Waldorf handwork grade one : a year in review

K's first grade handwork projects in order (From September to June):

playing with fiber (drafting wool)

wool clouds (original post here)

Knitting needles (made from wooden dowels and acorn caps) *Unfortunately I do not have a pictures of these. We lost one on our trip to Idaho. She'll be making a smaller set this fall so I will share them then*


horse reins (finger knitting and embroidery)

kitty and mat

baby bunting

chick

lamb (last photo is of K's huge lamb with one of my first Mama sheep! You can read about my learning to knit experience with this lamb project here)

rainbow ball

lion (finished the very last day of school)

Please forgive this somewhat sentimental post, I am just so proud of my sweet K! Handwork is by far the favorite subject in school for both K and I (if only I was so lucky to have had it myself) so I thought it would be nice to have a record of her school knitting projects to look back on. Not to mention that this will be helpful for me in the coming years when I teach first grade to my younger children.

I was getting a bit misty-eyed as I uploaded these photos, remembering her bringing each one of these creations home so full of pride and excitement. And oh, the stories she had to go with them! All of these creations currently dominate her bedroom and cuddle with her every night. She tells me all the time that she just loves them so much because she made them herself.

I can't get over how much progress she has made as well as all the techniques she has learned in her very first year of knitting (the knit stitch, casting on and off, basic shaping, color changing, and finishing details, such as the sewing together and proper stuffing of a three dimensional piece. She also learned to make two different types of cords: "twizzled" and a variation on braiding.) She really picked it all up quite easily. Her teacher told me that it might be from all her years of observing me as I knit. My goodness, I was nowhere near as adventurous as her when I first learned. I stuck with sheep my first year and knit them over and over again until I had an army of them. Only then did I feel confident enough to move onto something different.

I was so fortunate to have had a meeting with K's handwork teacher to discuss second grade handwork curriculum before the end of the school year. I am so very grateful for her plans, help and advice. I will be teaching K how to purl! I am excited to dive into the projects she'll be making; one of which is a gnome, need I say more?! Handwork is an area I feel fully prepared and confident with right now. I can't say the same about the rest of our second grade lessons but hopefully that will change once I have our complete curriculum in hand and can begin studying and planning everything out.

Waldorf handwork grade one : a year in review