Update on the kids Hooks & Needles Club

My Mini~Dee has been super busy, crocheting up little squares that she'll later assemble to create a poncho.  She's been working on it for a few weeks now, and has over half of the squares completed.  And she's doing a beautiful job.  The pattern she is working on comes from the book, well, I cant tell you at the moment as it seems she snuck it off to school again.  I'm guessing, with today's weather forecasted to be over 80 degrees (F), at recess she'll be sitting under a tree -- with barely baby-budded leaves -- crocheting up more squares.  I'll have to report back later about the title of the book.

At their after-school "Hooks & Needles Club" meeting, I brought in some antique lace for show'n tell.  I told them to look close -- really close -- at how tiny the stitches were, and as they studied the stitches I told them about the time period it was from which lead into a history discussion about how the Irish used crochet, about how a Queen, and a King, all played vital rolls in the world's passion for lace.  They were fasinated. 

At the meeting the kids continued their progress of learning how to control their tension, and are also now well onto their way of making single crochets.  One girl, Mini~Lois, who at the last meeting showed off the Crochet Today magazine she purchased, was telling everyone about a sweater she just finished crocheting for her cat!  Naturally all the kids were amazed, and so she promised to bring it in for show'n tell at the next meeting.

I love that the kids are so inspired.  I'm thinking it would be cool to set up a field trip of sorts, to our local yarn shop, to teach them about the different yarns available, how to figure out the needed hook size, and such.  They only have about 3 or 4 more meetings until school lets out for the summer, so perhaps this would be something to consider doing over the summer so they can continue their progress.  Excuse me, I have some phone calls to make; I have churning wheels that need to be addressed ...

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