Kitty has become quite the knitter. She loves to sit peacefully in a comfy spot and knit quietly. She has knitted herself a hat, a chicken, her dolls a blanket, her animals some scarfs. I find it magical to watch her in her own world while she works with her hands and the lovely wool. Our cat Beamer can feel the beautiful energy that radiates from her when she’s knitting too as Beamer often curls up next to Kitty and sleeps with a constant purr.

I love that Kitty knows that she can make something beautiful with her own hands. It’s important to us that she uses beautiful yarn too and we spend a little extra to buy her top quality yarn in beautiful colors. I love that she respects the quality of the materials she works with and values her work.

In Waldorf schools, children learn how to knit as a part of their First Grade curriculum. Handwork is an important aspect of their education throughout the years. It’s good for them for so many reasons. The hand eye co-ordination needed is excellent practice and it’s a super activity for connecting their left (technique) and right (creativity) brains. It’s a peaceful meditative activity which can be very helpful in alleviating stress. But, what I am most enamored with right now is the aspect of knitting that demands a child to start on a project and work on it for many months before it reaches completion. Kitty took 4 months of knitting to finish her hat… 4 months! In our fast paced modern world, when does a child work on anything longer than a few minutes, let alone 4 months!

If you want to teach you child to knit, perhaps start the way they start in Waldorf schools… by making your own knitting needles together… here is a tutorial. If you don’t know how to knit yourself, don’t let this put you off… it will be a lovely bonding time together as you teach each other.  There are many tutorials on Youtube that can help you every step of the way. I love the rhyme Kitty taught me to help me remember the technique when I was learning…

In through the front door,
Once around the back,
Peek through the window,
And off jumps Jack!

Happy knitting,
Blessings and magic,
Donni

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11 Responses

  1. I have taught children to know for year at our charter school. It takes so much patience at first. Lots of holes and starting over :) . But the rewards are so worth the effort. It helps children slow down and notice and move with care. I am teaching my daughter right now. She is months into a scarf project. We will get there!

    Beautiful photos! :)

  2. Just last week I learned how to finger knit so that I could teach my just-turned-4 year old. It was amazing to me how quickly she learned! I showed her a couple rows on my fingers, then helped her with a few on her own little fingers, and that was all it took before I met with, “Mama, I want to do it all by myself.”

    And she did. And she kept on going. I loved watching the concentration and joy on her face as she realized that she was creating something. It was beautiful. <3

  3. I am getting ready to offer knitting for kids in my little art/craft studio. I can’t wait to get them knitting. I love that it may produce something wonderful but it is so much more than just the product.

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