Knitting for children

[rantinghousewife]

Dd (5 very soon) has requested that I teach her to knit. I'm thinking she'd probably get the hang of it, she's got quite a good attention span. Just wondering if she might find the needles a bit awkward. Do you think I'd be better off buying one of those little knitting dollies to start with or should I just go for a pair of kids needles? Have you taught your own kids to knit and at what age?

I got a kit for a little girl of eight who wanted me to teach her to knit. In the set were a knitting dolly and also a pair of proper knitting needles and several balls of brightly coloured wool. The technique to working with a knitting dolly and proper knitting pins is very different though and knitting dolly knitting does not lead to anything, whereas proper knitting... I wouldn't waste time on the dolly, just go for proper knitting there are instructions in the box.

Dd didn't manage when I tried to teach her when she was 6, just got frustrated. I tried again when she was 8 and she did just fine. I learnt when I was 4 though, so it will vary (I suspect I had more staying power owing to the complete absence of alternative forms of entertainment when I was a child!). Definitely worth a shot, and I agree with DutchOma about going straight for real knitting. You can get some plastic needles by Pony, I think, in John Lewis that have different ends, one has a pony and one a rabbit (or something like that, very basic). It's quite useful to be able to tell them which needle you're referring to, and they are nice and short so that might be worth a try.

Right so I'll go for the kids needles and see how she goes. She wants to do it because I knit. If she seems frustrated by it or doesn't seem to like it, I'll just stop. Will it make any difference if she's left handed? Or shall I just show her the way I do it?

Just do it the way you do it, that's what happened with the little girl I started off. She is left handed and picked up my way of knitting ever so quick.

Ah, you've been a gem, thanks for your advice.