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january 23, 2008
back to first grade Getting ready for my kids' knitting class again. So far, I've got four girls knitting, one saying she can knit but doesn't want to, two spooling pretty confidently, and four goofing off. The i-cord craft projects saved the day last week, entertaining the non-knitters for the hour while I got the first four all set up with needles. For today, I've set up yarn and needles for those last seven to see if I can't get them started knitting too.
The girls and I are enjoying the little knitting poem from Melanie Falick's Kids Knitting posted by alison at 11:21 am | in
first grade knitting
Comments
My boys learned by the gruesome one that goes...stab it, choke it, rip it's guts out, and throw it off a cliff...yeah, it kinda it hard to forget,huh? Posted by: wendy at January 23, 2008 11:42 AMYeah, I like the sheep much better than Jack! Posted by: Beth at January 23, 2008 11:58 AMThe gruesome version...Sweeney Todd knits! Posted by: Bobbi at January 23, 2008 12:05 PMThat rhyme is great--I'll have to start using it with my beginners. I had that book at one point, but since it was lent to a learning friend, and never came back. And Wendy's version is funny too--I think that would get a good laugh from the kids! Posted by: katie at January 23, 2008 12:14 PMOK. I must be a little sick, because I like the gruesome Sweeney version. It's very graphic. Posted by: Seanna Lea at January 23, 2008 12:45 PMThat is a very cute rhyme! I didn't get the whole door/window thing either. Posted by: Lara at January 23, 2008 12:50 PMThe rhyme I learned and have taught my kids is a little different than your "Jack" one: In through the front door, up around back, out through the front door, and off jumps Jack. Posted by: Erica at January 23, 2008 1:39 PMThe rhyme I learned and have taught my kids is a little different than your "Jack" one: In through the front door, up around back, out through the front door, and off jumps Jack. Posted by: Erica at January 23, 2008 1:39 PMI've been struggling with finding a way to teach my 8-year old how to knit. That little rhyme could be just the ticket! Thank you! Posted by: Kathleen at January 23, 2008 4:16 PMI have the book (bought in anticipation of teaching the grands - the way knitting books go out of print) but just glanced at it. That rhyme sounds much better than the jack one. That never made sense to me either which is probably why I could never remember it. Posted by: Donna at January 23, 2008 5:14 PMOh, funny story. When my Mum was teaching me how to knit, she'd tell me "the bunny comes out of the hole, gets some food, goes back into the hole and the hole disappears!" I thought that was the funniest thing ever, and my little six-year-old self would knit for hours just to imagine that bunny and the disappearing hole. Just recently I was trying out some complicated knit-in-the-back-of-the-stitch thing, I can't remember what, but I was getting so mixed up, so I called up my Mum. She tried several ways to explain this over the phone, which was nearly impossible, until she said, "Hmmm, try sticking the bunny through the hole upside down and feed the bunny twice before you make the hole disappear!" What was so funny is that I understood her perfectly! Posted by: Two Silver Cats at January 23, 2008 5:38 PMwell done..... You're teaching 11 children how to knit? I'd have better luck herding cats! I applaud your bravery, and hope it goes well with the new rhyme. Posted by: JennaKate at January 23, 2008 6:38 PMToo funny, Two Silver Cats! Love that you discuss knitting in terms of how much to feed the bunny! ;0) Posted by: ALISON at January 23, 2008 6:46 PMFinger knitting almost always works for those not quite sure they want to jump in (or was that out!) Posted by: linda at January 23, 2008 8:22 PMOMG, this is so funny. I was just trying to teach a woman at our SNB how to knit last week and the first thing I said was, "OK, now first STAB IT..." but then I couldn't think of any other metaphors! So I'll have to remember "stab it, choke it, rip it's guts out, and throw it off a cliff" -- that's great! p.s. Alison, your mnemonic device is is very cute too! LOL! Posted by: Vanessa at January 23, 2008 9:28 PMFunny, but I didn't hear about these "learn to knit" rhymes until very recently. My second grade teacher just showed us how to do it without the verbal aides. Whatever is effective, I suppose... Best of luck in bringing more knitters to the fold! Posted by: Karen B. at January 24, 2008 7:13 AMI teach adult knitting classes, and use that sheep rhyme for them, too. At first, it brings on a few laughs, but then, I can hear them quietly repeating it to themselves as they struggle with their first stitches. It really works for everyone! Posted by: Meilynne at January 24, 2008 6:05 PMJust wondering what method your are teaching these children. I too applaud your bravery but if anyone can do it you can. Posted by: Helen at January 24, 2008 7:22 PMvery cute poem...I hope that I can remember it when I teach my daughter to knit, in like 5 years :) Posted by: Heather at January 26, 2008 4:48 PMThanks for the better rhyme (I like commenter Wendy's rhyme too). My second graders took to the Jack rhyme, but I bet the others will be easier to remember. I have several students who can't get the hang of needles, so we are using Knifty Knitters. It is very good for those with limited physical skills. Posted by: Lady S at January 29, 2008 5:37 PM |
book that helps you remember the steps of the knit stitch. I never quite got the one about 'in the door', 'through the window' and 'off jumps jack' and all that. What's the door, why does it switch to a window and who's jack? Didn't make sense to me, so I'm not going to teach it! I love this one about the sheep though: 'Under the fence, catch the sheep, back we come, off we leap.' I may have changed a word or two from Melanie Falick's version, but I really feel like this rhyme better captures what's going on. The under the fence has been really helpful for when the girls want to insert the right needle and cross it over and on top the left needle. We imagine the left needle is the fence and they must go under it. Why? To catch the sheep, of course, who runs around the back of the needle as we wrap the yarn. We catch him when we bring the yarn between the needle tips and then, as we bring the needle back out we make sure that he doesn't get away. I love that image of catching the sheep because it really helps the kids spot that new loop of yarn that we're making. And off we leap with the sheep!