I've been away from my blog for a while as I have been frantically making cracker toys for 30 sets of crackers (we sell these to raise money for our school). However, I have been doing some wonderful activities with the chldren. We have created knitting needles from dowelling and weaving sticks from sticks that they found in the woods. All the children have made a set of jumping pixies as a gift that they can give to someone they love and they learnt how to wrap their gift with a ribbon.
Today I watched the children as they acted the nativity story and I realised how much I have come to love and respect each one.
What a fabulous end to my first term!
Friday, 16 December 2011
Saturday, 29 October 2011
A Story and Craft for Halloween/Samhein
I have a Class One handwork lesson on Halloween and we are going to make minature besom brooms. By learning this technique in handwork the children will be able to make full size besom brooms on their nature walk (as arranged with their class teacher) which they can then use for gardening. The minature besoms they make they can take home and leave by their door for "the little people" to borrow. I will demonstrate how to make the brooms while telling this story that I wrote especially for them.
The Magic Broom: A Story and craft for Halloween.
Once upon a time there was a good woman who lived by herself in a little cottage by the edge of a woods. She worked hard in her house and in her garden. She kept her house cosy and clean and, in her garden, she grew all manner of herbs and vegetables. And, because the woman worked so hard, her garden grew well for her giving her all that she needed. Any food that was left over she would give away to anyone who was poor and hungry and she used her herbs and her learning to help people who were sick. Because of this, all the people of the town loved her and called her a dear.
The only problem that the good woman had was that, try as she might, she could not keep the Autumn leaves from falling all over her vegetable patch. She was worried that if she could not keep the patch clear, then her vegetables would not get the sunlight they needed. So the woman took the finest of her ripe vegetables and, with these and some herbs, she made a delicious stew then she put the stew in a pot and went off to see the little people of the woods.
Now, as you may know, the little people of the woods will not appear for just anybody. They have very high standards and will only entertain the purest and most kind hearted of people but they knew of the good woman and of all that she did for the people of the town so, when she set down her pot and called to them, the oldest of the little wood people came out to greet her. The good woman told the little old wood man all about her problems with the leaves on her vegetable patch and he gladly decided to help her.
“Now my dear,” he said, and, as he spoke, he demonstrated his words, “you must take a good stout pole – one of a good size for you, as this is a good size for me. Next you must gather a bundle of twigs and surround the pole with them. Tie them as tightly as you can so that they will work as hard for you as you do for them” The little old wood man held up the besom broom that he had made and the good woman knew what she must do. She left the stew for the little people of the woods and then she gathered all that she needed to make her broom. Before the sun went down that evening, the woman had in her hand the finest besom broom that you ever did see.
The next morning she took it out and found, to her delight, that it caught up all the leaves so that she could move them off her vegetable patch and set them aside for turning into compost. Each morning she did the same, working hard for her crops and treating her broom well so that her broom came to love her as much as she loved it. So much so that, when one day the good woman caught the flu and could not work, the besom broom took it upon itself to do her sweeping for her.
Now, just down the road from the good woman, there was a wicked woman who was so full of meanness that everyone would run away from her and call her a witch. She was jealous of the good woman and said that it was the good woman herself who must be a witch to have her garden grown so well for her. Not only that she said that the good woman must have enchanted all the people of the town to make them love her so. Well, it just so happened that this wicked mean woman was walking past the good woman's house just as the broom was doing the sweeping.
“I knew it!” exclaimed the wicked woman, “that horrible neighbour of mine gets all the good stuff using magic. Well, I'll show her! This evening I shall go round for a cup of tea and I shall steal that magic broom away from her.”
So, that very evening, the wicked woman called on the good woman and the good woman, although still quite ill, invited her in for a cup of tea. The besom broom stood in the corner and watched the mean old woman suspiciously. He soon worked out that she was up to no good and that she planned to steal something from the good woman (although he couldn't work out what she planned to steal). “I'll not have this!” thought the besom broom to itself, “That mean old woman will not steal from my mistress! I will take her away as far as I can!” And, with that, the besom broom leapt up, caught the old woman between the legs and flew her out of the door, up into the sky and across the town.
So it was that those townsfolk who were looking up that evening saw the mean old woman flying on a broomstick across the sky and called out to each other “Come, look at this – the wicked old witch is flying on a broomstick!”
The Magic Broom: A Story and craft for Halloween.
Once upon a time there was a good woman who lived by herself in a little cottage by the edge of a woods. She worked hard in her house and in her garden. She kept her house cosy and clean and, in her garden, she grew all manner of herbs and vegetables. And, because the woman worked so hard, her garden grew well for her giving her all that she needed. Any food that was left over she would give away to anyone who was poor and hungry and she used her herbs and her learning to help people who were sick. Because of this, all the people of the town loved her and called her a dear.
