Survey Results: How did you learn to knit?
In a recent Fifty Four Ten Studio newsletter, I offered an opportunity to participate in a short survey about how knitters learned to knit. I am thrilled that more than 300 knitters took a few minutes to participate in the survey!
This blog post includes a review of the survey results… including more than 100 heartwarming, personal stories that knitters shared about learning to knit.
Question #1: How old were you when you first learned how to knit?
Nearly half (47%) of the knitters who participated said they were 11 years old or younger when they first learned to knit. The chart below shows the percentage of responses for each age group.
Question #2: Who taught you how to knit?
Approximately 30% of those responding said they first learned to knit from their mother. About 22% of knitters said they were self-taught using books and/or videos. The chart below shows the percentage of responses in each category. Responses for “Other” included neighbors and youth group leaders.
Question #3: If you like... share your story of learning to knit.
More than 180 knitters shared their memories of learning to knit. It was a joy to read ALL of the responses submitted!
It was very challenging to pick which stories to share here. Below are more than 100 personal memories knitters shared about learning to knit.
The stories are sorted by themes including: memories of being taught by a mother or grandmother; being introduced to knitting at a young age and finding a love for the craft later in life; knitting inspiration around the world; learning from YouTube videos; taking up knitting during a challenging time; learning to knit during the pandemic; and many more! I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I did!
Some of the responses below were edited for length and/or clarity.
INTRODUCED TO KNITTING AS A CHILD AND REDISCOVERED LATER IN LIFE
Many knitters told stories of being introduced to knitting as a young child but not sticking with it. Then, later in life they rediscovered the joy of knitting.
"I knit in high school but then it fell to the side for a few decades. When I started again, the long tail cast on gave me trouble; I couldn’t get the hang of it! I was a children’s librarian at the time, so I checked out a children's book on knitting. As I worked through the illustrated steps, I suddenly saw my mother’s hands casting on — down to her wedding ring! I’ve been knitting up a storm ever since."
"My mother tried to teach me knitting when I was around 9-10 years old and I knit some blankets for my toy horses, but didn't pick up the needles again until I was 22 years old. I've been knitting nearly every day for the last seven years."
"I thought my grandmother's instruction (1950s) didn't take... but years later (2019) I picked it up again and went to several online instruction sites as reinforcements. I'm growing in proficiency!"
"My mother was knitting me a sweater when I was 7 years old. I wanted to learn so she taught me to knit a dish rag on large wooden needles. I recently took up knitting again after breaking an ankle. I’m 73."
"My mother, who had a Scottish mom, was taught to knit with the needle held under her arm against her body. “Pit knitting”. She taught me in the regular fashion when I was 9. After sincere and earnest trying, I gave up. My mom died in 1999 and I had the urge to re-learn it. Luckily there are a lot of resources online. I still remembered the basics and I’ve been knitting ever since. It was because of her and the happy memories of watching her knit that I knit now."
"The first time I learned to knit my sister and friends would look at me and say, “What’s wrong with your face; this is supposed to be relaxing.” My stitches were so tight I couldn’t get them off of the needles and I always felt like I wanted to throw everything across the room. I realized knitting wasn’t for me… at that time. Years later, my daughter wanted to learn to knit so I thought I’d try again. I was so happy that I did!! I’d “calmed” down in the intervening years and I love knitting so much. My daughter is a beautiful knitter. I love sharing this hobby with her."
"I learned to knit and crochet at a really young age. I didn’t stick with it though because it seemed my projects didn’t get longer (scarves)!! I came back to knitting in my 40s and it truly was like riding a bike, picked it right back up. Now I put a marker to show where I started so I’m sure the project gets longer!!"
"My Latvian-born mother taught me the longtail cast-on and how to knit and purl 'German-style' (continental) when I was 5 or 6 years old. I don't remember actually making anything at the time, but when I picked up knitting needles again at the age of 20 for my first-born my fingers had no problem remembering how to cast on and knit. My mother passed away when I was 13 but she had kept me and my siblings in mittens through all those Canadian winters. All works of art that we took for granted and lost on a regular basis."
