch seaming at this point).
Hope this helps. 