How to teach knitting to kids, a step-by-step guide

Want to teach your kids to knit but not sure where to start? This simple step-by-step guide will help you make it fun, calm, and frustration-free. Knitting together is such a sweet way to slow down, learn, and create something cozy side by side.

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why knitting is perfect for kids to learn

I look at teaching kids to knit in a similar vane as teaching them to read. Even though knitting can be art, I always liken it more to a skill. Think sewing and writing, or cooking and gardening. Knitting is with you for life, helping you care better for yourself, your family, and your home when you’re grown. I suppose it goes back to Charlotte Mason’s teaching that handicrafts are crafty, but they are also useful skills.

There are so many benefits to teaching your kids to knit, I even wrote an entire post about the hilarious ones! Besides being screen-free and creative, it teaches patience and coordination. Heck, even practical math can be learned and practiced in knitting!

>>Want a walk through my children’s knitting library? Head over here.

when kids are ready to learn to knit

All kids are obviously different, but generally between 6-9 years old is a good age for kids to really learn to knit. I say really learn, because there are so many things you can do with a young child before they even pick up knitting needles! My 3 year old son loves to finger crochet snakes and dog leashes. It’s great for his small motor skills and his interest grows as he grows because it’s already something he’s familiar with. Kind of like cooking! Get them introduced early on and they’re more likely to stay with it.

My older girls all learned to knit with needles when they were 6. Before that, I would hold the needles and have one of them just focus on wrapping the yarn around the needle for me. Again, it was a fun thing to do together and gave them positive feelings about knitting!

You can also read knitting picture books to young ones! This list shares our favorites. I mean, even my 9 year old loves to be read aloud a good story book like Extra Yarn!

Knitting, along with crocheting, sewing, even archery, fishing, and learning to change a tire, those are all things I prioritize in all of my kids learning.

If you want to learn to knit, head over to my YouTube playlist here! And here is the learn to crochet playlist!

Supplies for beginner kid knitters

I always recommend starting kids off with worsted weight, or medium, yarn. It’ll say 4 on the yarn label. That yarn should preferably be wool or cotton, or another natural fiber because it’s natural and less finicky. Please don’t start a new knitter with fuzzy yarn, or something black or very dark. It will be so hard to see the details of the stitch and they’ll be so frustrated in learning.

Choose a yarn that’s light colored, and some kids do really well with striped yarn. Some yarns self-stripe into a few colors, which actually can help them see and count the individual stitches on their needle! Just make sure the colors don’t get too dark into blue, green, purple, etc.

The next thing is to grab a set of size US 7 or 8 straight knitting needles. I prefer something wooden, even now. But kids learning to knit will appreciate that wooden needles won’t let the stitches slide off as easily because there’s more resistance. I did a whole series on choosing yarn and needles for kids beginning to knit that you can watch here. You’ll love knowing the difference between straight and circular needles before you head down the yarn aisle with your kids!

The last three things you’ll need to teach your kids to knit are a pair of scissors, a small tapestry needle, and somewhere to store their project. Choose a needle with an eye large enough for your yarn to get through, and a cute basket or project bag to keep everything on their needles until the next time they knit!

First lessons to teach

The first time I sit my younger kids down to learn to knit, I make sure to tell them that we’re not going to knit a scarf or a sweater just yet! My kids in particular have seen a lot of knitting around them and had some big ideas of what they might want to knit. But it’s important that they know the expectation for the first sessions. At most, your younger kids can knit a small dish cloth or stuffed animal blanket, and they can work on it for a few weeks in small chunks of time.

If you’re starting an older child on knitting, more like 9 or older, they can handle the patience of knitting a scarf. Check out this free Homeschool Scarf Knitting Pattern, completely walking you through casting on and binding off.

The important thing here is to keep the chunks of learning time small. I’m talking 1o minutes if you’re just teaching one child at a time. It’s a lot of new information and small detailed work! Plus learning to hold the needles, let alone wrap the yarn in the right order is going to take practice. These little ones can get tired and frustrated! You know your kids best. I always try to keep an eye on their mood and end on a high note before any frustration sneaks in. That way, they’re more likely to pick it back up!

Another note is to teach your kids to knit in those small chunks without distractions. No helping one kiddo with multiplication, no answering emails. I think this is true of everything I’m teaching my kids, from math to knitting. They can tell when I’m not interested, and they won’t stay interested either. So put away the phone, really learn alongside your child, you got this! Start with knitting every row until they’ve knit a square about 8″ x 8″. These are my free dish cloth patterns that they can level up to as they get more comfortable knitting.

how to encourage and troubleshoot

The biggest tip is to expect dropped stitches. Expect it to feel weird to hold two needles, especially for kids who probably get a lot of practice writing and using scissors with one hand. Celebrate their effort and keep things positive. But hear your kids in their frustration! I have an entire post on questions my kids asked me while learning to knit, plus entire playlists on tips, tricks, and solutions to common snafus.

Also, keep their knitting project out, in that basket or tote, where they can see it and be inspired to pick it up again. Nothing that gets shoved behind doors into our craft cabinet or homeschool cabinet gets worked on consistently. And when learning to knit, kids need to practice consistently. I recommend letting them work on it comfortably anytime. Mine knit on car rides and while listening to audiobooks at quiet time. The best thing is when they pull out their knitting project while we’re waiting somewhere like at an appointment. But sit down in a focused effort once a week. You can read all about how to break up learning to knit into 12 weeks in my overview freebie here.

Next steps

If you now have a knitter on your hands, welcome! Knitting is so relaxing, and it’s truly amazing to turn string into beautiful things with just a series of loops.

If you’re looking for more knitting projects beyond the scarf and stuffy blanket, head to this post filled with ideas.

To learn how to read a knitting pattern (and teach your kids!) check out this post.

And for my favorite, quality knitting books to inspire children, read through this post.