Teaching my

[LittleJadeFrog]

I posted this in another thread but got no response, so I decided to start my own.

 

"I have a 6-yr-old that begs me almost every night to teach her. I have tried to teach her to make a simple sc potholder. I don't know if I am doing something wrong (bad teacher) or she just isn't picking it up. I actually think she might be left handed and I am not. My mom taught me as an adult and I want to teach her very badly. I let her pick out what she wanted to do but in the end she still can't pick up the concept. Anybody have ideas?"

 

I was told the bigger the needle the better. After reading some of the post here I see that is not the case. I also see that there are such a thing as crochet needles for kids but my daughter drops things and moves on so much that I do not want to spend the money on needles for her and she not even like it. Now if she finally picks it up I may get them for her as a "congratulation" gift.

 

I think she is ambidextrious. There are times that I see her write or other things with her left. But mostly with her right (as she was taught by her right-handed mother .) My mom is left-handed and taught me, but I'm not sure she has the time like I do.

 

I am going to check out the site recommended - "crochet Guild."

 

Any other advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh yeah! What is finger crochet??? And could I start that way?

[Bizzyboppers]

Not saying that you can't start someone at the age of 6, but I usually wait until my students are about 8-ish before I start them. Their eye-hand coordination is much better.

 

Don't lose heart. My DD wanted to learn at 6 and I made her wait till she was 8. We sat down on her birthday and she was taught. Then she set it down and didn't pick it up until she was 10 or 11. Even at that, she doesn't enjoy it much. With practice she would be very good. She has a natural ability for tension, but just doesn't enjoy doing it.

 

It just may be too early for your daughter...?

[harmonise]

I was able to teach my 5 year old daughter how to make a chain, it was about 5 feet long or more when she stopped!! but she couldn't get the sc row. so i started her on the knifty knitter, i did the winding, she did the yo with the hook. i got her a small circular kid's knitting machine for christmas last year to satisfy her fiber needs. she's made several socks, scarves and leg warmers...i'd like to get her back to a hook some time this summer, a year later, to see what she can do.

[RoseRed]

I would suggest a G or H Boye hook to get her started. Teach her to chain and let her make bracelets and necklaces and Xmas tree garland. Anything that her heart desires.

 

I'm working on teaching Amber to sc. The hardest part is trying to teach her the 1st row. Until she gets more confidence in what she's doing I'll get it started for her (chain row and 1st row going back into the chain) do a couple st's and let her roll with it.

 

I think that once she gets the sc down learning to go back across the foundation chain will be easier.

[LittleJadeFrog]

Thank you all for your ideas. I might start with the chain and let her make some bracelets and necklaces. I think I will get her some large beads 'n things she can string on the chain. I learned at a young age. Had a hard time with the first row (like most.) NO PROB WITH THE CHAIN THOUGH!! I could do that for hours. I made a pillow and that was it. Picked up the craft again after she was born.

 

She was in the car last night (after 7hrs at SeaWorld) wining that I promised to teach her. Rock and a hard place. She wants to learn so bad. She doesn't get as frustrated as I do. I think its her way to be with Mommy. Which is great. She might not be mature enough to learn, but I may just keep trying to spend the time one-on-one with her and maybe one day she will get it. If not then we have that time.

[LittleJadeFrog]

:wooShe made her first chain last night!! I held the working yarn while she did the rest. I think after some more practice with the chain I will show her how to hold the yarn and how the tension works. A little at a time!

 

WOW! I can't believe how good this feels...PRIDE???? Maybe a little. We used gold yarn and an H needle. After she was done I put a jingle bell on it and tied on her wrist. She couldn't wait to make one for her ankle, though it was 10 pm! I whipped up a necklace with soft yarn and some wooden beads to show her what she could learn if she practices. I'm sure neither one of those are coming home today. She might give them to her friends at day camp. Good for her! I have scrap yarn coming out the ... Now I have a use for it!

 

Thanks for all of your help.

[Redheart]

Congratulations! I envy you. My teenager won't go near yarn or anything crafty that I do. I still think the Knifty Knitter is a good idea.

[LittleJadeFrog]

Congratulations! I envy you. My teenager won't go near yarn or anything crafty that I do. I still think the Knifty Knitter is a good idea.

I'm going to try that. I am going to take her next week to Michael's or even Walmart and let her pick out her very own yarn and see if maybe she would like to try the knifty knitter or something like that.

 

My ex said that he would take her to a class at Michael's. They are having the summer vacation classes. I wonder if she will like that.