12.14.2012

Knitting Cupcakes



Earlier this week my daughter got to read her new story, Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf to her first grade class, as well as the kindergarten class with her teacher from last year.

In honor of this special occasion, I wanted to make some knitting themed treats for her to be able to pass out to the kids.

With the help of Pinterest, I found this idea for edible marzipan yarn balls

I couldn't make them as nice as the ones in the tutorial.. but they still turned out cute. These suckers were extremely time consuming! It took me about 10 hours to make 35!!

(I of course chose the signature green from my Never Not Knitting logo... of course.)


And then my husband and father-in-law made these awesome mini knitting needles from wooden dowels and  wooden screw hole covers for the ends. 

I LOVE THESE.


The last component was 35 freshly baked and frosted cupcakes. 


Put it altogether, and we got this...



A cute knitting themed little cupcake.


The great part about it was that after the cupcake is eaten, the knitting needles can be washed and used again for actually learning to knit. They aren't as nice and smooth as regular knitting needles, but they were a great inexpensive alternative to purchasing a set of needles for every student in the class.

Plus they are miniature. And everything that is tiny is just cute. :)


We provided a little ball of "real" yarn and a set of knitting instructions to all of the kids in the class so they could try it on their own.


I was so pleased by how everything turned out. Of course my daughter was so excited to dress up like Annie and to share the story with the other kids. And I was thrilled by how well it was received. The kids seemed extremely enthusiastic about the story, about learning to knit, and of course.. the cupcakes!




And before my daughter read the story, I was able to talk to the class a little bit about knitting and yarn. 
That was so fun for me to share a few fiber facts with these little ones. I asked them a few questions to test their knowledge and the answers were adorable and hilarious.

Here are a few of my favorites. :)

Me- Does anyone here know what yarn is made from?
Answer- fuzz.

Me- What kinds of things can you make with yarn?
Answer- paper towels?

Me- Has anyone had to practice something a lot before you became good at it, like Annie with her knitting?
Answer- Yes, I tried broccoli.

In the end the story accomplished exactly what I had hoped. All of the kids seemed genuinely enthused about learning to knit. I saw many kids after school holding the yarn and knitting needles trying to make stitches. I wished that I had more time that day to help these future knitters get started.. but hopefully we can do that another time. I can't wait!


22 comments:

Humbolt, the troll said...

Oh my gosh, the cupcakes and your daughter are too cute. Love the answers you got too. Sounds like a great day overall.

Diane said...

How creative and cute! I love everything you did and your daughter is adorable!

MissingRib2 said...

What a wonderful story. The knitting needles, yarn and cupcakes were perfect. Your daughter is blessed to have a creative Mom...who engages her and others.

Gracey is not my name.... said...

That is so awesome!

Helen Le Caplain said...

Those cupcakes are amazing - love the carefully crafted yarn balls and knitting needles - very cute!

www.mancunianvintage.com

Pam Sykes (aka Pretty Knitty) said...

What a great memory you've made for your girlie (and you!). Nice job on all of it... :)

Acorn to Oak said...

What a wonderful event. Your daughter is adorable. And, those cupcakes are cute. Interesting responses to your questions. I love it when kids get a chance to learn about fiber and knitting.

Unknown said...

How fun and how lucky you are to have such great help.

Nicky said...

oh that is adorable and those cupcakes look scruptious. well done

Cindy/KS said...

Way too cute!

Nicky said...

Dont children have such a lovely view on things ?
Of course yarn is made from Fuzz !!
Love the tiny knitting needles and the huge grin on the real "Annie's" face sitting there in class :)

Bubblesknits said...

I love it. :) My daughter is close to the same age and always gets so frustrated when I try to teach her to knit. I'm definitely going to be buying a copy of your book for us to read together.

Cricket said...

I am so excited for you and your daughter. What a great journey you will have together.

Anonymous said...

So Sweet! All very nice!

Michaeline said...

The whole event was wonderful!!! The broccoli answer was priceless! I loved it. I enjoyed reading about it as I am sure everyone that was there loved participating. Sounds like all of the kids had fun and who knows, maybe you will have planted the knitting seed in a few of them that will really grow. That would be super! Congratulations on the book too!

penelope10 said...

How precious! Love the cupcakes and your daughter, how sweet!

lylandra said...

What a treat for your daughter!

Unknown said...

I think I'm going to follow your lead and use cupcakes as a "learn to knit" tool any time someone asks me to teach them. What a wonderful way to grab new knitters and create a fun and stress-free first knitting experience.

The broccoli answer reminds me of a joke from my childhood (What's the difference between boogers and broccoli? Kids don't eat broccoli!) and the answers given to the questions were just priceless.

Julie said...

So much cuteness!!! She looks adorable 'dressed up' as Annie, and those knitting cupcakes look amazing. Sounds like it was a fantastic day!

Amy O'Neill Houck said...

Congratulations on your book and what a great way to celebrate it with the intended audience! How long were the mini needles, I think they're adorable!

stephigordon said...

I loved reading this blog post and seeing your beautiful creations for your daughter's class. She looked so cute, too - what a neat experience for her! I gave my five year old her book for Christmas. We read it yesterday for the first time and again this morning. She loves it!!! I had tried showing her some knitting maybe six months ago - she has her own knitting bag and needles. She did o.k. learning but I didn't want to push it too much. After reading about Annie, she has wanted to knit twice and it's so, so cute to help her! She has the stitch down, but holding everything is tough.. especially for a leftie, but her mama has to teach her English, right handed throwing as it's the only way she can knit. ( : Thank you!!!! Congratulations on a great book!!! Stephanie (indigodogmt on Ravelry)

Kristina said...

What a wonderful experience for you both!! You are a champ for making those treats. I hate having to make cupcakes! We got the book, but I haven't given it to the kids yet. Waiting for that perfect time. Love your blog!