Spinning!

We are working towards the introduction of knitting in a slow, Waldorf-style way :)  So far, we visited goats (I wanted him to see shearing, but couldn't figure out how to make that happen here, so far from the fabulous NYS Sheep and Wool Festival :( - he did see it there two years ago before we moved), then we carded wool and today we spun the wool.  Initially I thought we were in over our heads and maybe there is an easier method of spinning for children, but once I got Elie to sleep for a nap, we did it!

I started by showing Yoav how to do it myself, based on what I learned in this Youtube video; then we worked on him spinning the drop spindle with his left hand while I held the unspun wool; finally, he managed to do it all himself.  I was so excited I almost said "Good Job!", which hasn't happened yet, but this was the closest I've come :)  I think I was more excited than he was!!

We are going to make knitting needles on Craft Day and then next week we'll start learning to knit!!!  Yoav has been waiting and waiting to knit, asking on a regular basis when he'll get to learn to knit for well over a year.  I think his patience will be well rewarded, since he's much more ready now in terms of fine motor skills (and, probably more importantly, he's more patient and resilient!) than he was a year ago.