What handwork on you working on?

[epdeans]

I mentioned in a previous post( Let's talk intentions and rhythm)  that I am moving from the "gathering information" phase to the "doing "phase.

I have been gathering lots of inspiration for handwork to do.

On my list is:

Felt hearts for Valentine's Day

Window stars

Watercolor some wooden stars for wands for nieces

Try to felt some moth bitten sweaters

What are you currently working on?

Elizabeth in NC

[honeybunmom]

I'm constantly knitting. Every evening (I work out of the home full time). Otherwise, I have cut out all of the pieces to make ds (2) a felt dinosaur.  Today, after school, dd (6) is peeling the mountain of crayons we have and sorting them into muffin tins to "make" crayons.  Some will be multi-colored, some solid, I suppose. Next week, she's off with a friend to the pottery studio.  Also, Sunday has been our "waffle day" where the kids help to prepare the batter and I cook waffles.  Thinking of switching it to Saturday as I am trying to incorporate regular church attendance back into our schedules.

For the holidays we made paper snowflakes, baked Christmas cookies and I made a needle felted shepherd to add to the nativity scene and a knit snowman to add to our decorations.

Thinking hard about sewing ds another one piece pajama out of thrifted sweaters.  I made him two last year, but lucked up on 3 pair of footie pajamas and have a union suit knit up for him that is just awaiting its butt flap and button band, so, another item is not really necessary.

[Melaniee]

Handwork as parents or handwork with children?

I have a project I am hiding from. It's challenged me everytime I try...I should do it before I lose another Winter. Cableknit wrist-warmers.  And a scarf I've long since bored from. I just don't have staying power to do anything for longer than a week. ;)

[epdeans]

I am interested in any handwork projects that are going on. My son, Jake, is 21 months so we are limited by his abilities but I am excited about all the options out there.

Tomorrow we ( actually me but I am going to give Jake his own brush to play with)  are going to try wet on wet watercolor. I intend to use them for thank you cards for my family.

Elizabeth in NC

[JudiAU]

I finally put aside the scarf I've been knitting for the last year in favor of some crosstich projects I found on etsy. I find it very soothing.

My two year old has been working in the kitchen a lot lately washing the dishes or vegetables for me. She also likes colored pencils, finger paints, and watercolors in the tablet form. She has a small wooden lacing apple that she really loves (inexpensive - nicely made - A Toy Garden) which is a great introduction to sewing.

She can't reliablity use liquid watercolors yet. My four year old has done a lot of holiday baking plus draws for about an hour each day.

[Melaniee]

21 Months is really more of a 'play with mom's stuff while she works' age, I think. ;)  Actually that is the age my Dd was when my handwork moved to during naptime or after bedtime! 

[WindyCityMom]

Right now *my* handwork intertwines with cleaning!  And laundry.  But I'm going to start wet felting things to get ready for spring in my etsy shop... so we'll see.

For the kids, their handwork is often art- painting, coloring, etc.  Though I do have a basket of fabric scraps and ribbon scraps for them to "sew" with, and they do as they please :)

[epdeans]

Jake has been spending lots of time playing with water this week. He adores helping wash dishes. He is quite the diligent "pourer" of water from one container to another.

We have also spent alot of time coloring. I have treasured the evolution of his drawings as well as my own.

We have had a very mild weather week so have spent loads of time outside playing in leaves and making rock circles where he collects rocks and I place them in a circle.

I hope to begin some felting a couple small Valentine hearts soon. I intend to send them to my nieces. I also am going to design my first bunting to hang to welcome spring this year.

I am awaiting supplies to make some new lavender heating sacks. This will be the first time making my own. Does anyone have experience with this? I was wondering what the best cloth would be as well as the best "filler" for them.

[Gunter]

elizabeth- Thanks for starting this thread!  we made felt hearts last year with our Waldorf homeschool group and they became a permanent decoration to our home.  they are hung on many doorknobs throughout our house almost a year later!  They'd be fun to make, again.

honebunmom- do you have a picture or a link to the one piece from a sweater? 

i am working on making wool longies and a sleep sack from thrifted wool sweaters.  and, like windycitymom, my other work and baby prep plays into handwork right now.  getting things organized, too.  i really need to lanolize a batch of wool covers that i bought from a waldorf yahoo group.  

for dd's birthday, i'd like to make the felt dog from Feltcraft (perhaps?  I cannot recall.) but so far I only have a copy of the pattern printed out.  kinda slow going these days.   

for the younger ones, my girls really liked wet felting.  we used rocks, wooden eggs, etc with wool wrapped around them.  We'd take a bowl of sudsy water outside on nice days and do it there so the mess didn't bother anyone.  we used the kitchen sink and towels otherwise.  It may be a fun bathtub activity to contain how messy it gets!  ;)  Can you tell I am not a fan of things getting too crafty crazy right now? 

[honeybunmom]

Gunter, here you go!

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1275941/my-frugal-wooly-solution

[epdeans]

This week I am working in some new dish clothes. I have made some in the past and did not like how thick they were and how long they took to dry between dish washing events. I purchased some new yarn yesterday and am hoping it solves my problem.

