Too Young?

[handbells]

My oldest DD is almost 6 and would like to learn how to knit and crochet. Do you think she is too young or should I go ahead and teach her the basics? Her birthday is coming up soon and I thought I might get her a hook, some yarn, and a simple book. What do you think?

 

Jenn

[theworm]

I'm pretty sure that I learned very basic crochet and knitting around her age. I never made anything and then my interest died out for 30 years, but if she wants to try, I'd let her.

 

My friend and her sons are visiting. The youngest is 9 and wanted me to teach him. He's struggling but he managed to make a little chain.

[aussiecrocheter]

I taught my daughter to knit before she started school, she was just 5 I think. You will soon know if she is interested or not. When my daughter was 18, she taught herself to crochet, wasn't really interested before then, but I am glad she is now. I am currently helping to teach a whole grade of 5 and 6 year olds to knit, some love it and take to it easy, and some.....grrrr, make you tear your hair out, but we are persisting!

[rsisland]

I've been trying to teach my niece on and off for two years now (she is now 10). She isn't catching on yet. I thought that maybe this time around I will teach her how to use a loom instead. She can handle weaving very well. Her hands just don't do what we need them to do to be able to crochet.

[Tampa Doll]

If she is interested, I say why not. She may just like making chains for a while, or she may just put it up and not pick it up again.

I learned to knit at a young age, and only taught myself to crochet about 8 years ago.

Let her have fun and be like Mommy.

[knit-errant]

I think if she's interested, go for it!

 

With my Brownie troop (8-9 year olds), I found out that 4 of the girls could do basic crochet, and 1 was learning to knit.

 

I tried to teach my daughter to crochet and she just couldn't get it, but she picked up knitting with no problem. (Go figure.) Anyway, she came back from day camp yesterday and had learned to finger crochet; that was much easier for her than using a hook.

[mecread]

My dd is 8 yrs and she is just now learing to chain. UGH I had to have mom show her, We have so diffrent persptive on it. Me and my MOM. So I will see how it goes. And if mom gets her to crochet woopeeee.... she is already a yarn junkie.

[snugsmontreal]

i learned to knit crochet and quilt at around this age, knit first at about 5 then crochet at 6 and quilt at 7. i clearly am more advanced in the crochet but i am pretty decent in the other two still. id say go for it, if she likes to do it she will let you know pretty fast. i am teaching 2 of my neices right now (7 & 10) and they are both doing pretty decent, already know how to do sc and back loops only sc. im so proud

[handbells]

 

Let her have fun and be like Mommy.

 

I think this is the main reason she wants to learn! lol! Guess I'll go pick up that birthday gift this weekend

 

Jenn

[Yarn Duck]

If she wants to learn, I think it would be great for you to teach her. I learned how to chain at about that age.

[mythunderbird]

to young, no way, perfect age mom, i teach young children all the time, the key to being able to do it is to not get frustrated, sometimes you might actually need to take your hand and place over her hand and go through the motions. children of this age are perfect learners. last summer i had a young girl in my kids camp at joanns(where i teach crochet) and she struggled a bit, well i told her mom, if she wanted to come in `15 min early i would also and teach her one on one. well this child a few months later saw me at the mall and she came up and said miss vicki(which is what i had the kids call me) i am so happy you taught me to crochet, she then told me how she is working on a blanket to donate to someone who is cold(her words lol) and i told her wonderful. she said she is going to take my class again this year and learn some more :D if she is ready , go for it mom, :hug

[countingsts]

I SAY GO 4 IT. IF SHE IS INTERESTED, D:noN'T DENY HER. THIS WILL BE A MEMORY SHE WILL ALWAYS CHERISH, SHE AND HER MOTHER SHARING A MUTUAL INTREST. YOU CAN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS :manyheart

[nucki]

I learned when I was 7 - only a year older than your daughter. Go for it! You never know... she might have inherited an aptitude for crochet from her Mom. I know I did. It didn't take me long to graduate from a chain to a sc. I was making little sc squares in a very short time.

 

And I highly doubt I was a crochet prodigy! If I was, I'd be a designer by now!

[jessc031778]

My DD is 5.5 yrs old...I recently taught her how to chain and she LOVES it!! The first time she sat down with it, she just sat and chained for 4 HOURS...I'd never seen her sit still for 5 minutes, but she was so happy...she kept saying things like "I'm crochetting just like a grown up Mommy, just like YOU!" and "Look how long it is NOW!!"...she even mastered the art of chaining and watching TV at the same time that same day LOL...my MIL saw her chaining last weekend and said that she's already doing better than her older cousin (who is 12 now).