The only problem that the good woman had was that, try as she might, she could not keep the Autumn leaves from falling all over her vegetable patch. She was worried that if she could not keep the patch clear, then her vegetables would not get the sunlight they needed. So the woman took the finest of her ripe vegetables and, with these and some herbs, she made a delicious stew then she put the stew in a pot and went off to see the little people of the woods.
Now, as you may know, the little people of the woods will not appear for just anybody. They have very high standards and will only entertain the purest and most kind hearted of people but they knew of the good woman and of all that she did for the people of the town so, when she set down her pot and called to them, the oldest of the little wood people came out to greet her. The good woman told the little old wood man all about her problems with the leaves on her vegetable patch and he gladly decided to help her.
“Now my dear,” he said, and, as he spoke, he demonstrated his words, “you must take a good stout pole – one of a good size for you, as this is a good size for me. Next you must gather a bundle of twigs and surround the pole with them. Tie them as tightly as you can so that they will work as hard for you as you do for them” The little old wood man held up the besom broom that he had made and the good woman knew what she must do. She left the stew for the little people of the woods and then she gathered all that she needed to make her broom. Before the sun went down that evening, the woman had in her hand the finest besom broom that you ever did see.
The next morning she took it out and found, to her delight, that it caught up all the leaves so that she could move them off her vegetable patch and set them aside for turning into compost. Each morning she did the same, working hard for her crops and treating her broom well so that her broom came to love her as much as she loved it. So much so that, when one day the good woman caught the flu and could not work, the besom broom took it upon itself to do her sweeping for her.
Now, just down the road from the good woman, there was a wicked woman who was so full of meanness that everyone would run away from her and call her a witch. She was jealous of the good woman and said that it was the good woman herself who must be a witch to have her garden grown so well for her. Not only that she said that the good woman must have enchanted all the people of the town to make them love her so. Well, it just so happened that this wicked mean woman was walking past the good woman's house just as the broom was doing the sweeping.
“I knew it!” exclaimed the wicked woman, “that horrible neighbour of mine gets all the good stuff using magic. Well, I'll show her! This evening I shall go round for a cup of tea and I shall steal that magic broom away from her.”
So, that very evening, the wicked woman called on the good woman and the good woman, although still quite ill, invited her in for a cup of tea. The besom broom stood in the corner and watched the mean old woman suspiciously. He soon worked out that she was up to no good and that she planned to steal something from the good woman (although he couldn't work out what she planned to steal). “I'll not have this!” thought the besom broom to itself, “That mean old woman will not steal from my mistress! I will take her away as far as I can!” And, with that, the besom broom leapt up, caught the old woman between the legs and flew her out of the door, up into the sky and across the town.
So it was that those townsfolk who were looking up that evening saw the mean old woman flying on a broomstick across the sky and called out to each other “Come, look at this – the wicked old witch is flying on a broomstick!”
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Carding with Teasels
Last week we had a fantastic time washing our 'Tarry Wool'. The children helped me to wash it in cold water to get the dirt and sweat out. Then I cleaned out the lanolin with hot water. Tomorrow, it is time to card. I have got myself some teasels and knocked up some hand protectors from wadding and cloth so we're all set to card the old fashioned way. Although, having said that, we'll have some rather more efficient metal and wood hand carders available or we'll spend the rest of the year on carding!
Thursday, 29 September 2011
spinning
I'm really enjoying working with the children to prepare our fleece but looming on the horizon is the spinning task and, as the time approaches, I'm thinking that I really do need to teach myself to spin! The link below might be just the inspiration that I need. (sorry my link button isn't working - you made to cut and paste it)
http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2011/08/discovering-waldorf-spinning-straw-into.html
http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2011/08/discovering-waldorf-spinning-straw-into.html
Sunday, 25 September 2011
A story to tell while preparing the wool
I wrote this story to tell the children whilst we are picking the bits out of the wool. It goes with my previous post about the song Tarry Wool. I hope that any Scottish readers will approve of this story about the great Bard. (If it helps, I am descended from the MacIntosh clan)
Once upon a time in Scotland, there was a little boy called Robert Burns but, because this was Scotland, everyone knew him as Rabbie. Rabbie lived a hard life. Even as a young boy he worked hard to help his father plough and farm his land. But there was one thing that made little Rabbie happy. For Rabbie loved to listen to music; he loved to listen to his mother Agnes singing as she swept and cleaned their home; and he loved the songs of William, his father, and of the other farm workers as they toiled to make a living off the land.
As a boy and then as a man, Rabbie walked from hill to valley and from town to city, listening to the songs that the people were singing and learning them for himself.
