Simple Kids » crafts

Hosting an Outside Art Group

Vanessa — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:01:19 +0000

The following post is by contributor Vanessa Brown.

Hosting an art group is not as scary and messy as it might sound. Okay maybe it’s a bit messy that is why it is called an outside art group. My girls and I really enjoy having art group out in our front yard a handful of times during the spring and summer months. I feel like it gives us a chance to get to know the neighborhood kids, is a nice break from the routine hot days when kids are out of school, and the kids really enjoy themselves.

I promise it is doable, even for a parent that is not an artistic in the slightest (which would be me), the following are some simple tips to set you up for success:

Hosting an Outside Art Group

1. Chose projects that will be inexpensive, you don’t want to break the bank doing this. For example most of the paint I use is powdered tempura paint, that I buy in bulk and can be added to cheap things like; water, shaving cream, salt water, corn syrup, etc. Then I make sure the art projects can all be done with paper just from a large butcher roll. Also you can buy cheap bags of brushes from the craft store or get rocks, leaves, branches, etc to have them paint with.

2. Prepare a bit and have the set up be kid friendly so everything flows well. Have a cleaning station set up outside just a couple of yucky towels, a hose, bucket, and soap. Have pieces of papers labeled with the children’s names on them ahead of time or have a pen at each table where you have them jot down their name before beginning. Also I really have loved having these tables (pictured below) that are just the right height for them. Have everything set up before they arrive (bowls on tables, brushes out, paper already cut) because you can lose their attention very quickly. I always tell the parents to send their kids in clothes they don’t mind being stained and I do own about 8 oil based aprons that the kids love to wear. Lastly decide on where you are going to let the art projects dry and anything you might need to weigh them down with so they don’t blow away.

3. Chose projects that don’t need too much direction and allow the children to be artistic. I like doing more detailed projects with just my two girls at home but not with anymore children than that. Plus one day during art group my oldest girl looked at me and said, “Mom, I love this because you aren’t bossing me around.” Meaning there weren’t a lot of steps or instructions or reminders and they just had fun doing what they wanted.

4. Keep the time limit to about an hour. I never have tried to do it any longer than that and sometimes we are done right at 40 minutes. So I will have some sidewalk chalk out and tell them the last project is to decorate the sidewalk. Depending on the project sometimes I only have one planned and other times just two, but never more than that.

5. Dropping off the projects: plan a family walk that night to drop the art projects off to the kid’s homes, it really is a great way to get to know your neighbors. Although I am sure it would be just as great with a homeschooling group, church group or to reunite school friends during the summer.

List of My Project Ideas

Other Websites with Fantastic Ideas

The Artful Parent’s Art Projects found here
Any of the idea from MaryAnn Kohl’s books found here
The Children’s Art Group, found here

Do you host an outdoor playgroup? What about an art group? What are some of your favorite art resources for kids?

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Hosting an Outside Art Group is a post from Simple Kids

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Yarn Along

Kara — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:32:58 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

This week’s Wednesday post is going to look a little different than usual. I wanted to join in with Ginny of the lovely blog Small Things and share what I’m reading and what I’m knitting this week in the Yarn Along link up.

As my ten year old daughter Jillian has also picked up her knitting needles again recently, she wanted to share with you what she is knitting and reading as well.

Yarn along

Like Ginny, books are knitting are some of my favorite things. It makes me so happy that they are some of my childen’s favorite things as well. Yes, even knitting! My ten year old has been knitting for just about half of her life now and my five and almost four year olds have been learning how to finger knit. We like to make fiber a family affair.

What Jillian is knitting and reading

Knitting – a tie for her Daddy. This was her idea, after taking a look at a necktie in the book Knits for Nerds. She isn’t quite ready for the two color knitting the pattern calls for, but she is doing some textured knitting, alternating rows of stockinette stitch and garter stitch.

Reading – Jillian is reading comic books right now. She has discovered that she can read comics and knit at the same time, so that is how I usually find her in her free moments these days: a For Better or For Worse comic book open on her lap and knitting in her hands. I love this kid!

