Elementary School Demo Days

We had a great 2 days at a local Elementary school this week. Monday and Tuesday we had close to 250 students come through our Weaving room and our Spinning room, 1 class at a time. We had children from PreK-5th grade. Each class was split between the two rooms and we had on average 20 minutes to show our craft and let the kids have some hands on experience. Set up day was on Friday the week before. Shannon headed up the planning and the set up day. The Weaving room consisted of 6 table looms, 1 floor loom, 1 rigid heddle loom and an Inkle loom. There was displayed various woven items and a tapestry loom. The staff for the weaving room was Liz #2, Susan #2,Phyllis, Kris, Liz #1, Barbara and Susan #1 who spent one day in the Spinning room and I day in the Weaving room. Most of the pictures were taken without the children present to protect their identity.

In the Spinning room which is right next door to the Weaving room, we had a display area of handspun and hand knitted and woven items. There was also a couple of distaves 1 with wool and the other with flax. The staff for the Spinning room included Tina, Samantha,Jenny,Karin, John Paul and Susan #1. I (Tina) did a really quick intro to spinning and then the kids were divided up to go to the different staff memebers. I was on the great wheel where I had the kids turn the wheel while I managed drafting out about 36 inches of yarn which we then plied back on itself to make them a little bracelette. There was one staff member showing the kids how to handcard and several pairs of handcards to let the kids give it a try and 2 staff members on drop spindles. When time was almost up for the group I would show the kids the items that I had made. Towards the end of the day on the second day, as I held up a particulary warm shawl that I made last year from handspun, one of the kids wanted to feel what it would feel like as a blanket. I tossed it on him and of course the blanket had to make the rounds of several kids. Then it was time for them to line up to go.

At the end of the second day we packed up and took most of the items to the craft center to distrubute next Tuesday, but the 6 table looms we have left behind for the Art teacher to use for the next few weeks in her class time. Once we get the looms back we will "finish" the woven fabric so that the art teacher can use it in a display. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, back at the Weaving Center, after lunch there was "Show and Tell". Mark had a placemat and Bonnie came and showed a top she had made with the fabric she had woven a couple of months ago.

That is all I have for you today friends, Until next week, this is Tina, for all!