Knitting is not easy—but it’s absolutely worth the challenge!

Knitting is not easy—but it’s absolutely worth the challenge!

At SchoolNova, students are exploring the world of fiber art through hands-on craft projects that involve yarn and textile techniques. One of the most intriguing mediums in this process is knitting—a form that is both technical and deeply expressive.

To encourage students to engage with yarn in new and playful ways, I created a crocheted cat doll and a piece I call 'knitting drawing.' In this method, instead of using needles or hooks, we glue and shape the yarn directly onto paper to create visual compositions. The snail you see in the photo is one such piece—full of texture, color, and personality, all conveyed through yarn.

Knitting, admittedly, is not easy. The yarn may tangle, the tension may vary, and it takes time, patience, and focus. But the reward is beautiful: the feeling of “I made this with my own hands” is powerful, especially in a world that moves so fast.
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I hope our students find in this experience more than just a craft. I hope they build persistence, creativity, and the courage to try—even if it means making mistakes. Art isn’t about perfection—it’s about discovery. And knitting, in its quiet rhythm, offers exactly that.

​Explore a creative yarn craft project with students at SchoolNova! From snail art to crocheted cat dolls, discover how fiber art can inspire young minds through hands-on expression.”

​Think back to when we first learned to play the piano.
Using both hands in different ways, reading the music, and listening carefully to each note--
for children, this coordination is a significant challenge.

Yet, through this process, they develop not only musical skills but also fine motor control, cognitive coordination, and focus.
In the same spirit, I’ve decided to bring knitting fully into our art class this year.
Knitting can feel awkward at first—guiding the yarn, looping, stitching, and counting all at once.
But as children practice, they naturally build fine motor skills, patience, and sustained attention.

More than that, they begin to experience the joy of choosing their own colors and patterns, and slowly watching their creation come to life, building both creativity and a strong sense of accomplishment.
Knitting is not just a traditional craft.

It is a way of thinking slowly, training the senses through the fingertips, and expressing the self in a quiet, meaningful form.

As a teacher, one of the things I’ve come to notice time and time again is just how diverse the pace and processing styles are among students in any given classroom.
Some students move very quickly, finishing tasks ahead of time and moving swiftly to the next.
Others take their time—slower, more deliberate, often lingering in the details.
Fast-working students can seem highly efficient and bright,
but more often than not, I notice that they may miss the finer details,
or they move on before fully processing or internalizing what they've done.
And I don’t blame them—it's a reflection of how they function, and often, how the world around them rewards speed over depth.
But when we allow learning to be driven by speed alone,
students begin to form habits of rushing, skipping essential steps, and missing the beauty of exploration.
Over time, this can impact not just their artmaking, but their learning overall--
producing outcomes without understanding, or results without reflection.
That’s why I always try to emphasize to my students:
“To truly learn something, especially if you want to learn it like a professional, you must go slowly, with patience, and pay attention to the details.”
In my classroom, one of the most effective ways to teach this is through art--
and more specifically, through knitting.
Knitting is not just a craft.
It requires patience, rhythm, planning, hand-eye coordination, and emotional regulation.
Every loop, every stitch is a small exercise in mindfulness.
The repetition creates calm, but also builds resilience—learning how to fix mistakes, how to begin again, how to trust the process.
And perhaps most importantly, knitting naturally slows children down.
It encourages them to focus their hands, eyes, and minds together--
to become fully present in what they’re doing.
This kind of learning—rooted in slowness, detail, and care--
builds a mindset that extends far beyond the art classroom.
It nurtures grit, attentiveness, and self-awareness, qualities essential not just for school, but for life.
What children need isn’t just quick results.
They need the ability to move meaningfully through a process,
to take pride not only in the finished product, but in the thoughtful steps it took to get there.
If we can cultivate that through something as simple and beautiful as yarn,
then we’re not just teaching art.
We’re teaching how to learn.
In a fast-moving world, I hope our students will find in knitting a moment to slow down, breathe, and create something personal and beautiful.
I look forward to the warmth, calm, and creativity that this analog art will bring into our classroom this year.