Knit, Hook, and Spin: A Kid's Activity Guide to Fiber Arts and Crafts
v Welcome to the wonderful world of fiber arts and crafts People have been making things with fiber for thousands of years Using fibers from animal hair or pieces of plants people could make fishing lines and nets blankets tents and clothing allowing them to stay fed warm and sheltered Today when machines seem to do everything for us we don’t have to create everything we wear or use We can buy things we need But millions of peo ple still work with fiber because they enjoy making things with their hands In fact fiber arts and crafts are just as popular now as they ever were At least 50 million people in the United States know how to knit and crochet What is fiber art anyway Fiber art is any art form that uses yarn or cloth or the fibers used Introduction tomake them Because fabric and yarn are used so much in everyday clothing and household items we tend to think of them as simply useful In fact they can also be used to make art Every item made of fabric and yarn was designed by someone That per son decided on the color texture and pattern as well as the shape of the finished item When you work with fiber you use a lot of different skills Math is important because you’ll be measur ing length making patterns of odds and evens work ing with geometry and shape and thinking about amounts such as more less and equal You’ll also work with counting and comparing top and bottom in and out over and under above and below and front and back Whew It sounds complicated but it is easy and fun
vi Here are a few tips for enjoying your fiber arts adventure Choose simple projects that don’t take a long time to finish Collect yarn cloth scraps felt and fiber stuff in a variety of colors and store them in a box so you have a stash to create with Don’t expect that your projects will be per fect every time If something doesn’t please you change it unravel it or take it apart and try something else Enjoy the items you make Wear the things you make Display them in your room Give them to people you care about Why Fiber Handcrafts Are Good for You You may not think that making things with yarn or fiber would make you smarter or keep you healthy but it can Working with fibers and yarn feels good to our sense of touch and the colors and patterns please the eye Our senses are sharpened and that makes us feel happier Doing handwork like knitting or cro cheting helps us relax It also helps us focus and pay attention better Because following written directions stretches our brain it’s good for our thinking skills And you can also make changes to a project that make it your own expressing your creativity Some people find that knitting or crocheting helps when they are ill or in pain Some find that it helps them sleep better at night Handcrafts take time and attention so we learn to be more patient and less restless You’ll also figure out how to solve problems when something doesn’t seem to be turning out as you thought it would But best of all when you are finished with a project you have a feeling of pride And lots of gifts to give your friends
vii Fiber is the basic ingredient in crafting sort of like flour for a baker and soil for a gardener Fibers are thin strands of plant stems linen fluff from seed pods cotton animal hair wool or tiny strands of plastic acrylic that are twisted together to make yarn Fiber can be as thin as sewing thread or as thick as rope But before fibers can be twisted together a lot of preparation must be done Fibers from plants or animals must be clipped washed fluffed combed and dyed Fibers create different types of finished projects Whether your project will be silky soft stretchy shiny or warm is determined by the type of fiber Some fibers can be scratchy like jute and are best for ropes or sacks Do you want something soft and luxurious Use angora rabbit Shiny Well that’s silk or mohair Washable and nonallergenic Try Know Your Fibers synthetics Warm and fireproof That’s a job for wool The more you know about fibers the easier it will be for you to match the right fiber to your project Plant Fibers People used plant fibers long before they discovered any of the others They plucked grassy stems strips of stringy tree bark and long skinny leaves from the natural world around them They did things to the pieces of bark or leaves to make them easier to bend and shape to suit what they wanted to make They were processing the fiber making it both easier to work with and longer lasting once a project was complete From those plant fibers people made nets and ropes that made it easier to catch fish birds and
