Teaching kids to knit takes a lot of patience on the part of both teacher and student. Younger knitters may need to be reminded regularly that they won't be able to knit as well as their adult teacher right away, but that doesn't mean they won't soon be able to knit uniform pieces with some practice.
Alana Dakos shares that message in the form of a little girl learning to knit from her mom in the illustrated (by Neesha Hudson) children's book Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf.
The Story
Annie's mom is an avid knitter who spends her evenings on the couch making great things for Annie to wear. She always has a new handknit sweater for the first day of school, and she falls asleep to the sound of her mother's needles clicking.
One day she decides she wants to learn to knit, but quickly becomes frustrated when her knitting is slow to produce and full of holes, not fast and pretty like mom's.
Her knitting is forgotten until she needs to come up with a talent to share at school. Can she master knitting in time to share it with her class?
This cute book is rated age 4 and up, but is probably best for elementary-aged kids (which is about the age you'd want to teach them to knit, though I've heard of people learning as young as 4). It's a sweet story about mother-daughter bonding and the power or persistence.
Deluxe Edition
In addition to the regular book, Dakos offers a deluxe edition that includes stickers, a paper doll set and a puzzle, collected with the book in a box perfect for gift giving. These extras are a lot of fun and add to the enjoyment of the book for little ones. They might not convince your kid she wants to learn to knit, but it's a good start.
This book -- deluxe edition or not -- would be a great gift along with yarn and needles for a child who has expressed interest in learning to knit. Coming back to the story repeatedly should remind new knitters that it takes time to get good, but the rewards are well worth it (also the meaning of the term "design element").
