Sparkle Craft: How to Knit a Fairy Poke
In the Martin & Sylvia: Knitting from the Beginning story, “Part Three: The Fairy Poke”, Sylvia is nervous about learning to knit. She thinks that it might be too hard for her, until Miss Melinda chooses the perfect project for her - a fairy poke. These little satchels are the best way to carry something close to Sylvia's heart - fairy gifts!
We’ve created an easy-to-follow tutorial for making your own Fairy Poke!
The Benefits of Knitting Activities for Kids
We’ve covered the benefits of sewing activities for kids before! Similarly, simple knitting crafts like the fairy poke help develop fine motor skills, build confidence through play, and teach patience as well as creativity.
Did you know that learning to knit also helps foster brain growth? Knitting requires creative thinking- which encourages new neural connections and pathways.
And that’s not all! Making time for intentional handwork moments (like this fun knitting project) encourages children to incorporate slow and mindful moments into their daily routines. The benefits of mindfulness and slowing down are well documented, and creating opportunities to slow down in a fast paced world helps children build a healthy habit indeed!
The Fairy Poke Tutorial
You will need:
- Size US 11 needles
- Chunky yard, bulky weight (scraps are good too!)
- Darning needle
- Sewing thread
- Button
Instructions
Cast on 12 stitches. Knit until you have 9-11 inches of length. (For mine I knit 47 rows, and had just over 9 inches of length.) Bind Off.
You now have a rectangle! Fold it the way you want it, making both a pocket and a flap. Sew up the side seams with a whip stitch, using the tail of yarn left over from binding off (if it’s long enough).
Attach a small button to the center front of the pocket, where it can slide through the wide stitches and secure the flap. (No buttonhole needed!)
Fingerknit or crochet a chain to use as a strap. You’ll see mine is more of a handbag, but yours can be as long as you like. (In the story, Sylvia wears the Poke around her neck, so would need a long strap.)
It’s ready for collecting fairy treasures!
Thank you to Shannon Herrick for the original inspiration.
More About our Martin & Sylvia Audio Stories
Martin and Sylvia were our very first Sparkle characters. We love them dearly and we know you will, too — if you haven't met them already. These two are kind, compassionate, adventurous, and fun. They are always ready to explore new places and meet new people. Read more about Martin and Sylvia on the Sparkle Blog and explore the entire series here.
