Hello Garden school families,
Tuesdays and Thursdays are my favorite days. I am excitedly learning new skills along with my students. As they learn handwork, I learn how to be a better Handwork teacher.
First grade:
We warmed up our fingers during the first months. Now we have moved on to our planned projects. We have started knitting! As expected, students are working at different paces: some have almost finished, while others are working on developing their skills. They all work hard on their projects. This class is very focused. Once we come back from the break, we are planning some exciting projects that will involve other grades too. Plus, we will have a fun project before the Winter break.
Second grade:
This class continues speeding ahead like NASA’s new Artemis rocket. We continue to work on our knitting skills. The students have established their knitting skills at a level where I trust them to keep their handwork bags in the classroom. They are allowed to work on their projects during their free time. As a class, we have agreed that they shouldn’t go ahead if they are stuck though overall, the group has also matured to a level where they are comfortable fixing their mistakes. Our current project is to knit animals. The students who have completed their animal project are working on either knitting a washcloth or a gnome.
Third grade:
The third grade has finished their landscape weaving projects which are on display in the hallway of their classroom for all to admire. They have started learning to crochet. We started with a belt project to practice basic sticthes. Students who grasped the required skills moved on to the potholder. The potholder requires crocheting back and forth. Next, students move on to crocheting a circle-shaped project. They the can pick to either crochet a hat or a holder for a penny whistle. We are working on our ability to focus and to learn to troubleshoot before asking for help.
Fourth grade:
The fourth grade has finished their landscape weaving projects which are on display in the hallway of their classroom for all to admire along with the third grade projects. The class has started working on embroidering by hand. Their first project was to make a holder for their scissors. This project taught them multiple stitches. Now they are working on a needle holder, which will add additional stitches to their arsenal. This project will also teach them how to develop their own design. Once we have finished with the needle holder, we will make our own handwork bag with their monogram stitched on the bag. The class has a good working rhythm that moves them forward at a nice pace.
Fifth grade:
We continue our journey towards knitted socks. We have learned a style of knit stitch and purl stitch. Everyone has finished their warm-up project. We are now using four double-pointed knitting needles to start knitting the socks. This method is called circle-knitting. It is a more advanced knitting technique that will allow them to master more complex projects. We are also thinking about how we want our socks to look. Students are allowed to come up with their designs. I am so excited to see all the great ideas and colors that will emerge from their designs. After the break, we will have a guest visit to another grade for a fun surprise.
Warmly,
Ieva
