https://educationfreedom.locals.com/upost/4672591/knitting-and-crafts-in-steiner-education
This article that I’ve shared in my local’s account, on knitting, is a great read, and clearly explains why handicrafts are so important to life, and bodily development. All of my children have followed a variation of this plan to become accomplished in a variety of handicrafts, and on a more personal level different crafts continue to appeal to each of the children as they grow older.
Co-vid lockdown saw us enjoying the restfulness of the city and some of the littler things, such as quiet displays for Autumn.
As Irving was a little confused about our “home school” also turning into “home office” signs were placed on doors, so that he could work out if Dad and Willow (DD20) were free for a chat. Eventually he worked out their daily flow, and the signs became unnecessary.
Lockdown cooking with Irving- potato scones.
And some German biscuits known as railway tracks.
Me having some fun with decorating my coffee. 🙂
Robin Hood with the boys. Reading together is still one of my favourite family activities.
Working my way gradually through modern history.
Learning about Saints with Irving.
And Arden’s rabbit.
Arden has moved onto doing more complex geometry this year, and Irving loves joining in.
Irving working on woven stars.
Arden’s star.
Arden’s floral pattern.
Irving having some fun.
Looking at various polyhedrons and the 12 division of the circle.
24 division of a circle.
Preparations for a spiral.
Making progress on perspective.
Hexa-flexagon’s thanks to Vi Hart.
And borromean rings also thanks to Vi Hart. (Irving made heaps of these, and then later moved onto paper chains.)
Arden finally finished knitting his socks, and since I was required to knit at his pace for this project;so did I. He was not a fan of knitting the whole way through (we kept having chats about he never needed to knit again if he dislike it, but this skill would enable him to fix his knitted clothes for the rest of his life) and finally after doing the whole thing quite slowly but very competently, he declared knitting was ok and knit a strawberry!
Arden’s knitted and wet felted strawberry.
Socks finished for Irving.
Irving’s knitting for bilby.
Arden and I started pattern grading these slippers for him- though progress has been a little slow.
Arden working on a bag for his harmonica- he did both machine and hand sewing for this projects.
And he was very pleased when I finally finished this blanket for him. 🙂
Hard waste find being re-newed.
Arden (and I) have been learning Latin using the Lingua Latina series. (We’ve also picked up “The Gruffalo” in Latin and Harry Potter- though we’re a way off reading them yet! :D)
Celebrating winter solstice with a fire, sunrise and damper baked in the ashes.
Our Kodaly music teacher suggested this book- so with the help of Willow, who studied at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) Irving, Arden and I are working through this. Both boys have been self-teaching piano with the help of youtube, and this is give some extra structure to their progress.
Finally just because in lockdown all these little moments in nature were so appreciated. Walking past the bird sanctuary at Alfred Cove at sunset.
We have had a few family things going on around here this past term, and so I seem to have taken fewer pics than usual. Irving has been continuing along learning to read and write, and count and all the usual things that little people do, which in his case includes experimenting with instruments, paper cut outs and working out how things work.
Arden has been continuing along on latin, using Ligua Latina, learning about Ancient Rome, Hawaii and the polynesian nations, and geology. We’ve almost finished knitting socks (Irving has been learning to knit too) and he’s been learning to sew on the sewing machine.
This game has ended up being used quite creatively for various constructions by Irving.
Flower Pressing and decorating candles.
Arden progressing through his knitting. One sock down, one sock to go for both of us.
Constructing platonic solids out of modelling wax and tooth picks.
Woodwork with the “Joy of Wood”. Using traditional tools.
A dice by Arden, out of wood, and a dice by Irving out of aluminium.
Working on some handsewing- beanbags and a scabbard.
Arden working on designing a harmonica bag for his first machine sewing project.
Some of my sewing. Pyjama repairs.
Learning to do bound buttonholes.
Finished!
Turning jeans into a skirt with fringe.
Arden’s cooking- checkerboard cookies.
Streusel.
