1. Finger Knitting - What you will need to begin with is just some yarn (we won’t get to the needles yet) and teach your kids how to finger knit. This isn’t as complicated as using needles but you can see results quickly and will get them inspired to learn with needs. Check out this great article on Knitty to get you started.

2. Needle Knitting - Ok, so you’ve got them interested enough to start using needles? Great! Adult size needles are often too big for little hands. Of course it really depends on the needles but there are a number of companies that make children’s needles. They are often different colors to help kids understand which needle takes which strand of yarn. If you can’t find children’s needles, just get the shortest ones you can find.

3. Choosing the Yarn - Let your kids choose which yarn they want to use, but make sure it isn’t too thin. Also, acrylic or cotton yarn is the best for beginners. Acrylic yarn doesn’t slide as easily.

4. Have fun! Mistakes don’t matter. The beauty of knitting is that you can always start over and have wasted nothing.

So what if you don’t know how to knit? Even better! Well, almost. This is your chance to learn with your kids. You don’t have to start with a complicated project.

Photo courtesy of flickr.