Teaching Through Stories

TEACHING
THROUGH STORIES:
Jane and Jeremy

Learn to Knit
Elizabeth Seward
Suite 300 - 990 Fort St
Victoria, BC, V8V 3K2
Canada
www.friesenpress.com
Copyright © 2019 by Elizabeth Seward

First Edition — 2019
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or any information browsing, storage, or retrieval system, without permission in writing from FriesenPress.
ISBN
978-1-5255-4027-1 (Hardcover)
978-1-5255-4028-8 (Paperback)
978-1-5255-4029-5 (eBook)
1. Education, Teaching Methods & Materials, Arts & Humanities
Distributed to the trade by The Ingram Book Company

Table of Contents
What Other Authors, Teachers, Knitters Say: viii
Acknowledgments 1
Preface 3
Who Is This Book For? 4
Where Do the Stories Come From? 6
Use This Book! 9
Introduction 11
Unhurried Education 13
What is Waldorf Education? 15
How Is This Book Organized? 17
Chapter 1: The Why and How of Stories 19

Where Did These Stories Come From? 21
Why Tell Stories? 25
Why Would I Want to Do This? 27
What Benefits Can I Reasonably Expect? 29
Stories Build Relationship and Community 30
The Value of Listening 33
Deeper Learning 34
A Glimpse into the Broader Educational Value of
Storytelling 35
Chapter 2: Putting a Story Together 37
Preparing the Ground 39
Keep It Simple 40
Setting and Environment 40
The People 41
Focus on the Audience, Not on Yourself (Except Just a
Bit) 42
Telling the Story 44
Balance within the Story 45
The Perfect Can Be the Enemy of the Good 45
First Steps 46
Chapter 3: The Stories 49

Getting to Know Jane and Jeremy 51
A Walk in the Woods 55
Visiting the Lambs 59
Getting Started 63
Following the Golden Thread 67
Jeremy Gets into Tangles 71
Frogs in the Pond 75
A Visitor to the Neighborhood 79
Making a Simple Doll 81
A Blanket for a New Baby 83
Jane and Jeremy Go Skiing; Aunt Susan Makes a Hat with
Trees and Snowflakes 87
A Soft, Woolly Lamb and a Golden Lion 91
An Elephant in the Knitting Basket? 93
Jane Knits a Magic Row 95
Aunt Susan’s Sweater 97
Jane and Jeremy Arguing—Sitting in Different Places 99
Jane and Jeremy Go on Vacation 101
Back Again! 105
Chapter 4: Tech Support for the Handwork Classroom 107
First Things First: Why Are We Doing This
(Handwork)? 108
Knitty-Gritties 113
When to start knitting 113
How to Start 114
More on Casting On 115
Shaping 116
Progression of Skills 117
Signs of Success 118
Rhymes, Images, and Mnemonics 119
For Knitting 119
For Purling 120
Which Way? 120
Casting On 120
Counting Rows 121
Casting Off 121
Making a Knot 121
Locking Off a Thread 122
Threading a Needle 122
Left-Handers 123
Continental or British? 124
How Much to Fix? 125
Tight/Loose Knitting 127
Reluctant Children 128
Showing Samples 129
Classroom Survival Skills 130
Learning and Forgetting 131
Predictable Form for the Lessons 132
A Buffet of Specific Suggestions for Classroom
Management 133
Parent Helpers in the Classroom 137
Chapter 5: Patterns and Projects 139
Choosing a Knitting Project 141
Alternate between Playful and Useful Items 141
Alternate between Items to Keep and Items to Give
Away 141
Alternate between Short-Term and Long-Term
Projects 142
Include Seasonal Items 143
Use of Color 144
Pink Elephants? Purple Lambs? 146
Choice of Color According to Personality or
Temperament 146
Choice of Color According to Season 147
Natural Fibers 148
About the Patterns 150
Story and Pattern Overview 151
Do I Have to Use These Patterns? 152
Another Word about the Patterns 153
General Notes about the Patterns 154
Beauty and Truth 155
The Patterns! 157
Start from the Beginning and Make Your Own
Needles 159
Bunny 161
Pocket Dolly 163
Blanket Square or Pocket Dolly Blanket (Magic Row) 166
Butterfly 167
Rainbow Ball 168
Ankle Warmers / Fingerless Mittens 169
Washcloth 170
Lamb 171
Lion 173
Mouse 175
Hamster 177
Flute (or recorder) Case. 178
Mini-Man/Mini-Miss 180
Appendices 183
Appendix 1: The Temperaments 185

A Valuable Tool: The Four Temperaments 185
What Are the Four Temperaments? 187
The Sanguine Temperament 187
The Melancholic Temperament 188
The Phlegmatic Temperament 188
The Choleric Temperament 189
Appendix 2: Planning Help 190

Skills I Teach in First and Second Grades 190
Rhythm of the Class (First and Second Grades) 191
Yearly Plan 192
Reflection Questions after Every Lesson 193
Appendix 3: The Secrets of Success in Handwork Class 194
Resources 197
Further Reading on Waldorf Education: 198
Websites 198
Books 198
Suppliers 199
Elizabeth Seward
What Other Authors,

