Ack! The Little Ones Want to Knit, Too

It makes me giggle to even entertain the notion that I can answer a knitting question with any degree of knowledge whatsoever.  I’m pretty new at knitting, having only just recently passed the knit 2 rows, frog 2 rows (“rip it, rip it”) stage.  But after yesterday’s post, someone asked this:

What age is best to start knitting?

The easy answer that you already know is coming is: “That depends on the child.”  Our knitting instructor takes children who are 8 years old into her classes. She thinks they have a bit more dexterity beyond that age.  And as we who remember our first days of knitting know, knitting certainly takes dexterity.

I do have a suggestion for you if your young ones – or even you – are not yet ready to try real knitting.   

Our littlest ones, ages 7 and 4, so desperately wanted to knit along with our 10yo (the ballerina) and I.  I guess we made it look like great fun.  As we knit by the fire one evening, our 4yo daughter said, “Are you doing knitting class?  Can I do knitting class, too?”  It is never just “knitting” to her; it is always “knitting class”.

Our 7yo son came up with something that terrifies me:  he wants to learn to knit for the sole reason that he needs a net to catch a squirrel.  And, yes, he plans on me (not Daddy?!) joining him on his squirrel hunt, along with his 6yo friend and his mama.  He says, “I’m sure there will be a porch and you moms can just talk.”

Oh, yes.  A porch in the woods.  One conveniently situated for knitting mothers of squirrel-catching sons.

Assuming that 4yo and 7yo hands might have a hard time handling knitting needles since my 30-something hands did, I bought the littles a couple of knitting looms.  They are now happily knitting a pink cotton hat (her) and a camouflaged wool squirrel net (him).

So, my answer is that you might want to try your little one on a loom first.  There are many to choose from, as they’ve become quite popular.  Also available are more patterns than you’d ever be able to finish.