I didn’t forget you! I’ve just been working like mad to get ready for my Saturday Knitting class, and then I spent the rest of the weekend recuperating from it. (So yes, I am aware that I still have one Quote Challenge left.)

I only had four people for the first class (several people couldn’t make the first session), but if you have EVER taught a beginner knitting class- even four people can run you RAGGED! It’s not just standing for two hours- you’re bending, and squatting, and thinking of how to explain this in a different way, so it will catch on. You’re moving the ENTIRE TIME! But it’s sooo worth it, when you see them finally get it, and that smile spreads across their face.

I only have one person that I’m slightly worried about. She’s about 8 years old. And she knows how to do the knit stitch just fine. My problem is that she hasn’t gotten a handle on how to hold her needles. So she stands the left one in her lap and just works the right one. This is fine, but because her needles aren’t close together- her stitches are HUGE. So I have to figure out how to get her to hold both at the same time. I just don’t want her to get discouraged, because her stitches don’t look like everyone else’s. I don’t think she will need to come four of the remaining five sessions, though. She just wants to knit scarves right now, so all she really has left to learn, is the purl stitch, and how to bind off. And that’s the next class.

And for those of you about to admonish me for limiting her – I’m not! We talked, and I asked her why she wanted to learn to knit, and what she wanted to make. She said she wanted to learn to knit, so she can make scarves for her brothers (both older than her), so they’ll pay more attention to her. (Awww!) All she wants to learn to make is scarves. And I know her brothers- the simple scarves will work just fine. She doesn’t need to know how to block and knit in the round, and increase and decrease, and make hats, and blankets right now. If she wants to learn at a later date- that’s awesome! But for her current goal – two classes would do her just fine.

The prevailing wants of the other three knitters (and of a few that didn’t make it, but will be at the next one) are blankets, hats, baby clothes, and toys. Simple squishy blankets are easy to do. Hats may or may not require the acquisition of circular needles (I haven’t decided yet if I want them to knit them flat and seam them, or to go seamless), and blankets will definitely need circulars because of the weight and spread of those types of projects. Toys… are better with magic loop, but I’m not sure if I want to go that route yet, or call it an advanced class and pick up magic looping later.

I have a lot to think about! (And I thought the planning part was over! Ha!)

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