"My mom taught me the basics of knitting, kind of. But my aunt was an amazing knitter! I still have a sweater that she knit for me 40+ years ago, complete with cables and fancy knots. I was told that she knitted garments to help raise money for the family back in China in the 1940s and 50s. As an adult, I had forgotten most of what my mom and aunt had showed me about knitting. I will honestly say that I learned 90% of what I know about knitting now from watching YouTube."
Shop my collection of blanket and scarf knitting patterns here on my website or on Ravelry.
BY SPECIAL REQUEST
I particularly love these stories of people who were inspired to learn to knit based on a special request.
"I had crocheted since I was a very small girl, but did not knit. A grandson was with me while I was shopping in a marvelous yarn shop ~ Wool and Company in South Elgin, IL. He saw samples of knitted hats in scrumptious wool yarn, and asked me if I would knit some for him. Oh my, he was crestfallen when I told him I didn't knit. Unbeknownst to me, he bought the yarn, needles, and a book called "You're Never Too Old to Learn How to Knit", before we left the shop. Long story short ~ I learned to knit, he got his hats!"
"My grandson wanted a Monsters Inc. hat and asked if I could make him one. I went online and found many wonderful people giving tutorials. I watched and watched and practiced until I could do it.”
"Our first child was born a couple of months after my husband’s grandmother had passed. She was a huge knitter and has always made each family member a Christmas stocking. I already knew how to crochet, but not knit. He asked me to learn how to knit so I could make a stocking for our daughter. Little did he know one stocking would turn into 24 years of projects!"
REMEMBERING THE DETAILS OF FIRST LEARNING TO KNIT
These stories recall the specific details of a first project… including the color of the yarn and holding the knitting needles for the first time.
"In the early 1960’s, I was spending the week with grandma in Chicago. Bored to tears, I walked to Halsted Street to the five and dime (store). Bought some plastic knitting needles two for a dollar and a Red Heart “how to knit” book for 35 cents and a 50 cent ball of yarn. Learned to knit in two days… knitted a square."
"My first project was an orange blanket using garter stitch. I made it for my troll dolls when I was about ten years old. I had difficulty with my tension and often could barely move the stitches on my needles. My grandmother always came to my rescue, helping me to pick up dropped stitches and showing me how to loosen my grip. "
"I received a Barbie Doll Knitting Kit for Christmas and I figured it out with the help of my aunt."
"At the age of nine, there was a blizzard brewing in Boston. Being the youngest of seven children I was home from school because of inclement weather. To keep me busy my mother taught me to knit… casting on 10 stitches that soon grew to 25 stitches on the needle. I knit the garter stitch until I ran out of yarn."
"I learned to knit when I was 6 years old. My aunt was making a twin set (skirt, shell top, and jacket). In metallic yarn on size 6 needles. I worked on some thin needles and fairly fine yarn and started with 20 stitches (cast on by my mom). I worked slowly and methodically, but I keep ending up with so many stitches they would fall of the needle. I could never figure out where they came from!"
"My first skein of yarn was pink acrylic. I knit every strand, which resulted in adding stitches and holes from dropped stitches. A friend told me she didn’t have yarn and would sit on the floor unraveling and knitting her mother’s chenille bedspread."
"I learned to knit with my church youth group, but when I finished with that I still kept on knitting “squares”. My goal was to make myself a blanket. My mom would buy me Red Heart yarn from our local store and I didn’t care what color! When I had enough squares to make a twin size afghan my Mom crocheted it all together for me."
AN ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILL
These two stories describe what was also referenced by many others… knitting was often considered an essential life skill for young girls to learn.
"I was taught to knit, crochet, sew, cross stitch, needlepoint, embroider and rug hook/braid by a gathering of female relatives— both my grandmothers, my great-grandma, my mom and my great aunts. These were seen (in the early 1970’s) as essential life skills, so the exposure began when I was three years old. A decade later, I desperately wanted an Issey Miyake knitted vest when I was in high school in the 1980’s. It was insanely expensive and I showed it to Mom on Elsa Klench’s CNN show ‘Style’. My mom sensibly refused to purchase or make one for me, however she rashly said she’d buy me the yarn— which she did after a brief sticker shock in the local yarn shop. So with a copy of Vogue Knitting Magazine and my Mom’s straight aluminum needles, I relearnt knitting to make that cropped, hairy heather brown vest and have never stopped since."
