Last weekend Felix helped his dad make a wood box for my sewing machine. It was a surprise. My sewing machine came with a flimsy plastic cover and I think Johnny was tired of looking at it on the shelf. I didn't want to store it on the floor in the closet. But, now I can. Anyway. Felix helped make this box. He hammered nails, and sanded the wood and other stuff too; and he was so proud of himself. We were all proud.
The little striped toy is named Tiny and he made it out of a sock filled with stuffing, eyes are glued on and a string is tied at the “neck”. It’s a great project for a four year old. He’s been carrying Tiny around all week.
I got to thinking, if Felix can work with wood, why couldn’t he start learning to knit? My mom taught me to knit when I was eight so I had that age in mind for teaching my child to knit. Nevertheless I already own a great book for kids knitting appropriately titled Kids Knitting by Melanie Falick.
I asked Felix is he wanted to learn knitting. “YES Mommy!”
Off to a good start, I handed him knitting needles and yarn, I cast on a few stitches and started to show him the motions.
“Now I’m a granny momma.”
What?! Not that I have anything against grannies, but where did that come from? Must have been TV. So, I said, “Boys knit too, and I knit everyday and I’m not a granny”.
He giggled and said, “BOYS DON’T KNIT”.
Yes they do! I showed him the pictures of boys knitting from the kids knitting book. It helped my case a lot to see boys knitting, and lots of kids knitting too. He was excited.
The first lesson ended shortly after that when frustration set in, that his sticks weren’t going to be immediately flying through the yarn. He gave it a good try.
I asked him the next day if he wanted to knit. He did but said he wanted to do it "by myself" and when that didn’t work out he ran out of the room.
14 comments:
Wow - kids and gender can be so baffling... my godson had a brief phase of asking me if I was a girl around last christmas 'cause I put a barette in my short hair. Then recently he said he wanted to be a mommy when he grew up. His mom told him that boys grew up to be daddies, not mommies, and he said right back, "well then I'll go in the girl machine and then I'll be a girl and then I'll be a mommy!" Whaaa?
Anyway, this boy knits every day!
i love the sewing box, the boy and the knitting attempt. so, so you think 11 months is too young to start my boys?
Ha! Such a cutie. Well, it took me more than one go around to get the whole knitting thing, as a kid. There's still hope :)
The sewing machine box is very nice. What sweet men you live with.
Well I think it's very promising that he even wanted to try!.....my 7 year old son has not been so inclined yet although he loves to receive knitted things!
Felix really is so incredibly cute!
i remember well the day my grandmother (who knit constantly) tried to teach me to knit. i was 6 it was hot and were in front of her house. i did not want to be there learning to knit. i wanted to be with my grandfather picking plums in his orchard. the knitting didn't take. but much later when i was ready it came naturally. it's sweet that you both tried though. maybe later.
I love to hear learning to knit stories. It's so tender to me maybe because I remember when I learned and how much I loved it.
For Felix, think 4 is young but I'm glad I gave it a good try. I'll have to show him Daniel's blog and show him men and boys knit everyday!
Mames: My god, those knitting needles are weapons for 11 month old twins! Yikes.
that is such a fun and hilarious story! maybe 5 is a bit young to master the knitting perhaps at 7 or 8 or 9 though. that's when i taught my grandaughter and even now she prefers the immediate gratification of shopping or sewing so knitting for her will have to wait til she gets a little more patient!
Yea, Felix! I have a feeling he'll want to try again, soon. My little granddaughter is almost five, and she has played around with yarn and needles for two years now. She can't wait to really knit! I'm as excited as she is about it. The sewing box is a precious gift.
So cute, that Tiny!
OMG, too funny! Well, A for effort. ;) I have a nephew who got into knitting at around 10 - which just warms my heart. I think he's more into other things now, but I love that he enjoys it. :)
What a sweet little knitter! I recognize that face with the messed up stitches. I trying to teach Tyra how to crochet, since knitting was a bit difficult to start with. She can make really long chains and seem to be happy with that.
Good luck with your knitting, crocheting and sewing!
PS: Is that an Ikea fabric that your new fabulous sewing machine box stands on?
emma: i do think crochet would be easier, especially if we were to start with just making a chain stitch.
and, yes the box is on top of an Ikea cardboard box top. I just replaced my cardboard boxes that held my yarns with plastic. I don't like plastic but it's better for storage. I was worried about silverfish and other bugs nesting in the cardboard and eating the yarn!
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Hee. I tried crochet when my elder son was 5. Needless to say, he keeps pestering me to try teaching him again and I keep putting it off. It's challenging. Like uni sushi.
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