Speciality Highlight May: Handwork
First Grade:
Students have finished sewing their flute holders. Now, they are making golden crowns to give to the Golden Knights (our rising First Graders). This is the annual tradition where current first-year students welcome the rising students to their next step. In parallel, they are working on the rainbow ball. Students are learning how to switch colors and how to count ridges and rows as they knit.
Second and Third Grade:
At the end of March, we visited the farm with Angora goats. Students are learning about fibers. They were busy washing the wool, dyeing it, carding it, and spinning it. We collected the flowers that we planted last year. We used these flowers to make dye for the wool. Big thanks to the parents for the jars, onion skins, and avocado pits. It was a big help for dyeing the wool. Now we are working on the class projects: knitting, crocheting and weaving.
Fourth Grade:
Some students are working on the final touches for their embroidered handwork bags. We are starting to work on a cross-stitch project. Students will pick two colors and three gradations of those colors. We aim to make a bookmark with a mirror image of these color gradations.
Fifth Grade:
Almost all of the students have finished their mini-me knitting projects! We are moving to our next project - water bottle holder. This project involves the same skills as knitting a sock. We made the change from the sock to the water bottle holder to ensure that everyone has enough time to finish it before the end of the school year. They will be using four needles when knitting this project. Students will work on it until the end of the school year.
Sixth Grade and Seventh Grade:
Students from both classes worked on the Sashiko project for the auction. They selected the design, then drew this design and calculated the final dimensions. Students dyed the fabric with indigo dye. They used white thread to embroider their designed Sashiko stitches. Finally, we assembled the various individual squares into the final auction project. It was a good opportunity to work towards a common project and learn how to cooperate.
Sixth Graders finished their heavy baby projects while Seventh Graders worked on their personal Sashiko pieces that they are assembling into the final usable object.
Parent Handwork
In our parent handwork sessions, we are covering different skills each month:
May – Wet felting, and finishing any unfinished earlier projects