Teachers, Knitters Say:
Elizabeth Seward weaves two impressive themes throughout this book – the role of sto-
rytelling and the teaching of handwork. She gives practical examples of how to introduce
knitting to children and how to give them on-going independence and opportunities for
creativity. At the same time, she writes a thorough exploration of the importance of sto-
rytelling, hints for the teacher, the importance of imagery, and the role of communicating
through the human voice. Although some handwork teachers may skip to the chapters spe-
cifically related to teaching, they would miss the juice of the book- the artistic intertwining
of the two subjects. I began my Waldorf teaching career as a handwork teacher before
becoming a class teacher and high school teacher. How I would have loved to have had
Elizabeth Seward as a guide at my side. There is nothing else available like it.
Betty Staley
Co-founder of Rudolf Steiner College, currently Advisory Board member of
Alliance for Public Waldorf Education.
Following along as Jane and Jeremy learn to knit is a master class in storytelling as the path
to deep learning. Elizabeth Seward brings not only decades teaching handwork to children
and adults, but her emphasis on an ‘unhurried education’ wakes us from the teach-to-the-
test fog that has overtaken much of American education. Elizabeth’s focus on how story
shapes learning and experience is incisive and thought-provoking, and her template stories
give readers a scaffolding on which to build their own imaginative waypoints for learning.
As humans, we need stories to understand the human condition and our place within it.
Seward shows how stories, often overlooked in the teaching of practical skills, are vital to
the acquisition of genuine knowledge.
Bernadette Murphy
Author, Zen and the Art of Knitting and The Knitter’s Gift
viii
Teaching Through Stories
This book is a treasure chest of innocence and practical wisdom that will last a lifetime.
Elizabeth Seward carries the reader into a state of child-like readiness as she conveys the
process of teaching knitting via profound, home-grown, unhurried story-telling. It is about
so much more than knitting…
Cat Bordhi
Author, teacher, and knitting innovator
Elizabeth Seward knows storytelling; she knows knitting; and she knows teaching. In this
book, she weaves her years of wisdom with all three into a most practical guide for inviting
children into the world of knitting through stories. Indeed, it is a guide for any teacher who
wants to engage others in holistic, imaginative, and participatory education. The simple
brilliance of “under the fence, catch the sheep, pull him through, and away he leaps” will
stay with you whether you knit, teach, or simply love stories.
Frank Rogers
Professor of Spiritual Formation and Narrative Pedagogy at the Claremont School
of Theology.
ix
Acknowledgments
I want to express true and deep gratitude to
My mother for teaching me how to knit.
My daughter Dawn Bertani—my best editor—who does not hesitate to tell

me what she thinks and lets me know, “What you really mean is . . .” She
lived in Jane and Jeremy’s house for a couple of years, and my inexpressible
gratitude is due to the Seifried family.
My friend Jenny Hornung, who seems to have stepped into the stories
with me and visited Jane and Jeremy on her own time. She has expressed
artistically what I have sometimes seen only in my mind’s eye. Thank you
for your wonderful illustrations and your patience.
My students for teaching me more than I imagined possible.
Suppliers and their suppliers for supplying the supplies that delight the
senses in every class.
Jamie Branker for lighting a spark; Cat Bordhi and Bernadette Murphy for
fanning the spark.
1
Preface
Teaching through stories is the most effec- in these pages came into being in knitting
tive way to introduce new skills and present classes in the early grades in a Waldorf
new information to children and many adult school in Los Angeles. Handwork (including
learners. This book focuses on teaching knitting, spinning, crochet, weaving, plant
knitting, but the same principles apply easily dyeing, sewing, embroidery, quilting, and
to almost any other subject in the early other traditional fiber arts) is an integral
elementary grades and to many subjects in part of the Waldorf curriculum, which truly
older age groups. educates the whole child through head,
I share specific examples drawn from heart, and hands.
my experience in teaching knitting very This method of teaching through
successfully for over thirty years to begin- stories has been employed effectively in
ners, often young children aged six to nine. Waldorf schools throughout the world
I include practical pointers; helpful and for one hundred years. It is easy to adopt
concrete how-to’s; and a glimpse into the this approach or adapt it to any teaching
deeper meaning and purpose of teaching situation. These particular stories have
through stories. This book gives you all the been used successfully in many handwork
suggestions, practical help, and encourage- classrooms throughout Southern California
ment you need to teach knitting, make up for around thirty years, and they are shared
your own stories, and to support you and here as examples to show how teaching and
the children. learning can become easier and even more
You and the children can simply enjoy enjoyable for both teacher and student.
these stories for themselves, or you can use
them as blueprints to make up your own
stories. I have shared them and the under-
lying approach with many other teachers,
and this book widens the circle and reaches
out further—to you! The people, places, and
situations you and your children will meet
3
Elizabeth Seward
Who Is This Book For?
This book is for you!
You want to share your love of knitting with someone in a delightful,

