Recently we have significantly cut back on TV, videogames and computer time for the kids and guess what? I have new kids! Suddenly reading, constructing a megastructure or drawing an illustrated picture is fun. Imagine that!
I love this and want to wholeheartedly encourage it because it has been kind of a hard transition for the kids from what they are used to and it's my fault for compromising on what I knew to be the case. If they don't have those distractions, they recreate themselves in a more creative way.
Today when we were shopping for groceries at Yoder's Amish Market, Charmie found a yoyo and Zuri found some stamps (her latest fixation). Mardie wasn't with us because this was his special weekend with his grandparents for his birthday.
I was kind of surprised that Charmie and Zuri were fascinated with the toys they selected. Usually they are interested in Legos or dolls or other more complicated toys. These were simple. . .
I decided to make Mardie's toy since he wasn't there to pick it out. By choosing something different from Charmie, they can both learn new skills, and there should be less competition between them over newly gained skills. Hopefully, I may even see them encouraging one another o.O
Mardie's footbag is made with green embroidery floss and craft thread with a size C hook. The pattern is a free Ravelry download. It was rather quick to make and I stuffed it with Poly Pellets vs. lentils in case it gets wet and needs a cleaning.
I am thinking of trying to make a set of juggling balls as a Christmas present for a special someone who wants to learn how to juggle.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Studio and School preview
Rocky and I decided we needed to change some things around drastically in our home. Some of that meant spaces we had used needed to go away, some of it meant other spaces had room to grow!
We decided that using the bonus room for 3 purposes was too crowded and that we could enjoy TV/video games could happen just as well in our great room as it could up here, the difference being that we could all be a part of it.
We also decided that since we were homeschooling, a dedicated space would work the best for us all.
Finally, unlike the TV, I have no other place to put my sewing area, so that could stay, but the area is spread out more than it was before.
The result, a "real" classroom has blossomed out of the space. It has come together with items that we already had elsewhere for the most part. Few were purchased new, many items were thrifted and purchased 2nd hand some time before.
We finally have room to both work individually and together. The student desks from my previous post are finished being painted, but the tops await final routing and a clear coat to make them more durable.
My Levenger desk is the wooden one in the foreground, facing the window. It was a garage sale steal a few years ago and I have a matching credenza that I use currently to hold my coverhem and embroidery machines and various fiber art items . My anti-gravity and Rocky's massage chairs (black) were purchased shortly after we were married, admittedly, 10+ years of use, especially with the kids have taken their toll, but they are still the most comfortable seats in our home. Continuing from my desk on the left side, Z's desk will be closest to mine, between the bookcases and my chair. These bookcases are actually strong but light weight, unfinished, wooden collapsible display shelves I got for $25 each when my local yarn shop closed a few years ago. They house almost all of my teaching materials, resource books, some manipulatives and displays.
The back wall under the window has plastic drawers with more manipulatives and craft supplies.
The central table is "just right" for all of us to comfortably sit and work together. The height is not so much that it dwarfs the kids, yet I can easily sit at it and my knees fit underneath. We had a full sized dining table in this room originally for the school and it was WAY too oversized, both in height and in girth for the space. This table is sturdy, with solid oak legs and skirting and a formica top, it's 30"x60" size is perfect. I was ecstatic to find it at a Habitat re-store for donated from somebody else's classroom for $10.
Continuing around the room C's desk will sit in the far corner to the left of the workboxes. M's desk will be to the right with Rocky's chair and my cutting table finishing out the space.
We can all be in here at once with separate areas to work and "be". Rocky can use this room for sermon preparation and church business since it will be relatively quiet when we aren't schooling.
This room has had so many "roles" since we moved into this house almost 7 years ago. I am glad we have transitioned to it being used to further our family growth and development!
Look what our new creative space has already yielded! Z decided to write her name and draw a picture of me! This is our 2nd week of school! I'm loving it!
We decided that using the bonus room for 3 purposes was too crowded and that we could enjoy TV/video games could happen just as well in our great room as it could up here, the difference being that we could all be a part of it.
We also decided that since we were homeschooling, a dedicated space would work the best for us all.
Finally, unlike the TV, I have no other place to put my sewing area, so that could stay, but the area is spread out more than it was before.
The result, a "real" classroom has blossomed out of the space. It has come together with items that we already had elsewhere for the most part. Few were purchased new, many items were thrifted and purchased 2nd hand some time before.
We finally have room to both work individually and together. The student desks from my previous post are finished being painted, but the tops await final routing and a clear coat to make them more durable.