One day, Rabbie was walking from one town to another, high up in the hills with no one but the windswept sheep for company, when he heard singing
“Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
tarry wool is ill to spin
Card it well oh card it well
Card it well ere ye begin”
Rabbie was very excited at the prospect of learning a new song and he followed the sound until he came across a group of shepherds, sitting busily working while they sang.
“Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
tarry wool is ill to spin
Card it well oh card it well
Card it well ere ye begin”
Rabbie asked if he could join the shepherds and listen to their song and he sat himself down by a young shepherd boy. After a while of listening to them singing and watching them working he asked the boy what he was doing. The boy told him how they were cleaning their sheep's fleece to get all the little bits out and Rabbie asked if he could help. He sat with the shepherds overlooking the valleys as they cleaned the fleece and sang their song. What's this black sticky stuff he asked the boy. Ah, well that is the tar. We always put black tar on the sheep if he hurts itself. It stops dirt from getting in. That's why we call dirty wool Tarry Wool. But, you know, this here Tarry wool is the greatest stuff in the world. It clothes rich and poor alike. And it keeps us all warm and healthy and, with that, all the shepherds joined in again to sing. Rabbie Burns never forgot the song they sang and, when he was older, he wrote it down in a book so that we might never forget it too.
“Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
tarry wool is ill to spin
Card it well oh card it well
Card it well ere ye begin”
Once upon a time in Scotland, there was a little boy called Robert Burns but, because this was Scotland, everyone knew him as Rabbie. Rabbie lived a hard life. Even as a young boy he worked hard to help his father plough and farm his land. But there was one thing that made little Rabbie happy. For Rabbie loved to listen to music; he loved to listen to his mother Agnes singing as she swept and cleaned their home; and he loved the songs of William, his father, and of the other farm workers as they toiled to make a living off the land.
As a boy and then as a man, Rabbie walked from hill to valley and from town to city, listening to the songs that the people were singing and learning them for himself.
One day, Rabbie was walking from one town to another, high up in the hills with no one but the windswept sheep for company, when he heard singing
“Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
tarry wool is ill to spin
Card it well oh card it well
Card it well ere ye begin”
Rabbie was very excited at the prospect of learning a new song and he followed the sound until he came across a group of shepherds, sitting busily working while they sang.
“Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
tarry wool is ill to spin
Card it well oh card it well
Card it well ere ye begin”
Rabbie asked if he could join the shepherds and listen to their song and he sat himself down by a young shepherd boy. After a while of listening to them singing and watching them working he asked the boy what he was doing. The boy told him how they were cleaning their sheep's fleece to get all the little bits out and Rabbie asked if he could help. He sat with the shepherds overlooking the valleys as they cleaned the fleece and sang their song. What's this black sticky stuff he asked the boy. Ah, well that is the tar. We always put black tar on the sheep if he hurts itself. It stops dirt from getting in. That's why we call dirty wool Tarry Wool. But, you know, this here Tarry wool is the greatest stuff in the world. It clothes rich and poor alike. And it keeps us all warm and healthy and, with that, all the shepherds joined in again to sing. Rabbie Burns never forgot the song they sang and, when he was older, he wrote it down in a book so that we might never forget it too.
“Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
tarry wool is ill to spin
Card it well oh card it well
Card it well ere ye begin”
Thursday, 15 September 2011
A song to sing while preparing the wool
I do love a bit of British folk music - it appeals to something deep within me and, as I was researching sheep rhymes e.g. baa baa black sheep, little bo peep, mary had a little lamb, I came across "tarry wool". I like the idea of learning it all and having the children sing the first verse with me as a chorus after each verse. I'll just have a week to learn it as next week, hopefully, we'll all be sitting with a fleece and taking out the bits and brambles ready for cleaning. I've linked in a youtube clip so you can get an idea of the tune (we won't be harmonising though!)
