Want a Creative Kid? Teach ’em to Knit!

As the mom of a toddler and a creative person myself, I’m always looking for ways to encourage creativity in my little one. So when I saw a link to a story on Huffington Post about tips for fostering creativity in children, I clicked on it and was happy to find one of the suggestions from author Ken Rabow was to teach kids to knit or crochet.

This is huge these days with kids in their teens and twenties. There are knitting raves and flashmob knitting — it’s just a great thing that’s being re-invented. Yarn-bombing around telephone poles. Knitting cellphone covers, wine bottle covers, dog coats and more. This ain’t your Granny’s knitting!

Leaving aside the fact that I hate the phrase “not your grandma’s knitting” and the fact that just because it’s cool isn’t the only reason to do it, I do agree with him. Making your own things out of string is really amazing, creative and empowering for young and old alike, and it’s a great skill to teach kids (which we actually just talked about the other day).

Did you learn to knit when you were a kid? Do you think you’re more creative now because of it? Spill it!

Next Pattern:

It wasn’t that long ago that I shared a post full of summer T-shirt knitting patterns, but any visit to Ravelry lately will show you that many more have been published since then. So I thought I would share a few more. All of these are from Ravelry except this first one, just so you know.

While I say these are for summer, Lion Brand Yarn calls this one a Seasonless Raglan, and really they all are. You can wear a short-sleeved sweater over a dress or another top with short or long sleeves, or wear it as a layer under a sweater in the winter. This particular one is seasonless because it uses a light worsted weight yarn and is cropped to go with all your outfits. It comes in nine sizes with a chest measurement ranging from 33 to 65 inches, or 84 to 165 cm. The pattern is free or you can buy a kit with the yarn from Lion Brand.

I also love the simplicity of the Linar Tee from Joana Filip. This one has double folded hems for extra sleekness, and it comes in nine sizes. Actual chest circumference ranges from 32 to 63 inches/80 to 160 cm, and it’s meant to be worn with about 2 inches/5 cm of positive ease.

If you like a top with a lot of options built in, check out the Angel Tee from mabelle knitting. This one can have short or long sleeves, and the short sleeves can have ribbing or a folded hem. There are also 11 sizes, with a finished bust circumference of 30.3 to 55.5 inches/77 to 141 cm. It should be worn with 0-2 inches/0-5 cm of positive ease.

The Billie Tee from The Knit Purl Girl is a more relaxed, boxy top you’ll love to throw on when relaxing around the house or running errands. It’s worked in a fingering weight silk yarn for plenty of luxury, and the stripes add a bit of fun. It comes in 12 sizes, with actual chest measurement of the garment ranging from 37.5 to 65 inches, or 95 to 165 cm. It’s recommended to be knit with 6-8 inches/ 15-20 cm positive ease for the smaller sizes and 4-8 inches/10-20 cm for the larger ones.

Another cute striped top comes from Irene Lin. Her Lustre tee uses sport weight yarn and narrower stripes, and is worked from the top down. There are 10 available sizes, with a finished circumference of 35 to 62 inches/89 to 158 cm, and is recommended to be knit with 0-4 inches, or 0 to 10 cm, of positive ease.

A Lightweight, Lacy Tee that’s Perfect for Summer Knitting [Knitting]

Add Some Lace to Your Summer Knitting [Knitting]

Knitting Patterns for Your Summer Picnic

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