First Grade
First Grade is an exciting time, akin to planting new seeds in a garden. Although we may not see much progress initially, soon the skills being learned will sprout and flourish. We started the year warming up our hands to the fine motor skills needed to start knitting. We are learning how to make slip-knots and regular knots, practicing finger chaining and finger knitting, learning how to wind a yarn ball, and making knitting needles. All of these skills moved us slowly and steadily toward knitting. A lovely gift idea is to give your child a small basket or box with an assortment of yarn (soft colors and wool or a wool blend are preferable). They can then use their yarn to practice finger chaining or knotting at home.
Second Grade
The Second Grade class is progressing like grounded and steady steam engines. The class is eager to begin their handwork projects. It was a pleasant surprise to find that the students had kept their knitting skills from last year. Our new students quickly picked up the knitting skills we had learned. Some of the students were able to finish their projects from the previous year. We have continued working on practicing and reinforcing basic knitting skills and basic knitting stitches. We look forward to knitting projects when the students apply all these wonderful skills.
Third Grade
We started the year by tidying up our last year's unfinished projects. During the Third Grade, the class will learn to crochet. Their progress has been encouraging. Our initial projects included finger chaining, crochet chaining, and making pot holders. Some students in the class have already started working on their pencil holders. Together, we will learn and explore everything around a variety of fibers during the year.
Fourth Grade
As with other grades, we started the year by finishing projects from the last year. Sewing is the main focus of the Fourth Grade year. As a warmup sewing project, the students are embroidering designs on bean bags they are making themselves. The class has started to learn the basics of embroidery and cross-stitch. Additionally, the students will sew scissor holders, pin cushions, and handwork bags. It is exciting to join them on this learning journey.
Fifth Grade
This year is all about working towards the big Fifth Grade project of knitting socks. The students will learn new knitting terms and develop many more skills this year. This project requires knowledge of all the fundamentals that are needed for knitting. If you can knit a sock, you can knit anything. We started this year by learning to knit using a different method. This will help us knit a little bit faster. This new way will also make working on more complex projects more accessible. Our first project will help us master knit stitches and purls. Off we go!
Sixth Grade
We started off the Sixth Grade year with our juggling ball project. The students each sewed three balls filled with beans of equal weight and are learning how to juggle with them. Juggling was a “stress test” of their work, with spilled beans helping the students to know if their stitches were tight and sturdy enough. As the class learned about gems and rocks during their geology block, our second handwork project complemented the study as the students' wet felted balls using a variety of colorful layers. Once the balls were finished and we cut them in half, upon opening them the students discovered, as with geodes, a bright inner gem of colorful layers. The opening of each ball was a moment of pleasant surprise. The students will use these as pin cushions. Next, we plan to finish the project we started in the Fifth Grade, knitting socks!
