projects

This unit was designed to be used as a summer guide in our homeschool companion series. If you followed our other units you will notice a few differences. First there is no phonics/alphabet study included. If you child has completed the Pre-Explode the Code books A-C and you would like to continue... feel free to start on Explode the Code Book 1. I suggest getting the teachers guide book and a set of the ETC flash cards. Second, the crafts and recipes have been replaced with outdoor activity suggestions. We like to get outside and get messy in the summer. Third, it is only a ten week guide rather than covering a full 12 week term to accommodate vacations and lazy days. We love to encourage learning all year round... but do suggest that it be a bit more laid back during the summer.

Click here to go to the Activity Guide Page where you will find directions for the activities not included in a book and the poetry for memorization. If you need more information on how to use the schedule click here.

Additional Books & Supplies:

Books you need to complete the unit:
One Small Square Pond (OSS), Nature in a Nutshell (NNS), and Can You Hear It (Music/Art Study), An Outdoor or Student Thermometer

Chapter Books:
Is your child ready to listen to longer chapter books? Here are a few suggestions for summer reading. By no means do you need to read them all. Pick a couple of your favorites and read a few pages at a time as your little ones get used to listening to stories without all the pictures. These books should all be readily available at the library but on the other hand, they are also great books to own and re-read. Ramona the Pest and Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary, Stuart Little by E.B. White, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, and  Pippi Longstockings by Astrid Lindgren.

A Family Favorite:
I also highly recommend the Boobela and Worm series. They are hard to find in the US but the kids and I adore these books. Snatch some up if you can.

I will be adding to this page as I add more tutorials and projects.

Newbie Knitting Lessons
Introduction: Materials List

Lesson One: Slip Knot
Backwards Loop Cast On

Lesson Two: Knit Stitch
Project One: Begin Little Birdie

Lesson Three: Binding Off
Project One: Finish Little Birdie

Project Two: Easy Headband

Lesson Four: Making Pom-Poms
Project Three: Block-Work Hat

Lesson Five: Purl Stitch
Project Four: Knit and Purl Wash Clothes

Other Knitting Tutorials and Projects
Cross Stitch Tutorial and Scarf
I-Cord Tutorial and Christmas Tree Garland

Knit Gnomes
Basic Knit Doll Pattern
Knit in the Round Doll Pattern
Felted Child Purse
Checkerboard Mittens
Checkerboard Scarf
Bias Knit Scarf
Twirl and Tie Cap
Thumb-less Mittens
Gnome Hat
Felted Mitered Bowl
Knit Rope Stitch Dishcloth
Doll Sweater

Crocheting Projects
Coasters/Bean Bags
Rag Rug

I started to answer this question in response to a comment I received yesterday but I thought that it might warrant it's own post. I know I've been linking to a site called Ravelry a lot lately in conjunction with all my knitting projects. But if you are not already a member there, you might be asking yourself, what is Ravelry?

Ravelry is a social networking site dedicated to the yarn arts (knitting, crocheting, spinning). The base features are all free to use (store front pro and some advanced user features do have a cost). Within your profile you maintain a database of all the projects you are currently working on or have completed including notes, pictures and yarn details. The best part of all is that the projects are all linked to the original patterns. This means that you can peruse everyone else's notes and photos to see how a pattern works up in different yarns/sizes. Follow someone else modifications to customize your project. You can also keep records of your yarn stash both store bought or homespun. Just bought a couple skeins of a cool yarn but don't have an exact pattern in mind, search by the yarn and see what projects other members worked up with that yarn. Or run out of a yarn mid-project and need more of the same dye lot, search for it and you might find someone willing to sell it or trade you for it.  In fact you can use the database features to search for just about anything... free, knit, child, sweater, cables... brings up 179 patterns in clothing. Thinking of purchasing a new pattern book (especially when shopping online), look it up and see all the patterns offered before you buy. You can also link to patterns you have wrote or record projects you have improvised. There are also forums that feature groups dedicated to everything from your local yarn shop to fans of a tv show to completing service projects to using a specific technique... which is where the Wee Folk Art Knits group is located. Basically whether you are a new yarn lover or a dedicated fiber artist Ravelry is kinda "the place to be" for yarnies on the web.

In order to check out all the cool features you will have to set up your free account. And just so you know, we do not get anything... at all... by sending you to Ravelry. There is no affiliation... I just LOVE all the features it offers. BTW when I'm hanging out on Ravelry I go by the name WeeFolkMom and my mother (who I generally have to post her knitting pics for her because she is so busy here) goes by the name of KimaraWeeFolkArt. Wee Folk Art Knits is the group forum for Friends and Fans of Wee Folk Art... which is pretty quiet atm since it is new but stop in and say hi.