My Levenger desk is the wooden one in the foreground, facing the window. It was a garage sale steal a few years ago and I have a matching credenza that I use currently to hold my coverhem and embroidery machines and various fiber art items . My anti-gravity and Rocky's massage chairs (black) were purchased shortly after we were married, admittedly, 10+ years of use, especially with the kids have taken their toll, but they are still the most comfortable seats in our home. Continuing from my desk on the left side, Z's desk will be closest to mine, between the bookcases and my chair. These bookcases are actually strong but light weight, unfinished, wooden collapsible display shelves I got for $25 each when my local yarn shop closed a few years ago. They house almost all of my teaching materials, resource books, some manipulatives and displays.
The back wall under the window has plastic drawers with more manipulatives and craft supplies.
The central table is "just right" for all of us to comfortably sit and work together. The height is not so much that it dwarfs the kids, yet I can easily sit at it and my knees fit underneath. We had a full sized dining table in this room originally for the school and it was WAY too oversized, both in height and in girth for the space. This table is sturdy, with solid oak legs and skirting and a formica top, it's 30"x60" size is perfect. I was ecstatic to find it at a Habitat re-store for donated from somebody else's classroom for $10.
Continuing around the room C's desk will sit in the far corner to the left of the workboxes. M's desk will be to the right with Rocky's chair and my cutting table finishing out the space.
We can all be in here at once with separate areas to work and "be". Rocky can use this room for sermon preparation and church business since it will be relatively quiet when we aren't schooling.
This room has had so many "roles" since we moved into this house almost 7 years ago. I am glad we have transitioned to it being used to further our family growth and development!
Look what our new creative space has already yielded! Z decided to write her name and draw a picture of me! This is our 2nd week of school! I'm loving it!
Friday, September 02, 2011
The search for the perfect school desks
We are just about ready to start back schooling. We admittedly took a summer break, though when opportunities arose we schooled in this summer.
My homeschool "space" has been a big frustration to me. I haven't figured out how to find a niche in my home that fits all of the HS stuff I have, and I haven't figured out yet how to cull things down and let things go. So we have cluttered resources and very little space.
Last year I switched from our little "desks", we were repurposing our Babee Tenda Feeding tables, to a table that we could all sit at.
First I had a little one from an old school room. It fit my space, but not my knees (though the kids fit it just fine). Then Rocky found for me a larger table, but we had not accurately measured the dimensions we needed so this table is WAY too big. The space we had is now crowded and not functional for what we need to do. That wasn't the only problem. The kids are all at such different levels, and Mardie and Zuri still need quite a bit of instruction from me, so time at the table all together meant that at least one person was being distracted almost all of the time. I decided we needed to go back to desks and if we want to use a table the kitchen table or bar will work just fine.
My dilemma was that I didn't feel the feeding tables were the best choice. They are sturdy and adjustable, but the lip around the edge kept the kids from having proper ergonomics and they just didn't feel right.
I was very fortunate to find these donated desks at the Habitat for Humanity restore. They evidently had served their purpose at the local community college, and were not going to continue to be used. The original donation was reportedly large, but when I looked, only these 3 desks remained. American Seating, adjustable height, industrial strength that would withstand daily use and grow with the kids through graduation. . .they were EXACTLY what I was looking for! And at $8 each I could not beat the price anywhere!
We are almost finished with repainting the metal parts and just need to figure out the material we will use for the replacement tops. I asked the kids what colors they wanted their desks to be. I will post pictures of them when they are all done and put back together.
This small step will hopefully help our small homeschool space to be maximized again for our use :)
My homeschool "space" has been a big frustration to me. I haven't figured out how to find a niche in my home that fits all of the HS stuff I have, and I haven't figured out yet how to cull things down and let things go. So we have cluttered resources and very little space.
Last year I switched from our little "desks", we were repurposing our Babee Tenda Feeding tables, to a table that we could all sit at.
First I had a little one from an old school room. It fit my space, but not my knees (though the kids fit it just fine). Then Rocky found for me a larger table, but we had not accurately measured the dimensions we needed so this table is WAY too big. The space we had is now crowded and not functional for what we need to do. That wasn't the only problem. The kids are all at such different levels, and Mardie and Zuri still need quite a bit of instruction from me, so time at the table all together meant that at least one person was being distracted almost all of the time. I decided we needed to go back to desks and if we want to use a table the kitchen table or bar will work just fine.
