Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Kids Knitting, the update....

I know you were all frantically wondering how my kids knitting group was going. After today, I think you deserve an update.

Thoughts so far: it's going to be a good crop. All of my kids from last session have returned and I'm trying to encourage them to think outside the garter stitch square. Three of the four "brand new knitters" from week 1 have really taken off. The other one hasn't come back but might yet. It doesn't seem to be a problem that I'm only teaching "intro" on the first week of the month and I haven't had to say "No, I'm not teaching basic knit stitch" today. I've had to sort out some funky knitting and do some refreshing but nobody starting at ground zero.

Unexpectedly: It's going to be a BIG crop. I had 15 kids today. 14 girls and one diligent boy (who is a heck of a knitter, I must say). And they're active knitters. I'm highly encouraged by this. Knitting is good for math skills, creativity and, to paraphrase the Yarn Harlot, I'm passing to a new generation the ability to take sticks, string and your cleverness and create something useful.

Today: We had a slightly disastrous first round of pom poms. Suffice to say I just didn't have enough stuff prepped. But they got the instructions and they got to see how to do it...and I promised we'd do it again next week. So next week don't be surprised if there are a ridiculous number of pompoms emerging from the children's department.

I told them about the Knit in Public Day, details of which are about to spread far and wide and will be reported here once Madame Director and I hammer out a few more things. In the interim...much to do and less time to do it in.

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