What I am knitting and reading

Knitting – I’ve started some fingerless mitts for myself. I don’t often knit things for myself, but I have been going through a pretty high pressured season of life and I felt like it was time to do something nice for myself and knit for me for a change.

The mitts I’m especially enjoying, as they are part of a gratitude knit along I’m participating in and there is a positive thought or thankful prayer in every stitch. My hands do a lot during the day. I thought they deserved an extra special treat. The pattern is Gothy Guantlets, though I prefer to think of them as part of my Super Mama gauntlets.

Reading – I have a large stack of books on my nightstand, now that my reading mojo seems to have returned after baby Mia’s birth last August. However, all of the books I’m currently reading have been abandoned after Spirit-Led Parenting by Megan Tietz and Laura Oyer arrived in the mail. I cannot put this book down.

Oh, how I wish I had had something like this during my first year of mothering! As it is, this mother of four is finding so much in the pages of this book that has me nodding my head in agreement as I read along. If you’re a new mom or an expecting mother in my life, you’re probably going to be seeing a copy of this book as a present from me.

If you are looking for more knitting inspiration, or to add some titles to your library list, hop over to Small Things and the Yarn Along link up. I’ll see you there!

I’d love to know what you and your kids are reading and creating? Drop me a line in the comments and share.

Don’t forget about the Simplify Your Family Life ebook sale going on this week. This is a terrific opportunity to pick up some really helpful ebooks for an amazing price! The sale ends at 8am on Friday morning.

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Yarn Along is a post from Simple Kids

Mother Bear KAL check-in (and a pattern giveaway, too!)

Kara — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:27:25 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

I‘m knitting bears for the Mother Bear Project and a little while ago I asked Simple Kids readers to join in with me in knitting and crocheting bears for this charity.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

If you aren’t familiar with Mother Bear, it is a charity that is dedicated to making a difference and bringing comfort to children impacted by AIDS/HIV in emerging nations by giving them a handmade bear. The bears are knit or crocheted and then given to the children with a tag signed by the crafter who poured his or her love into the stitches.

Even if you aren’t a knitter, there are plenty of ways you can help out with The Mother Bear Project:

Knit or crochet bears
Sponsor bears
Join the Mother Bear Project on facebook
Purchase Mother Bear gifts
Make a monetary donation
Donate needed supplies
Volunteer

I would love it if those of you who knit, or crochet, would knit along with me on a Mother Bear KAL (knit-a-long).

My Progress

I would like to make four bears, one in honor of each of my own children. I cast on for my first bear recently and have made some progress. I’m making this bear in honor of my oldest daughter.

My first bear has the front of her legs, her sweater, and her head and I’m working my way down the back. I’ve elected to do all garter stitch my first time through the pattern, though I do think I will add the suggested skirt option and I’ll give her a little scarf to match, too.

Have you been making bears? How are they coming along? If you haven’t gotten started yet, will you be casting on soon?

The Pattern

The pattern for the bears (knit or crochet) is $5 and you can purchase it online or by mail. You can also find the pattern for the bears is in the book Knitting for Peace by Betty Christiansen.

You create your bear and then send it to Mother Bear, along with $3 to cover the cost of shipping. The bears then head off to their new homes, ready to be loved and offer comfort and joy.

The Giveaway

I have purchased a pattern from Mother Bear and will be giving it away today to a Simple Kids reader to encourage you guys to join in Knitting ALong for The Mother Bear Project.

One reader will receive a copy of the Mother Bear Pattern as well as $3 to cover postage (sorry, at this time the giveaway is only open to US readers).

To Enter simply leave a comment on this post telling me why you’d like to knit a bear for The Mother Bear Project.

~~The giveaway will end at midnight EST on Friday April 6, 2012.~~ This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

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Mother Bear KAL check-in (and a pattern giveaway, too!) is a post from Simple Kids

Knitting (or Crocheting) Along: Mother Bear

Kara — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:00:37 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

Last winter I mentioned a cause close to my heart that I wanted to get involved in: The Mother Bear Project. I pledged to knit a bear in honor of each of my kids. I have my pattern, a stash of worsted weight yarn, and I’m ready to get started.

