I'm going to teach my son to knit! He's 7 and his Dad and step Mum are expecting a baby in October so he's really excited and wants to make something for the baby. I've put off teaching him to knit for a while now - He's not great at sitting and concentrating on things so I'm anticipating it's best to be done in very short bursts.
I was reading about a school teacher who uses knitting to improve the kid's maths skills in her class. She gets them knitting simple, small squares in whatever colors they choose and them she knits them up into things like blankets and pencil cases. I think this is a great idea and I'm going to take a leaf out of her book and get Cole knitting small sections of knitting - perhaps some bunting for the baby's room, or a blanket. I'll keep you posted on the progress!
It also got me thinking about how we, as grown ups, can steal similar techniques to improve our own knitting. It's an uncomfortable feeling, learning something new. That uncertain, clumsy period where we're not sure exactly what we're doing, or we do know but we can't relax for a minute in case we make a mistake - we're often SO hard on ourselves.
So, if you're brand spanking new to knitting, or you feel your skills are a bit rusty, try these tips for improving your knitting:
Give yourself a break. - Learning any new skill is difficult at first. Instead of beating yourself up when things go wrong, congratulate yourself on what you've achieved so far. This is the key difference between people with high and those with low self-esteem. Low self-esteem people compare themselves to others who have been doing something much longer than themselves - like a the teacher or an expert. They look forwards in time, anticipating how HUGE the journey will be to get to the same level as the expert. Instead, people with high self-esteem recognise that the experts have been doing it much longer than themselves and instead they look backwards in time to when they knew much less than they do now. They congratulate themselves on how far they've come. So, when they mess up a new stitch, instead of telling themselves 'I'm never going to be able to do this well', they say, 'well, remember when I didn't even know how to cast on/rib stitch/yarn over etc. I learned how to master that so I can master this'. See how different that feels? Remember that everyone takes time to learn new skills - it's a natural part of life.
Practice: All that being said, remember that learning new skills also takes practice. I knitted a dozen matinee coats before I could master button holes when I was a kid - it might have taken a while, but I eventually got there in the end! Perseverance pays dividends.
Ask Questions: Use the expertise of others to improve your knitting. Ask fellow knitters on forums, blogs (even me!), your local yarn store, your auntie Mabel! Sometimes it’s just easier than plugging away on your own to ask for some pointers. And here’s a secret…most people are thrilled to be asked their advice. It makes them feel important and knowledgeable. Don’t be shy, remember, they had to learn once too.
Join a Knitting Group: Knitting is now a social pastime for many people and most towns and cities are teaming with knitting groups. Check out you local library or yarn store for a list on ones in your area. Or visit http://www.stitchnbitch.org/snb_groups.htm to find a list of knitting groups.
Join a Knitting Class: Check out your local yarn store or community college for a list of classes in your area. Don’t worry, it won’t be like school – knitting classes are a relaxed way to improve your skills and meet like minded knitters.
Keep it in perspective: Remember, knitting should be fun and relaxing – not another task to be ticked off your list. Have fun and enjoy it, so what if it takes you an age to master a particular stitch? My philosophy? If a pattern is too much effort, if I’m really not enjoying it, and if my knitting starts to feel like work, I rip it out and start something less taxing. I have to admit that I tend to stick to simpler patterns which don’t require tons of concentration – because I do most of my knitting in the evenings after a days work and I don’t have a lot of it left! But that’s what I enjoy and that, at the end of the day, is all that really matters.