Some of our garlic harvest. We’ve also had tomatoes and capsicums and potatoes this year.
Our drawings from reading “Red Riding Hood”
Irving’s.
Arden’s.
Mine.
Out enjoying the Winter Light’s in Brookfield Place.
Since people were sick around here, I’ve been a bit slow about posting what’s been happening. So here are some recent crafts. I finished off a new bra, in green gingham, and I’m feeling very pleased with the results. This is the first bra that I’ve made that has straps that are really comfortable.
I started making Damien another knitted tie. It’s looking good so far, and I’ve been surprised by how much I like the colour combination. (I’m using some left over wool out of my basket.)
I finished some jamies for Irving. He’s very pleased to have some that match Arden’s.
Irving picked the red buttons from my stash of vintage buttons.
Arden and I have been working on a block of crafts relating to how people clothe themselves. He did a small project on our lap loom and made a cape for a teddy bear. We were also lucky enough to come across WAFTA doing some demonstrations on weaving, book binding and basket making.
Getting set up.
Shuttles are ready.
One completed cape!
Teddy modelling the cape.
Arden has almost finished his pyjama pants. He is up to sewing the hems, and we threaded the elastic into the waist band yesterday.
Gabriel finished has handsewing project, and is very happy with his new tie.
Gabriel started using the sewing machine yesterday, generally experimenting with it, and getting a feel for how it works. He is making a book cover for his first project on the sewing machine.
The start of the book cover.
Over the last portion of term 3 Arden and I worked on a block about the elements. We did lots of activities out of Earth, Air, Fire and Water– some with better success than others but all of them were interesting and fun.
Trying our rolling the cotton spools and seeing if we can get any of them to rewind back up.
Here we are selecting crystals to float- seeing how many and what sort we can put in before our boat sinks.
We made a basic waterwheel. This was lots of fun and we’re thinking of doing a better quality one. (This was done whilst Irving was napping- so we were aiming to be quick!)
This was the start of our shadow puppet theatre.
Trying out with the light
Adding some scenery. Later in the evening we had a full puppet show- featuring a serious of sea creatures and other animals that Arden created.
Arden had been continuing to work on his crocheting skills. so he and I worked on creating pentagon dishcloths. This is my dishcloth.
Here is Arden’s.
Arden has found crocheting a bit trickier than knitting, so we have decided to take a break from it for now and we are doing some more knitting. Presently he is follow a pattern to make a knitted monster, and I am looking at doing a vintage roll-neck top with beading.
Arden and I finished the term working on Aesop’s fables; doing some written work and practising his cursive, as well as doing some modelling. Irving really enjoyed getting into this too.
Gabriel has continued to work on his zebra out of zebra fabric! It has progressed a bit since here and he is hoping to finish it soon, and work at making a hand-sewn tie.
Willow is getting ready to make herself a Halloween circle skirt. She selected this creepy fabric 🙂
And this is the pattern she is following.
I’m in the process of trying to make myself a vintage bra out of one of Damien’s old cotton shirts. I’m following the pattern from VaVoomVintage, hopefully my first try will be a success, but I’m realistic that there are a few skills in this that are new to me.
Here we have an interlude into some spontaneous science. My smartrider broke- so we chopped it into pieces looking for the chip- which is in the right of the picture.
Willow spent the last term working on science- reading about natural fertility in the first half, and learn about immunity and eugenics, genetics and Francis Galton in the second half. Gabriel has also been working on science and has been looking at carbohydrates, sugars and proteins. He’s finishing off a block on European geography right now.
When we headed to Fremantle to pick up everyone’s pottery, we made a day of it and visited their gallery and the Maritime museum. The Arts centre had a lovely Indian exhibition of fabric.
A kit for Indigo dying and making Jeans.
We stopped for a look at the Submarine, before heading in to see the Pearl exhibit which was both beautiful and interesting.
We started the official holiday break with a visit to Winterland in the Cultural Centre and a session of iceskating. Damien took the older kids along, andI hung out with Irving and some friends. Everyone was pleased with a surprise visit from channel 9,meaning they got to be on TV and bonus skating time!
