Thank You Helping Hands!

We are so grateful to the Helping Hands Foundation for donating a knitting kit to each student in all three of my classes at both schools. The kits included an instruction book, needles, and yarn. The students really enjoyed getting their gift and the supply of yarn was helpful in these last weeks of the school year when the yarn supply was dwindling.

Meanwhile, projects and creativity are alive and well in our neck of the woods. Here's a recent showing from the junior high.




And some nice work from the high school.

Not Just Jr. High Anymore

This spring has brought a new opportunity for me and that is to teach knitting to high school students in addition to the junior high. It has been fun getting to know my new students as well as having some of my old students take my class again. As before, I am adjusting to working with this age level.

First lesson: Senior girls are a sub-culture of their own.

I'll just leave it at that for now.

One thing is the same, though: KIDS CAN KNIT! In just a few weeks, look what the high schoolers have whipped out.


Representing for the boys:

A fun dishcloth.


And a sock.


And the girls are amazing:

Dishcloth.


Octopus...of her own design.


A gorgeous Tam.


Lace Hat...another of her own design.


Dishcloth.


Earflap hat.


Handbag and a Slice of Cake...more of HER designs...do you see a budding designer here?

Firsts

This past quarter was seriously a time for firsts.

I suppose that happens when students are taking seconds and thirds at their turn of a nine week knitting quarter. Look and see what we have.

1st Baby Blanket



1st Hot Dog


1st Superhero



1st Personalized Coasters


1st Santa



1st Use of Bamboo


1st Sweater--Complete with hood and pocket


1st Personalized Hats




1st Striped Dishcloth


Though the following are not necessarily firsts...they are also not the least.
Great job everyone!!

Merry Christmas Fun!

Merry Christmas to you from the Denney Family! Our Christmas card this year was a picture taken at The Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. We toured the home in June on our Washington D.C. vacation and the tour was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. The photo was taken by a kind and unsuspecting tourist who did not know we would hold him hostage until he got the shot just right. Thank you to whoever you are!! My son then Photoshopped (is that a verb now?) the photo to create differences in a second photo. Both went out in the card.

There are 8 differences between the two shots...did you find them all? Answers are below.

1. Santa's sleigh
2. Wreath over door
3. Missing tourist
4. Other tourist's shirt turned pink
5. Missing window under gable of the house
6. Extra spot on tree where branch was trimmed
7. Darin's watch is missing
8. A letter on Connor's shirt is changed

Knitting is Tight

This is what one of my students declared the other day. He wasn't talking about tension or gauge, though, of course, sometimes knitting can be loose or tight. No, he was talking about the cool factor of knitting. The Online Slang Dictionary lists this as the first definition for the word tight: very good, excellent; COOL, HIP.

When applied to knitting, I must agree.

And here we go with our latest gallery.

A "very good" dishcloth.


A most "excellent" sweater.


A "hip" teddy bear.


A couple of "cool" hats.



More "very good" dishcloths.


A "hip" cell phone holder.


An "excellent" Steelers hat.


"Cool" Bunny.

If You HAD To

I used to tell my own kids how lucky they were that 30 minutes of reading was assigned to them for homework each night. That I wish someone told me that I had to read. I would gladly stop housework chores for 30 minutes, plop down on the couch and read. Just think how many books I'd read if someone told me I had to?

Now what if someone told you that you HAD to knit for one hour each day. I think I would let out a large exaggerated sigh, "Oh I guessssss so!!!" (So as not to let on that I secretly like the idea--they might not make it my requirement anymore.) Just think how much knitting would get done!

This is how it is for my students. They spend one hour (or thereabouts) each day in a situation where they are required to knit. Rough life eh? But just look at how much gets done!

A lovely dishcloth.


Some awesome fingerless mittens from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders.


A sweet baby hat.


A racer stripe dishcloth.


A very warm beanie.


Monster bear sporting a cool outfit.


Super soft baby blanket.


Yet another great dishcloth.


A very bright and warm beanie.



And the famous sweater that has the whole school talking.