helpful, and easy way. Originally conceived for classroom or home-
schooling teachers of knitting, this book will be useful and enjoyable
for anyone who wants to share their skills in knitting with a beloved
child or with a friend or neighbor, or to learn more about teach-
ing through stories. These Jane and Jeremy stories are immediately
useful for you if you want to teach children how to knit in a warm,
encouraging, stimulating, and very heartfelt way. If you want to
share your skills, or if you want to learn or revive your own skills,
you will find this book equally useful. If you are not yet knitting
comfortably, read the stories; if you’ve knit in the past, see if they
remind you how to do it (it’s like riding a bicycle; you don’t really
forget). Ask a friend or local yarn store to help, and jump in. But
remember: before teaching others, be sure you are several steps
ahead. My rule of thumb is to make three before teaching one. I will
say that several times in this book. It is vitally important. You cannot
read a guidebook to Paris, then teach French! First mastering what
you teach will make you more flexible, more playful, and more
relaxed, and both you and your student(s) will be more confident.
Use and adapt these ideas and techniques as they are most
useful to you. My success will not be measured in twenty years
4
by the number of Jane and Jeremy stories education, and will breathe deeply and find
that have been told, but by the number of delight in their vocation. Teaching children
people who have been inspired to make up is the best and most important job in the
their own stories. If you do choose to use world; it is a deeply connective process and
the essence of these stories, please change can and should be joyful and energizing.
the children’s names to ones that are yours, Storytelling from “heart to heart” is one way
and their environment to one you can to affirm the joy of this unparalleled connec-
picture consistently. tion. Storytelling is a large part of a new and
My goal is to encourage and empower more human-centered vision of education.
teachers of all kinds. As I step into the
“granny” role in life and in my career, I
still love to teach children, but I also love
to help newer, younger teachers find the
delight and fulfillment that I know can come
through unhurried education and teaching
through stories.
Beyond stories and knitting, an even
broader wish for this book is that educators
who feel rushed or constrained by expecta-
tions and standards will be encouraged to
find a way to incorporate into their teach-
ing the spirit of this unhurried approach to
5
Elizabeth Seward
Where Do the Stories Come From?
I am consistently surprised by my journey as a teacher. When I first wrote these stories

down, I was a first-grade teacher in Los Angeles, at a Waldorf school where I had taught
handwork and other subjects for many years. As a teenager, I had sworn never to face a
roomful of schoolchildren; it was much too intimidating. I held unshakably to this until one
day I was asked to help out in my eldest daughter’s first-grade knitting class; then one thing
led to another, and here I am today!
These stories are drawn from my own projects completed in a classroom, but by
experience teaching handwork classes the number of sparks of interest I am able
of around twenty-five to thirty children. to ignite. I believe successful teaching is
Many people who have enjoyed hearing my unquantifiable but easily recognizable. My
stories ask how I got started. It was des- goal is to evoke in the children the simple
peration! I needed to keep the children calm joy of working with their hands. My hope
and in good shape for the next teacher; we is that they will feel empowered and inter-
had about five or ten more minutes than I ested enough to continue in some way on
had expected, and in my teacher training, their own and not feel bound to what they
I’d heard of the idea of previewing skills and have been taught. If a child finishes knitting
allowing the children to sleep on a new idea a lamb in class, that is wonderful, but when
before actually expecting them to act on a child takes those skills home and applies
it . . . so I tried telling a story. I was doubly them to making something else—perhaps
surprised at myself: facing a roomful of a green dragon with a long, fat tail—then
schoolchildren was not something I thought that is truly exciting, and I know I have
I would ever do, and flying by the seat of my succeeded in lighting that spark of interest
pants was definitely not something I wanted and initiative. I have successfully taught the
to do. Yet I did it, and I loved it, and I still skills, empowered the children’s creative
keep doing it. capacity, and given fuel to their imagination.
For me, success and fulfillment as a This creative freedom results in large
teacher are measured not in the number of part from the stories; listening to a story
6
fosters a kind of creative daydreaming holding your listener by the hand, and dis-
and promotes an enlivened imagination. covering together fresh new landscapes.
Listening to stories, like handwork itself, If telling stories is something you have
opens the mind to resilient, imaginative thought of doing, or if you need extra
thinking, which is flexible, open-ended, encouragement, then buying this book was
fruitful, and by nature divergent. Flexible, the first step. You will find practical and
out-of-the-box, creative thinking is one of inspirational help, and both general and spe-
the most important skills for children, espe- cific ideas. In words frequently attributed
cially now in the twenty-first century. Yet to Goethe: “Until one is committed, there is
this is not fantasy-thinking; these stories hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always
lead directly to skills that are grounded in ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of ini-
practical applications and ultimately to an tiative and creation, there is one elementary
ability to be of service and to contribute to truth . . . : that the moment one definitely
the well-being of fellow humans. I believe commits oneself, then providence moves
imaginative, story-based teaching helps to too . . . Whatever you can do or dream you
avoid or minimize—or at least balance—the can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power
cognitive cul-de-sac of “teaching to the test” and magic in it. Begin it now.”
and the short-term quantitative evaluation The bottom line: this imaginative method,
so prevalent in education today. clothing concepts and abstract ideas in
Telling stories, compared to reading, is story form, works really well! And it’s fun!
like stepping together into another world,
7
Use This Book!

