Every year we take one day out to do exploratory learning with our students. I love this day although it's a lot of work. This year I did a session of tatting- six kids and they all got the flip! Pizza dough throwing (I just supervised- I have NO idea but it sure was fun), knitting and a session of how to make sock creatures.
Imagine 10 12-year olds with needles and thread. Most of them had never held a needle before or knew how to tie a knot! Oh boy, but we had fun.
To teach the knitting, I always start with 20 stitches cast on for them. Teach them the knitting first, then after they get used to holding needles and yarn, then the casting on.
 |
| Interestingly not as many actually got how to knit. Two of them bailed and went back to tatting. |
I had two kids with me all day for all four sessions. Others who did three and others two. Very fun day. Another reason to love teaching middle schoolers.
Sounds like a wonderful day! Well done to the tatters, they did well. I love those sock creatures too.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a lot of fun! I like the Sugar 'n Cream colors.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun day. Getting hands-on experience with such a variety of projects would get them out of their comfort zones to try new things they might not have thought they would enjoy. Maybe a few enjoyed themselves enough to look into learning more about one of the subjects - maybe tatting?? Wouldn't that be cool?
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how childhood memories pop up out of nowhere. Your statement that kids don't know how to sew with a needle, made me wonder how and when I started 'sewing'. Obviously sharp needles are out of the question for young children, but I recall in the '50s 'practicing' with 'sewing cards' or 'lacing cards' where we used a shoestring (with the plastic ends) to go through holes in pre-punched cardboard to 'outline' a printed cartoon animal or flower. I had forgotten all about those! But I don't remember when I started to hold a 'real' needle. By 6th grade I embroidered a pillow case (daisy stitch), plus I hand-sewed 'outfits' for my teddy bears. But I was fascinated with a neighbor's sewing machine, and my parents bought me one in 7th grade after I learned how to use one in Home Ec. I was interested in these things because, although we had TV, we lived at a much slower pace and had 'time' to do handcrafts.
ReplyDeleteI very much agree that one should teach knitting on already-cast-on stitches. I recently taught an adult gal, and she immediately picked up on it So much easier to do the stiches when they 'slide' on the needles. . The first row, even for experienced knitters, is always 'tricky'!
It's awesome that you are showing them tatting, which is still a little-known craft. I hope some of them will become interested!