I just finished sewing another zipper into a sweater and it’s pretty easy to do. I know there are many ways of sewing a zipper to a knit fabric but I’ve been happy with this technique.

This is a Kathy Zimmerman pattern called “Anniversary Pullover” and has a turtleneck. But I knew my husband would wear it more if it had a short zipper. Thus, I modified the pattern and finished the neckline. Here’s a picture of it (I still have the sleeves to finish which I’ll be working on next.)

I purchased a 9″ zipper but it was too long; I had to adjust it because the sweater’s finished opening is only 8″. The first thing I did was pin the zipper in place. Make sure the zipper and sweater lie flat before you continue. Adjust wherever you see any puckering.

Next, I whipstitched across the zipper coil where I wanted it to end and then cut the excess. Now that the length of the zipper was right, I could begin sewing.

First, from the outside of the sweater, I sewed a running stitch starting from the top of one side and continued all the way around to the top of the other side. Keep in mind that you’ll need to fold both top edges down while sewing.

Finally, from the inside of the sweater, I stitched the outside edge of the zipper to the knit fabric. Voila! Here’s a picture showing the stitches.

Summer of 2012 will be the second year of offering week-long knitting/fiber arts workshops for children.  We meet for 3 hours a day; during that time kids learn to knit or advance their current knitting skills.  A new knitter might make a simple change purse or beanbag.  The more advanced knitter might make a lace hat or beaded knit handbag.  The setting is a relaxed one, allowing kids to advance at their own pace.  There will be many projects to choose from.  In addition to knitting, we will be needle-felting, dyeing yarn using kool-aid, and making fused glass buttons.

The perfect ages for this workshop are 7-14 year olds.  I am considering a teen-specific workshop.  If you’re interested, please let me know!

Everyone will go home with at least a couple of finished projects.  You can see photos of some projects the kids made last year below.  For more information, go to www.knitsandthat.com and choose “Classes”.

I’m so excited to start blogging about knitting and hope you’ll enjoy reading my posts. I chose, as my first post, to talk about knitting with children. Enjoy!

As many of you know, I’ve been teaching children to knit for a few years now.  It’s so inspiring to see what kids as young as 2nd graders make!  New students frequently choose as their first projects beanbags, scarves and change purses. They learn the basics of knitting (knit, purl, cast on, cast off) first. They quickly progress to knitting stripes, sewing/weaving seams, and decreasing stitches for shaping (e.g., change purse flap).

Kids who’ve been knitting for a while are challenged with increasing skills. They might make stuffed animals, lace hats, and sweater vests (for themselves or for a favorite doll). They learn to knit lace, increase stitches for shaping (e.g., arms and feet of their stuffed animals), make icord for flowers and trim.

Check out the pictures below of some of the kids who’ve taken my classes and the projects they have finished.