 

One thing I figured out...it's easier to get them to do what you're showing them by sitting them in your lap and having them hold the yarn & hook, putting your hands over theirs and doing a few stitches..that way they're doing it too and they can feel what it's supposed to feel like...

 

I'd say if she's wanting to learn, go for it!! There's even a line of crochet hooks & knitting needles made for kids..the package says 8 and up, but my DD had no problem with them...

 

Good luck and let us know how it works out!!!

 

Jessie

[richsgirl]

She could learn depending on how much patience she has to practice until she can get the stitches correct. For now let her chain and see how much fun it can be. That will build her desire to learn other stitches. She is not oo young if she truly wants to do it!

[Aggie May]

I learned at age 7, to crochet and I notice that it is a very common age when you ask people when they started crocheting.

Maybe that is a good age to learn and retain what you learn but it will do no harm to start sooner.

The only problem I see is that, any younger, they may get frustrated if they cannot get the hang of it so you will need to decide that for yourself.

Start with short bursts, on a medium hook, and medium weight yarn and just Chain, Chain, Chain and more Chain until she can get it regular and neat. Every stitch is made up of variations on a Chain stitch so it is very important to learn to do this well before you go any further.

Good luck.

Have fun.

Colleen.

[handbells]

Thanks again everyone! Her birthday is the middle of June (15th) so I'll let you know how well the gift was recieved and how she does!

 

Jenn

[coolhockeymom]

She's not too young. My daughter loves it even though she was taught at 10 I wish she had wanted to learn sooner...besides what a great way for her to make her own presents for family members.

[paah-paah]

if you google soysilk.com; then click "top fifty crochet sites"; then scroll to Crochet & Knit E-Patterns you will find an article about Lisa Gentry. she is the "Worlds fastest crocheter" (something like 161 stitches per minute). she learned in Germany when she was in the first grade. I assume that they start their children in school at about age six. if she truly wishes to learn it should be relatively easy to show her the basics and turn her loose to trial and error. answer her questions when they arise. practice abundant patientence, and allow her to learn at her own pace. I was shown at age

12, and when my first projects were not "perfect" refused to touch a "hook" again until age 22. (so many wasted years because I'm bull-headed!). show her and let her decide. a tree won't grow until the seed is planted.

 

by-the-by: most (if not all) of my projects are still not "perfect" but the people who have laid claim to them don't seem to care and the mistakes are only allowed to remain so long as they don't distract from the consistency of the pattern.

[Crocus58]

My family says I learned to knit before I could walk - not sure if this is true or not but I cannot remember a time in my youth when I did not knit. I taught myself to crochet about 5 years ago. I'd say give it a go - she may have an easier time with the larger needles and hooks - let her start with casting on and making chains. If she looses interest for a while, that's ok, she may regain and loose interest several times over the years.

[Scorpio59]

My daughter is 9 and naturally it is my dream that she will learn to do and love some of the same needlearts that I do. My grandmother was always either knitting or crocheting something. I learned my love of these crafts from her. My mother could knit beautifully. She learned this as a child in grade school in Germany.

 

Going back to our daughters.... I started my daughter out at around age 7 with some of the following: potholder loom, moved on to a plastic canvas square needlepoint stitch in varigated cotton, (I think it's a coaster). At age 8 she started using a French Knitter, Knifty Knitter hoops and a lap loom. I didn't care what she was doing just as long as she was doing something ! Her projects will sit in bags as untouched WIP's unless I pull them out and get her moving on them again and I am usually the one who finishes them off.

But she remains interested.

 

This summer (age 9) I actually have her knitting with really big wooden needles and chunky yarn. There are 15 cast on stitches and she's doing OK.

 

We'll stick with knitting and move onto crochet some time in the future.

I want her to master the basic skills of knitting first.

 

I say- try whatever you're comfortable with , just to get her involved.

The rest will follow.

 

FWIW !!

[lhasaapsolady]

No absolutely not. My 6 year old grandson has mastered the chain, he's making everyone shoestrings (lol), Have a great time teaching her.

[craftybutterfly]

Absolutely! If they're showing an interest to learn, by all means teach them! I wanted to learn at 5 or 6. But it wasn't until i was 11 that I actually found someone to teach me. To me, it's kinda like gymnastics or piano. The sooner they start, the better.

[lunchbox]

My oldest is 4 and we work on a chain every once in a while. I would LOVE it if she expressed an interest in crochet. If she turns up a knitter, well she is out of the will.

 

I was an adult when I learned. So sad to think of all those uncrocheted years! lol

[acrhrttcwgrl]

Did your DD learn to chain?