I’ve just discovered how to do a Chat Thread here on Substack - hooray.
And to celebrate I thought I would kick off with what I hope will be the first of a weekly chat series.
The aim of a Thread here on Substack is to be more of a conversation and less of a broadcast. A place where everyone in the Everyday Knitter community can come together to discuss our shared interests.
And what better subject to start with than how we learned our craft? Who taught us?
I'll go first. I learned from my Nana when I was about 7 or 8. Nana was a prodigous knitter as long as you liked cream coloured aran cardigans, or bubblegum pink loopy jackets.
She was a knitter who knew what she liked and seldom deviated.
She knitted by clamping one needle between bosom and armpit, and as such could practically knit one-handed while attending to other domestic chores.
Ah the loopy jackets of 1970s childrens fashion! Mine was in a variegated yarn in shades of pink, white and lilac probably knitted by my paternal aunt.
It was she who taught me to knit at the age of about 7 using very scratchy plastic needles and blue and white variegated yarn. I'm still a sucker for a colour change yarn, although not so much the loopy jackets!
I have a vague memory of my Mom showing me how to knit when I was 7 or 8. I was already a crafty kid - embroidery, sewing, etc. I don’t remember actually doing much knitting though. When I got out of college and was living on my own, I decided to take it up. My first big project was a fisherman’s sweater for a boyfriend! I have been knitting ever since. Right now I am in an uninspired place now and trying to destash a lot of yarn I won’t live long enough to use!!
My nine year old daughter wanted to learn how to knit. I was a quilter, but had never tried knitting, but got a book (with photographs) and taught myself to knit so I could teach her. The funny thing is that after about a year, I was having trouble with remembering how to bind off, and my now ten-year old daughter had to show me what to do.
I learned from my mother when i was 8-9 years old. She was a wonderful crafter, until age stole it from her. Knit, crochet, sewed at a professional level, quilted, did tatting, all sorts of things. My first memory of something she knit for me was a cardigan about the time of the Grenoble Olympics which read “US Olympic Team” on the back that she used intarsia for. The front had a patch the US team was selling to raise money. Wore that until I grew too big.
She wasn’t just good at the craft, either. She could explain things, and was an instructional editor when Herschner’s had a crochet magazine in the 80s. (She was a Herschner’s Kit for a while, too, pineapple tablecloth in crochet.) While my mind didn’t necessarily “click” when I was young, when I picked the needles back up in my 20s, I could hear her voice guiding me. Also, bless her falling in love with Japanese knitting magazines, because that meant I grew up with the idea of charted knitting, which wasn’t a usual thing back then.
Oh wow, that sounds like an amazing experience. And I love that so much of it came back to you when you started to get into the craft yourself. That's so special.
My grandmother taught me to knit when I was around 10 years old. She loved handwork. She knitted, embroidered, crocheted, sewed, and she was good at it all!
I don’t think I ever saw my Nana doing anything other than knitting. I remember distinctly teaching myself to crochet from a Ladybird beginners book because she couldn’t help me.
Thank you for your reply. I am just trying crochet this summer, starting with Nature’s Walk crochet blanket. I am trying to decide which I like better, knitting or crochet. I have knitted for a number of years.
My mother taught me when I was about 9. We were learning how to knit in school but I couldn't grasp the movements so my mother sat with me until I got it! She herself never knit, she knew how but never enjoyed it. She always said that it made her feel anxious and tense. When I started knitting woollen jumpers for my children because all that was available in the clothes shops were 100% acrylic!! I taught myself how to design simple little jumpers for them integrating many Norwegian designs to make border patterns, my mother couldn't understand how or why! Strange how knitting made her feel tense while it leaves me feeling rested and calm.
It's funny how we all respond differently isn't it. My own mum never learned to knit, actively resisted it in fact as she felt it came with a sense of obligation and responsibility to provide for others.
My grandma taught me. She knitted pretty much all the time when she wasn't busy with something else. She had this fabulous built in cupboard where she kept her stash of yarn and patterns. I spent hours looking through it. I'm left-handed though, and she was right-handed. My style is apparently very odd to look at, but it works for me!