"I was born and raised in Mexico City. I was 17 years old, one more semester of high school and next step was college. During our break from school, my father could tell I was up to no good wanting to be with friends. He told me that all my book learning was not going to give me a skill to be a good mother or wife. My dad decided that I needed to learn something of "worth". He told me I was going to learn how to knit. I thought I was going to die, I was not happy at all. But my father had his way and literally pushed me into a yarn shop that was located about half a block away from where we lived. He told the owner of the shop to make sure I learned to knit and walked away! The owner of the shop had an employee who taught knitting, her name was Angelita… and an angel she was. She taught me how to knit and soon enough I began to love the feel of yarn in my hands. So, when I started attending the university, I had some very nice pullovers and cardigans that no one else had."
A MEMORABLE KNITTING BOOK
These stories mentioned a specific book that played a role in learning to knit.
"I learned to knit in an effort to quit smoking. I was living in NYC, I was in between boyfriends and going out to bars had lost some of its appeal. I bought a copy of the Vogue Knitting book, turned on TCM and off I went. My very first project was a sweater I designed myself using the instructions from the book. I had no idea what I was doing was "hard," so I was fearless. I don't have the sweater anymore (this was over 20 years ago), and I'm not sure I'm as fearless as I was back then, but I love knitting as much as ever."
"At the private school I went to, we had a book fair once a year. We were allowed to choose one book. I chose ‘The Make-It Book’. I spent many a fine hour choosing and making from the assortment of projects available in my book."
"I had a Ladybird book on how to knit. It was brilliant."
"While I was in college I decided to go to a local yarn shop to purchase yarn and a book on “Learn to Knit”. I purchased enough yarn to make a sweater and it turned out ok for a first project and I was hooked.”
See all of my popular blanket and scarf knitting patterns here on my website or on Ravelry.
PANDEMIC INSPIRED KNITTING
Knitting was a popular hobby during the stay-at-home time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many were inspired to try knitting for the first time.
"I picked up knitting during the pandemic. When there wasn’t much to do, it was a great way to relax at the end of the day and do something with my hands."
"I remember my first project being a very uneven scarf! I clearly put my needles down and eventually picked them up again during the pandemic. Being a nurse I needed to find something to clear my mind so knitting has become my favorite past time.”
"I think I was a knitter and crocheter in a previous life! I have no recollection of being "taught" but it comes fairly easily to me. I really got hooked ('scuse the pun) during lockdown and now I'm really loving it."
"Near the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was home alone while my city was virtually shut down. Other than my job I was doing from home, I needed something creative to fill my time and stimulate my brain. I had become fascinated with a few celebrities who had taken up knitting (Tom Daley, among others) so I ordered some yarn and needles and taught myself to knit a scarf from YouTube videos!"
"My mom helped me start a ribbed sleeveless pullover for a home economics project in grade 8. I would stitch a few rows, make numerous mistakes and my mom would fix it and we would repeat the whole process night after night. I did get through most of the front, but never completed it and swore off knitting for almost 50 years. Then a woman at a yarn store (I was learning to crochet) asked if I knit. I told her my story and she said, just because you didn’t enjoy it when you were young doesn’t mean you wouldn’t enjoy it now. I reflected on that perspective for a while. During the long restrictions that COVID imposed, I took the plunge into knitting. I learned most things through YouTube and joined a couple knit-alongs. Now I look forward to coming home to knit a couple more rows of whatever project I’m working on. It absorbs my mind and I love learning and improving my skills."
"Four girlfriends took a knitting class during the pandemic. Two of us are knitting still today!"
MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME TO KNIT
Many stories started with “my mother taught me how to knit”. That is how my knitting story began.
"My mother taught me to knit using long aluminum knitting needles but she wouldn’t let me practice without her supervision. So, I improvised using two sharpened pencils and a small amount of yellow yarn leftover from one of her projects."
"I had a standing Saturday night babysitting gig for a neighbor and the television was two floors above the kids bedrooms. I did not like being so far from the kids in case they woke up, so my mom taught me to knit to while away the hours sitting on the stairs outside their rooms. She taught me to cast on, but not to cast off. So I would knit a long scarf, and then unravel it, and then do it again. I never finished anything until years later when I took it up in earnest as an adult."