Arden has been doing quite a bit of nature study this year, and we’ve spent quite a bit of time bird watching in our local area. Swan River is one of our favourite places for a walk, and Arden has been enjoying watching out for water birds.
Each week for the last four years we’ve been doing a home education session of basketball. Currently we head out to a session at Leederville, and over the years it has become our ritual to stop off for a coffee on the way home. Recently one of the lovely staff at La Veen, made Gabriel a special hot chocolate.
During the holidays I booked Willow, Gabriel and Arden into a session of pottery at the Fremantle Arts Centre. It was our first time there, and unfortunately for Arden and I, it absolutely poured the day we went. Other than that everyone enjoyed it and found it quite beautiful. We are yet to pick up the finished works.
Fremantle Arts Centre.
Irving turned two in the holidays and we celebrated with a rose petal and poppy seed cake.
This is my second spoon in progress, I haven’t quite totally finished it, as I need to pick up some sandpaper for the finishing touches.
Some of Arden’s form drawing in action.
Arden making geometric shapes from his JUMP maths.
Willow making kitty pancakes.
Arden’s first attempt at crocheting. Learning to make a chain.
Arden crocheting in action.
Over the holidays we took it fairly easy; caught up with some friends and stuck to activities near home. Damien was looking for work, and only recently found a new job, so we were sticking with free activities as much as possible. Fortunately the kickstart festival was on, so Willow and Gabriel went to some things for that. Willow did a bike repair class with Dismantle, which she came back inspired from, then there was a crochet session, and Willow and Gabriel both went to a flower crown workshop. Arden and Gabriel, Irving and I went to a poppy making workshop at the Art Gallery for Anzac day.
Irving has been getting into playing by himself and with Arden, which is making life easier for everyone! 🙂 He’s loving the trainset.
Gabriel just finished a block on geometry, particularly focusing on polyhedrons. Now he’s onto learning about the weather, and is reading “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”. He’s also been avidly reading HG Wells this year.
We all headed to the activities for ANZAC day round Perth this year, particularly focusing on the music, so that we could dance. Willow was lucky enough to get her hair styled for free into a gibson roll.
Gabriel has been working on his pattern for a stuffed Zebra, this is experimental pattern no 1, being made out of an old pair of pyjamas.
Arden working at Life of Fred!
And our latest form drawing- working on stars with Arden. My five pointed star.
Arden’s first attempts- progressing from the form on the top left, across to a full star.
Willow’s beautiful knitting- a vintage beret!
And working on her sewing- her first machine project, a pillowcase.
Button details!
A new Waldorf painting book. Love it so far, has some great ideas for colour painting.
Finally nearly finished Gabriel’s reciting! We’ve been working on this for a year, he is very close to having “The Coming of Arthur” mastered.
Willow has been busy focusing on her history with a musical leaning this year, and is gradually get through her work. We watched “Joyeux Noel” recently as part of this. All of her history work is being arranged so that she can add to her musical knowledge, whilst still meeting the national curriculum requirements. It is working out to be very interesting for us both, to learn about history from this slightly different perspective.
Term one is over again, and has disappeared very quickly as usual. We seem to have a much more relaxed rhythm this year, which is lovely, three days of school work at home, one out, and one day off. Willow is following her own timetable this time, and getting herself to most of her out of home activities. She’s had a busy term, and is enjoying rehearsing for her latest performance with Gilbert and Sullivan; this time they’re doing “Pirates of Penzance“. She has been finding herself a little too busy, with her school work, music practise and circus teaching, and we have been trying to find a nice balance so that she has time for her own interests. Currently she’s madly knitting half her friends fingerless gloves!
Willow working on making herself a pillowcase.
