Handwork : Fingerknitting a Cup Coaster
Fingerknitting is a versatile and satisfying introduction to knitting for children. Although it’s ideal for ages 4 to 7, some 3-year-olds may grasp it right away and of course some 8, 9 (and dare-I-say, 33 year-olds) equally love this quick and easy handwork project.
Knitting requires fine motor skills that also help children to practice crossing their midline. These skills help to develop other areas of development and learning such as being able to get dressed on their own, writing, reading and physical activities such as sport and dance.
How to Fingerknit
To begin make a slip knot and attach it to your pointer finger
Wrap the yarn once more around your finger clockwise so you have two rings
Slip the bottom ring over the top ring and off of your finger
Pull the tail to tighten and repeat- wrap the yarn around your finger clockwise
Slip the bottom ring over the top ring and off of your finger
Pull the tail to tighten, pull the fingerknitted part to tighten and repeat.
When my children first learned to fingerknit we pracitised with the song:
Over the log (Slip the bottom ring over the top ring)
Jump off of me (off your finger)
Pull the little tail (Pull the yarn tail)
Gently back to me (pull the knitted part to you)
Repeat
You can find basic videos of this on YouTube if you want.
Fingerknitting a Cup Coaster
A wonderful first project for kindergarten children is a cup coaster.
Supplies
- Thick yarn
- Felt to match
- Needle and thread
Let’s Begin
- Have your child fingerknit until the knitting is about as long as the child from floor to their shoulders
- Caregiver: Tightly coil the fingerknitting into a circular shape and cut out a piece of felt to go underneath this circle, pin down and sew into the felt to attach the coil to the base. The sewing doesn’t have to be perfect – just stitching in and out to attach.