One of my daughters is also left handed and when I taught her how to knit she very quickly figured out methods for solving any difficulties she was having, including knitting backwards in order to cast on the stitches for the other arm of the teddy bear she was making. I was so impressed at her out-of-the-box thinking. I am also the proud recipient of 2 of her sweet hand knit teddy bears who take pride of place in my bedroom. :)
My grandma taught me how to knit when I was nine so I could knit a 4H project sweater-cable cardigan in bright green wool. It was too big for me at the time, but I grew into it. No idea when I lost track of it,I was still wearing it I. College as
My Grandma, who was an amazing knitter, started me at about age 3 on French knitting using a wooden seeing cotton spool with 4 hoops (made by my Grandpa and still a treasured possession). When I was 5 she taught me garter stitch on small size 8 needles (I learned to cast on a couple of years later). I taught myself other techniques like cabling and lacy patterns from books - lots of trial and error! I hold and use my needles just like my Grandma did (English style throwing with the right needle held like a pen).
I think it was probably an auntie. I remember knitting Humpty Dumpty toys - good for increasing and decreasing. I was probably 8 or 9 as I had to knit and item before I left Brownies aged 10
My mum tried to teach me but I’m left-handed and she is impatient so it didn’t stick! I was about 40 so from a little bit of a start with her I learned from YouTube. Mum was living in Germany at the time and there is so much yarn available even in supermarkets there.
I partly learned from my mother - who would correct mistakes - and partly self-taught. But I also remember being taught knitting at school in the early sixties.
This is related to the style-of-knitting thread. I was taught by my mother and her mother who both knitted in the Irish style - chants of "In, round, through and off". I first knitted doll and teddy bear clothing and I recall knitting my first sweater for myself at around 10 or 11 years of age.
I'm still confused by the origins of their Irish knitting style as the Irish connection was on my maternal grandfather's side of the family - wondering if my grandmother was shown how to speed up her knitting by her MIL or SIL.
I learned the basics when I was 7 from my grandmother's friend who was my babysitter. It was a right of passage in those days, we all learned. Shortly after we were given a washcloth to knit in school. Why on earth anyone thought giving 8 year olds some yucky cotton yarn and expecting something wonderful to emerge is beyond me. We were taught a lot of crafts in school but it was a check box exercise at best, no real care given and I caught the embroidery bug rather than knitting but something lingered and 30 years later I finally taught myself how to cast on and I haven't stopped since.
I was taught the basics by my mother when I was around 12 but gave it up as did not really make much progress. Fast forward 30(!) years and a male friend encouraged me to take it up again this time I had much more success - teaching myself socks, colourwork amongst other things. So perhaps I should say mainly self-taught.
I’m left handed. My right handed Mum taught me when I was 7, 58 years ago. It didn’t occur to either of us that I should adapt the standard method because knitting is a 2 handed skill. I am very left handed but have never found knitting difficult. Hand sewing is a different matter but my Mum worked out which direction I should sew.
I taught my children how to knit but my middle child was the only one who stuck with it and is probably better than me! She’s left handed but she also knits the standard ( English - throw yarn with right hand) method. It was only when I joined knit & natter groups, post retirement, that I realised left handed knitting was a thing! I give crochet a wide birth because of left-handedness. I play the piano & oboe so you have to play equally with two hands.
My mum taught me to knit, I was probably 5 or 6, but she always said my Granny would have made a better teacher! Apart from getting me some patterns for dolls clothes and the yarn to knit it, and vaguely teaching me how to read a pattern, I was pretty much left to my own devices, so taught myself much of the time.
My grandmother was a knitter but although she knitted sweaters for all of her grandchildren she never taught me how, or anyone else that I can tell. I learned the basics from a one-off knitting class held randomly in a park in my 20s, kept it up for a while but it didn’t stick. Picked it up again recently almost 20 years later from knitting books and YouTube
Some lovely stories here, everyone’s experiences are slightly different but with the same end goal. Like many others I was taught by my granny. She died when I was 9 so I must have been 6/7 when we started. I could more or less read a pattern at 9 and then just years of trying new patterns cables, lace etc. a lot of mistakes along the way but I now feel quite confident to knit most things. I remember knitting a mohair batwing sweater in the 80’s. No idea what became of that!!I I’ve made tonnes of baby clothes/blankets. Adult sweaters, cardigans and tank tops and I started on socks a few years ago. The next thing on my list is colourwork but I admit to being scared of this 😂 I’m almost 54 now and couldn’t imagine a life without my 2 hobbies - actual knitting, and buying yarn/patterns. I’ve recently lost a couple of very special family members and lost my mojo for a while there, but I’m slowly getting it back after casting on a couple new WIP’s. I’ve tried to teach some of my grandchildren, both male and female, but sadly to no avail. I’ll try again next year - you never know!! It’s been lovely to remember knitting with my granny Louise, so thanks for the post 💕
I'll go first. I learned from my Nana when I was about 7 or 8. Nana was a prodigous knitter as long as you liked cream coloured aran cardigans, or bubblegum pink loopy jackets.
