Knitting supplies for kids

[KrisM]

DD wants to learn to knit. I knit and have a lot of supplies, but am trying to figure out what are the best things for a not-quite 5 year old. I'm thinking bigger, wood needles, and chunky yarn. Any recs to make this as easy as possible?

If you've taught a child to knit, do you teach casting on? I thought that was the hardest part to learn, so I wonder if I should teach it now or just cast on for her for a bit.

[Smillow]

I haven't been able to learn to knit, but I can use this: knitting loom (http://www.amazon.com/Knifty-Knitter-Round-Loom-Hook/dp/B003IH8A5E/ref=sr_1_3?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1302705833&sr=1-3) (bought at Michaels with a coupon) - and have given it to as young as 8 year olds. It makes great hats & scarves (for people & dolls). I get fun yarn @ the Dollar Tree & Big Lots (or Michaels/ACMoore with a coupon or on their clearance).

Since you can knit, this may not interest you, but I was hopeless and the fact that the loom keeps everything together helped me immensely.

[Beth24]

I taught my DD how to knit at age 5 or 6 and used size 9 or 10 needles with heavy worsted weight yarn. Plastic or wood is fine. I may even have used circular needles so there wasn't anything to drop/lose. Chunkier yarn can be more difficult, esp if it has a lot of texture. Definitely wait a little bit to teach casting on. CO on about 15 stitches, let her knit across the row and then turn it for her until she gets the hang of switching sides. And be very patient! :)

Good luck!

[npace19147]

My DD started with finger knitting and then a knitting nancy/knitting jenny b/f actual needles. She is just now starting to learn how to CO at 6 1/2.

[Canna]

I am currently teaching my 6 y.o. to knit. I am using bamboo needles - not particularly huge ones, but a size 9 and a shorter length. I think if they're too wide, they can be harder for small hands to handle. She is using a regular worsted weight acrylic yarn in a bright variegated colorway that she chose herself at JoAnn's. Variegated yarn can be very helpful to learners because it often makes it easier to distinguish one row of stitches from the following row and makes it easier to see what you're doing.

I have previously taught a lot of 6th graders to knit - I ran a knitting club when I taught middle school!

DD#1 has just started learning. She is able to do it mechanically, but it takes her a lot of concentration and she tires after about 1 row of 24 stitches. She wants to learn, though.

Remember the rhyme. This is very helpful to kids:
Under the fence, (needle through the stitch)
Catch the sheep, (yarn goes around needle)
Back we go, (pull yarn back through stitch)
Off we leap. (move old stitch off left needle)

No, I don't worry about teaching casting on right away. My preferred cast-on is a knitting cast on that's a variation on the knitting stitch and it doesn't make sense to do it first.

[ellies mom]

I bought my oldest these needles (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kids+knitting+needles&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=16280379120926196953&sa=X&ei=bACmTaj2NYWmsQOXu4H6DA&ved=0CDUQ8gIwAA#). I like them because I can refer to the needle by color. I bought her a ball of a smooth heavier weight yarn to start. She was getting the hang of it but lost interest for a while. She is starting to ask to learn again.

I cast on about 10-15 stitches and then just had her knit on the them. I figure I can teach her how to cast on at some other time. There was no real point in getting hung up on it.