Knitting Club

Purpose

Learn to knit, or continue building your knitting skills, while creating accessories, garments, and household items while also learning about traditional fiber handcrafts across cultures, developing friendships, gaining confidence, building coping skills, and promoting positive behavioral shifts in the classroom.

Rationale

Knitting club encourages positive peer interactions, promoting a bully-free culture, the growth of self-esteem, and peer-to-peer learning. Knitting gives the knitter a sense of purpose; teaches goal setting and planning skills; facilitates emotions such as anticipation, excitement and pride; teaches patience and perseverance in a world of instant gratification and enables active participation in a creative activity which encourages involvement in a 3D world rather than a 2D screen-based existence.

Knitting can improve organizational skills and coordination in those with those with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. Anecdotal evidence also suggests, if allowed in the classroom during lectures, it can aid learning, constructively occupying kinesthetic learners and acting in a similar capacity as a "fidget" device, except the repetitive movements result in the creation of finished items, from which the creator can generate a sense of pride and accomplishment. Knitting also provides bilateral stimulation (using both sides of the brain).

The calming properties of knitting can also be used to manage disruptive behavior and open up pathways of communication between challenging pupils and those in authority as well as improve mental health. Dr. Mia Hobbs, a London-based clinical psychologist has spent over a decade exploring the positive impact that knitting can have on our wellbeing and mental health. Dr. Hobbs hosts the Why I Knit podcast and has episodes covering a range of subjects such as knitting for community; crafting for confidence; knitting to prevent burn-out, cope with traumatic life experiences; and create connections between mind and body. More and more professionals are using therapeutic knitting in their own practices. Knitting can be a kind of behavioral activation that allows people struggling with low mood and depression to take part in an activity that offers a sense of achievement. 

Knitting improves fine motor coordination, reading, math, comprehension, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Project Information

Beginner Projects

Beginner knitters will be taught how to work in-the-round with circular needles. The first project is normally a small bracelet, which teaches knitters the skills of casting on, making a knit stitch, joining in the round, and casting off. Knitters can also choose to make a cowl as a longer beginner knitter project.

Intermediate Projects

Intermediate knitters start with a hat, which furthers their skills by teaching them how to decrease and a new cast off method.

Knitting Club Rules

1. Come prepared to knit

2. Sign in when you arrive/Sign Out when you leave (if before 5:30pm)

3. Get a bus pass (if you need one)

4. Find your supplies and a seat

5. Speak quietly with your friends while you knit