Boys, boys, boys
The [boys club](http://www.menknit.net/) has a new member.
My sample in yellow Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran scraps.
A couple days ago, I taught my friend, Francisco, how to knit. It was just last week when he was over at our house and expressed some interest in learning to knit (girls, this one’s a keeper). Well, not even the teeny tiniest amount of interest in knitting goes unnoticed around here. Over the past year and a half, I’ve taught half a dozen people to knit. I’m remarkably sentimental about the whole thing. In fact, I don’t know if Richard knows, but I saved his first few rows of knitting as well. It’s like your first handspun. Precious. A single moment in time, captured in a few stitches.
So here’s the thing. I’m an awkward teacher. Since I pretty much learned from pictures in a book, I never had the experience of someone else showing me step-by-step what to do. So when I teach someone to knit, I start with the long-tail cast on, then move to the knit stitch, and eventually to purl stitches and casting off… ’cause that’s how it’s described in books.
And here’s where it all kind of goes downhill — how about tensioning? needle/hand position? Tensioning is crucial to beautiful fabric (and relaxed knitting)… so when Michelle says she’s frustrated that she tends to knit tightly, I kind of blame myself. And holding your right hand under (like a pencil) or over the right needle? There are so many different ways to knit that, in a way, I figure the most comfortable method will eventually come to you. If you are interested (or obsessive like me) you might check out some books that will show you the English, Scottish, French, German, or Combined (Eastern Uncrossed) styles of holding your needles and yarn. But in the end isn’t the goal getting the stitch formed on the needle in the method that is most comfortable for you?
Do any of you teach knitting? Casually for friends or “officially”? How do you do it? Do you start with the cast on? Or do you cast on _for_ the student and then just start with the knit stitch? What kind of cast on do you start with? Long-tail? Backward loop? Knitted on?
Being the control freak that I am, I tend to want to watch them make each and every stitch — either congratulating them on nice looking stitches or attempting to dive in and fix problems. Luckily, ‘Cisco is an engineer and knitting is not rocket science. He was able to spot and fix most of his own issues. Irene, my spinning teacher, does this thing where she walks away from you so that you don’t think she’s looking over your shoulder… but really she is observing from a distance. That way, she allows you to relax into it. I can’t do that. I hover. Maybe my friends are just too polite to tell me to shut up and go away for a bit.
Speaking of boys and their knitting, Richard is all inspired to start knitting socks again. This time, he requested _fat_ yarn in “Slayer” so that he could actually see _some_ progress. Here’s his progress:
I, too, have sock progress. Here’s one finished Pomatomus sock knit with my hand-dyed superwash sock yarn in “Libertine”:
Siew and I were both working on our Pomatomus socks at Rachael and Lala’s drink-up on Monday night and I realized that I had mis-read the pattern… so my “version” of Pomatomus has only two repeats in the leg and not three. I also changed the toe shaping because I like my standard round-ish toes: decrease row, 3 rows plain, [decrease row, 2 rows plain] x 2, [decrease row, 1 row plain] x 3, decrease every row until there are 16 stitches in total (or 8 on each half of the magic loop) and then graft together (or be lazy and do a three-needle cast off). Super easy to remember. See? Not rocket science.
i’ve taught a few friends. i too start with the long-tail CO, then knit stitch. i save binding off and purling for next time we meet though! and i’m a poor teacher because i tell them buy stitch’n’ bitch and read up on GAUGE there. hahaha!
I have taught beginning knitting, and I now teach 2 socks on 2 circs toe up. When I taught beginners, I started with a long tail cast on, and knit only. Then I teach purling, then get into decreases of all kinds – right and left slanting, double etc. Then I go to increases – raised, lifted, right and left slanting, knit into the front and back, yarn overs, etc. Then I teach binding off. Somewhere after those basics, I do different sorts of cast ons and a few bindoffs, like three needle, sewing down live stitches, etc. In a six week beginning knitting class, I try to touch on how to read a chart as well, so they can theoretically take any pattern and tackle it.
The Slayer colorway is great, and your Pomatomus socks are great!
Pom#1 looks fabulous. It’s one of those socks that looks better and better as I see more of them. Your yarn is a great match for the pattern.
I teach the way I learned. Without the books from my mother, grandmother, aunts, etc.
I had a group of seven women in the office last year. I chose the yarn and told them what needles to get. I split one skein of light color skein in seven smallish balls.