TARRY WOOL
Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
Tarry wool is ill tae spin
Card it well, oh, card it well
Card it well e'er ye begin
When it's carded, row'd and spun,
Then your work in almost done
But when it's woven, dreft and clean,
It will be clothing for a queen
Up, ye shepherds, dance and skip
O'er the hills and valleys trip
Sing in praise of tarry wool
And of the flock who bears it, too
Poor harmless creatures, without blame
They clothe the back and cram the wame
Keep us warm and hearty, too
Well's on us, our tarry wool
Hart and hind and fallow deer
Not by half so useful are
From kings to him that holds the plough
All are obliged to tarry wool
Who'd be a king, can any tell
When a shepherd lives so well
Lives so well and pays his due
With honest heart and tarry wool
Tarry wool, oh tarry wool
Tarry wool is ill tae spin
Card it well, oh, card it well
Card it well e'er ye begin
When it's carded, row'd and spun,
Then your work in almost done
But when it's woven, dreft and clean,
It will be clothing for a queen
Up, ye shepherds, dance and skip
O'er the hills and valleys trip
Sing in praise of tarry wool
And of the flock who bears it, too
Poor harmless creatures, without blame
They clothe the back and cram the wame
Keep us warm and hearty, too
Well's on us, our tarry wool
Hart and hind and fallow deer
Not by half so useful are
From kings to him that holds the plough
All are obliged to tarry wool
Who'd be a king, can any tell
When a shepherd lives so well
Lives so well and pays his due
With honest heart and tarry wool
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Mini Projects 1 - Acorn Necklaces
One of the purposes of handwork is to teach children patience and perseverance on long term projects. However, as this is so hard for some children, I will also include in my planning, smaller projects which link to the season and to the materials that we are working with. This acorn necklace on the rhythmofthehome website may be one such project. Collecting the acorn cups will be a lovely bridging activity for the children as it was the kind of the thing that they did in Kindergarten. Also, they can use the acorns themselves for counting with in their main classes.
A later addition that I found for our finger rhymes is this little poem
In small green cup an acorn grew,
On tall and stately oak.
The spreading leaves, the secret knew,
And hid it like a cloak.
The breezes rocked it tenderly,
The sunbeams whispered low,
“Some day the smallest acorn here,
Will make an oak, you know.”
Sunday, 28 August 2011
The Theories Behind Waldorf Handwork
I have read some excellent articles on the ideas behind teaching Handwork in the Waldorf Curriculum. However, I have not read Rudolf Steiner's ideas in the original so, in a world where everything seems to cost, it's great to get hold of a digital copy of his out of print book completely free of charge. Now all I need is some time to read it! Rudolf Steiner Handwork Book.
At the same source, I found this article on waldorf handwork The Human Hand: Its activities and role in education.
So now I have linked up to those theory based works, I can leave them until I feel more in my head and go back to looking up beautiful handwork projects to inspire my heart.
Teaching through story telling
Right now I'm trying to collect and create stories to teach with. I have come across a few written down online (including the finger knitting sheep one) but nothing beats a live retelling so I was delighted to find this video on youtube
Thursday, 25 August 2011
The beginnings of an idea - knitting needle tops
I have just come across this blog entry on The Indigo Rabbit for knitting needle tops I had been wanting to find an alternative to beads for the top of the children's homemade knitting needles and this looks fantastic. However, it may be harder to achieve than it looks and I'll have to try it for myself.
Obviously, this would need some adapting. For one, I'd be a little too nervous letting the children loose with felting needles so we could maybe do it using wet felting techniques. Maybe we could use fleece from different coloured sheep and blend the colours together? An exciting idea but will it work? If not this could be worth saving for older children. I just love the beautiful designs on the indigo rabbit!
Friday, 12 August 2011
Planning Ideas 2 - Spinning
I thought it would be a nice idea to show the children how to spin with a stone. Question is, will I be able to spin with a stone?!! Something for me to practise I think.
Stone Spinning
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Planning Ideas 1 - Making Knitting Needles
I have been spending the last couple of weeks searching the internet for resources. There is some good stuff out there but you do need to search for it and there's a part of me that worries that I won't find it when I need it. I have therefore decided to use this blog to put some links down for the projects that I am planning to do.
How to make your own knitting needles
More ideas for making knitting needles
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Get Connected
In today's materialistic society, I worry that there is more than just a lack of connection to other people. We have lost our connection to the earth, to nature and to ourselves. I believe that handwork can help in all these areas. Through working with and understanding raw materials, we come to value the earth from which they come and in valuing this, we will want to protect it. In working through the various processes involved in creating, we come to value the skills of the crafts men and women from all around the earth and we become interested in paying them a fair price for that which they create. Finally, in working through our ideas and developing our skills we come to value ourselves as creative and productive beings.
For me, these ideas are at the heart of handwork teaching and I hope to keep them alive in the classroom so that the children will learn to value and respect themselves, others and our world.
Monday, 8 August 2011
Opening and Closing Verse
May our work be done with care.
May our fingers work as friends together
May we our friendship share.
Our hands have completed their tasks with patience,
Our work has been done with care.
Our fingers have worked as friends together
And we have our friendship shared.
For teaching handwork, I am going to need to learn a few verses. I am going to learn my casting on and knitting verses fairly easily by repeating them to myself when I'm knitting these holidays. However, I really need to learn this verse which we will say at the start and end of each handwork session. Hopefully, posting it here will remind me!
Beginnings
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