My boys are knitting!

[Sue G in PA]

My dd11 wanted to learn to knit, as did I. We only see my aunt on Sundays (the one who can REALLY knit!) so I got a DVD on knitting from the library. Well, dd sat down to watch it and my boys got interested. Now, both ds10 and ds8 are knitting all day long! It is so wonderful. I didn't want to push them to learn b/c I thought they would consider knitting a "girly" thing. But, they are loving it!

[Kathleen in VA]

That's so neat! I remember reading in Stories of the Pilgrims how the little children (boys and girls) would knit their own socks - while they were walking to school!

[Jen3boys]

My boys like to knit too! And sew. They just like to MAKE things, whether it's wood, yarn, etc. I never discourage them from activities that are considered 'girly'...if they like it, they like it. (And homeschooling makes that easier). Now if I could only remember how to cast off......

[PariSarah]

Love your new avatar, btw.

Some of ds's friends on his swim team knit. Well, only the one boy still keeps at it. He comes up to me every couple months and says, "Hey, Mrs. Sarah, I finished another scarf!"

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Oh how cool! I am jealous. I keep hoping mine will express an interest, but not so far. What fun to have them all knitting!

[Pamela H in Texas]

cool! I don't know how to knit. My son has a friend (<ahem> girl) that knits and he wanted to learn. I couldn't figure it out so I taught him to crochet instead. LOL.

You'd think preteen boys would have an aversion to it, but I'm glad mine isn't the only one that didn't!

BTW, the little hat his friend made him is STILL in our livingroom. We tried to get him to move it but he thinks it goes great in the LR. <sigh>

[Holly in FL]

How fun!! I keep thinking my 3 children are too young...9yo, 7yo, and 5yo...but, I may just try to teach them this summer!

BTW...I taught myself to knit using the site:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

She has free, close-up videos that are terrific!

~Holly

[Holly in FL]

Try use the knitting site I posted above.

~Holly

[Holly in FL]

Well shoot...the site came up below this one!!! Here is the site for you:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

~Holly

[Sue G in PA]

How fun!! I keep thinking my 3 children are too young...9yo, 7yo, and 5yo...but, I may just try to teach them this summer!

BTW...I taught myself to knit using the site:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

She has free, close-up videos that are terrific!

~Holly

My aunt (who is now in her 70's) learned to knit when she was just 5 or so. She is extremely talented now. She works part-time in a Wool Works retail store, teaches classes there on weekends and people call her and pay TOP dollar for her to "finish" their knitting. She said that she never would have known that many years ago that knitting would be the thing that would keep her financially secure and independent at this age. So....everyone go learn to knit! :D I am! Thanks for the site, Holly!

[Holly in FL]

What a great way to make money!!

Thanks for the story!
~Holly

[Lizzie in Ma]

I know many young men who knit and my older dd and I are constantly at work on something. Good for them and you!

[LindaOz]

My girls love to knit and the funny thing is they take their knitting to church to do while dh and I have pre-service and Wed night music practice. The other kids (not just girls either) swarm around them wanting to have a turn, asking questions, wanting my dd to knit them scarves. It's kind of become a 'new' craze again. :001_smile:

[Spy Car]

As a MAN...I just want to say I think that's pretty cool!

Too often children seem to be limited by "gender-expectations" and miss out being participants in rewarding experiences.

Bill (whose needlecraft skills are limited to sewing buttons)

[Jill, OK]

I got a DVD on knitting from the library.

Could you share the name of the DVD?

I've dabbled in knitting before, but I have a Little that has expressed a desire to learn, and would love a resource that would make it easier.

TIA.

[Brindee]

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

She has free, close-up videos that are terrific!

~HollyThanks! I am knitting a baby blanket. I'm a newbie, and I don't remember how to start getting smaller again or cast off, or cast on again next time......:001_huh: So this should be a help! I've saved it. Thanks again!

[Sahamamama]

Here are some tidbits from my addled brain:

1. When I was in college, I had a friend from Germany (Ingo Tophoven -- hello, out there!) who said that many people in Germany learn to knit at an early age, both boys and girls. They make nice, thick wool sweaters in beautiful patterns, and nice, thick wool scarves, hats, and mittens. I was SO impressed that this young man knew how to knit (actually, I had a crush on him for it, but your boys might not be motivated by future prospects at this age). It IS an attention-getter, for sure, to see a young man knitting a beautiful wool sweater. I remember COVETING those sweaters. Sigh. I would still like one, but, alas, I have still not learned to knit.

2. My father for years made crocheted rag rugs. It was a family project. My sister and I would cut the strips from rags, my mother would sew the strips together and wind them into balls, and my dad would crochet the strips into beautiful (and some truly hideous -- lime green, orange, brown, and white comes to mind) rag rugs. You might as well make the rugs out of nice (pretty) colors, because they last FOREVER. Trust me. We are still walking on some of them.

3. My oldest daughter and I read the other day in "If You Lived in Colonial Times," by Ann McGovern the following information about making clothes:

"Grandmother's job was to card the wool. The children gathered flowers and berries and roots to make dyes to color the yarn.... Girls and women worked at the spinning wheel... Boys and men did their share of the work. Their job was to weave cloth on a loom.... When boys took the sheep to the fields, they took along a small loom. Then they could weave while they watched the sheep."

I never knew that men and boys had any part in making clothes in colonial times, I always assumed that women and girls did all the work. It's great that your boys are learning to knit, and maybe you can study a bit about how people in other times and places have used their skills to make truly useful things. Good luck with it!

[Sahamamama]

As a MAN...I just want to say I think that's pretty cool!
Bill (whose needlecraft skills are limited to sewing buttons)

I tried to positive rep you, to encourage you to stick around, but I'm out of rep for the day. :glare: Come back often, we could benefit from having some more men on this board!

Disclaimer: I hope this doesn't offend you, or come across as being sexist in any way.

[Sue G in PA]

I tried to positive rep you, to encourage you to stick around, but I'm out of rep for the day. :glare: Come back often, we could benefit from having some more men on this board!

Disclaimer: I hope this doesn't offend you, or come across as being sexist in any way.


I sure hope he doesn't take offense b/c I was just going to post the same thing before I saw your post! It's nice to have another man on the board. I like the perspective they bring. Welcome, SpyCar!

[Sue G in PA]

Could you share the name of the DVD?

I've dabbled in knitting before, but I have a Little that has expressed a desire to learn, and would love a resource that would make it easier.

TIA.

The name of the DVD is "The Art of Knitting 4 Kids". My kids find it annoying at times. There is a young boy that teaches the basics of knitting using these funny little kid phrases for each stitch "Criss Cross Applesauce" slip knot comes to mind. But, the instructions are clear and even my 8yo could do it! Then there's this older lady telling the story of sheep in a pasture and the shepherd hooking the sheep with his crook to get it to come back under the fence, etc. She uses this illustration to teach the knit stitch. My 11yo rolls her eyes b/c she just wants instructions...not funny little stories. BUt, they are learning!

[Spy Car]

Sahamamama and Sue G, thank you so much for the warm welcome.

Bill