Gabriel is now working through his second block of the term: geometry, unusually we started with geography this time. Looking at the poles and North and South America. Currently he’s working on making a stuffed toy zebra and planning the pattern for it. He’s also decided that he wants to learn the unicycle at circus, and so has been focusing on that as his main skill. He also passed his first jujutsu belt grading recently, so that was a bit of an exciting moment for him, and he’s already planning for his next grading. (Willow meanwhile is hoping to delay grading her next belt for as long as possible! She likes being better than what her belt suggests.)
Gabriel’s map of Antarctica
Sketching a Zebra
Arden and I worked together on lots of interesting symmetrical pictures for our first block for the year. Some were painted, and some were using filed pieces of wax crayons that were then melted; we also did some work on his printing and cursive during this time.
Mix of symmetry works done during our form drawing block
I have been busy doing some more craft, and am gradually getting through some projects, as some things start to get easier to do again, now that Irving is getting bigger. I’m onto my third pair of tap shorts, and have finally made Irving a Christmas stocking, and done a little bit of work on Arden’s (which was fraying around the edge.)
The lining!
I found this book in David Jones for only $10. Was a great surprise 🙂
We have just finished reading “The King of Island’s Son” by Padraic Colum, and have really enjoyed it. We started in when Gabriel was doing grade 2 but for some reason never finished it. so it was nice to come to the end. We’ve now moved on to the “Celtic Wonder Tales” for story time, and Arden’s main lesson story is Aesop’s fables, whilst Gabriel is reading 1421 and Willow is reading HMS. Ulyssees. As a family we are reading “The Princess and the Goblin” by George Macdonald- he and Padraic Colum are two of our favourite authors around here.
We had a fabulous time going to many events during Fringe and Festival time- there were a few bonus surprise outings (Arden got free tickets to a show, and we made a last minute booking into a yo-yo class), as well as planned in advance outings to see the Swing Revue. Damien took Willow and Gabriel off to see Madama Butterfly, and we also attended some baroque orchestras and an education session on Baroque music(which was fabulous and lots of fun). Last but not least, I must mention the giants, as they were certainly a high point of the festival. We were very spoiled with them spending quite a bit of time in our park across the road!
The giants asleep.
We’ve recently had our annual review, which as usual I’m pleased is done, and we’ve pretty much finished our work for this year- Willow and Gabriel are just finishing off a few extra things. It’s been very hectic chasing around our almost 18month old Irving, and doing yr 9, yr 7 and yr 1, but there’s been lots of lovely work done and some really enjoyable events this year.
So after a very hectic term and year we are finally finished.
Arden finished his first knitting project earlier in the year. A purse for his doll. It was knitted with pure wool and then wet felted, and finished with a button. We didn’t really need to wet felt it, as Arden’s knitting was very beautiful. Often little people make a few mistakes here and there, and the wet felting helps to finish it off nicely.
Arden has been working at his cursive and print this year, with the focus on cursive.
Gabriel finished knitting his socks. He’s become adept at following the patterns and has finally really settled into knitting well.
She was lucky to get an opportunity to make a harp.
She also got to attend a recording session of voice overs, and get an idea of what it’s like to be a voice actor. She’s also joined the Gilbert and Sullivan society with her dad, which she is loving. She’s really enjoying getting to perform and sing on the stage again.
There has been a lot of interesting excursions and activities this year and particularly this term. We’ve been to Herdsman Lake and the Literature Centre and learnt about beekeeping. We’ve done lots of circus, jujutsu, basketball and dancing. We’ve been to the ballet a few times (last performance is this week) and we won an incursion to the balllet (thanks ballet WA 🙂 !) where we discovered that ballet originates from fencing! Not surprising when one thinks about it.
Anyway it’s been a very full and interesting year. With everyone progressing along nicely, and lots of fun and work along the way!
Gabriel’s lego construction of one of Leonardo da Vinci’s contraptions.
Arden experimenting with tangrams.
We purchased a sewing machine earlier this year, and it has finally come out of the box, so Willow, Gabriel and I have been experimenting with it. Gabriel and I have just been doing some lines. Willow has been making little purses.
Bunch of unicorns 