I had them to cast on themselves, long tail, on the first lesson. At that time I told them that there are other ways to cast on and other styles to knit. I demonstrated the knit on cast but didn’t loose time on that. We moved on to knit and purl continentaly because that’s the way I knit. I insisted on certain way to weave the yarn around their fingers and explained the tension thing. But I told them that once they understand how the stitches are formed they will probably devise their own way to hold everything because from experience I know that no two knitters knit exactly the same way. Even my mother and I knitted differently. I did try to give them some space and not hover over them. All of them learned the technique. Some were surprisingly quick and neat but ultimately from the seven only three got hooked and are actually knitting and these were not the stars of the class. vj
I’ve taught a few friends to knit over the years and I always do the same thing – first of all, I make them use good needles (usually chunky bamboo straights) and good yarn (anything 100% wool will do). I teach them the long-tail cast-on (which I teach as the Mickey Mouse cast-on, because it helps them remember how to do it) and then I teach them the knit stitch. I knit both combined and western, but I always teach western because I think combined can be really confusing if you don’t know what you’re doing (i learned combined without knowing it and it screwed me up for awhile, especially when I learned to knit in the round). As far as the more technical things, like tension and how to hold the needles, I try to give them advice based on how I knit, but I find that a lot depends on the person, especially how they find it comfortable to hold the needles and the yarn. I try to teach people to cast-on somewhat loosely and to not tighten every stitch to death-grip proportions. I also tend to let people go along until they have a problem or get nervous about something, I try not to hover. At the beginning, they’re usually convinced that everything that doesn’t look perfect is a mistake, and they need the hovering a bit, but once they’ve got the hang of it, you’ll know if they need help.
I think it’s nice that you’re teaching it the way you learned it. I was also self-taught and knit English. When it comes to tensioning, I think that comes with practice, not something easily taught. And you’re right, needle/hand positioning is a preference and will come to them eventually. That method of holding the right needle like a pencil, I find that extremely awkward.
And good job with the shop yesterday, I was not surprised about all that traffic, it’s like people standing on line in front of a store to wait for the door to open so they can get the best selection because they know it wouldn’t stay on the shelves for long.
Richard’s sock looks great, I like your round toe shaping method.
Well I think the pics of your foot came out swimmingly. Maybe that is partially because that sock is so very lovely.
I’m dying to teach some people are me to knit just so I can have knitters around sometimes. Maybe I will have to bribe them
I’ve taught several friends, starting the same way you do, with long-tail cast on, knit stitch, eventually purling. I insist they start with yarn that they find beautiful, so they don’t get bored producing something ugly.
Once they have the basic knit stitch down, I start to talk about holding the working yarn. This turns into more philosophical musings then technical specifics, often, because I find each knitter is only ready to move forward in this way when they want to. I started out being a very tight knitter, as so many do, and I clearly recall taking satisfaction in how tightly the stitches were, in the density of the fabric produced. I try to encourage a more organic, relaxed, flowing rhythm.
The other element that can make a huge difference in the learning curve is understanding the loop two dimensions, that a purl is the back of a knit. I’ll demonstrate with chunky yarn on huge needles. Stitch N’ Bitch is a great reference – I show them various pages and encourage them to buy it, and this post from knitty is invaluable in teaching tight knitters to loosen up.
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/FEATloosenup.html
I am also self-taught from a book, and have taught several co-workers how to knit. I usually start with just the long tail cast on and the knit stitch. When they get bored of practicing thier first knitted square, I’ll show them how to bind off. We usually have several teaching sessions because I don’t want to overwhelm them all at once. My biggest problem with teaching is that I knit continental, and it seems easier for most people to learn to purl in the English style, so I have to remember how to knit English to show them.
I haven’t found anyone to teach (yet) but I learned from my mom – who is a very accomplished knitter. She taught me the backwards loop cast on and made me cast on myself (I was only 8 and I couldn’t wrap my little brain around the long tail cast on). I was given a pair of 5mm straight needles and worsted weight yarn. Then she showed me how to knit a stitch and off I went. We both hold needles the same way but we hold the yarn differently. I remember doing everything in garter stitch for the longest time and my Mom had to cast off for me on the first few projects.
Love your pom sock!
i am SUCH a hover-er when teaching. first of all, i cant seem to let someone figure it out on their own. i think i’m always too worried that, if it doesn’t come easy enough for someone at first, they’ll get frustrated and quit. and of course, if this happens, i know they’re really missing out and i can’t live the the idea that it is partly because of me (or my lack of a clear and concise teaching method)…
as far as methods of casting on, i usually assess the patience and adept-ness of the ‘pupil.’ if i think they can handle it, its all about the long-tail method. if not, we use the backwards loop. remember the first time you tried to fathom long-tail? i was so frustrated. now i can’t imagine any other way (unless, of course, you need more elasticity….)
oh and thats the other thing. i overdo it. i either give WAY too much info or not enough. really it seems like an all-or-nothing thing: you can’t appreciate the knit stitch without the purl stitch… and understand how they work together, and the properties of curline/ribbing/seeding and on and on it goes… etc etc.
have a good weekend. thanks for sharing!
