Sunday, December 16, 2007

I've got a flair

My mother wants me to teach her how to knit when I go home for Christmas.

Color me surprised. She's been supportive of my knitting, so it's not as though she cast a skeptical eye on it in the past and is now coming around to it. No, I just didn't think it was something that she would want to do or have the time or patience for.

The prospect of being the instructor unnerves me because I don't really feel like I know that much. Sure, I've made a lot of items during my brief knitting stint, but I still see myself as a novice. Good grief, I've eschewed doing gauge swatches. That sets a bad example off the bat, right?

I'm better equipped for delivering an introductory lesson than I would have been a year ago...or even six months ago. I'm willing to try to teach her. Out of all my family members, I certainly have the patience that may be required for teaching another. (Whenever my brothers try to explain something to her about the computer, they zip through and get huffy about follow-up questions.) Because I've made plenty of mistakes and had to let some things sink in before understanding them, I think I can strip the basic techniques down to the essential.

And yes, it is flattering to know that she obviously finds value in something that I do. Although I've bonded with my dad about sports, I think I've usually felt that I have more in common with my mom. I got my love of reading from her. Before she switched to an education major in college, she studied music. That translated into piano lessons when I was a kid and an appreciation for music in general (although I'm sure she'd hate some of what I like). So it makes sense that she might be interested in an activity that I enjoy.

Before I embark on this undertaking, I welcome your advice for how to get her started. I'm thinking that I should show her the knit and purl stitches and let her practice with those. Once she feels she has the hang of it, I can attempt to explain gauge, yarn weight, and the basics for beginning a project.

A potential trouble spot comes in how to wrap the yarn. I'm a continental knitter. She wants to learn the English method. I was taught to use my right hand but somehow got to wrapping with my left early on. It felt more comfortable. Since she is left-handed, it makes sense that the English method would seem correct to her.

I have asked if she knows anyone in the area who knits. I definitely don't feel knowledgeable enough to describe what to do over the phone or via e-mail. There's only so much I can teach her in five days, especially if I want to do any knitting of my own during the holiday.

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6 Comments:

At 2:38 AM, Blogger Amanda D Allen said...

The "Gift of Knitting" episode of the Knit Picks Podcast has some great suggestions for teaching others how to knit. If you have some time, it might be helpful to listen to.

 
At 6:46 AM, Blogger Jennifer said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 6:47 AM, Blogger Jennifer said...

You'll do great teaching her and if she can't find any knitters in the area, or ever needs help w/ something that you aren't able to explain over the phone, bookmark knittinghelp .com for her...very useful. Good luck and have fun! Hey - I taught my siblings to knit and one of them was just five at the time...and she is still knitting away two years later, so it can't be that hard. : )

PS - they should really let you edit your comments in case you find a typo so you don't have to delete and re-do!

 
At 8:32 AM, Blogger Karen said...

Take the Maran Illustrated Guide to Knit and Crochet along for her. It shows step by step how to do knit and purl in both Continental and English. http://www.amazon.com/Maran-Illustrated-Knitting-Crocheting/dp/1592008623/ref=sr_1_77?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197898167&sr=1-77 I think you'll do great!

 
At 2:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't have any specific advice, just encourage, encourage, encourage. I am a self-taught knitter. I remember reading your early posts and how you were encouraged and I know I could have used that during my first learning attempts.

I first learned the English method, then switched to Continental. I have found knittinghelp.com to be a great resource. While watching a video on yarn overs, I saw a different way to wrap the yarn around my hand than I had been using and it has been a good change for me. I suggest encouraging her to try different things to find what works best for her.

 
At 4:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You'll be fine teaching her, especially since you learnt so recently, you'll be able to remember what problems you had. I agree though that hooking her up with a helpful lys or stitch and bitch would be a wise move.

 

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