A few years ago when Memory Makers, a scrapbooking magazine, published their book on quilt pages for scrapbooks, one of my pages about my Grandma Hopkins was featured. It was entitled "What I Learned From a Kindergarten Teacher". When I sat down to make the list, I was AMAZED! Even though my Grandmother and I often had personality clashes (which I have since learned is because we were similar in our personalities and the things she didn't like in herself, she didn't like seeing in me!), we did spend a lot of time together. She either directly taught me or indirectly influenced me in nearly every area of interest and creativity in my life. She was almost 96 when she died 4 years ago this coming Monday. She did get to see the page published about her and she did get to meet my little guy, her first great grandchild. But I often wish now that I could say "Look Grandma, I'm using these things you used in your classroom and at home with us, to teach my son at home." My Mom is proud of me, my husband is proud of me, but somehow I think that she would have been most proud of all of some of the things I am doing because she would understand all the layers of the things I am experiencing right now. I am so thankful for the godly woman that she was and for all the things she taught me and made me think about...including knitting!In 1972, I was five years old and I remember sitting on our old brown "Davenport" next to Grandma learning how to knit. I had short, green, plastic Boye needles, size 8. They were the color of Granny Smith apples. I still have them...even though I am a bit more snobby with my needles these days! I believe my first project was a garter stitch "bookmark" (poor book!). It was probably Red Heart yarn, which btw, was wool then! Anyway, in the days leading up to December, my son watched me knitting all kinds of holiday and birthday gifts. He strokes the yarn, he asks questions and he loves to be a model for FOs! I told him that one day I would teach him. "Are you going to teach me to knit a scarf today Mommy?!" So for his Christmas stocking I got him a ball of Lion Brand Wool Ease and children's beginner needles in size 10. I was going to get short bamboo ones, but decided the color difference would help...besides they are just too dog gone cute! :o)
So, the beat goes on...Daniel started learning how to knit. We can only handle a few minutes a day...and I do mean "WE"! LOL I don't think I have the gift my Grandmother had with children, of course she may have been exasperated with me too and I just didn't know it! But we are making progress. It seemed to work best if I held his hands and the needles because he is a bit overwhelmed with everything to do at once. I am not going to rush him. We will work on it as he wants. He doesn't need to work on his Master Knitter at age 5 so we do have some time! If anyone out there in blog land has any helpful advice on teaching young children to knit, I'm all "cyber ears"!
1 comment:
Theresa, I taught Benjamin last year when he was 7, and he did okay. But recently he asked me to do it again with him, and he did great! Didn't drop any stitches or knit into anything twice. So, just give it time. Try again in a year if it doesn't take now.
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