"I was at home sick from school when my mother taught me to knit. I was 8 yrs old. That was 60 years ago. I'm thankful for that lesson, which sparked my creativity with many other crafts."
"I was 7 years old and sat next to my mother. I was the youngest of five children. I loved having that time with her, it was our time."
"Mom taught me and my sister to knit but wouldn’t give us knitting needles as she thought they were too dangerous. We both found #2 pencils and resumed knitting!"
“I was 9 years old and my mother taught me how to knit clothes and blankets for my baby dolls! She was a great fan of ripping back. My least favorite sentence of hers was: ”Rip it out. It’s not worth doing if you don’t do it right!” Still hear those words in my head and I have to fix it if it has a mistake."
"My mother taught me to knit. She learned from her mother who was left handed, so mom and I both learned to knit left-handed though we were both right handed."
"My mother taught me to knit when I was 8 years old. My first project were slippers with garter and rib stitch. I was so proud. But after wearing and then washing, they shrank to half their size!"
"I used to watch my mother knit endlessly!! Baby sets for newborns, school jumpers and cardigans, all our jumpers, cardigans and vests, jumpers for my Dad. Mum was never not knitting! It was a challenge for Mum to teach me to knit because I’m left handed, but I now knit right-handed, the way my mother did."
"My mom taught all seven of her children, including her boys, to knit. She started us making squares that she crocheted together into afghans for those in need."
"I remember knitting a garter stitch scarf, full of slipped stitches when I was about 6. My mom taught me how to knit to keep me busy at the beauty salon while she got her hair cut.”
"I knew how to crochet but saw a shawl that was knitted I wanted to make in the yarn shop. So I bought everything I needed and the shop added a “how to knit” book. It was Thanksgiving Day, sitting on the floor with family chaos and football while waiting on the turkey, I started casting on without success. My mom asked me what I was trying to make. After looking at the instructions, she joined me on the floor and taught me how to cast on and knit. She did insist I use some yarn I bought to crochet until I was happy with my swatches. “You don’t use yarn that expensive to learn on.” That was over 50 years ago.”
SPECIAL MEMORIES OF LEARNING FROM GRANDMOTHERS
It’s obvious that these memories of learning from a grandmother are cherished.
“I was a sickly child the summer I turned 6 and my mom had four children under 8 so my grandmother came to help out. While I was bedridden, I was given a pair of size 7 single pointed knitting needles and some tan wool yarn from my Grammie and she taught me to knit. I knit a 6” wide garter stitch length of fabric using up the entire ball of yarn."
"My grandma taught me to knit at age 6. Long wooden needles and acrylic yarn doubled. I knit a cape and a bonnet for the sock monkey I slept with. I remember grandma wouldn't help me finish the project until it was perfect."
"My cousin and I would go to our grandma's after school on Wednesdays for knitting lessons. I did learn to knit but I remember there was a LOT of laughing! Grandma had a lot of patience with us!"
"I am 70 years old today and have been thankful all these years that my Mammaw took the time to teach me to knit when I was 17. I knit every single day.”
"My grandma taught me to knit during the holidays of my first year at University. It was fun at the time (& a lovely to way to spend time together) but I didn’t realize then what a gift she was giving me. My grandma isn’t with us anymore, but knitting makes me feel close to her still, every time I pick up my needles."
"My grandma came to live with us and as the oldest I was assigned the job of sitting with grandma every day after school. I was 12 years old and not too thrilled with that assignment. But during our afternoon visits, my grandma put a set of knitting needles in my hands and told me she was going to teach me some magic."
"I'm left handed and my grandmother isn't. She never addressed my being left handed. She just put needles and yarn in my hand and said here is what you do."
"I learned to knit from my grandmother and a neighbor lady who owned a knitting shop. I was 10. The neighbor hired me to help unbox yarns etc. and a love for fiber was born."
"My Nana was an amazing knitter. Not a fancy knitter… she knit mittens for the fisherman. But they all wanted her mittens. When I would go to visit she taught me how to knit the cuff using four needles when I was about 5 years old. I remember sitting up on a stool while she cooked and she would watch over me and help if I dropped a stitch. She was so patient."
"My grandmother taught me to knit when I was about 7 or 8 years old. We lived upstairs in her house so it was easy for us to get together. My first project was a little square wooly mat for under a hot dish on the table or for use as a potholder."