She was a knitter who knew what she liked and seldom deviated.
She knitted by clamping one needle between bosom and armpit, and as such could practically knit one-handed while attending to other domestic chores.
Ah the loopy jackets of 1970s childrens fashion! Mine was in a variegated yarn in shades of pink, white and lilac probably knitted by my paternal aunt.
It was she who taught me to knit at the age of about 7 using very scratchy plastic needles and blue and white variegated yarn. I'm still a sucker for a colour change yarn, although not so much the loopy jackets!
I have a vague memory of my Mom showing me how to knit when I was 7 or 8. I was already a crafty kid - embroidery, sewing, etc. I don’t remember actually doing much knitting though. When I got out of college and was living on my own, I decided to take it up. My first big project was a fisherman’s sweater for a boyfriend! I have been knitting ever since. Right now I am in an uninspired place now and trying to destash a lot of yarn I won’t live long enough to use!!
My nine year old daughter wanted to learn how to knit. I was a quilter, but had never tried knitting, but got a book (with photographs) and taught myself to knit so I could teach her. The funny thing is that after about a year, I was having trouble with remembering how to bind off, and my now ten-year old daughter had to show me what to do.
I learned from my mother when i was 8-9 years old. She was a wonderful crafter, until age stole it from her. Knit, crochet, sewed at a professional level, quilted, did tatting, all sorts of things. My first memory of something she knit for me was a cardigan about the time of the Grenoble Olympics which read “US Olympic Team” on the back that she used intarsia for. The front had a patch the US team was selling to raise money. Wore that until I grew too big.
She wasn’t just good at the craft, either. She could explain things, and was an instructional editor when Herschner’s had a crochet magazine in the 80s. (She was a Herschner’s Kit for a while, too, pineapple tablecloth in crochet.) While my mind didn’t necessarily “click” when I was young, when I picked the needles back up in my 20s, I could hear her voice guiding me. Also, bless her falling in love with Japanese knitting magazines, because that meant I grew up with the idea of charted knitting, which wasn’t a usual thing back then.
Oh wow, that sounds like an amazing experience. And I love that so much of it came back to you when you started to get into the craft yourself. That's so special.
My grandmother taught me to knit when I was around 10 years old. She loved handwork. She knitted, embroidered, crocheted, sewed, and she was good at it all!
I don’t think I ever saw my Nana doing anything other than knitting. I remember distinctly teaching myself to crochet from a Ladybird beginners book because she couldn’t help me.
Thank you for your reply. I am just trying crochet this summer, starting with Nature’s Walk crochet blanket. I am trying to decide which I like better, knitting or crochet. I have knitted for a number of years.
I also want to learn how to crochet. It's been on my to-do list for a few decades now!! :)
My mother taught me when I was about 9. We were learning how to knit in school but I couldn't grasp the movements so my mother sat with me until I got it! She herself never knit, she knew how but never enjoyed it. She always said that it made her feel anxious and tense. When I started knitting woollen jumpers for my children because all that was available in the clothes shops were 100% acrylic!! I taught myself how to design simple little jumpers for them integrating many Norwegian designs to make border patterns, my mother couldn't understand how or why! Strange how knitting made her feel tense while it leaves me feeling rested and calm.
It's funny how we all respond differently isn't it. My own mum never learned to knit, actively resisted it in fact as she felt it came with a sense of obligation and responsibility to provide for others.
My grandma taught me. She knitted pretty much all the time when she wasn't busy with something else. She had this fabulous built in cupboard where she kept her stash of yarn and patterns. I spent hours looking through it. I'm left-handed though, and she was right-handed. My style is apparently very odd to look at, but it works for me!
One of my daughters is also left handed and when I taught her how to knit she very quickly figured out methods for solving any difficulties she was having, including knitting backwards in order to cast on the stitches for the other arm of the teddy bear she was making. I was so impressed at her out-of-the-box thinking. I am also the proud recipient of 2 of her sweet hand knit teddy bears who take pride of place in my bedroom. :)
My grandma taught me how to knit when I was nine so I could knit a 4H project sweater-cable cardigan in bright green wool. It was too big for me at the time, but I grew into it. No idea when I lost track of it,I was still wearing it I. College as
Darn it, it sent itself, I swear. I was still wearing it as a freshman in college.
