Teaching children to knit

[Mercy]

My dd is 4.7 and wants to learn to knit. Is she too young?

Can anyone recommend a beginners kit for children? (if they exist). Would embroidery be easier?

Thanks

Mercy, Galt Toys do a beginner's knitting kit for children with both needles and a French knitting dolly.
But...although it's a nice present package, the needles are plastic and the wool artificial fibres and that to me suggests easy snagging and ultimately a tantrum or hissy fit in the making.
Ds of all people (he's six) is interested in learning to sew and knit and I will be getting him some cheap but cotton yarn and short bamboo needles as I think these are safer, easier and just...nicer to use.
Girls' fine motor skills are usually better than boys'...how is your dd on pencil control and buttons/zips etc. I do think knitting requires patience and manual dexterity that not all 4-5 year olds will have.
You could start with simple embroidery - ds has made himself a monstrosity of a breastplate from red wool and 12-hole canvas

Thanks Marina.

I did wonder about the manual dexterity aspect. Also, I would have to learn to knit first in order to show her!

I think a cross stitch kit might be easier. IS that what you mean by a canvas? Are they easy to get hold of?

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also - what's that stuff called that we used to make hideous, i mean lovely bookmarks with at school? our local woolshop has heaps of that in different colours. i started my crafting life sewing old buttons onto zips (!) with a bodkin and odd bits of wool. dd1 who's 5 likes the idea of knitting but i end up doing it, even with the gorgeous little kit (peace fleece) i bought her up in scotland

A lot of the cross stitch kits I see around are small counted thread ones Mercy - I am a duffer at counted thread so steer clear, but I have done petit point on tapestry canvas, also Bargello work, which is using long vertical threads, also on tapestry canvas.
Tapestry canvas is rigid and looks almost like stiff netting.
The first needlework I did at school was on a cloth called binka, which is woven, with ready-made counted holes for thick thread and needles, but more like proper fabric than tapestry canvas. You can use it to make table mats etc. It is soft and easy to use - perhaps try your dd on that?

bundle, are you thinking binka too? I think "hideous" is a tad harsh

ah yes, binka (mine were hideous..)

I actually think knitting is quite advanced - maybe better for an 8 year old? But she could do simple sewing as suggested - we make finger puppets out of felt with thick embroidery needles and embroidery cotton. Or we make scented cushions, stuffed butterflies etc...!! (PS I don't get time for all this at home but have done it with kids at school!)

pom poms are good

pompoms are the spawn of the Devil (an incompetent left-hander writes )
Mine were tragic!

Id say 4.7 was young to learn to knit but it depends on the child really. IIRC I learned to knit at the age of 6 in senior infants (Year1)and that was the standard age to learn (all girls convent school ). My gran taught me to crochet at 5 but I had very good fine motor skills so if you think your daughter can manage then there is no harm in trying.

My older dd has recently started to knit (she's nearly 9). Younger dd (4.5) likes binka - they use it at nursery - natural extension from threading work.
My granny and siblings (1 sister, 3 brothers)all learned to knit and crochet as small children in WW1 for war effort. One of her brothers used to knit dishcloths!

My DS is 4 (just) and he was sitting in the back of the car the other day and said to me "mummy, I think I want to learn to knit things". He cracks me up. So I said "ok, ask Nanny next time you're over there". So he did, and she sat with him and showed him how to do it and she said he was very patient, very interested and between them they made a tiny scarf for his toy rabbit.

My mum has the endless patience I didn't inherit. I'm a more "throw it up the garden if you drop a stitch" kind of knitter so I'll leave it to her to teach my two I think.

Definitely depends on the child whether it's a yay or a nay, like most things, some will sit and learn determined to master it and others won't.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

I have decided dd is probably is a bit too young to start knitting, even though she is quite dextrous and enjoys various art/craft activities. I think she may like trying cross stitch instead as the results may be a bit more immediate IYSWIM.

I have just found a website from Daisy Designs which has Early Fun Kits and a Cross stitch Fun Box so I think I may buy one of those. I also came across Binca Starters by Anchor which she may like if she gets the hang of it.

One more thing; would John Lewis sell pieces of binca and other stuff?

Thanks once again

ooh... can you point me in the direction of your binca starters pleeez... this is something I have been asked to take at school. I don't know where to buy it tho, we have screeds of it.

Kiwibelle. I found on hcscrafts.co.uk (sorry I've never done a link before). The kits do include the binca fabric though. Maybe Anchor has its own website?? (this is all v new to me).

I can't get that bloody theme tune of Binka out of my head now - grrrr!

I looked for binca in JL a few years ago and they didn't have any, just the stuff in kits. I had to go to a specialist needlework shop for some, but I've definitely seen it online.

I'm too late now, but was just going to say I tried to teach dd to knit when she was 5 because I had learned when I was 4/5 but she just couldn't getthe hang of it. I'd say she was more coordinated than me, too. I have left it for now but plan to try again soon as she's now 7. Bundle, was that the place in Ayrshire? Fankle or something?

ooh in Troon? it was a lovely woolshop, yes
fankle it was v nice, lovely owner. the little shop round the corner from me in north london (part rowan, part christian icons, part binca) has lots of it in different colours if you have trouble getting hold of some i'll post it to you

Mercy... obviously I don't know what I'm missing! My line manager said I hadn't lived until I'd used Binka. It must be one of those 'British' things

Bundle. Where is this shop? - I'm in north London too.

Kiwibelle; I'd never heard of binca & numerous other terms until this morning. Marina and Bundle are the experts!

OOOh I'm getting all excited, can't wait for Christmas now; think I'll have to get one kit for dd and one for me.

Sod cooking from scratch , this is real domestic godess stuff to me! (says she who can do neither

Just to add - if your dc is interested in knitting but too young to do the knitting with needles, then french knitting is a good alternative. dd2 got a lovely knitting kit (with bamboo needles!) from ELC for her birthday and it had a good french knitting bobbin in it too (they do vary) - a wooden one that was nicely finished inside so that the wool doesn't snag.

Well I've learnt something too thanks to Miaou - that there is a "nicer" alternative to the normally worthy Galt Toys plastic knitting kit.
Thank you Miaou
I agree Mercy - this is a lovely topic. My mum is not handy so my aunt taught me to knit and it has been a little point of common ground between us ever since passing these things on and doing creative stuff with your children is so enjoyable.
Bundle, ROFL at your knitting shop! South of the river we specialise in outlets such as "John's Plus Size Fashions...and knitting supplies".

I can be quite useful sometimes!

(PS sent you some squares today - at last!)

Mercy, it's on Blackstock Rd, N4, close to Arsenal (and Finsbury Park tubes)