Teaching Knitting at groups

I’ve always loved knitting from a young age and it was back then drilled into me that women needed to learn the skill along with sewing to create clothing for the family. So I learnt.

Knitting as a child was hard work. Trying to find the right time to learn from my mother or grandmother when they were busy with housework or my siblings and also preparing food. So I made it my aim to learn every Saturday if my mother wasn’t too tired from work or on Sunday after church if my grandmother wasn’t busy. But when they tried to teach me I got in a mess and couldn’t quite get the hang of it. So I picked up some patterns and dreamt of knitting and then I saw the folder with the answer, step by step pictures of how to knit. I was in my element when I saw them and borrowed some needles and a scrap ball of wool and set to work.

One I had got through all the pictures, I stood back in amazement. There, at 4 years of age, I was knitting! How proud I felt.

Since then I’ve been slowly developing my skills and knit many items for my children and other people.

Lockdown was hard for many people, but I was able to improve my knowledge of knitting and started making tricky items that I would not have wanted to do before.

I made many items, and some I sold. I’ve enjoyed knitting and have become the local sock knitter! Now, I want to teach my skills to people who want to learn.

So, very soon, I will be hosting a crafters group where I can teach people of different ages. I’m currently designing my very own beginner knitting packs that can be done together as a group or alone at home.

For anyone who is interested in joining my group, please let me know. It will be taking place in Grimsby and I will be finding the ideal place soon.

Pattern testing

I’ve always wanted people to pattern test my products but never seemed successful in gaining candidates for the challenge!

So I’ve started the other way round instead. I’ve become a pattern tester to get to learn how the person gains their fan base and get those all important pattern testers!

It will become more obvious to me one day I’m sure but for now I’m getting all the research done to get me to the right place. It’s not an easy task really and I don’t want to put myself out there and then have all the nasties bombarding me with evil stuff! That’s not me, I’m looking for the same thing every pattern creator wants and that’s to have their pattern tested and that the public gets excited for the newest patterns and that all important release date!

I will get there I’m sure. But this is such a hard task and even harder when you don’t really know how to get to that finishing point.

If anyone knows how to get this help better, please let me know. I’ve just recently joined “yarnpond” but I think there has to be some funds involved somewhere. This (funds) I have not got as of yet!

I feel like I’ve just ranted all the way through this, I apologise for that. But in the meantime I’m casting on for a lovely lovely project called the hidden doorway tank by Janice Allen from ellevate designs. You can check out her creations on Instagram @ellevate_designs