Knit 1 Pass It On is a new national campaign to encourage knitters to pass on their skills to at least one other person.
Yarn crafts also offer the most flexible and accessible creative projects, making them ideal for engaging schools and young people in craft practices.
Knitting can also use less obvious materials. Unusual designs and textures can be created using recycled materials, plastic bags, or even string.
Knit 1 Pass it On is the start-up pilot project promoted by the Crafts Council in partnership with the UK Hand Knitting Association as the first wave of Craft Club.
This is an exciting new initiative to introduce knitting and related yarn crafts into schools and clubs across the UK. Children are encouraged to be resourceful and learn traditional skills, empowering them while also highlighting creative opportunities in the sector, and routes for career progression.
The Knit 1 scheme has been joined by the new Hook 1 Pass It On scheme this Spring which teaches crochet! If you would like to volunteer at any upcoming shows by teaching crochet, follow this link here.
All you need to do is pass on your knitting skills!
We find knitting a really friendly, sociable activity that is even more fun in a group of friends than it is on your own. This is the easiest and most fun way to learn. Depending on the age and ability of the person you are teaching, this could be finger knitting or the basic knitting or crochet stitch progressing to casting on and plain or purl knitting. The main thing is conveying the pleasures of yarn crafting and having some fun!
By registering you are helping us to track this up-skilling process as it spreads across the country…
You can help by signing up here and adding your craft club to the Craft Map here!
Click here to print these instructions.
Step 1: Sign up to become a Craft Club volunteer, and send us an email at knit1@craftclub.org.uk to tell us what are your needs. Download and sign a Safeguarding
Agreement form for volunteers in your group and send
to the Craft Club Team.
Step 2: If you do know a school/venue you'd like to approach, download our template letter and send to the school’s Headteacher, then follow up with a phone call about starting a Craft Club. Contact the Craft Club Team atknit1@craftclub.org.uk if you don't have a school in mind and need help finding one.
Step 3: Liaise with your designated school if you need to have CRBs, dates & times of clubs, materials budget, promotion etc. Feedback to the Craft Club team about your school contact – help is available should you need it.
Step 4: Plan a 6 week (half term) project – with your Craft
Club team. Download a Craft Club poster and put it in a
prominent place in the school. Start collecting materials for
your project from parents, charity shops or your own
stash.
Step 5: Finalise your team’s schedule: who will attend which
dates (suggestion: start by having around 1:5 adults to
pupils at secondary level, and 1:3 at primary. This can
decrease as pupils gain confidence).
Step 6: Launch your first club meeting! Get pupils to agree 3-5 core values or rules for the club – refer to these often.
Take 5 minutes after each meeting to reflect with your
team, with children, with parents etc. ‘How is it working for
you’ etc. Record this information and upload images of the
work to the Craft Club website.
Step 7: Complete evaluation forms – volunteers, pupils,
parents. Send copies to the Craft Club team.
Download the Volunteer's leaflet here.
