Monday, August 24, 2009

Spinning Dreams, Knitting Hearts Together

I took my three Little Women
and set off to visit a dear friend, Adele,
for an afternoon of spinning, knitting, and friendly conversation.


Upon entering the welcoming home,
we saw the star of the show . . .


But before lessons began
we enjoyed perusing a collection of
Ukrainian and Russian heirlooms
received from family and friends.


We ventured into her textile studio and admired
her latest quilt creation in progress
made for orphans in Ukraine.


The loom in the center of the room caught everyone's attention
with it's simple beauty and intricate mechanics.


A pattern book holds the key


To weaving gorgeous fabrics like this Ukrainian Rose pattern.


We returned to the living room
and the wool rolled out to welcome these eager pupils.



The softness of the wool


Combined with the skill of a retired Home Economics teacher,
who bought her first wheel in 1975,
produced marvelous results.

First up . . . Rachel


Who showed a natural flair.


Lydia began her knitting lesson
while Rachel practiced spinning.


Next Elizabeth began spinning


While Rachel took up her knitting needles for lesson time.


Eventually Lydia switched to the wheel,
though she said she found knitting much more to her liking.

She, too, found her groove and spun some wool,


While Elizabeth launched into knitting.


All too soon our time together ended,
but Adele surprised us greatly
by sending her "spare" wheel home with us
for some practice time.


Smiles graced all faces
as we loaded the wheel into the car
and sped off for home
with a date to get together again next week
for another delightful afternoon of
spinning and smiling and sharing.

13 comments:

Linda said...

Wow, it is so neat these girls of yours are learning a craft, and such a unique one at that! They will have many satisfying hours throughout their lives doing these skills!

Tricia said...

What a treasure to learn such a craft! Your children are so blessed. :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post- I like the picture diary format of your day. Spinning is something I would love to try one day- what a great opportunity for your girls (did you have a go?)

joanne said...

Sounds like a fantastic afternoon and it looks as though your daughters are naturals. I have never tried spinning wool..I thought it would be much harder than it looked. How fortunate you are to have such talented and generous friends. I can't wait to see what creations may be on their way. Hope you are feeling well..;p

Karen Deborah said...

can I please be your daughter? Oh shoot I am already too old. That is a 5 star shining moment of home schooling. Wonderful. Farmers and artists in the dell, oh yeah and good cooks. Little Proverbs 31 midgets all!

farmlady said...

How wonderful that this woman shares her talent with you and your daughters..., and how wonderful that you bring your daughters the gift of family togetherness. You could have done this alone, but you choose to bring your girls with you. That says a lot about you.

June said...

Hi Debbie,
I am fascinated by the whole spinning your own yarn. The work it would take just to get the ready to that point. The clipping and carding to get it clean. What a wonderful time I had just watching your girls and their lessons. I felt like I was right their with you all.
Thank you for stopping by my place to see what I'm up to.
Hugs,
June

Unknown said...

What a blissfully domestic adventure!!! Wish I could have come along on the journey with my own little women =)

Anonymous said...

How fabulous!!! What a great friend you have found!! Keep us posted with all the great things you are all learning!!
Blessings,
Elizabeth

Sharon Goemaere said...

Oh how fun!My mum tried to teach me to crochet when I was a child.But it was lost on me...:-)I preferred books and diaries! LOL Blessings~Sharon

Ruth MacC said...

Lots of photos are ideal for that kind of story, step by step. I loved looking and reading. What an experience.

I like knitting even though I only knit squares. I sew them all together, sew them on to a nice blanket and make a quilt out of them. The result is nice even if it is so very simple:0)

Looking forwards to seeing some results from your 'little women'

Scrappy quilter said...

What a wonderful treasure you have in this gifted teacher and friend. I can't wait to see what the girls do with the spinning and knitting. Lifetime skills...they are the best!!
Hugs and thank you for your precious comments and prayers.

Theresa said...

Looks like a wonderful day and that you found a good teacher! My poor wheel has not been used in a year and I miss it. Maybe this fall when we settle back into a rhythm I will take her out again. I agree with the person who asked if she could be your duaghter too. I've enjoyed reading today... forgot how much I enjoy your blog! :-)