Old Dog, New Trick

I decided to start a "Friday Afternoon Knitting Club" at school. I was inspired by two things:

1. The book that I last read called "Friday Night Knitting Club."

2. A book I read by Peg Kehret called "The Ghost's Grave." In that book, an old aunt teaches her 12 year old step-nephew how to knit. And he enjoyed it. It made me think that I could teach kids to knit, even my boys.

So I presented the idea to my class, and it was met with much enthusiasm. Even from a couple of boys, which I found to be exciting. I gave them a supply list (size 15 knitting needles and a skein of yarn.). I even did a little drawing where one winner got my pair of size 15 needles, and the other got a skein of yarn I had brought to demonstrate what materials they had to buy. The kids were excited.

Last Friday was our first official meeting at lunch recess. Only 4 girls ended up coming, but that's ok. Jose has been talking about coming, but for the first meeting to get supplies he was on suspension for fighting at recess. For last Friday's meeting, he was on suspension for calling 911 from the classroom phone. He will have to decide whether he's going to be a troublemaker or a knitter. I hope the latter.

Another person who joined us was Amanda's grandma. Amanda's grandma is a knitter. I was happy to have her. My first goal for the knitting club was to teach the kids how to cast on stitches onto the needle. With only four kids and two knitting adults, the ratio was pretty good. Amanda's grandma took two kids and got to work. I first ran to the bathroom, then came back and took the other two girls.

Soon I can tell the two girls with Amanda's grandma are getting it. There's laughter going on with that group. My two girls are all thumbs and just aren't getting it. There's no laughter; just frustration. Pretty soon I am getting mixed up on how I cast on. So I take a minute to cast on some stitches. I can't do it. I try and try and try, and I can't get any stitches on the needle. What is wrong? I've been knitting since high school. I've made things. Sweaters. Slippers. Scarves. Baby hats. Now I am all thumbs.

I say to the group, "I don't remember how to cast on stitches!" Amanda's grandma laughs, saying that had just happened to her as she tried to teach it. But her two kids now can cast on, so I told each one of them to teach each one of my two. Then recess was over.

I brought in the rest of my class. As I read aloud from "Small Steps," the two girls were teaching others how to cast on-even kids who didn't show up to our meeting. When I finished reading aloud, I tried some more to cast on stitches. I couldn't even do it anymore.

So, I called one of the girls over to teach me how to cast on. Amanda's grandma did it totally different than me, but now since I couldn't remember how to do, I needed to learn. Plus, I like how Amanda's grandma did it: you held the needle in your left hand, looping it back and fourth through the yarn that you held in your right hand. My student patiently showed me again and again until I got it! And once I got it, I totally loved doing it the "Amanda's Grandma's Method" of casting on stitches.

How funny that at my first knitting group, where my goal was to teach the students something, I was the one who was taught. I guess you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.