"My nana was a professional seamstress who taught me how to crochet when I was about 6, and then how to knit when I was a couple years older. She lived with my family, and I would watch her with the crochet hook or knitting needles in her hands, she was like a machine. I swear she could knit with her eyes closed! She was a perfectionist, and always taught me to rip out the mistakes in my work, whether it was in crochet or knit, or in sewing. She said I would never be happy with the finished project if I left my mistakes, even if I was the only one who would notice them."
FAMILY TEACHING FAMILY
It’s not just mothers and grandmothers who teach other family members to knit.
"My daughter is a knitter and she taught me so we could knit together."
"My father taught my mother how to knit, she in turn taught me at the age of nine."
"When I was 7 years old, I received a little knitting kit. My paternal aunt said she knew how to knit. We went to a horse race where I brought the knitting kit. My aunt taught me to knit, purl and bind off in between races."
"I am left handed. My aunt was left-handed so she was the perfect one to teach me when I was 11 years old.”
"When I was 10 years old in 1941, my aunt left her husband (a bold move in those days) and came to New Jersey to be near her sister, my mother, and begin a new life. I spent a lot of time with her in her rented attic apartment. I remember sitting with her listening to the radio reporting the state of Dixie Lee Crosby and watching her knit. She was making a many-colored afghan in a garter stitch pattern. I loved listening to her needles clicking and her explaining to me who Bing and Dixie Lee Crosby were. Then she taught me how to knit."
"I remember when my aunt came to visit and promised to show me how to knit. I was so excited to learn! I think my first project was a garter stitch headband."
"I was 4 years old and my daddy taught me how to knit."
"My mother was an ardent knitter making jumpers for us five kids. However my father had been in the Royal Navy and he too had been taught to knit whilst in service. Both my elder sister and I picked up knitting quite easily, but I can remember Mum almost tearing her hair out trying to teach our younger sister to knit. Now, I’m in the process of teaching my eight year old granddaughter to knit."
"I learned from my great aunt. She was confined to a wheelchair in a second floor bedroom and loved it when any of us came to visit. She taught my cousins, my sister and me to knit when we were quite young."
"My great aunt taught me to knit, crochet and embroider when I was 6! She had no idea how she changed my life. Almost 60 years later and I still love to knit every day!"
"My mother and sister knit, but they didn't have the patience to teach me. My daughter taught herself about six years ago. She was home to see my husband, who had just been diagnosed with cancer, and I knew I wanted to learn so I'd have something to do with all the upcoming doctor visits."
FRIENDS TEACHING FRIENDS TO KNIT
A friend can share the love of knitting at any age!
"My best friend taught me to knit. I’d go over to her house every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to learn. Took me quite a while to learn and any time I’d make a mistake she would make me fix it. So glad she did because it built confidence and skill. We still knit together even though we are in different states now."
“At work I would eat lunch with Harriet and she would be knitting and chatting. One day she showed me how to knit."
"My grandmother was a knitter and crocheted. She taught me how to knit when I was about 8 years old. She wasn’t the most patient soul but I loved knitting. I had the basics down and when I went to college my roommate also had done some knitting and we taught one another more advanced skills. 42 years later my roommate and I are best friends and we get together to knit and laugh when we can!"
"My friend's girlfriend knit me the coolest hat ever and I asked her to teach me how to knit more of them. We became fast friends, and forward over a decade and we're both still knitting and are closer than ever."
INSPIRATION TO LEARN TO KNIT AROUND THE WORLD
The traditions of yarn and knitting in various countries impacted these knitters.
"In 1978, I was an exchange student in Australia. While there I noticed that everywhere my host family took me, women would take knitting out of their purse and knit away. Knitting in public was the norm and I wanted to be a part of it! I asked my "host mum" if she would teach me how to knit and she was delighted to do so. I knitted many things during my exchange time and continued knitting when I returned home."
"In 1964, my family moved to Switzerland. I was 7 years old. The public school curriculum included teaching all girls to knit and sew. My first knitting project was a little stuffed red chicken about 6” long."
"I was three years old when my Scottish grandmother taught me to knit."
"I watched my grandmother knitting and learned from her. It is interesting that I knit combination. I assume that my grandmother, born in Israel, learned to knit from the Sephardic (Spanish, Mediterranean) people around her. I knit baby blankets for my grandchildren & great grandchildren. Each blanket is imbued with history."
