Even the cool boys are queueing up to take up the latest trend at school – knitting
Leaning
back into the beanbag, dreadlocks swept away from his face, Remar
Fulton is deep in concentration. The 11-year-old is knitting what looks
like a scarf in black, green and yellow stripes. "The colours of
Jamaica, my family's country," he says.
Remar is one of 20 members of the knitting club at Dog Kennel Hill primary school in Peckham, south London. As knitting fever has swept through the school, there are now almost 100 pupils on the waiting list – just under a quarter of the pupil population – and around half are boys from year 2 to year 6.
Young pupils like Remar and his classmates don't fit with the conventional image of knitters. Even in its recent renaissance among crafty twentysomethings, knitting is still considered feminine – a tradition passed down through generations of women. But boys across the country are now taking up their needles.
Boys now make up around 50% of primary pupils involved in Craft Club, the campaign run by the Craft Council and UK Handknitting Association, which supports schools to run knitting clubs led by community volunteers. Since it was set up in April last year, there are now over 350 groups around the UK, mainly in primary schools, and many more knitting groups run independently by teachers.
Stephanie Laing, trainee teacher at Dog Kennel Hill primary, can't quite believe how popular her knitting club has become among the boys. A knitting enthusiast herself, Laing set up the lunchtime club three years ago and the first four members were year 6 boys. "I was surprised by the ones who signed up – not only the boys, but it was the cool kids," she says. "I thought they weren't going to last, but it has become the cool thing to do."
Laing was a learning mentor when she started the club, working one-on-one with pupils who had emotional or behavioural problems. "I wanted them to be able to advance their skills, but it was also a way of opening up what I did for the whole school," she says. "For them, coming into a quiet room with bean bags and sometimes music playing: it's quite comforting and non-threatening."
Boys in the knitting circle agree that the club is one of the few relaxing parts of the school day. "It's peaceful, no shouting. It's different to other things in school," says 10-year-old Sam Otufale. "I usually play football – it's mad."
Another reason for the knitting club's popularity is the end-results. At today's lunchtime session, there is no sign of tea cosies or cardigans. Instead, boys proudly show off their wrist-bands, phone-holders and fingerless gloves.
The UK-wide Craft Club is keen to capitalise on this opportunity to introduce boys as well as girls to knitting, not just as a pastime, but as a technical skill that helps cognitive development.
Incorporating knitting into school life and throughout the curriculum has also been a successful way of getting boys involved. As well as teaching knitting within art, Kathryn Hitchings, classroom teacher at Bucklesham primary in Ipswich, used knitting to teach pupils about the second world war "make do and mend" campaign. This year she launched a sponsored knit, encouraging pupils to unleash their competitive streak. One boy managed to knit 75 metres in one day and pupils also took part in yarn bombing, covering a tree with their knitted garments.
The teachers involved in knitting groups have also noticed that the craft appeals to children who don't normally achieve in other areas, or who tend to misbehave. This is because there is an immediate and visible reward directly linked to the effort put in, says Katy Bevan, the Craft Council's participation and learning manager. "If you have a difficult child who's constantly misbehaving and being told off, suddenly they have knitted half a scarf and are given heaps of praise," she says.
As the boys at Dog Kennel Hill primary finish up before the bell rings, they are evidently proud of their knitting skills. They revel in advising their classmates and show off what they have made. But for one year 6 pupil, the appeal of knitting is more personal. "If you're angry, it calms you down," he says.
Source: The Guardian
Remar is one of 20 members of the knitting club at Dog Kennel Hill primary school in Peckham, south London. As knitting fever has swept through the school, there are now almost 100 pupils on the waiting list – just under a quarter of the pupil population – and around half are boys from year 2 to year 6.
Young pupils like Remar and his classmates don't fit with the conventional image of knitters. Even in its recent renaissance among crafty twentysomethings, knitting is still considered feminine – a tradition passed down through generations of women. But boys across the country are now taking up their needles.
Boys now make up around 50% of primary pupils involved in Craft Club, the campaign run by the Craft Council and UK Handknitting Association, which supports schools to run knitting clubs led by community volunteers. Since it was set up in April last year, there are now over 350 groups around the UK, mainly in primary schools, and many more knitting groups run independently by teachers.
Stephanie Laing, trainee teacher at Dog Kennel Hill primary, can't quite believe how popular her knitting club has become among the boys. A knitting enthusiast herself, Laing set up the lunchtime club three years ago and the first four members were year 6 boys. "I was surprised by the ones who signed up – not only the boys, but it was the cool kids," she says. "I thought they weren't going to last, but it has become the cool thing to do."
Laing was a learning mentor when she started the club, working one-on-one with pupils who had emotional or behavioural problems. "I wanted them to be able to advance their skills, but it was also a way of opening up what I did for the whole school," she says. "For them, coming into a quiet room with bean bags and sometimes music playing: it's quite comforting and non-threatening."
Boys in the knitting circle agree that the club is one of the few relaxing parts of the school day. "It's peaceful, no shouting. It's different to other things in school," says 10-year-old Sam Otufale. "I usually play football – it's mad."
Another reason for the knitting club's popularity is the end-results. At today's lunchtime session, there is no sign of tea cosies or cardigans. Instead, boys proudly show off their wrist-bands, phone-holders and fingerless gloves.
The UK-wide Craft Club is keen to capitalise on this opportunity to introduce boys as well as girls to knitting, not just as a pastime, but as a technical skill that helps cognitive development.
Incorporating knitting into school life and throughout the curriculum has also been a successful way of getting boys involved. As well as teaching knitting within art, Kathryn Hitchings, classroom teacher at Bucklesham primary in Ipswich, used knitting to teach pupils about the second world war "make do and mend" campaign. This year she launched a sponsored knit, encouraging pupils to unleash their competitive streak. One boy managed to knit 75 metres in one day and pupils also took part in yarn bombing, covering a tree with their knitted garments.
The teachers involved in knitting groups have also noticed that the craft appeals to children who don't normally achieve in other areas, or who tend to misbehave. This is because there is an immediate and visible reward directly linked to the effort put in, says Katy Bevan, the Craft Council's participation and learning manager. "If you have a difficult child who's constantly misbehaving and being told off, suddenly they have knitted half a scarf and are given heaps of praise," she says.
As the boys at Dog Kennel Hill primary finish up before the bell rings, they are evidently proud of their knitting skills. They revel in advising their classmates and show off what they have made. But for one year 6 pupil, the appeal of knitting is more personal. "If you're angry, it calms you down," he says.
Source: The Guardian