I am also getting supplies ready to cut into some of my thrifted and moth gnawed on sweaters. I am not completly sure what I am going to do with them yet.

I am also going to make some of my own beeswax polish to polish some of my wonderful wooden things around here. I am going to pick up supplies this week.

Jake has continued to be enthralled with tons of water play. There has been a tremendous amount of pouring going on. He has also be carrying his step stool around to check out things at different heights.

I am enjoying this thread so much. Thanks for participating.

[honeybunmom]

With Valentine's Day around the corner, my daughter (6) has asked about making Valentine's Day cards for her class.  I think we'll just do what we did last year.  We started by taking some of our water color paper and painting it red. Then, we cut it into hearts and made a card for each child in the class. 

Currently finishing up dd's spring sweater. Once that is off the needles I have a knitting pattern to test for overalls sized to fit various sized Waldorf dolls.  I'll be knitting for our 16" doll.

[DsMamma]

I am just finishing up a quilt that I've sewn for DS (just hand sewing the binding).  Next, I am starting on a Waldorf doll for DS (and DH is going to make one for our niece!).

DS is 18 months and we are just starting to paint and color together.  Actually, DH is the artist, not me, and he and DS will draw together as well.  DS also loves helping in the kitchen and so I try to bake with him on my days off.  His particular favourite to make (and to eat!) are any type of muffin because it's easy for him to stir and they come out of the oven quickly enough that when he's enjoying a muffin warm from the oven he remembers that he helped to make them!  Our favourite recipes (well, the only 3 we make really) are oatmeal, bran, and bananna.

[MamaFern]

i always have a few knitting projects on the go.. currently i have 4 pairs of fingerless gloves that need thumbs..but its so cold here we cant possibly wear them anyways, so i have put it off...for now.

im also working on some cabled mittens (for me) and a sweater for my almost 4yo DD

I also have all of the fabric and a design for my first real quilt..but i don't really have the space to start laying it all out and cutting, ect. so that may wait till we move to a different space.

with my little ones, we are working on a rainbow scarf. they all take turns working on it..and i have a sewing project (buttons onto linen on an embroidery hoop) with my 6 yo DD.

we also often bring out the wool felt, roving, felting needles ect.. and stitch/felt little things. my 9YO son is especially into this. he likes to make zombie dolls (not so very waldorf, hey..but of well!)

i need to get some valentines girts underway pretty soon! thanks for the ideas.

i was planning on making my kids wool hot water bottle covers at Christmas (from second hand cozy sweaters) but got really busy, so that is my plan for valentines day. i have all of the materials. i just need a few evenings of sleeping children to get them made in secret!

[lyrebird]

I also have several knitting projects on the go which I'd like to take away with me on holiday this week - a little jumper for my youngest is nearly finished, a jumper for DH is 3/4 of the way through and has been for the past year....hopefully it's not moth eaten... a cowl for myself (which I haven't even started yet) and a vest for DS1.

I am planning on starting some woodwork with DS1 (6yrs) on a Friday afternoon rather than take up an extracurricular activity this term. Not sure what we'll make yet but I have a couple of vague ideas bubbling away. First thing can be some sanding and oiling (or waxing?) of blocks which have been unfinished for a few years... and organising of tools, learning to take care of tools and work space.

[epdeans]

I am really enjoying this thread. Thank you all for posting.

This week I am in the planning stage for Jake's 2 year birthday. He will be 2 in March so I am thinking of how to implement a simple birthday for him.

I intend to make him several playsilks and a bday crown. Any other ideas for a 2 year old?

Elizabeth in NC 

[aHikaru]

I have lots of wishful thinking for another baby, so I've been knitting a lot of baby things. Also have to finish DDs birthday banner before the 24th.

[blumom2boyz]

Elizabeth- for my dd's 2nd birthday, I made her a mama made waldorf baby.  Does your son have one yet? Also homemade playdough  is super easy and fun! 

Right now, I am knitting up a birthday sweater for my oldest as well as making him a birthday crown.  I also have some roving on the way to needlefelt a little fox and hopefully I can make a Mother Earth doll as well this week.  Since we are a homeschooling family, we always have some sort of project going on related to our Main Lessons, whether it is painting, crafting, cooking, modeling, etc.  And we like to make our valentine's cards so we will be crafting those this week as well! 

[GranolaMum]

I made King Winter for our nature table and finally finished him last week (after working on him on and off for 2 winters).  Tomorrow, making jam tarts with the kids and maybe some heart cookies for Valentine's Day.

My next project - maybe Mother Earth for the nature table in time for Spring?

[Gunter]

my almost 4 year old has a birthday soon so her big sis and i are working on little pirate figures for her.  we found some inspiration in Feltcraft and are kinda just making things up as we go.  the big sis is making a treasure chest from felt with some gold pieces in it; it's so cute! 

we just had a baby here so there is a lot of snuggling/holding going on!  i saw these little felt dolls on an etsy shop and think we could whip up a couple for two dear big sisters.  don't they look simple to make but oh so precious?  we're still in the newborn faze of sleeping all the time so are actually getting some homeschooly crafts done still. she just sleeps right along with us as we craft away or nurses along as we read.