The Mother Bear Project

The Mother Bear Project is dedicated to making a difference and bringing comfort to children impacted by AIDS/HIV in emerging nations by giving them a handmade bear. The bears are knit or crocheted and then given to the children with a tag signed by the crafter who poured his or her love into the stitches.

As a knitter, and as a mother who knows how much her own children are connected to their stuffed animals, I was immediately drawn to the project. When my kids are sad or scared, they cuddle with their “lovies” and find comfort. Every child deserves to have a bear to love and cuddle – to find comfort.

The pattern for the bears (knit or crochet) is $5 and you can purchase it online or by mail. I’ve also learned that the pattern for the bears is in the book Knitting for Peace by Betty Christiansen.

You create your bear, everyone uses the same pattern, and then send it to Mother Bear along with $3 to cover the cost of shipping. The bears then head off to their new homes, ready to be loved and offer comfort and joy.

Getting Involved

There are many ways to get involved with The Mother Bear Project. You can …

Knit or crochet bears
Sponsor bears
Join the Mother Bear Project on facebook
Purchase Mother Bear gifts
Make a monetary donation
Donate needed supplies
Volunteer

I would love it if those of you who knit, or crochet, would knit along with me on a Mother Bear KAL (knit-a-long).

I plan to cast on for my first bear, which I’m knitting in honor of my oldest daughter, Jillian, later today. She is actually a knitter herself, and has asked if she can help me make bears. I will be checking in once a month or so to update you on my progress, but I would also love to hear from those of you who are making bears, too.

I think it would be wonderful if we could encourage each other and do something kind for these special children at the same time.

Will you join me in Knitting (or Crocheting) Along some bears for the Mother Bear Project? What causes do you craft for? Do you get your kids involved in the charity crafting?

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Knitting (or Crocheting) Along: Mother Bear is a post from Simple Kids

Fun and Simple Bookmark Crafts for Kids

AmyA — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:01:41 +0000

The following post is by contributor Amy Anderson of Let’s Explore.

We are bookworms around here – and proud of it! We tend to have many books in progress, and we never seem to have enough bookmarks. Not to mention all the crafts and recipes the girls like to mark for future projects. I was getting tired of grabbing receipts and junk mail to mark our spots. It was time for bookmark craft camp!

Here are three of our favorite bookmark projects. They are fun and easy to make, and the results are lovely and unique. Bookmarks make great gifts, too! One of our favorite birthday gifts for friends is a carefully chosen book accompanied by a handmade bookmark.

Okay, fellow bookworms, let’s get crafting!

1. Rainbow-Stitched Felt Bookmarks

Photo by Amy Anderson

With a few colors of embroidery floss and a strip of felt, your child can sew a colorful stitched bookmark. We used a simple up-down running stitch to make lines of color across our bookmarks. No need for perfect stitches here – the imperfections just add to the charm!

Photo by Amy Anderson

I was in charge of needle-threading and knotting, but the girls handled all the sewing. By the end of our project, they were hand-stitching with confidence!

My girls were able to complete these bookmarks in less than an hour and were quite proud of their sewing. They are planning to make (many) more, maybe with zigzags or circles next time.

2. Collage Word Bookmarks

Photo by Amy Anderson

I loved making these word collage bookmarks, maybe even more than my kids did! These are quite simple to make – all you need is some colored paper, a stack of magazines or catalogs that are headed for the recycle bin, and a glue stick.

Decide on the words for your bookmark and start cutting out letters. To set your kids up for success, cut out a few letters in advance and pull out a bunch of pages that have interesting lettering. My girls liked doing a bit of letter hunting and cutting, but they also got a little impatient looking for hard-to-find letters.

These will take a trip through the laminating machine to help them last a little longer. (Clear Contact Paper would work, too.) I’m thinking a short quote would look really cool made out of magazine letters – maybe for Mommy craft time?

