Another chain?

This is a shorter one so far, but Alison blogged about her running, and today I ran (using the same Cool Running Couch to 5k programme.)

And this time – no sore-hurty-shins – not yet, anyway. So, my next run is scheduled for Wednesday… watch this space…

Whoo hoo!

I’ve just taught spinning to 3 and 4 year olds!

It’s Art Week at the children’s school, so I offered to do something – and was asked for something for the nursery class.

So I took my wheel (it’s a little odd to carry a spinning wheel along the road tucked under your arm, but no-one commented) and some fibre.

They loved the wheel – most of them managed the idea that looking is done with your eyes and not your fingers… And no-one could find anything sharp to prick their fingers on to make them sleep for 100 years.* One boy was convinced that it was the wheel from a pirates’ ship, and wanted to know where the telescope was. (One of the things I really do like about that age group is that when they ask that sort of question, it’s genuine, they’re not trying to be funny.)

Then I made them all wiggly worms: take a small sliver – show that if you pull the ends, it comes apart. Then put some twist in – pull it again – it doesn’t come apart so easily. Twist some more, fold it in half, (so it plies back on itself), stick googly eyes on each side – and there you have a wiggly worm:

(prototype – I didn’t have any googly eyes at home )

*It always bugs me – exactly HOW did Sleeping Beauty prick her finger on a spindle? I have a spindle, I have a wheel – there are no pointy bits for finger-pricking on either of them.

Not just knitting...

... I’ve been sewing too:

Ruth has been pestering me for a nightdress and I couldn’t find any off-the-peg. Strictly speaking this is a dress pattern (Simplicity 3749), but it works fine as a nightie. I cut the second one out this afternoon…