I’ve tried to teach my five yr old nephew to knit. He can sort of get it, but can’t hold the yarn with any kind of tension. He’s really the only one I’ve tried to teach, so I don’t have much info to give you.
What I can tell you though is that your P-Sock is GORGEOUS! Beautiful! I can’t wait to start my own pair. And yes, I know just how difficult it is to take a picture of your own foot. Nice job.
Well, I work in an LYS so I teach friends and sometimes “jane-on-the-spot”. The store’s policy is knitted cast on and knit stitch as 1 hour lesson. Then fixing common mistakes and ripping as another hour. Bind-off and purl as the last lesson. Beginners always get extra attention (aka hovering) because I like to encourage them. There’s also a lot of fine tuning at this stage because stitches like to pop off and etc, since they haven’t figured out their “stance”. I tend to wander a bit for “private lessons” if the knitter just needs some help with a project because they need to complete a few rows here and there. Usually knitters don’t want to be stared at- I’ve learned that some students are upset if you seemingly wander off during a lesson, so an explanation is necessary. When I knit around my boyfriend, he likes to watch as if it were a feature film and geeky science project all in one. I/my knitting is used to being stared at. I keep on offering to teach him and he keeps insisting he just wants to know the logic of how it all happens.
“Dude, you know how difficult it is to take a photo of your own foot?” Dude, of course I do. There should be a dang tutorial for this exact scenario on knitty. This has got to be the most common statement on Alison’s soc-a-longs
I wish I lived near a Daiso.
I never attempt to teach anyone, because I know I knit funny. I do wish, however, that my mother had mentioned at some point that she had a weird way of knitting. Last Christmas she did comment that the nuns at her school tried to teach her to knit properly and she just hated it, so she taught me what she thought was the most comfortable method. She was right, but I stay away from teaching.
That’s my favorite toe too. Come to think of it, I may have found the pattern via your blog. That toe is the nicest of all the ones I’ve tried and fits my foot best. Your Pomatomus sock is lovely.
have taught many friends to knit. I actually start with casting on (long tail method) and then I give a speech about holding the yarn and tension. Then I teach the knit stitch and I won’t let them learn anything else until they have a swatch with no errors for several inches. Then on to purling, reading patterns and more complicated techniques. I have found the single hardest part when learning is the tension and finding a way to hold the yarn that seems natural. It is as important as learning how to knit a row without accidentally increasing a stitch. I also learned from a book and I think for me it suited my nature. But it may have taken me longer to learn that way. By the way, I love your yarn. My sister and I ordered from you and got the yarn last week. Gorgeous! Now I just have to decide upon patterns.
I, too, taught myself from a book. Well, several books. Because I’m also a little obsessive compulsive. But I also have problems putting into words exactly HOW to knit when I just kind of do what works for me. Who knows if I’m actually doing it the “right” way but it produces the right product. Maybe I should take a class at some point…
I teach people to knit all the time. I’m what the Yarn Harlot would call a missionary. I only learned two years ago, but it has definitely become a lifestyle. I start with casting on and garter. I always save the bind-off and purling for a later time so as not to overwhelm my students (who are probably overwhelmed by my pushy yarn crazed desires as it is). I love these socks you are knitting. Sadly, I missed this round of your sweet yarns. Possibly because I linked you guys to my blog and self-sabotaged. I vow to get in on the next batch!
Concerning tension: This may sound stupid, but half the people I’ve taught to knit have had tight-tension problems to begin with, and I just tell them to knit a bit looser. It may take a few rows, but this has always solved the problem.
I don’t know if this has anything to do with it; I’ve always taught Continental knitting, and I do believe it’s easier to correct tentions problems when knitting that way. Just my opinion! ^_^
I REALLY wanted River. Pffffffft…
The pomotomus is great – the colours are gorgeous! No advice on the teaching. I taught myself from books, so am always worried I don’t do things correctly, so am a bit paranoid about teaching others.
As one of Felicia’s the first converts and the tight knitter, I have to add that Felicia is a wonderful teacher!!! She made it fun and gave me soft & pretty red yarn (I still have it tucked away in my stash). She also demonstrated great patience and was very encouraging! Not to mention, watching Felicia knit is so inspiring it makes me want to delve deeper into the world of knitting! Of course, this now includes spinning!!!
Felicia is the most evil (in a good way) of friends!! (although Norm also ranks pretty high in the evil category…)
Lovely socks. I am amazed.
I have been teaching small “classes” at my house lately, and they seem to go well. I first start everyone with a smooth, reasonably think yarn (that they pick out during the “yarn store fieldtrip”, and love). I cast on for them, have them do rows of knit until they can keep the number of stitches even, and then tear it out. Then I teach long-tail cast on, and they knit their first scarf! (Ribbing for the extra-quick students!)
i am so jealous of your socks.