3. Artwork Bookmarks

Photo by Amy Anderson

Any piece of your child’s artwork can be turned into a bookmark masterpiece. Process-style art – finger painting, bubble-wrap printing, or crayon scribbling – makes especially colorful and striking bookmarks. Here’s one of our favorite art projects, that also happens to make beautiful bookmarks:

Watercolor & Salt Painting

My girls recently collaborated on a watercolor painting. They started with wet paper, then added swirls, puddles, and dots of bright watercolors. When they were finished painting, they sprinkled salt over the entire paper. As the salt dries, it soaks up some of the watercolor, leaving interesting and unique designs. My 9-year-old calls this “a masterpiece in minutes!”

Photo by Amy Anderson

When the painting was dry, we brushed off the salt and cut our painting into bookmarks. We had plenty to keep, and a few to share, too.

I’m happy to say that we now have a stash of bookmarks in the living room, as well as more in our bedrooms. I love sitting down in the evening, opening my book, and seeing one of my girls’ mini masterpieces holding my place.

Happy crafting & reading!

We’re always looking for more family read-alouds to add to our list. What’s on the top of your read-aloud stack right now?

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Fun and Simple Bookmark Crafts for Kids is a post from Simple Kids

Simple (and Frugal) Fun: Dressing Up a Duct Tape Knight

Kara — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:01:52 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

If you are a regular reader of my other blog, Rockin’ Granola, then you have probably noticed that one of my family’s favorite crafting materials is duct tape. We love creating with this sturdy, sticky, colorful tape. I thought it would be fun to share some of our latest creations with you.

Duct Tape Knight

We were inspired by one of my daughter’s favorite reads, Igraine the Brave and a booklet from CurrClick, The Shield and Buckler booklet. Our own “Igraine” and her little brother, Sir Max the Bold, were in need of some knightly attire.

The booklet,which costs $1, taught us how to make duct tape shields using five gallon bucket lids. But, you certainly wouldn’t need the booklet to get started. Basically, you’re covering the bucket lid with duct tape and creating a handle on the back (also from duct tape) for your child to slide their arm into.

We made a shield for each of our older kids. The cost of each shield was just under $3.oo (each lid was 99 cents and the duct tape was approximately $6 – and we’ve got some leftover for future projects).

Duct tape comes in a wide variety of colors, so you can personalize this project for your kids. We chose red and chrome for this project. My oldest daughter embellished her shield with Sharpie markers.

After our success with the shields, we began to experiment and design on our own knight’s gear. Recycling some cardboard to use as a base, my husband Chris made two different styles of knight’s helmets (I’ll share how he made those in a future post) and we’ve refined our shield decorating technique, too.

The possibilities are limitless!

Our Favorite Brand

We have discovered a few things along the way with our duct tape adventures. One of those things we learned is that not all duct tape is created equal and not all brands offer a wide selection of colors and patterns.

Our favorite brand of duct tape to craft with is Duck Brand by Shurtech. We found it at our local hardware store.

What are some of your family’s favorite crafting materials?

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Simple (and Frugal) Fun: Dressing Up a Duct Tape Knight is a post from Simple Kids

No-Sew, No-Knit Homemade Gift Ideas (updated for 2011)

Kara — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:01:06 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck. It originally appeared in November 2010 and has been updated for 2011.

Last year, I wrote about homemade gift ideas and shared with you what I was working on Christmas 2010. Since I’m a knitter and I dabble at sewing, many of the gifts on that list were related to those skills.

I got a request for ideas that don’t involve knitting or sewing and I thought that would be a helpful idea for a post. So, here you go: a round- up of homemade gifts ideas that don’t involve any sewing or knitting – updated for 2011.

Handmade Gift Ideas: The No-Sew, No-Knit Version

I have been going through my bookmarks, my Pinterest boards, as well as some of my favorites from this year’s Weekend Links posts, and have pulled together a list of no-sew, no-knit gift ideas for kids. (Note: I have not personally tried all of these).