This book has three goals: to encourage well digested, clearly visualized, and fleshed
you, to offer you effective tools to teach out before you tell the story to the children.
children how to knit, and to offer you an Remember, this is not “fast facts”; it is unhur-
experience of a different kind of learning, ried education.
a kinder, gentler, unhurried lesson. Use this My hope is that you will read these
book until it is dog-eared and the pages are stories, enjoy them, and then feel empow-
shiny with use. Harvest and adopt what you ered to create your own. I have found that
can, adapt what you need to, and pass on a the most effective stories are the ones that
love of learning to the next generation. truly live in my imagination. If I can manage
Let this book become a part of your to feel the texture of a twig as I tell a story,
life; don’t just read it and put it on the or smell the carrot soup cooking as the chil-
shelf. Interact with it. Use colored pencils dren in the story make their way home in
to draw, doodle, color, and highlight parts the evening, then those are the times that
of the book that are important or interest- the children listen intently, and Jane and
ing to you or your children. Use the white Jeremy are really present with us in the
spaces to collect ideas; tuck in yarn samples, room. Those are the times when nobody
project photos, index cards between the asks, “Is this a true story?”
pages, or even your knitting needles. The I hope to light the fire of enthusiasm with
drawings are simple, so you or your chil- this book, not fill a bucket with drops of
dren can supplement them with your own information. This little book will be a success
images, and there is plenty of white space when, after reading it, you set it down and
for you to use. Browse, don’t rush, through say, “I could do this; I will do it; and I will do
the book. Give yourself the same gift of it my way.”
time and imagination you are wanting to
give the children. This is important. Model
and savor unhurried education. Read a story;
sleep on it; draw it the next day. Allow it to
grow and ripen in your imagination so it is
9
Introduction
Stories draw the listener in so they become an active participant
in learning as they craft their own individual images from the story
narrative. By identifying with one of the characters and stepping in
to the imaginative space created by the story, the listeners picture
and anticipate the learning experience; they become familiar with
the images and the intricacies of a relatively complicated skill before
having to juggle needles and yarn and having to adjust tension,
balance, and regulate fine motor movement. Dry, specific instruc-
tion (“put this needle here, insert it at a ninety-degree angle, . . .”)
will never be as effective. Storytelling is an enjoyable and gratifying
experience for both teacher and learner, and the skills and tech-
niques are retained more easily because they are clothed in imagi-
native pictures. As well as describing how I put stories together, I
give you practical tips on how you can craft your own. All of the
material about putting a story together applies to any teaching and
learning situation.
I share insights from my experience about how to manage the
flow of a knitting class in both large and small groups. I provide
specific suggestions about the choice of projects, colors, and mate-
rials; suggestions on different ways of working with children; and
planning suggestions for the flow of the year and the flow of each
class. The appendixes offer resources such as planning charts and
suppliers I have used, as well as further reading suggestions.
Teaching through stories can be adapted for all subjects and for
all age levels. History is enlivened by biographical stories; science
can be brought to life through stories of discovery; geography and
geology can be seen through the eyes of explorers and philosophers;
math can be personalized and humanized by glimpsing historical
11
Elizabeth Seward
and personal anecdotes and biographies of important mathemati-