My Grandma, who was an amazing knitter, started me at about age 3 on French knitting using a wooden seeing cotton spool with 4 hoops (made by my Grandpa and still a treasured possession). When I was 5 she taught me garter stitch on small size 8 needles (I learned to cast on a couple of years later). I taught myself other techniques like cabling and lacy patterns from books - lots of trial and error! I hold and use my needles just like my Grandma did (English style throwing with the right needle held like a pen).
Oh gosh, yes. I remember those little spools. I created miles and miles of knitted cord with them.
Sewing not seeing!
I think it was probably an auntie. I remember knitting Humpty Dumpty toys - good for increasing and decreasing. I was probably 8 or 9 as I had to knit and item before I left Brownies aged 10
My mum tried to teach me but I’m left-handed and she is impatient so it didn’t stick! I was about 40 so from a little bit of a start with her I learned from YouTube. Mum was living in Germany at the time and there is so much yarn available even in supermarkets there.
I partly learned from my mother - who would correct mistakes - and partly self-taught. But I also remember being taught knitting at school in the early sixties.
This is related to the style-of-knitting thread. I was taught by my mother and her mother who both knitted in the Irish style - chants of "In, round, through and off". I first knitted doll and teddy bear clothing and I recall knitting my first sweater for myself at around 10 or 11 years of age.
I'm still confused by the origins of their Irish knitting style as the Irish connection was on my maternal grandfather's side of the family - wondering if my grandmother was shown how to speed up her knitting by her MIL or SIL.
I learned the basics when I was 7 from my grandmother's friend who was my babysitter. It was a right of passage in those days, we all learned. Shortly after we were given a washcloth to knit in school. Why on earth anyone thought giving 8 year olds some yucky cotton yarn and expecting something wonderful to emerge is beyond me. We were taught a lot of crafts in school but it was a check box exercise at best, no real care given and I caught the embroidery bug rather than knitting but something lingered and 30 years later I finally taught myself how to cast on and I haven't stopped since.
I was taught the basics by my mother when I was around 12 but gave it up as did not really make much progress. Fast forward 30(!) years and a male friend encouraged me to take it up again this time I had much more success - teaching myself socks, colourwork amongst other things. So perhaps I should say mainly self-taught.
I very much like the idea of yarn in supermarkets.
I’m left handed. My right handed Mum taught me when I was 7, 58 years ago. It didn’t occur to either of us that I should adapt the standard method because knitting is a 2 handed skill. I am very left handed but have never found knitting difficult. Hand sewing is a different matter but my Mum worked out which direction I should sew.
I taught my children how to knit but my middle child was the only one who stuck with it and is probably better than me! She’s left handed but she also knits the standard ( English - throw yarn with right hand) method. It was only when I joined knit & natter groups, post retirement, that I realised left handed knitting was a thing! I give crochet a wide birth because of left-handedness. I play the piano & oboe so you have to play equally with two hands.
My mum taught me to knit, I was probably 5 or 6, but she always said my Granny would have made a better teacher! Apart from getting me some patterns for dolls clothes and the yarn to knit it, and vaguely teaching me how to read a pattern, I was pretty much left to my own devices, so taught myself much of the time.
My grandmother was a knitter but although she knitted sweaters for all of her grandchildren she never taught me how, or anyone else that I can tell. I learned the basics from a one-off knitting class held randomly in a park in my 20s, kept it up for a while but it didn’t stick. Picked it up again recently almost 20 years later from knitting books and YouTube
Some lovely stories here, everyone’s experiences are slightly different but with the same end goal. Like many others I was taught by my granny. She died when I was 9 so I must have been 6/7 when we started. I could more or less read a pattern at 9 and then just years of trying new patterns cables, lace etc. a lot of mistakes along the way but I now feel quite confident to knit most things. I remember knitting a mohair batwing sweater in the 80’s. No idea what became of that!!I I’ve made tonnes of baby clothes/blankets. Adult sweaters, cardigans and tank tops and I started on socks a few years ago. The next thing on my list is colourwork but I admit to being scared of this 😂 I’m almost 54 now and couldn’t imagine a life without my 2 hobbies - actual knitting, and buying yarn/patterns. I’ve recently lost a couple of very special family members and lost my mojo for a while there, but I’m slowly getting it back after casting on a couple new WIP’s. I’ve tried to teach some of my grandchildren, both male and female, but sadly to no avail. I’ll try again next year - you never know!! It’s been lovely to remember knitting with my granny Louise, so thanks for the post 💕