Knitting involves the creation of mathematical patterns and design using ‘wool” and thick needles. You create a type of knot, so it could also be called “knotting”.
As a child, I grew up in the era of “french” knitting, where you hammered small nails along the top edge of an empty cotton reel and used your fingers to create a long knitted ‘rope”.
And now people use very thick wool and just their fingers to create similar ropes. The longest finger knitting is 19 369.5 m long, achieved by Ida Sofie Myking Veseth from Norway on 4 March 2016. Ida lost her sight due to a degenerative disease, which meant that she wanted to find new hobbies.
You might like to try some finger knitting with your students. e.g. Follow these instructions on youtube to create a beanie,