Some of my patterns can now be listened to. You open the pattern on your phone or tablet, and it reads the steps aloud while you knit. You can also make the text large and switch on high contrast.
It is made for you who have low vision, for children who do not read so fast yet, and for everyone who would rather keep their eyes on the needles than on the screen.
Fairy-tale cassettes and radio drama
When I was little, I loved listening to fairy-tale cassettes. Or Barnetimen, the children's hour, and the radio drama on the radio. While the voices told their stories, I sat and made things.
My hands were busy, and my head was in the story. That is the feeling I wanted to pass on: that someone reads to you, while you make something yourself.
The special needs teacher in me
I trained as a special needs teacher and have a master's degree in counselling and change work. It has taught me that we learn in different ways. Some need to see it, some need to hear it, and some need one step at a time.
An ordinary knitting pattern is dense. Abbreviations, numbers for five sizes and long paragraphs. For some, that is enough to give up before they have started. With read-aloud you get one step at a time, at your own pace.
Handicraft has long been part of the education of blind and partially sighted people. When Dalen school for the blind in Trondheim welcomed its first pupils in 1912, handicraft was on the timetable.
How it works
- Read-aloud. Press the button that reads the step aloud, or let it read automatically every time you move on. You choose slow, normal or fast speed.
- Large text and high contrast. Two buttons, and the text becomes larger, or light on a black background.
- Round counter. It keeps track of where you are, and reads the next round aloud.
- The screen stays awake, so it does not switch off in the middle of a round.
- Page turner and keyboard. Right arrow moves on, left arrow goes back.
You open the pattern with the code printed in the PDF, on the page with the measurements. You only type it once. Read more on Knit with read-aloud.
The patterns you can listen to
Most of them are written for children who knit by themselves. Large print, short steps and only the techniques that are needed.
- Tweed – The Beanie
- Your first dishcloth
- Anna's favourite hat
- Anna's long scarf
- The forest scarf
- The flower mittens
- The best friend beanies
- Apanson and Apanson Jr
More patterns will get read-aloud over time. If something does not work for you, send me a message in the chat, and we will sort it out.
Did you know …
The first Barnetimen on Norwegian radio was broadcast on 20 December 1924, before NRK existed. The host was Carl Bødtker, «Uncle Bødtker». The programme was meant to be «pure entertainment, a rest and an encouragement after the school work is done».
Source: Klikk.no: 100 years since the first broadcast of «Barnetimen»
Sources: Klikk.no on Barnetimen and Lademoen historielag on Dalen school for the blind.
Anne-Turid <3