How to Knit With the Bunny Stitch

Fun rhymes make learning to knit easier for kids.

Knitting is a great craft for kids to learn. Some schools even include knitting in their curriculum to improve students' concentration and fine motor skills. After learning the basic stitches, kids will be amazed at the variety of projects they can create with their own hands. Learning the knit and purl stitches can take some time, but there are popular rhymes to help. For the purl stitch, the commonly taught rhyme is about a bunny. So kids may end up calling it the "bunny stitch."

Things You'll Need

• Knitting needles
• Yarn

Instructions

1. "Down through the bunny hole,"

   Bring your right needle down through the yarn in front of your left needle, from top to bottom.

2. "Around the big tree,"

   Circle your yarn around your right needle, from front to back.

3. "Up pops the bunny,"

   Pull your right needle back through the yarn in front of your left needle, carrying the yarn you looped around in Step 2 with it.

4. "And off goes she!"

   Slide the stitch off your left needle.

Tips & Warnings

• Use wider, large-gauge needles and heavy yarn when teaching kids to knit, so they can see their stitches clearly and handle their knitting more easily.

References

• City Knits: Knitting, Literacy and Math Study

Resources

• Knitting Daily:Your Weekend Project -- Teach a Child to Knit!
• Lion Brand Yarn: Free Knitting Patterns for Kids