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Handwork Day
Jul. 12th, 2010 10:40 pmA few months ago Elli comes up to me while I'm knitting and says
"Mommy! I wanna do that thing you do with the pointy thing"
I think about this.
"Do you mean you want to knit baby?"
"NO! The other thing. With the circle thing"
*lightbulb* I had been working on Gray's Christmas stocking a few weeks prior.
"You want to do some stitching?" " YES!" "Okay baby, I'll have something for you tomorrow"
I went to my stitching stash, pulled out this cheap evenweave I picked up years ago for doodle cloth, whack off a good size square, put it in a 5 in hoop. Grab some red #3 pearl cotton and use my water soluble marker to draw a small snowflake pattern. The next day we sit down together in my rocking chair and "stitch" my hand over hers and talking her through the process. She lost interest about halfway through and I put it away.
She finally remembered it again about 2 weeks ago. We pulled it out and finished it. Yea Elli!
Ike and Gwen then decide they want to stitch. First, we make a trip to Michaels so everyone can pick out their own embroidery hoop (I only have 1) Everyone picks a different color, so there will be NO arguments about whose hoop is whose. A couple of nights ago I whack off some more fabric and load the hoops.
This afternoon, we sit down while Gray is napping and stitch! Ike is sitting on the kitchen table and working pretty independently. He understands the push from the bottom, pull from the top thing. He only needed the occasional "What do I do now Mommy?" instruction. His independence was actually really useful, as Gwen needed her needle re-threaded after every pull. He was kind enough to help her. This allowed me to divide my attention between the two girls. Elli didn't need me to guide her hands anymore, but she did need me to point out exactly where she needed to go. Gwen, touching a needle for the first time, needed my hands to guide her. Helping all three through this process was actually pretty intense. But I have to admit, pretty cool.
And I have to admit, I was VERY happy to hear Gray wake up when he did. After an hour I was wiped!
Both Ike and Gwen finished their snowflakes, and Elli got a good start on her next ornament a Christmas tree in 3 colors using backstitch. Ike also started his tree too. He kept stitching for awhile in my room after Gray woke up.
I am really liking how much Ike is enjoying handwork. He gets very calm and centered and (YES!!!!) focused. The only downside I could possibly see is that someday some other friend might make some disparaging comments.
I also need to come up with some more projects for them to work on...must do research. =)
"Mommy! I wanna do that thing you do with the pointy thing"
I think about this.
"Do you mean you want to knit baby?"
"NO! The other thing. With the circle thing"
*lightbulb* I had been working on Gray's Christmas stocking a few weeks prior.
"You want to do some stitching?" " YES!" "Okay baby, I'll have something for you tomorrow"
I went to my stitching stash, pulled out this cheap evenweave I picked up years ago for doodle cloth, whack off a good size square, put it in a 5 in hoop. Grab some red #3 pearl cotton and use my water soluble marker to draw a small snowflake pattern. The next day we sit down together in my rocking chair and "stitch" my hand over hers and talking her through the process. She lost interest about halfway through and I put it away.
She finally remembered it again about 2 weeks ago. We pulled it out and finished it. Yea Elli!
Ike and Gwen then decide they want to stitch. First, we make a trip to Michaels so everyone can pick out their own embroidery hoop (I only have 1) Everyone picks a different color, so there will be NO arguments about whose hoop is whose. A couple of nights ago I whack off some more fabric and load the hoops.
This afternoon, we sit down while Gray is napping and stitch! Ike is sitting on the kitchen table and working pretty independently. He understands the push from the bottom, pull from the top thing. He only needed the occasional "What do I do now Mommy?" instruction. His independence was actually really useful, as Gwen needed her needle re-threaded after every pull. He was kind enough to help her. This allowed me to divide my attention between the two girls. Elli didn't need me to guide her hands anymore, but she did need me to point out exactly where she needed to go. Gwen, touching a needle for the first time, needed my hands to guide her. Helping all three through this process was actually pretty intense. But I have to admit, pretty cool.
And I have to admit, I was VERY happy to hear Gray wake up when he did. After an hour I was wiped!
Both Ike and Gwen finished their snowflakes, and Elli got a good start on her next ornament a Christmas tree in 3 colors using backstitch. Ike also started his tree too. He kept stitching for awhile in my room after Gray woke up.
I am really liking how much Ike is enjoying handwork. He gets very calm and centered and (YES!!!!) focused. The only downside I could possibly see is that someday some other friend might make some disparaging comments.
I also need to come up with some more projects for them to work on...must do research. =)