Oooo!! I love the yarn you used for your Pomatomus socks. They’re very addictive.
When I teach anyone, I like the knit cast on. It gives a nice firm edge. I find the backwards loop will eventually leave too much of a long string between stiches. This looks ugly and it confuses new knitters.
I always tell people to remember to relax their hands when knitting. This will help if they have very tight tension.
I teach pretty much the same way you teach – cast on, knit, and then I have them bind off. Purling is later. Again, that’s how I taught myself, so it makes sense to me. I ALWAYS have them cast on themselves, because I’m not going home with anyone to cast on whenever they need it. Also, I don’t show them how to hold the yarn. I find that most actually use the left hand to hold it.
I taught my sister to knit recently and it made me realize just how many little facts and know-how I’ve learned and aquired over the years. I learned from my gramma but she has arthritis so all she can do is dictate because her hands have been too deformed to knit as of now. The process took a lot longer, and the more complex things I taught myself from reading about them, but in the end I’m glad that I can report back to my gramma my progress on things. I like to think that my gramma lives vicariously through my knitting!
I taught my sister to knit recently and it made me realize just how many little facts and know-how I’ve learned and aquired over the years. I learned from my gramma but she has arthritis so all she can do is dictate because her hands have been too deformed to knit as of now. The process took a lot longer, and the more complex things I taught myself from reading about them, but in the end I’m glad that I can report back to my gramma my progress on things. I like to think that my gramma lives vicariously through my knitting! I guess as a teacher I like to encourage because new knitters tend to knit too tight or mess up. Sometimes it can be very frustrating and discouraging so I think the best thing you can do is be very positive and supportive.
awesome Pomatomus socks.
I just wanted to say that I love your site and I really admire your artistry. You’ve given me a lot of good ideas on projects I’d like to try. I’ve been looking at your site and a bunch of others for a while now and finally got inspired to start my own knitting blog. Please check it out sometime ^_^.
What a gorgeous looking sock. I love it!
I’ve taught a few friends how to knit, just the basics. I tend to cast on for them and show them the knit stitch for the first lesson, so that they can make progress right away. Long-tail cast on is the second lesson, and purl is the third (or whenever they’re ready). I also refer them to a few books that I learned from, like Stitch n Bitch and Vogue Knitting.
Wow–I bought some of your superwash in Libertine, and now I know which sock to tackle!
By the way, I was really hoping you might have a suggestion for a sock pattern to use with Speed Demon. I’m having a hard time matching the gauge to patterns I have. Could you email me any suggestions, if you have time? Thanks!
What a coincidence for me that you would post this today after I just agreed to teach a class to beginners this summer at the local art center. I was excited when they asked me to do it, but the more I have been thinking through the details of how I will teach a group of beginners, the more nervous I am getting about the same questions you posed above! I am hoping to get some answers by reading some of the responses from your readers. Thanks for posting this today.
Beautiful colors in that Pomatomus sock! What a wonderful pairing of yarn and pattern.
I was recently flying somewhere with a friend/colleague. I planned to bring knitting and he warned me he’d have questions, so I brought along a spare set of needles and some cream-colored wool. I got him going and I blazed ahead on my own project. I’d glance over occasionally and he’d ask questions from time to time. But the pressure was off because I was mostly focused on my own thing. And he did really well. At the end, I cast off and gave him his swatch.
Now he’s bought his own needles and some wool of his own and is forging ahead with a scarf in a pattern that’s a little more complicated than straight knit. And he lives on the other side of the country from me. So we’ve used our iSight cameras to have videoconference knitting lessons. Try showing someone how to make a stitch when you have to angle it so the camera can see the details!
When I teach friends to knit, I usually have a group of 3 or 4, so I cast on the stitches the evening before and begin teaching the knit stitch and then purl. I now teach them to do ribbing, decreases, binding off and seaming by making a newborn baby hat knitted flat(pompom optional). They really like the hat because it is barely bigger than a swatch and they are so happy to make something. Then they learn to make a sweater by knitting a baby cardigan with cables — once again, it’s fast, they learn to read a pattern, make a swatch, do increases, buttonholes, front and neck bands, cables and how to seam a sweater. If they don’t want the sweater, I give them to local charities which always have a need so my knitters learn early about charity knitting. So many new knitters are afraid to tackle sweaters so the baby sweater gives them confidence.
I work at a yarn shop full time and teach tons of beginners. We cast on for the person and start teaching with knit, then purl, then bind off, and finally cast on. I teach long-tail cast on, but if the person really can’t get it I’ll teach knitted-on. Many students don’t learn to cast on until their 2nd or 3rd project, it doesn’t bother me or them, they just have to be willing to come into the store to have us cast on!