"I was a severe asthmatic as a child and often had pneumonia. Being Swedish everyone knit at an early age. My grandmother taught me as a way to entertain myself, and to channel energy.”
"My Dutch mother said a Dutch poem of instructions to learn to knit the plain stitch. Translated it goes like this - poke it in, loop it over, let it peek through, then let it slip off. I’ve taught my daughters with the same Dutch ditty even though they’re Aussies and the sing song instructions help to keep the stitches aligned."
"On our first trip to Iceland I bought a sweater, and in the same shop there were barrels of skeins of Icelandic wool--on clearance. I was so drawn to them that I bought abundantly, despite not knowing how to knit. Once home I put the yarn on a shelf in a closet and looked at it now and again, just enjoying the feel of it and the color, and remembering. A few years after this trip, a beginner knitting class was offered through our local adult education program and I took it... and became obsessed."
"I was attending grammar school in England at the time as my father was an Air Force exchange officer and learning to knit was required in school. I knit consistently there for two years and then did not knit again until I was an adult."
My knitting pattern collection includes lots of options for modern, easy to knit baby blankets. Shop my patterns here on my website or on Ravelry. The blanket knitting patterns shown here are: “Dance on the Breeze” (teal), “The Days to Come” (pink), “Making Plans” (yellow), “Touch of Kindness” (blue) and “These Days” (cream).
INTRODUCED TO KNITTING IN A YOUTH GROUP
There’s a lot of appreciation for the patient youth group leaders who introduced knitting basics.
"I was in a knitting club, starting in fourth grade, held after school once a week, by some local older ladies!"
"I was 8 years old and my mother was our Brownie leader. She taught us how to knit for a Brownie project. I was so proud of the little piece of knitting I made and proud it was my mother who taught us!"
"My mom MADE me take knitting in 4-H class from a woman with a few other girls my same age. So happy now (I’m 67) that she MADE me learn."
"I had to learn while being a Brownie, so my mam taught me using two clothes pegs, called Dolly pegs. I made a very long strip of misery which was a 'tie' for my dad. He wore it to work for quite a few days."
"I learned to knit at The Jones Store in Prairie Village, Kansas. The second floor (of the department store) had fabric and yarn. They had a summer class for kids and my sister and I and the two neighbor girls across the street took the lessons together. We got yarn, needles, and a Bernat pattern book. I made the slippers, hat, and scarf. I still have the needles and pattern book!"
"I originally learned how to knit when I was about 13 years old (1997) when our youth group at church had someone come in and teach us. I only learned the knit stitch."
"I was taught by a neighbor in order to get my knitters badge for Brownies. She taught me how to knit continental style and I am forever grateful!"
"I was seven years old and living in Singapore. I was in the Brownies (like a junior girl guides). I earned my craft badge by learning to knit and knitting a small garter stitch square. My teacher was my Tawny Owl, one of our pack leaders and she was very patient. That first little square contained a few drooped stitches and tiny holes here and there. I remember using red yarn and that the square was to be joined with others that my Brownie pack friends had knitted to make a blanket."
"When all of my siblings were joining 4H club to learn about showing livestock, I was not in the least interested. But they did teach knitting, and that was something I really want it to get into. Mrs. Thompson was the main knitting instructor, and I loved Mrs. Clark as well. But the person whose respect and admiration I craved was my very own grandmother, Mémé, who lived with us at the time. She proudly helped me out, and even more proudly praised my knitting in front of her friends."
KNITTING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME
Knitting can be a comforting activity during a challenging time.
"I was diagnosed with rare cancer when I was 20. They wanted me to meditate and I just couldn't. Knitting was my calm space. I have done it ever since."
"I was sent home from college because there was an outbreak of German Measles. I was one of the lucky ones to get them. I had to stay in a dimly lighted room so my mom thought teaching me how to knit, because it's so "tactile", would be a good idea. So while I was being quarantined, I knitted a mitten! Yes, she taught me to knit a mitten with a thumb, and it was navy blue, in a room with not much light!"
"I had moved to a new state, needed surgery and was chair bound for a while. [Through knitting] I found peace, happiness and friendship beyond expectation. A true blessing to me."
