Today I'm excited to bring you a guest post by Mary Walton! Mary Walton is an editor at UK Writings. She loves everything DIY and inventing new crochet patterns. And today she is sharing her thoughts on Teaching a Child to Crochet!
Crocheting is a hobby and a passion loved by many people around the world. I know a tonne of people that would spend all their time crocheting if they could as I’m sure you would! However, for those of us with children, trying to encourage your child even to try the hobby can be a daunting, if not an overwhelming, task. However, if introduced correctly, your child can enjoy the many benefits, including an increased level of patience and the ability to create some awe-inspiring creations as well as instilling a sense of achievement. In this article, we’ll explore several tips to introduce your passion in the best possible way.
Create a Dedicated Environment
When you set about starting to introduce your child to the wonderful world of crocheting, it’s highly recommended that you start by setting the scene. Clear a designated area, such as a kitchen or dining room table, and lay out all the equipment that you’ll be using. This means they’ll be minimal distractions and your child can really concentrate on what they’re doing.
Start Simple
It’s extremely off-putting for a child to be thrown in at the deep end while attempting to complete complex stitches. Start off simple. Start by using simple, solid-colour yarns so your child can easily recognise the strands that they’re using and use large tools so they can complete the easier stitches in the trade. This will give your child a solid foundation of knowledge to build on before attempting the more complex tasks.
Sarah E. Turner, a child support writer for Essay Roo, explains;
“As with any teaching, you can’t jump straight in at the more complicated aspects of crocheting, even if the techniques seem easy to you. Your child will be a complete novice so start at the beginning. As a rule of thumb, imagine they don’t even know what yarn is and start from there for the most thorough learning experience.”
Allow for Creative Freedom
Once your child has mastered a simple stitch, let them practise it till their heart’s content. Your child will be extremely excited to be able to complete their first stitch, and at first, they’ll simply want to continue with this. Instead of forcing them to move on and learn something more technical, start slow and let them try what they want to try. This will build your child’s confidence while allowing them to start loving the hobby.
Give Them a Chance to Learn
As with any student, they are bound to make mistakes. Crocheting a design can take a long time, and by the time you get to the end of a pattern, they may have already forgotten what they learned at the beginning, especially when it comes to starting a pattern. Don’t be afraid to teach your child to pull out all their patterns halfway through to start again.
David T. Bennett, an education writer at Boom Essays, explains;
“It’s essential that you explain to your child that it’s okay to pull out their patterns and start again. This may seem counter-productive but the repetition will embed the knowledge into their minds and will actually be more beneficial to them in the long run.”
Be Proud of the Little Wins
As your child’s designated teacher, they’ll look to you as someone who knows what they’re doing. That means they’ll look to you to see if something is done properly and for praise. It’s essential that you give credit where it’s due. One of the most effective ways of doing this and showing your pride in them is by taking a picture of them with their latest creation. You could even print off the picture and put it on your fridge! This way that pride is instilled all day every day!
Listen to Your Child
It’s easy for you to want to encourage your child to start straight away. However, if your child says no and that they’re not in the mood, respect that they are you telling you that. If you continue to force them, they’ll be even more reluctant to learn. After all, there’s no rush is there.
Thank you so much for your post, Mary! Mary Walton is an editor at UK Writings. She loves everything DIY and inventing new crochet patterns. Mary is fascinated about nowadays e-learning system, and she blogs about it on her blog Simple Grad (like Paper Coach Review). Also, she is a tutor at Write My College Paper educational portal.
Patricia Smith
I love your pattern for the on the go snack bag. I am making them in school colors and Christmas colors for our church to sell at a craft show. I will definitely give you the credit for the pattern. I put one on my Facebook page lovestocrochet@aol.com in a school color to be seen. If you go look I hope you like it.
Tamara Kelly
Hi Patricia! Thank you so much! 😀 I'll see if I can find your Facebook page!
Jolie
Love this. What age would you think is a good age to start at, or what milestones should they have hit before you try to teach him or her?
Tamara Kelly
Personally, I think they keys are interest from the child, and some eye-hand coordination!
Michelle Woods
I think it's a great idea to teach kids. I love to crochet but my daughter is left handed. Any ideas on that?
Tamara Kelly
Hi Michelle! The best advice I've heard is to actually sit straight across from the left-handed person, so they can mirror your movements that way instead of having to "flip them"! 🙂
Sarah E Flanagan
Thank you!! I am so excited to introduce my kids to this wonderful skill. Now they are 3.5 & 1.5, so their version of crochet with mommy is holding the hook while I work the stitches. I hope this will make the practice of teaching them to crochet independently much easier.
Kelly Marie Quesenberry
How to make things like Afghan
Tamara Kelly
Hi Kelly Marie! An afghan can be pretty basic - just a big rectangle - or get fancy with shapes and patterns! Can you tell me more about what you're looking for?