I love working with students!

I've started a seven week artist in residence position with a local school district.  These are 3rd through 5th graders who are pulled out once a week for a 5 hour stint in gifted class.  The only break we get is for lunch; the rest of our time is productive fiber arts!

Each student produces a few of their own projects but we also make a project that stays in their classroom.  This is last week's piece woven from yarn that we dyed in class.  They do the weaving and I tie it off after the week is finished.  I've mounted their weaving on an old mill quill from one of our local textile mills. I'd acquired a case of these lovely oak quills several years ago  and continue to find special uses for them.  I also gave them a little extra bit of local history as I warped their class loom with a lovely local cotton yarn.  About ten years ago a dear friend called me from an antique store to tell me she'd found some neat wooden spools for only $2 each.  She said she thought I'd like to wrap my handspun yarn on them for display but first I'd have to take the old yarn off of them.  The "old yarn" turned out to be awesome and I have treasured it, using it for special school projects where I thought the students would enjoy the history behind it.  I've used up all but three of the original spools of yarn.

Helping

Eric, our middle child, helped Glen, his older brother, take down a tree in the back yard.  I was not informed of the details other than that they had to buy even more rope than they already had and that it was near power lines.  Certainly keeps a mother in prayer!

Baling Twine

Baling twine comes in handy a lot around here.  Obviously it holds together all of those square and round bales we feed out throughout the year.  It also comes in handy for various short and long term repairs.  But we have concluded that it is somehow related to kudzu as it seems to pop up just about anywhere and multiply.  We had a pleasant day so as I was meandering back from the stable where I'd put on a dye pot I gathered bits and pieces.  I had a fairly impressive ball of baling twine by the time I reached the front of the house.  And I'm sure there is still plenty to gather tomorrow.