Blocks

This year our family has been doing some woodworking and my oldest two kids are helping their Dad make a set of blocks for our youngest. The blocks we are making are simple rectangles and squares that the kids are measuring and cutting (with help from Mom & Dad). Max and Jillian are sanding the blocks smooth and we will give them a light beeswax polish finish before giving them to Lucy.

2011 notes: these were a big hit and have turned out to be a terrific present idea that we can add to. This year Jillian and her dad have been busy in the woodshop and we’ve got a few more blocks, including some arches and longer pieces, to put in Lucy’s stocking this year.

Tree blocks (blocks with the tree bark intact) are also a favorite of ours and I found a tutorial for making them here at Counting Coconuts.

Other Wooden Gift Ideas:

Homemade Spinny Speller ::: Counting Coconuts
Travel Lap Desk ::: Simple Organic
Painted Peg People ::: Ancient Hearth
Fairy Ribbon Ring ::: Wee Folk Art
DIY Toy Grill ::: Ohdeedoh
A Box ‘o Princesses or Boyville tutorials and downloads ::: Lil Blue Boo
Toadstool Pencils ::: Scissors.Paper.Wok.

No Knit Yarn Doll

Here is a simple yarn doll that you can create without knitting or crocheting - Wee Folk Art has instructions for creating a girl doll and a boy doll.

Dyed Playsilks

Playsilks are one of our favorite things to play with. I shared on Rockin’ Granola the different colors we’ve achieved by dying them with flavored drink mix. The basic instructions I use come from Make Baby Stuff.

There is a very detailed Kool Aid Color Chart from Tried & True that might help you dye your own silks

Use Your Printer

I think these ABC and 123 posters from Sprik Space would be adorable printed and framed as artwork in a child’s room. (And I love her hint that an 11×14 print at Costco is less than three dollars, making this a frugal gift, too!)

Alphabet Flashcards ::: Homemade by Jill
Paper dolls (my girls love the Betsy McCall dolls)
Journal Pages from Grace is Overrated ::: I think that a selection of these, printed out and bound together, would make a very nice gift for an older child. Perhaps with a nice set of colored pencils or pens?
Coloring Pages from Your Photos in 3 Easy Steps ::: fototiller blog

When printing, I like to use a heavy weight paper or cardstock. Laminating might be a good idea, too for the flashcards or paper dolls. This is the laminator we have. If you don’t have your own laminator, check your local library. Ours will laminate items for you for a dollar a sheet.

More Ideas

Molded Crayons ::: Homemade by Jill
Cardboard Playhouse ::: Make Baby Stuff
Story Stones ::: Red Bird Crafts and another take on this idea from Beneath the Rowan Tree
DIY Pixie Hollow ::: Filth Wizardry
Repurposed Boxes: Notebook Fun ::: Family Economics

I’m sure this list is only the tip of the iceberg and I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas for homemade gifts for kids that don’t require knitting or sewing skills.

Do you have a favorite no-sew, no-knit gift idea for kids? Have you blogged about it? Please, share in the comments.

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No-Sew, No-Knit Homemade Gift Ideas (updated for 2011) is a post from Simple Kids

Thankful Turkey: A Kid’s Thanksgiving Craft

Vanessa — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:01:15 +0000

The following post is by contributor Vanessa Brown of I Never Grew Up.

A few days ago I spoke to over 100 kids about being grateful and it was harder than I thought! Their eyes quickly glazed over or the only thing that could come to their mind to be thankful of were video games and the list of holiday presents they were ready to receive.

So I had them close their eyes and I asked them more specific questions like, “What is your favorite smell out in nature?”

“Do you like a certain type of weather, how does it make you feel inside?”

“What do you like to do with your Mom or Dad that make you feel really special? Aren’t you grateful that they do that with you?”

“Where is your favorite spot in your home, who is grateful for the wonderful home they have?”

Soon the kids started enjoying thinking of things they were grateful for and I realized that they just needed a little help to get the ball rolling. With my girls I have noticed when I do a fun craft, art project or recipe while we are sitting around and working on it they really open up and can understand more fully what being thankful means.

