I think even lovely even garter stitch is pretty ugly, but that's just a personal aesthetic.

I think that in the name of simplicity and not overwhelming a new learner things like aesthetics get overlooked, and you're really just not going to get anyone hooked on a craft if the first thing they create is needlessly unpleasant. Teach one technique more and the end result is so much better. My first actual project was a scarf for my father, in a nice green merino wool (which in total cost about $35 US for the entire scarf), with moss stitch sections on the ends and some fringe. It wasn't too difficult (I messed up a few times, but the yarn was forgiving), and the end result was something he could actually wear, even to the office (it was a little short, not because I didn't buy enough yarn, but because it turns out I knit very tightly, and I didn't do a gauge swatch, foolishly, since I wasn't following a pattern and wasn't worried about specific dimensions). I didn't start out practicing on that yarn, though - my mother's friend was practicing her spinning and gave me some sturdy, if lumpy, undyed homespun to mess around with. I practiced stockinette, ribbing, various increases and decreases on that before I even made the scarf (hence being confident enough to buy the merino).