My dilemma was that I didn't feel the feeding tables were the best choice. They are sturdy and adjustable, but the lip around the edge kept the kids from having proper ergonomics and they just didn't feel right.
I was very fortunate to find these donated desks at the Habitat for Humanity restore. They evidently had served their purpose at the local community college, and were not going to continue to be used. The original donation was reportedly large, but when I looked, only these 3 desks remained. American Seating, adjustable height, industrial strength that would withstand daily use and grow with the kids through graduation. . .they were EXACTLY what I was looking for! And at $8 each I could not beat the price anywhere!
We are almost finished with repainting the metal parts and just need to figure out the material we will use for the replacement tops. I asked the kids what colors they wanted their desks to be. I will post pictures of them when they are all done and put back together.
This small step will hopefully help our small homeschool space to be maximized again for our use :)
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Lazy Kate Tutorial
hmmm, I found this in drafts. I guess I should post it.
I built this lazy kate for my Heavenly Handspinning bobbins. It's tensioned and will work if you happen to have 2 sets of bobbins. Here's what you need:
Tools
Saw (I used a compound miter)
Drill with philips screwdriver head, 1/2" and 1/4" bits
Sandpaper either palm sander or sponge block
Ruler
Pencil
2-Clamps
Dremel with sander tip
Materials
1-1x3x4 oak furniture grade board
1-1x2x4 oak furniture grade board
2-3/8" 3' oak dowels
10 Acorn dowel caps with 3/8" hole
1-Shaker peg
Hemp twine
Gorilla glue
4-2" flat phillips head wood screws
1 small screw in eyehook
Instructions
First measure how wide your bobbins are. Mine are two widths so I chose the widest for my measurement. Add .5" inch to that for freedom of movement, 2" for width of the boards and 1.5" for the portion sticking out on either side where the acorns go. I needed 11". Cut 1 lenth of dowel in your measurement for each bobbin you would like to place on the kate. Using the dremel tool and sander tip sand the ends around the diameter until they fit snugly into the acorn caps. On ONE end only place a drop of glue into the cap once you are sure they will fit, then snug on the dowel. Use the glue sparingly as it expands, wipe away any excess. Set the dowels and remaining caps aside.
Now you need to determine how tall your kate needs to be. I wanted mine to serve as bobbin storage and work as a tensioned kate so I needed room for all of my bobbins save the one on my wheel.
My bobbins are 3" diameter at the widest whorl. For 5 I calculated I needed 19". Cut the 1x2x4 into two identical lenghts. Save the remainder 10". You will need it later.
Placing the bobbins down onto one of your pieces largest whorl down carefully measure and mark out their centers on the lenght of the board. Mark one end of both boards as the top.
Aligning the ends you marked in the previous step clamp the boards together and using the 1/2" bit drill through both boards at the same time. Remove the 1/2" bit as you will no longer need it for this project.
Cut the 1x3x4 to 13"
Center the 10" 1x2x4 onto it and mark holes for the screws. Clamp and predrill with 1/4" bit through both pieces. Drill all of the way through to eliminate splits as you screw.
Now comes the tricky part. You need to make a box. Take the 10" section and line it up with the two 19" pieces. Using the hole you already drilled into the 10" piece predrill the 19" pieces into their top end.
Align the side pieces with the end pieces and useing the existing drill holes predrill these side pieces to prevent splitting.
Using 2 of the screws screw these pieces together to form the top and sides of your box. Make sure all edges are flush.
Invert the U and take the 13" section, match the predrilled holes to the centers of your box sides and predrill again into the bottom ends of the box sides.
Using the remaining two screws, attach the bottom. If you know how to countersink the screws a bit the kate will sit flatter and be less wobbly.
Put the bobbins into the kate with the large whorls all to one side.
Lastly drill a hole into the base directly below the largest whorl with a bit that cooresponds to the diameter of the shaker peg end.
insert the shaker peg. Screw the eyehook into the other side of your kate base directly opposite the shaker peg.
Measure your hemp twine twice the height of your kate, plus 3" Tie a small knot into one end of the hemp twine to the eye hook. Tie the other end around the shaker pegs. Take the twine over the top of the kate.
Now you are ready to insert the remaining bobbins. To keep them from falling out cap the open end with the remaining acorn caps but do not glue them.
To tension the kate, wrap the twine around the shaker peg and insert it when taught. Make sure the twine rests in the large whorl of all of the bobbins to gain proper tension.
This kate can be adjusted to any height, though once it reaches a certain height it may be better to use a bigger base for more stability.
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