Thankful Turkey

Supplies:

Paper (Brown and also different colors for feathers)

Scissors

Brad

Marker

Instructions:

1. Cut out your “turkey” and feathers.

2. Attach feathers to your turkey with a brad.

3. Write what you are thankful for…like Sparkles or Lipstick or Ducks, which is what my four year old is very thankful for this year.

4. Decorate your house with them!

Another great idea is to make smaller versions of these and use them as name places for Thanksgiving dinner. Then let everyone personalize their turkey with what they are thankful for and they can take it home as a souvenir.

How do you teach your children to be thankful? Do you have any crafts or activities that help teach them this?

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Thankful Turkey: A Kid’s Thanksgiving Craft is a post from Simple Kids

Thanksgiving Cookies: An Edible Craft

Rae Grant — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:01:13 +0000

The following post was written by contributor Rae Grant and originally appeared November 2010.

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, home is a busy place. Thanksgiving Day is always a good time to offer kids a craft focus and it is the perfect opportunity to make new traditions.

Over the years, we have made pinecone turkeys, turkey handprints, wreaths, and nature centerpieces for the children’s table. I’ve found it is always a good idea to have a simple, seasonal craft project in mind when you have a group of kids for a holiday. It brings them together and adds an element of tradition to the festivities. It will also give them things to remember years later.

I recall one Thanksgiving when my brother was dive-bombing his small green plastic toy soldier directly into the mashed potatoes and gravy on his plate. No adults were watching and we kids were highly amused. We should have been crafting!

This year, I’ve decided to do something a little different to keep the kids busy on Thanksgiving Day. After watching all the lovely changes in the leaves, making hand-cut sugar cookies in the shape of an autumn leaf seems like the perfect ending to a beautiful season.

Get Creative

Like free-form cutting with play dough, kids can cut artistic leaf shapes from sugar cookie dough using a metal or plastic butter knife. They may not look “perfect” like a cookie cutter type, but hey, they are “homemade”. I recommend rolling and baking the cookies the day before so that the craft on Thanksgiving Day is about cookie painting.

We’ll use the cookie and frosting recipe from my book Homemade Fun, but any favorite sugar cookie recipe and butter frosting will work too.

Give Thanks

When the cookies have cooled, have the kids try their hand at painting a Thanksgiving message on the cookie using colored frosting and paintbrushes. Imagine a plate of cookies adorned with simple words like “play, eat, love, hug, tree, sky, wind.”

After dinner, we plan to pass around the cookie plate and ask each person to read or say their word of thanks. This communal act reminds us all of the simple joys we have in our lucky lives. Eating the cookie is the other additional benefit!

Leaves, colors, sunshine, family…. Happy Thanksgiving!

What are some simple words that you and your family might be thankful for this year?

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Thanksgiving Cookies: An Edible Craft is a post from Simple Kids

Learning How to Knit: Resources for Kids and Grown Ups, too

Kara — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:01:43 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

I am a knitter. Give me a set of pointy sticks and some yarn and I’m a pretty happy person. Knitting keeps my hands busy, my mind occupied, and creates useful and lovely things. In fact, knitting is part of how I kept my sanity during the long, hot summer while dealing with pregnancy and the complication of gestational diabetes.

By far, my favorite things to knit are items for my children. There isn’t much that brings me more satisfaction as a crafter than seeing one of my children enjoying or finding comfort in something that I knit for them.

My oldest daughter has learned how to knit, enjoys the hobby, and is learning some valuable character traits like patience and pride in her work from the craft. My son, at age five, is showing some interest in learning how to knit as well and is working on his first finger knitted project. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to share this craft that I love with my kids.

I know this isn’t the type of thing I normally write about here at Simple Kids, but I’ve had a few of you ask recently about learning how to knit and/or how to teach children to knit. I’m still working on catching up on email and comments from my blogging break, but in the meantime I thought I’d answer your questions here on the blog in case anyone else was curious about knitting.