cians. In fact, every subject of study can be directly linked to human
experience and introduced through the warm and personal medium
of story, thus forging an unequivocal link through our feelings to
the subject.
The concrete thinking skills developed through handwork early
in the school years provide a solid foundation for later intellectual
and cognitive growth. Flexible and creative abstract thinking skills
are developed through hands-on thinking in the early years. These
stories both teach practical skills and lay a foundation for flexible
and open-ended thinking.
This approach will benefit teachers in public and private schools
and home-schooling parents. You will be given the tools to venture
into storytelling and (I hope) to add knitting to the children’s broad
educational experience. I have been teaching new and early-career
teachers for many years now, and I consistently hear feedback
from former students that after my classes they feel empowered
and confident in bringing stories to their classes in many different
subjects and at all age levels.
Caution! Before teaching others, be sure you are several steps
ahead. My rule of thumb is to make three before teaching one. This
means I have had the chance to work out the kinks and am confi-
dent in presenting something new.
12
Unhurried Education
Every teacher wants to change things for the better and works
towards a brighter future—one day, one child, one stitch at a time.
This book advocates what I call unhurried education. Using stories
and other compatible methodologies to teach helps both teacher
and learner to “breathe easy” and enjoy the learning process—to
stop and smell the roses along the way. Stories invite the listener
into a common space of exploration and learner-centered (but not
learner-directed) discovery. The time and personal involvement
necessary to engage in truly holistic, unhurried education are in
themselves nourishing and healthy. Education is not about filling an
empty bucket with information and bits of knowledge, but about
encouraging the growth and development of an individual (be
they child or adult) and nurturing a healthy relationship and lively
interest in the world around them. This interest and experience of
connection fosters the growth of true wisdom, which definitely
includes but is not limited to information bytes. Far more important
than reciting facts is the ability to achieve an overall understanding.
Through engaging in a subject such as handwork, a child develops
the skills to observe carefully, to perceive clearly, and to act accord-
ingly. Later, that adult will be more able to apply higher-order critical
thinking skills and form an unbiased opinion, based on observation
and clear perception, for which they have developed a firm founda-
tion within themselves. They will think for themselves and ques-
tion and test others” opinions and assertions. They are less likely to
accept untested ideas at face value.
Teaching a child to knit not only teaches them how to manipu-
late yarn and needles; they also learn to connect with their natural
environment through the use of raw materials and with their social
13
Elizabeth Seward
environment by planning for the use of the item they are making.
This is reinforced when the children use natural fibers and know
where they come from, and when they make practical, useful (not
just “cute”) items. Children (and adults) benefit from bringing the
forces of their thinking and planning to bear on unformed raw
materials and to produce useful and playful items in a heartfelt and
socially responsible way. In this way, they learn to contribute mean-
ingfully to society.
I believe children benefit from learning a range of subjects from
a variety of teachers. Having a range of perspectives and lenses to
view life and the world will serve everyone well. Teaching children
to knit is more than passing on a traditional skill. It places them in a
developmentally appropriate way at the nexus of human creativity
and inventiveness: raw materials and human inspiration and ingenu-
ity meet at their fingertips. Handwork is where their ideas become
reality. We can encourage and enliven this through stories.
14
What is Waldorf
Education?
These stories and recommendations for being, not only the intellect. The ideas and
successful handwork classes are drawn basic foundations of the curriculum were
from my lifelong career teaching and quickly adopted by many other groups of
mentoring teachers in private and public teachers and parents, and although each
(charter) Waldorf schools and my thirty- school is autonomous and sets its own
plus years of study of Waldorf education. policies and practices, the basic curriculum
Waldorf schools, celebrating their one adheres to the same broad goals and under-
hundredth anniversary in 2019, are one of standing of the human being and of child
the largest private school movements in the development articulated by Rudolf Steiner
world, and can be found on all continents one hundred years ago. Seen as a whole,
(except Antarctica!). In some countries over the span of pre-kindergarten to twelfth
they are called Steiner schools after their grade, Waldorf schools offer an extensive
founder, Rudolf Steiner—an insightful and and rigorous academic program, balanced
prolific thinker, writer, and “change agent” and supported by fully integrated artistic,
who lived in Europe at the beginning of the musical, and practical work. The educa-
last century. The first school was founded tional program takes an unhurried approach
in the Waldorf Astoria cigarette factory for to academics—first laying the foundation
the children of the factory workers in 1919 for a love of learning and good study habits,
(hence the name “Waldorf”). This was just according to developmental milestones.
after the First World War, when many influ- Children educated according to the rich and
ential public figures were concerned about robust Waldorf curriculum easily match and
issues of nationalism and social justice. One outstrip state and federal standards in later
goal of the school was to rise above the years. Working with the hands, integral to
limitations of nationalism and other -isms to Waldorf education from the beginning, is
acknowledge the true and universal nature now becoming recognized in broader edu-
of the human being. This was to be accom- cational circles as a significant way to foster
plished by educating the whole human brain and cognitive development.
15
Elizabeth Seward
You will find reflected in this book experience, for both children and adults. At
some key principles of Waldorf education first glance, it may seem foolish and juvenile
related to story-telling: the importance of to an adult to recall one of the stories such
the imagination (not the same as fantasy); as frogs jumping around in a pond when
the importance of face-to-face teaching (as they are casting off at the end of a knitting
opposed to textbook, worksheet, or screen- project. However, extensive experience
based teaching); the importance of “sleep- shows that any beginning knitter—child or
ing” on something; and the importance of adult—will certainly more easily remember
anticipation. Waldorf teachers strive to how to cast off if they think of an image
present young children with vivid, colorful, such as the little frogs in my story, rather
and enlivened, imaginative pictures, avoid- than trying to remember an abstract and
ing fixed concepts in the early years. It is unfamiliar series of movements.
this approach that leads to divergent and Human beings are a complex arrange-
creative thinking in later years. Intellectual ment of interrelated systems—of “head,
abstractions can lead quickly to a habit of heart, and hands”—and the slow, careful
black-and-white thinking, and a student can pace of handwork can pull us back into
miss out on the delight and creative value of ourselves and the present moment and help
out-of-the-box thinking. Analytic and critical us all to find the sense of completeness and
thinking come later in the Waldorf curricu- integration that is so desperately needed in
lum, once a foundation of clear perception, today’s world. This slow, careful, unhurried
understanding, and flexible thinking have pace is reflected in the stories. You will find
been laid in the early grades. Successful these stories are rather simple, with not
teaching and learning are founded on much action compared to many modern
fostering a love of and enthusiasm for the children’s stories. This is intentional, and
subject matter. Key ideas and concepts are somewhat countercultural. It helps us to
“clothed” in imaginative pictures, allowing slow down and focus on the moment and on
the children to encounter and digest them the people present with us. The richness of
at their own pace. This does not mean that the context and the simplicity of the action
fantasy trumps reality, but that the teacher focus attention on the ultimate point of the
must find a way to soften bare concepts story—learning and remembering the skill
in living, flexible pictures. Invaluable for being taught.
children, this is equally effective, in my
16
How Is This Book Organized?

The heart of this book is in chapter 3, a selection of the Jane and Jeremy
stories I have shared with children over the years. Before that, chapter
2 introduces the idea of storytelling as an enjoyable and efficient way of
teaching and covers the foundations for crafting a story. I give you both
specific and practical ideas. Chapter 1 offers a glimpse into the deeper
meaning and purpose (in both the short and long term) of storytelling in
an educational setting. The practice is based on what I call an unhurried
approach to education, in which time is consciously taken and used to
build a firm foundation for later successful academic learning and inde-
pendent thinking. In every subject, there is an opportunity for deeper
learning. I like to say we are teaching the student through the vehicle of
our subject. The student is at the heart of our work.
The stories are followed by chapter 4 on “tech support” for one of the
most low-tech experiences available to humanity today. A section called
“First Things First: Why Are We Doing This?” gives an overview of the
value of handwork and recent research regarding its pedagogical, physi-
ological, and psychological benefits. Specific guidelines and ideas follow
on how to craft a knitting class for individuals, small groups, and large
groups. You will find indispensable guidelines and practical suggestions
in chapter 4 and chapter 5. The guidelines and suggestions are specific to
a handwork lesson but fully adaptable to other classes. There are tips and
techniques to make the logistics of teaching easier in chapter 4. In a few
instances, I have selected one particular technique out of a wide range of
possible choices (for example, in casting on) that makes teaching easier
and facilitates learning other skills. In chapter 5, I share some of the best
patterns I have used successfully with beginning knitters and children
in the early grades. The appendices offer a brief insight into one of the
most valuable tools for a teacher—the four temperaments—and there are
17
Elizabeth Seward
a few charts and reference items that are helpful for your planning.
Suppliers and further reading suggestions are listed at the end.
I encourage you to read and mull over the stories, enjoy the illus-
trations, and supplement them with your own images, which will
arise from the stories. Or go ahead and make up your own stories,
anchored in a setting well known to you. Interact with the book,
make notes, color the drawings, flip back to the patterns, and see to
what extent the stories help to clothe the mechanics of knitting in
heartwarming images.
18
Chapter 1:
The Why and How of Stories
19
Where Did These

