Welp, here goes - how to teach people stuff

[kitewithfish]

I volunteered to give a couple of my co workers a basic "intro to knitting" lesson today over lunch and help establish a group hang out with crafters who nibble at lunch once a week. So I have some plans and some hopes and also some concerns!  

Have you ever taught someone something? were you super prepared about it beforehand or just relying on your own expertise to carry you thru?

Comments

[iamshadow]

You'll likely encounter different learning styles. Some people will do just fine with written or verbal instructions. Others will need to do the thing to understand. You might have to sit beside some people and talk them through the movements, or 'hand over hand' with them until they memorise the action of knitting. Some people will do better with big, chunky needles and yarn, others will do better with smaller. Some people will struggle to co ordinate movements that need both hands. Just try and see what people are struggling with and tailor your help accordingly. Some people actually learn better from videos that they can stop, start and rewind as needed. Knitting Help is great for this, it has great, free instructional videos that are good quality but not massive.

Also, even if you're learning, sometimes it's disheartening to just make things for practice. Choose a project like a garter stitch scarf, dishcloth, or potholder that is super basic but gives an actual, practical article at the end.

[kitewithfish]

Absolutely - There was one person who did best when I physically put her hands in the right positions, and there was one who just wanted to see it and figure it out on her own. I'm a video person myself - I get caught up in paying attention to the teacher's mood - being able to rewind works much better for me.

I sort of threw myself into making things the first time around - my first project was a garter stitch in the round hat, and I hadn't really made anything at all before that except a swatch or two to learn the stitches. I think dishclothes are a good idea! But I actually don't recommend projects that go beyond one skein for new knitters because I think people burn out and get bored. All the practice and the muscle memory is good, but I think people periodically need to be able to declare victory. And, if you had bad luck and picked out yarn or needles that are not great for you, after one skein you can change it up and see if there's something better out there.

[iamshadow]

I wasn't suggesting beyond one skein - you can make a garter stitch scarf with 12mm needles and 8ply yarn in an hour or so, even if you're a slow knitter. It's loose and loopy naturally, so it's a great project for someone still working out their tension.

[kitewithfish]

Oh, that does sound like a good first project! I am mostly speaking from my own bias - I started a scarf early on that took me months to finish because I just ran out of steam and it got bad knitting vibes all over it.