|
Get Your Kids in the
Loop:
Knitting 101
by Elizabeth Cobb
 Once just for grandmothers, knitting
is the latest crafting craze for pre-teens and
teenagers; even boys are learning the difference
between cast on (beginning a project) and bind off
(ending a project). Not only is knitting great for
bonding with other teens, but “knit one, purl two”
is a multi-generational language. Seeing a project
from start to finish is a great way to bolster
self-esteem, and it doesn’t need much more than just
needles, some yarn and practice, practice, practice.
Best of all, it is much more fun to create and
personalize the ever-trendy poncho than to pick one
up at the mall.
What do you need to get started?
-
Two 10 gauge knitting needles:
While needles come in all different sizes, 10
gauge is good for beginners because they are not
so big that the yarn will slip and not so small
that they are hard to handle. Needles are
pointed at one end and have a knob at the other,
and they are available in plastic, bamboo, wood,
steel and aluminum.
-
Cotton Yarn: Natural fabrics are
easiest to deal with both in the knitting and in
the unraveling in case of mistakes.
-
Lessons: Whether from a friend,
relative or professional, it’s best to have
real-life input. Knitting is a 3-D activity, and
learning straight from a book can be a
challenge.
You can pick up yarn and needles at
any discount retailer or crafts store, and should –
at least in the beginning. Wait to make the big
investments once you’ve become a pro! For some tips
and if you would like to sign up for lessons, stop
by a specialty knitting store.
-
Cast-On Cottage: Shaggy, furry
scarves are all the rage with the kids yarn
shopping at the Cast-On Cottage, but colors run
the gamut from the Hogwarts wannebe’s to the
youngsters who want to be warm pink princesses.
1003 Canton Street, Roswell, 770-998-3483,
www.castoncottage.com.
-
Needle Nook: Owner Arlene
Jackson suggests bamboo or wood needles for
beginners because the yarn is less likely to
slide around. She also loves to teach classes of
kids and their parents who are learning
together. 2165 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta,
404-325-0068.
-
Two Stix: Sharon Rothschild, who
has been knitting “since when it wasn’t cool,”
owns this kid-friendly, whimsical and brightly
colored store on the square in Decatur. 411
Church St., 404-687-0285.
|
A Few
Famous Knitters: Julia Roberts, Cameron
Diaz,
Sarah Jessica Parker, Winona Ryder, Kate
Moss |
First Project:
The Easiest
Scarf in the World
1 skein of 4-ply yarn
2 No. 10 1/2 knitting needles
Directions:
Using No. 10 1/2 needles, cast on 35 stitches to
your knitting needle.
1st Row. Knit 35
2nd Row. Knit 35
Rows 1 & 2 set pattern.
Continue in pattern until work measures the desired
length for your scarf.
Bind off
Key Skills
Casting on — beginning the first row of stitches
Step 1: Make a slipknot on the shaft of one needle.
This counts as your first stitch.
Step 2: Place this needle in left hand. Hold other
needle in right hand to control the yarn. Insert
point of right needle, from front to back, into the
slipknot and under the left needle.
Step 3: Hold left needle still in left hand and move
left fingers over to brace right needle.
Step 4: With right index finger, pick up yarn from
the ball.
Step 5: Release right hand’s grip on the needle; use
index finger to bring yarn under and over the point
of right needle.
Step 6: Return right fingers to right needle; draw
yarn through stitch with point of right needle.
Step 7: Slide point of left needle into back of new
stitch, then remove right needle.
Step 8: Pull ball yarn gently to make the stitch fit
snuggly on needle. You have now made one stitch
(called casting on), and there are two stitches on
left needle (counting the slipknot).
Step 9: Insert point of right needle, from front to
back, into stitch just made and under left needle.
Repeat Steps 5-9. Do this until you have 28 stitches
on the left needle. This completes the cast-on row,
which is the way all knitting projects begin.
Knitting — Getting going
Step 1: Hold needle with stitches in left hand;
insert point of right needle in first stitch, from
front to back, just as in casting on.
Step 2: With right index finger, bring yarn from
ball under and over point of right needle.
Step 3: Draw yarn through stitch with right
needlepoint.
Step 4: This step now differs from casting on: Slip
loop on left needle off so new stitch is entirely on
right needle.
This completes one knit stitch. When the width is
correct, begin next knit row as follows: turn right
needle and hold it now in left hand. Repeat.
Binding off — finishing up so the piece doesn’t
unravel
Step 1: Knit the first two stitches; insert left
needle into stitch you knitted first; pull it over
the second stitch and completely off the needle. One
stitch is now bound off.
Step 2: Knit one more stitch, insert left needle
into first stitch on right needle; pull it over the
new stitch and completely off the needle. Another
stitch is bound off. Don’t work too tightly.
Repeat Step 2 until
one stitch remains; now cut yarn from skein, leaving
a 6-inch end. With needle draw end up and through
last stitch to secure it. Thread yarn end into yarn
needle and weave end into several stitches to secure
it.
|
Knitting is
older than your granny! The oldest
positively identified pieces of knitting are
blue and white cotton socks and fabric
fragments found in Egypt, dating from
approximately 1200-1500 A.D. |
Learn more about
knitting with these informative books:
Teen Knitting Club:
Chill Out and Knit
by Jennifer Wenger, Carol Abrams and Maureen
Lasher
The hottest knitting book out there, Teen
Knitting Club is well written with clear, simple
directions on how to create youth-friendly projects.
It also directs youngsters how to enjoy the social
aspects of the craft. Best of all, it is packed with
firsthand stories and tips from teens. The
photographs are colorful and lively, encouraging
even the least likely of knitters to create the
coolest, funkiest scarf in school.
Kids Knit! Simple Steps
to Nifty Projects
by Sarah Bradberry
Best for younger kids who may not have the
fine-motor skills for larger projects, Kids Knit! is
full of simple projects like headbands or placemats
that the youngest hands can handle.
Klutz Knitting
The latest in the Klutz series, not only does
the book feature straightforward instructions on how
to make a cell phone sock or the coziest of plush
hats, it comes with everything a beginner could
need: yarn, knitting needles, crochet hook, two
buttons and a sewing needle. It’s the best kind of
knit kit!
|