Stories Come From?
Teaching through stories is both an extremely valuable teaching children all finish their work and put it away
tool and heartwarmingly satisfying for teacher and student. I was tidily within a few minutes of the bell ringing
fortunate to hear stories as a child on the radio with no distracting cannot be overestimated.
visual input, and I grew up with the delicious experience of sharing I was eager to establish good habits in
memories and stories with beloved adults. This gave me a rich the children and avoid the last-minute rush
appreciation for the fertile imagination and the connection forged that can only lead to chaos and frustration.
by stories. Having experienced the magic of being led into a safe I also believe that handwork is a metaphor
and sumptuously imaginative, “liminal” space, I am lucky to now find for life, from the most mundane to the most
myself in a situation where I can share that with others. In my case, sublime elements: for every beginning there
however, it was panic that propelled me into the realm of story- is also an ending, and every ending is really
telling, the kind of panic that only another new teacher can under- only the opportunity for a new beginning.
stand: the defining experience of standing in front of thirty children It is important to honor the transitions of
with five or ten minutes to fill before the next teacher comes and no endings and beginnings and not to sweep
plan whatsoever for what to do with the children. them under the carpet or ignore their impact
For several years I had been assisting another experienced hand- on the child. In this way, a child learns to
work teacher, but now that I was the lead teacher, it was my job manage beginnings and endings and to
to make sure each class finished in a kind and orderly way. When accept change; each child learns there is
knitting teachers do their job well, the children will want to con- trustworthy permanence and stability in
tinue working, and the challenging logistics of having thirty or so life, and may learn, in the greater picture,
not to fear loss as a devastating end.
21
Elizabeth Seward
For these reasons and more (not least my mouth, and was curious as to what I was
that as soon as the bell rang, I needed to be going to say next. Like a train going down
out of one room and into the next class in the tracks in an old cartoon, as Popeye is
the space of about sixty seconds), I wanted laying the sleepers and the tracks just before
to be sure that the children’s work was all the wheels get there, I made it up, word by
put away tidily and carefully in a timely way. word. Necessity is the mother of invention.
I gave them a five-minute warning: “Time Whether this was angels guiding me or an
has flown on the wings of an eagle, and soon adrenaline rush, I don’t know. Fools rush
it will be time to put our work away”; and in where angels fear to tread! In the time it
a one-minute warning: “Now is the time to took me to take a breath, all these thoughts
finish the row and wind the yarn around the raced through my mind, and my storytelling
ball.” This time, to my astonishment, they all career was launched!
actually put their things away speedily; my I had to craft a story that was related
parent helper carried the basket around the both to the children in front of me and to
room, and all the needles and colored balls the knitting lesson. Anticipation is key in
of yarn found their way into the basket. We Waldorf education; if you can leave the
played one of our usual guessing games to children at the end of one lesson sitting on
reward those who had already put their the edge of their chairs in eagerness for the
things away: “I spy with my little eye . . .” or next lesson, full of questions and interest,
something similar. This allowed the slow- then the work of your next lesson is half
pokes a little extra time. done. In the intervening time, they will put
Everything was carefully tidied away in those ideas on the back burner, and like a
record time, and a quick check and recheck good stew, the result will be mouthwater-
of the time confirmed that we had five or ing; they will already be setting a context
so minutes left. Allowing a free-for-all bath- for new learning, and the foundation will
room break or free time would only result in be laid for successful teaching: interest and
chaos for the next teacher, so I had to come curiosity about what comes next. I searched
up with something in a hurry. I was notic- desperately for a place to land all the ideas
ing that the “I spy” games were getting a flying around in my head, and remembered
little repetitious, so in a kind of out-of-body that my preschool and kindergarten col-
experience, I stepped into unknown terri- leagues in Waldorf schools memorize the
tory. I could hear the words coming out of fairy tales they tell by visualizing and calling
22
up a series of pictures and images. This and Jeremy made their first appearance in
anchors the story and the action, and allows that classroom!
the teacher to describe the action and the As in the stereotype of a dying man,
setting of the story as an observer, as the lis- this all flashed before my mind’s eye in a
teners are also observers of the same scene. split second, as the train of storytelling got
The focus is on the story, not the teller. I up a head of steam and proceeded down
remembered also that the children should the tracks.
be able to identify closely with the charac- I survived and lived to tell another tale!
ters in the story, so they feel involved and In fact, I found the habit of telling stories at
addressed. Waldorf teachers identify four the end of each class worked well on many
basic personality types or “temperaments” levels: it provided a calm way to finish the
(see Appendix 1: The Temperaments). lesson; a sense of belonging to a larger “knit-
These are helpful for recognizing the differ- ting community” was developed; the chil-
ent ways a child may react to or process any dren did indeed begin to develop an eager
given situation. These temperaments often interest in Jane and Jeremy’s adventures
coexist in one person to varying degrees. I and identify with their struggles and joys in
also wanted to ground the story in a reality- casting on and off, in purling, in picking up
based environment, with room for growth dropped stitches, and other knitting tech-
and exploration. I had a feeling that these niques . . . and these are all great reasons
characters would be with me for a while—as for telling stories. Previewing the skills that
it turns out, for at least thirty years now, would be introduced in upcoming classes
and counting! activated the children’s imaginations.
One of my daughters had just returned Between one class and the next, they began
from a student exchange in Germany, where to wonder about and picture the move-
she had stayed with a family who lived in a ments needed to, for example, cast off.
house across the street from birch woods. For casting off, I used a story about frogs
There were twins her age. This was perfect! jumping over each other into the pond. It
Quickly I tried to come up with names for is easier to talk about frogs jumping into a
the children that were easy enough for me pond than to explain the angle at which to
to remember (!) but not directly associated hold a needle, point out which loop to insert
with children in the school at that time, or the needle into, and so on. It is also easier
with siblings of that group of children. Jane and more effective to remind a child that
23
Elizabeth Seward
the frogs need to go SPLASH into the pond, Unhurried education and nourishing, imagi-
rather than analytically describe the loop native images provide the possibility for
that has to be released from the needle. appreciating, digesting, and incorporating
Knitting stays playful, and teaching this skill what is learned, and education becomes
stays lively and intriguing. more than a gathering of information
As time went on, and the stories and an accumulation of skills. Education
unfolded in the telling, I was able to reflect can become a vehicle for understanding,
on the whys and hows of storytelling. I valuing, and caring for the complex and
was able to observe the effectiveness of living systems that surround us and a pro-
teaching through stories in several different found way to connect with our environ-
classes and to experiment with the differ- ment and each other. Unhurried education,
ence between telling a story and reading a and teaching to the heart through stories,
story. I began to read about the history of develop a lifelong love of a continually
storytelling, its importance in education, unfolding process of learning and loving the
and about stories as a vehicle to transmit world.
traditional culture and civilization. I began I have been able to share the stories
to consider the epistemological effects of and the methodology with many teachers:
teaching through stories. If how we teach is handwork teachers and student teachers in
what we teach, and our teaching is the lens all subjects who have successfully adapted
through which children (or adult students) this approach to their own subject and
learn to perceive the world, then our teach- grade level. In this chapter I will share some
ing methodology could be equally or more of the hows and whys.
important than the content of what we
teach. If a loving, joyful, delightful, inviting,
and adventuresome connection is made with
the subject at hand, then a loving, joyful,
inviting, and adventuresome delight in learn-
ing and in the environment is developed.
24
Why Tell Stories?
You may be asking why a person would bother to go out on a limb carefully chosen words of an absent author
and try this, making up their own stories, and whether the trouble can feel like a safety net, but can also create
is worthwhile. There are now many websites and podcasts making an invisible barrier between speaker and
good recorded stories available. This section is a kind of “bridge- listener. In both reading aloud and telling a
pass” for those of you unfamiliar with the magic of an ongoing prac- story, you are entering an imaginary world
tice of storytelling. Many of you will recognize the value of telling together with your listeners, but in reading
stories in an intuitive, right-brained kind of way. For those of you another’s words from the page, your words
who value a more analytic approach, or for those of you who need and thoughts conform to the imagination
to explain to colleagues or parents the use of classroom time “just of that other, perhaps faceless, author.
telling stories,” here is a very quick overview. Every day, I see more Reading someone else’s words aloud to your
research about the value of imaginative and open-ended thinking, listeners, you are the messenger with very
fostered by storytelling at a young age. little creative or personal involvement. This
Live storytelling is a risky and dangerous enterprise. It seems can give you, the reader/teller, an impres-
much safer to pick up a book and read someone else’s well-thought- sion of security, but the well-crafted shell
out words. In a book, the characters are established, the plot is care- or shield around the essence of the story
fully developed, and there are often vivid and colorful illustrations. separates you from your listeners. When
The vocabulary is thoughtfully chosen, grammatical structures are you begin to be comfortable, even a little,
well planned, and in a good book, the language flows like liquid with telling, then you and your listeners are
poetry. On the other hand, first attempts at “free” storytelling can enfolded together in this magical, liminal
be humbling and intimidating. If things do not go well, vocabulary space. For the time of the storytelling,
shrinks to thirty words or less (with a high repetition of “and then”), this unique meeting place of space and
characters undergo inexplicable metamorphoses, and the plotline time grows and develops because of your
can take the teller so far out on a limb that screeching to a sudden active involvement and your listeners’
stop is the most appealing and merciful end. keen attention. The mix of your speaking
However, those who overcome their initial anxiety and self- and their listening creates a unique, live—
doubt will find telling stories one of the most rewarding and satisfy- and living—experience.
ing activities you can engage in with children (or with other adults, Nurturing this process can take time,
for that matter). When reading a story, the printed page and the patience, reflection, and a willingness to
25
Elizabeth Seward
fail (often). Many busy parents know that the weather may reflect actual conditions; a
it is possible to read a bedtime story aloud pet may be described or named—all in such
and compile the next day’s shopping list at a way that the audience feels directly con-
the same time. This appears to get the job nected with the story. Sometimes another
done, but fails to create the warm, common pair of ears can be helpful as a sounding
space. When you tell a story directly from board. As the bread is set to rise, the best
your heart to your listener’s heart, you will stories are thought out ahead of time and
be able to add or minimize elements of the left to develop in the back of the teller’s
story according to your listener’s needs, mind, at least overnight.
and according to your specific concerns as a The overall process can be as satisfying
teacher or parent. as the product. Telling a story can be as nur-
Telling a story live is like baking bread: turing as baking bread for those you love,
the recipe can be tweaked for personal and giving the gift of a live story builds and
preference or need. The best bread requires nurtures a caring and respectful relation-
very few and very simple, ordinary ingre- ship between teacher and students. It is an
dients that can be modified. I like to add opportunity to slow down and be present,
rolled oats or different kinds of flour; I use and simply be with each other. Both bread
honey instead of sugar. At first, there is a and stories are nourishing on the most
rather formless, sloppy mixture. However, basic level.
with experience and confidence, and In a few words, your effort and your will-
with substantial effort put into kneading ingness to take the risk and go out on a limb
the mixture—sometimes with the help of are more important and meaningful than a
another pair of hands—the dough comes perfect plot, well-constructed characters,
together and can be set to rise. To turn out and a poetic cadence to the language.
well, the dough must rest in a warm place Creating a warm and welcoming listening
before baking; this allows the strength space, into which you step together with
and elasticity of the dough to develop. A your audience, is a rare and precious gift for
storyteller also assembles ingredients (char- you and for them—and they will learn what
acters, plot, and environment), mixes them you want to teach them, whether it is knit-
together, and works hard at creating a nour- ting or something much more profound.
ishing product. Ingredients can be modified:
perhaps a character can like a specific color;
26
Why Would I Want to Do This?
Telling adds a dimension of personal intimacy and care that almost

