Knitting Club – Reflection on Successes and Challenges

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With the school year coming to an end, I am reflecting back on the knitting club.  Knitting as a whole developed a large following at Queen Victoria School.  It started before the Makerspace was opened by a Child and Youth Care Worker student.  She made herself available in the common room, off the grade 6 classroom, during Nutrition Breaks and the students flocked to her wanting to learn how to knit!  Boys and girls alike were knitting using their fingers, knitting needles, and knitting frames.  In the beginning they created scarves to start and then used their knowledge to create little snowmen with hats and scarves.

 

Watching all the knitting happening next to my classroom, actually had me dig out my own scarf knitting project that I had started at least 10 years ago.  I am happy to say that I have finished my scarf and fully enjoyed getting back into knitting.  I grew up with an aunt who was loved to crochet so I have my heart set on trying a blanket.

 

My scarf

In January, with the Child and Youth  Care worker finished her placement at our school, we had a student who took the leadership role and ran the club that met once a week during 1st Nutrition Break. At first there was a lot of interest and the Makerspace was busy.  Our student leader brought in a few items that she had taught herself how to make via YouTube videos such as a shoulder purse (with a zipper and lining), coin purse (with zipper) and hand warmers.

 

 

As time went by, many students stopped attending the club.  We thought about reasons why this was happening and came up with a few such as 1) the weather was getting warmer, 2) loss of interest, 3) access to yarn colours they liked, 4) frustration with the process and it taking to long to complete a project, 5) the club was only once a week where as before it was every day, and 6) location: the common room was on the 3rd floor where all the knitters were and the Makerspace was located on the 2nd floor where, so lack of visibility could have been a factor.

All in all, I believe that this club was a success and we can take what we know and with continued student leadership and assistance we can work to establish another knitting club next year.