Yarn Arts Club for Kids

The librarian at my daughter's school and I are both yarn arts enthusiasts, and when she suggested that we start a yarn arts club for the kids, I was a bit worried that we wouldn't have many kids show up. Do kids nowadays even know what knitting and crocheting is?  Luckily, there is a whole group of fourth grade girls at school who already know how to crochet, and they have inspired a bunch of their fellow students to pick up hooks, needles, and yarn!

I didn't have a whole lot of experience teaching kids to crochet, but during the past 6 months, I have been working with Sonia (my five-year-old daughter) and my fourth grader neighbor (one of the aforementioned crocheters), so I wasn't completely new to it, either.  Sonia lacks patience and stamina (of course), but she makes up for it in enthusiasm. So, about once a week, she picks up her hooks and needles and gets working.  "Mommy, can you help me crochet? Mommy, can you help me knit?"  Of course, I drop everything and run to her side, deliriously excited that she wants to learn.

The first week of our Yarn Arts Club (we started in January), about 10 kids showed up, and ever since, we have averaged about 20 kids crocheting, knitting, finger-knitting, and sometimes just messing around with yarn.  Some are beginners who are still struggling with slip knots and chaining, and some are experienced stitchers who show off their finished objects with pride.

Just look at this yarn craziness!!

(Note the adorable yarn bag made of owl fabric that Sonia's Auntie Niki sewed for her!)

Every Thursday morning, after the bell rings and the yarn artists all scamper off to class, I feel like a tornado just blew through the library, but BOY is it a fun tornado....

I wrote out an extremely simple crocheted wrist cuff pattern that I passed out this morning to my budding crocheters, and they all got to hooking.  I'll post the pattern soon in a separate blog post so you, too, can make your very own Lakeside Crocheted Wrist Cuff.

The knitting and crocheting club that I recently joined is also inviting kids to learn how to knit and crochet with an event this weekend held at a public library.  Sonia can't wait to go and show off her skills!