supersedes the value of the story itself. Eye contact, smiles, pauses,
the upturned faces of children with wide eyes and relaxed, half-
open mouths, or the palpable feeling of expectant inner quiet in
children and adults—all of these signs affirm that some unusually
personal interaction is taking place. The gesture of inviting your
listeners in, figuratively taking them by the hand and leading them
into a story space you explore together, is a gesture of respect and
care, of being present, that cannot be duplicated.
Teaching through stories is effective and welcomes all learners
to share and participate in the learning experience. It is economi-
cal; about eighty per cent of the work of teaching those intricate
little movements is done with a whole class at a time. Before I
began using these stories, while assisting in a class of around thirty
children, repeating over and over, “In here, out there,” and feeling
despair at the retention and class management—with children
waiting—this was never a good feeling. I felt like I could not keep my
head above water.
In this section I share anecdotes, thoughts, and impressions from
my nearly thirty years in the handwork classroom, and leave the
scholarly paper on cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiri-
tual development to another day (although it would be fun to write!).
Every time I look around, there is a new book on storytelling; my
Facebook newsfeed is full of posts from studies on imaginative play
and cognitive development.
In the rush to help children accomplish goals and achieve stan-
dards set by committees of non-teachers, the very foundation of
learning is sometimes overlooked. Worthwhile learning is based on
27
Elizabeth Seward
active and lively interest in the world around us. Storytelling pro-
vides this foundation and establishes a habit or “gesture” of learning
that transfers to other subjects. Good stories do not simply recount
facts, and they address more than understanding; good stories that
stand the test of time always contain a nugget of wisdom that goes
beyond factual knowledge. Good stories invite the listener to iden-
tify with a character and become invested in the story. In this way,
deeper learning takes place. Good teachers teach the child, and not
only the subject. Imaginative pictures are better retained and more
easily accessed than lists of facts, even by adults.
Storytelling is economical in that several issues can be addressed
at once, and a teacher can work on many levels at the same time.
Most obviously, from this book’s perspective, on the skills or physi-
cal level, many children can be introduced to the idea and techniques
of knitting at the same time. Emotionally, the stories are personal
and nourishing, so the children can adapt them to their own needs.
Socially, listening to a story together builds class community as a
shared experience; it’s like a field trip in your mind.
28
What Benefits Can I

