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| Applying the color to the fiber with sponges. |
This week is the first week of several camps that I’m teaching through Montgomery County College. The camp, titled “String Theory” is all about using string in various crafty ways: the children learn to knit, sew, spin and dye yarn.
This session maxed out with 12 children have been absolute rockstars. In the 9 short hours we’ve had together thus far, they’ve got a project bag half finished, have created their first yarn, and have gotten several inches of knitting done. It’s pretty impressive.
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| The hot microwaved fiber, cooling in the sink. |
Today was our messy day, and we spent the first part of the afternoon using vinegar, water and food coloring to dye their own spinning wool. This evening, as I write this post, I’m ferrying their fiber to a from the microwave to fix the dye. My hands are covered in red, blues and greens which I doubt will fade by the weekend. I’m exhausted, but happy.
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| All the girl’s dyed fiber, getting ready to be dried. |
It’s so great to be working with children in a camp setting again. Some of the girls were so excited by what they were doing they went out and got their own supplies so they could practice at home. I love teaching children – both because I think skills like these should be passed on, and because of their sheer excitement over learning new things.
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| Look how vibrant the colors turned out! |