Learning How to Knit

First, I should tell you that I am not a perfect knitter. I’ve been knitting for nearly eight years and I’m continually learning new things about the craft. I rip things out and start over all the time. I make mistakes (that sometimes I fix, and sometimes I let go of and knit onward from).

So, please believe me when I say that you don’t have to be intimidated by the idea of learning how to knit. If I can do it, anyone can.

And, remember, knitting is basically learning how to tie a knot two different ways: with a knit stitch and then with a purl stitch. Once you and your child master those two stitches, the knitting world is your oyster!

Online Resources

The best way to learn how to knit is to have someone there in person to teach you. But, if you don’t have that (and I didn’t) then please don’t let that stop you, or your kids, from learning how.

In this day and age of YouTube and iTunes, a wanna-be knitter can see how to cast on, make a knit stitch, and cast off even if they don’t know any knitters in real life. I like the videos from Knitting Help.com for their simplicity and clear instruction.

As luck would have it, the creative ladies at Wee Folk Art are currently running a series on learning to knit, Newbie Knitting Lessons that looks to be pretty good. Wee Folk Art also has patterns, including this lovely knitted doll pattern that is simple and well photographed: Basic Knit Doll in 6 Sizes.

I also cannot recommend joining the website Ravelry enough. There are knitters of all levels of experience and interests on this site, which is a combination of message boards as well as a yarn and pattern index. If you want to connect with other knitters, this is the spot for you. In addition to making online connections, you can also use Ravelry as a resource for locating a knitting group. My Ravelry username is Rockin’ Granola and I’d be happy to “friend” you over there.

If you already know how to knit and are seeking guidance on specifically teaching children, here is one of my favorite ever posts on kids and knitting from the blog Small Things: Teaching Children How to Knit: Letters to Larkspur (I have to warn you that I can’t read this without getting a lump in my throat)

For many kids, and some adults, learning how to finger knit is the gateway to the world of knitting and fiber. The Learn to Knit Guide has a photo tutorial on finger knitting.

Children’s Knitting Books

When I was first learning, I checked out children’s knitting books from the library. Yes, the books were designed to teach kids how to knit, but I found that was just my speed – slow and steady with simple instructions and beginner’s patterns.

Whether you are checking out books for yourself or for your child to learn with, look for books with detailed photographs or color illustrations that clearly demonstrate the techniques.

Kids Knitting: Projects for Kids of all Ages (This is a link to one of the books I learned with. Check your local library.)

Advanced Techniques
For those of you who already know how to knit, have gotten the basics down, and are looking to expand your techniques I love Cat Bordhi’s YouTube videos.

Knitting Podcasts

During the Summer, I discovered a whole slew of knitting and crafting podcasts that I enjoy listening to. Many of these podcasters keep blogs where they have show notes, tutorials, and even patterns available. Not all of these are geared to the new knitter, or specifically toward knitting for or with kids, but I enjoy them and they are a great way to learn more about the craft.

Here are a few of my new favorites:

And here are a few of my long-time knitting podcast favorites:

I believe that you can find all of these on iTunes.

No Pressure – Keep it Fun!

Some of my favorite advice for getting started knitting comes from Kelly Petkin, of Knit Picks, who suggests that for your first project you shouldn’t aim to make anything specific, but should play around with the yarn and the stitches and get comfortable knitting and purling first.

Give yourself permission to make an odd shape of knit and purl rows, letting yourself get the hang of how it feels to create the stitches and work with the yarn and needles.

Once you’ve explored knitting, without any pressure to make a finished object, then you move on to a simple scarf or wash cloth or beginner’s project of your choice.

We’ve had some cooler days this week, after a long Summer. While I will miss the sunny skies, I do look forward “sweater weather” and picking up my knitting needles to create for my family.

Are you a knitter? How did you learn the craft? What resources would you recommend to someone wanting to learn? What are some of your favorite patterns for children’s items? Are you a new knitter? A wanna be? If you’ve got questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them or send you in the right direction. Best wishes!

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Learning How to Knit: Resources for Kids and Grown Ups, too is a post from Simple Kids