"My mother’s friend who was a retired Home Economics teacher offered a five week learn to knit class. There were 8 signed up for the class. Before the first class four people dropped out and on the first day only three of us were there. By week two, I was the only one still interested. The teacher was very committed to the knitting class so I had “private” lessons for the remaining weeks. She was patient and kind. I learned so much. That was during a very challenging and stressful time of my life and knitting helped me to move past that time and really thrive. I am very thankful to this woman for teaching me how to knit."
"When I was in my late teen years I was going through some emotionally distressing times. At that time my future husband’s mother was relearning knitting - a skill she had been introduced to by her grandmothers. When I expressed an interest in learning to knit she was thrilled to teach me the basics. Knitting is just one of many things she's taught me in the last 21 years that I appreciate."
LOCAL YARN SHOP CLASSES
About 10% of knitters said they learned to knit from a knitting instructor at a class.
"I always wanted to learn so I enrolled my twins in a class. They enjoyed it but couldn't teach me what they were learning. A few years later I decided to take a class at a local yarn shop. The teacher was awesome and so patient. I am a slow knitter but I enjoy creating."
"My out-of-town daughter wanted to learn how to knit and wanted a companion, so it became our “Tuesday night activity”. Because I was always a crocheter, I had problems holding the yarn correctly so indirectly I self-taught myself to knit Continental! When the teacher walked around looking at our progress, she exclaimed (not in a nice way) “Oh, you’re a crocheter!” She avoided me for the rest of the classes. That’s ok! I’m still happily knitting 10+ years later."
YOUTUBE KNITTING VIDEOS
Easy access to YouTube knitting tutorial videos have helped many learn to knit.
"I watched YouTube videos. The videos do not get aggravated when you hit repeat to make sure you are doing the stitches correctly!"
"I had always wanted to learn, so it was rainbow acrylic yarn, aluminum needles, YouTube and a Harry Potter movie marathon... ugliest pot holder ever! I am working on socks now and one day my goal is to cast in for a raglan pullover."
"After moving to a completely new-to-me city, I had lots of time on my hands and VERY little money. I bought a super-sized skein of green acrylic yarn and some cheap needles from Wally World, watched some YouTube videos, and have never looked back."
"I wanted to learn how to knit for years. Saw a post on Facebook about a teacher knitting scarves for all her students. Shared it with a teacher friend and she said, but I don't knit! I said me neither... yet! A team of four made 100 scarves for her students. I knit about 40 and the others were crochet. Thanks to YouTube I quickly learned how to knit."
INSPIRED BY HUSBANDS (OR FUTURE HUSBANDS)!
For these knitters, their first knitting project was inspired by the man in their life.
"Taught myself to knit by knitting an afghan for my then boyfriend, to be husband. The pattern was knit with several colors done in stripes, becoming strips, with strips joined together by cross stitch."
"My husband liked to watch TV and he wanted me to watch with him, but it seemed to be a waste of time to me. So I learned to knit so I could watch TV but still be accomplishing something."
AT THE LIBRARY
Public libraries are a great resource for learning new things!
"I'm a librarian at a public library system that offers fiber arts classes at various branches and the instructor for a beginner knitting class asked a few employees to help her practice her teaching skills for the class. I was in her group and because of it, I became a knitting and yarn enthusiast."
WOMEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Happy memories of women in the neighborhood who took the time to share their love of knitting.
"I was the youngest kid in my neighborhood. It was very lonely when all the kids would go back to school so I would visit all of the old women in the neighborhood and they each would teach me how to knit, crochet or other crafts. I am so thankful to those sweet ladies for being so patient and loving to take time to teach me the love of knitting."
"My landlord taught me while a student up in Canada."
"The mother and grandmother of my high school sweetheart taught me how to knit when I was about 17 years old. My first project was a scarf with many holes and dropped stitches."
MY KNITTING STORY
My mother taught me to knit when I was about 8 years old. My first project was a little blanket for my doll. I remember it clearly: garter stitch, light yellow acrylic yarn and a few dropped stitches that resulted in holes. Decades later, I’m still knitting (and designing) blankets!
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Thank you so much to all of the knitters who took the time to share their stories in my first knitting survey. It was heartwarming to read each and every story.
Happy knitting!
