Some of my favorite times at home are when I find one of my boys doing a quiet, relaxing activity in some corner of the house. Most likely, it is a lesson they have brought home from Montessori. In this case, Oliver’s directress had taught some of the students in his class how to knit with their fingers. While it is not work they can do during their structured work period at school, they are allowed to finger-knit during free time (recess) or read-aloud time. I love that children are given the opportunity to do a quiet activity while listening to a story; when I was a girl, I vividly remember having to put my head down on my desk during read-aloud time to prevent me from becoming distracted and (gasp!) doing something else while listening!
Oliver finger-knits to calm himself down. He has finger-knit all the way to school in the car, while listening to a story before bed (we’re in the middle of the third Harry Potter book — a chapter a night really draws it out!), and even when he’s needing a little alone time at home. An added bonus, as I’ve mentioned here before, is that boys tend to open up and talk more freely if they are doing something else while talking. It seems to distract them from the intensity of some discussions if they are not forced to look directly into an adult’s eyes! I use this trick all the time to talk about things that need a little more probing, like trouble with a friend at school, or brainstorming ways to be a little more respectful toward grown ups…
More than anything, though, Oliver really just seems to enjoy it. I picked up three rolls of yarn and left them on his car seat when I picked him up from school one day, and you’d think it was Christmas time he was so excited! Ah, it’s the little things in life, isn’t it?
If you’d like to teach your child to finger-knit, here is a great video tutorial that’s only about 7 minutes long. Enjoy!
Finger-knitting is so relaxing. The girls learned at school as well, and the kids would knit while listening to stories too.
He may just want to keep it simple, but if he ever expresses interest in making larger projects, I highly recommend this book that Ella has. She received it for Christmas a couple of years ago, along with some yarn.
http://flax-and-twine.myshopify.com/
The link above also includes individual patterns, but the book is what we have and love. It’s a fun way to learn a few more steps and turn those long knitting lines into other things.
Thanks, Kristin! We’ll definitely check it out!