A First Book of Knitting for Children

During the pandemic, many of us have spent more time than ever indoors and, without access to many of our usual recreational outlets, we have found new ways to spend our time. Crafting has been one outlet, and people have discovered, or re-discovered, knitting. A First Book of Knitting for Children offers an introduction to the craft, and, despite its title, it offers much to the adult who has just picked up a pair of knitting needles. The pull quote above is taken from the “History of Knitting”, but that section quickly moves into a description of yarn: what it is, the fibers used to make it, the weights in which it is manufactured, and how to wind yarn into a ball from a skein. You must have needles to knit, and a chart provides sizing information as American, British, and Metric knitting needles all use a different numbering system. Anyone who has inherited a set of knitting needles sized from the era before Canadian and British needles were sold in metric sizes will find the “Chart of needle sizes” very helpful as old needles often lack any indication of size. Other necessary tools (needle gauge, crochet hook, and yarn needles for sewing up knitted work) are described and depicted in full-colour photos. There are even instructions for making wooden knitting needles, but, frankly, it’s just easier to buy them.

Throughout the book, excellent full-colour photos provide visual instruction as to the “how to” of knitting: how to hold the needles, cast on (setting up the initial array of stitches on the needle) and how to execute the two basic stitches in knitting: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Beginners (and yes, even experienced knitters) will make mistakes, and a variety of knit stitch problems (such as dropping a stitch) are shown, along with helpful instructions on how to rectify them. Also clearly illustrated are how to increase and decrease the number of stitches in a project (in order to shape it), how to change colours of yarn, and how to end the project by “casting off”. The author has provided short rhymes as mnemonics for how to move the needles and yarn for various knitting techniques. I’m not sure how helpful the rhymes are, but I’m not a novice knitter, and, perhaps, if I were, they might help. After instructions for sewing up projects, stuffing items, such as toys, and how to make pom-poms (very on trend right now, for hats), a series of patterns using only the knit stitch are presented. Having mastered the knit stitch, small animals, suitable as toys, can be fashioned, using instructions and schematic diagrams that are easy to follow.

But, as any knitter knows, one has to learn how to form the purl stitch, which is essentially a reverse of the knit stitch. Many people find purl stitch a bit slower to work, but the photo-illustrations make the technique very clear. Knowing the purl stitch is necessary for stocking stitch (also known as stockinette) - the smooth, flexible knit which is typical in so many garments – and for ribbing, the stretchy bands which are found at the bottom and cuffs of sweaters, mitts, and hats. Again, how to fix purl stitch problems are well-illustrated, and, then, the book offers a few patterns using both knit and purl. A really neat stuffed gnome pattern is featured, and I can see that gnome being a motivator for mastering purl stitch.

The next section of the book offers “More skills”, including how to read a pattern, a listing of the abbreviations typically used in almost any knitting pattern, and more advanced techniques, including passing stitches over, picking up stitches, colourwork (using more than one colour of yarn to form designs), knitting in the round, the “wrap and turn” (also known as “short rows”), and alternative methods of casting off. As a knitter of decades’ worth of experience, I found this section of the book in need of more detail. “Reading a pattern” should have provided more information on the importance of gauge: knitting a certain number of stitches and rows in order to obtain a specific measurement. While the patterns in this book are not gauge-specific, a young knitter might want to try a simple pattern from another source and that pattern is likely to be gauge specific. Not knitting to gauge means that the item might not fit or be the size that was expected or intended. Yarn patterns also suggest the weight of yarn to be used for a project: aran/worsted, double knitting (also called DK), fingering or sock yarn, chunky, or bulky. These terms indicate the relative thickness of the yarn (as well as the size of needles to be used), and it would have been helpful to include information as to where a yarn buyer will find that information. The ball band of yarn usually provides that information, and, in some cases, the band also has a numeric code printed on it, indicating the yarn’s weight. But, if the ball band is missing (as it might be, in someone’s collection of “left-over” yarn), it can be a bit of a guessing game. Explanation as to the terms and information used to describe a yarn’s weight ought to have been included in the “More skills” portion of the book.

Many items popular with knitters include socks, hats, and mittens, all of which are knit in the round. While knitting in the round is easy, once the round is set up, joining up the first stitches of the round can be tricky (even for experienced knitters), and a photo of how to make that join would have been very helpful. The section entitled “Challenge patterns” offers the opportunity to practice advanced skills, and it includes instructions for hats, slipper socks, and more really cute toys. However, I think that a novice knitter might find themselves more “challenged” by some of these projects than they might have expected. For example, the hats involved colourwork, but the instructions do not have charts from which a knitter could work to create the design. “Changing colours and inserting patterns when desired” (p. 127) does not offer novice knitters the instructions on how to count stitches and wrap the yarn to avoid holes when changing colours in a design.

A First Book of Knitting for Children provides a good introduction to the craft for both children and adults. I didn’t try knitting any of the projects provided, but the instructions for the projects using only knit stitch or basic knit and purl were clearly written and easy to follow. Small amounts of yarn are required, perhaps assuming that the novice knitter might have access to “leftovers” from someone’s “stash” of yarn. The photo-illustrator’s grandchildren are featured in many of the photos, and their enjoyment of the knitted toys makes those items very appealing projects for a novice knitter of any age. The book is a worthwhile acquisition for elementary school and middle school libraries, although students in the upper middle school grades might be put off by the words “for Children” in the title. But, if they want to learn some knitting basics, it’s worth checking out.