Reasonably Expect?
You can expect a deeper level of engagement with the material Later you will see your students develop:
you are presenting, and longer retention; you can expect improved • out-of-the-box thinking
affective bonding between teller/teacher and student, and between • a sense of mastery and a
students; and you can expect to enjoy this a lot. You can expect can-do attitude
students to be more personally engaged and empowered in their • idealism combined with the ability to
learning process, acting as co-owners of the learning process— think practically
not consumers. • lifelong learning with a developed
Teaching through stories, you can expect to see: habit of interest
• children joyfully engaged in learning • an ability to grapple with and grasp
• attentive students the work at hand
• improved class management, with less waiting time • resilience—everything in knitting can
for individuals be fixed; tangles can be sorted out
• eager anticipation bubbling over: “When will Aunt Susan • perseverance, patience,
show the children how to make their needles?” “Am I ready and follow-through
for the frogs?” • planning skills and an ability to set
• satisfying and joyful progress, and justifiable pride as the long-term goals
students match their work to Jane and Jeremy’s • practical problem-solving
• students who are accepting and comfortable with them- • and much more!
selves: “I’m just like Jeremy; I’m shy too.” Unhurried, unharried teaching is a great
• a sense of mutual support, which can grow in the classroom joy for both teacher and learner, and is
as children learn to appreciate each other’s challenges easily experienced through storytelling.
and strengths, just as Jane and Jeremy accept and value
each other’s
• . . . on a good day!
29
Elizabeth Seward
Stories Build
Relationship and
Community
One of the great values of a story is that clearly there was a great cathartic moment
listeners can digest it at their own level. Of for a student who faced many challenges
course, care should be exercised in selecting in his young life—a second-grade boy who,
the story, but within age and developmen- challenged by impulse control, blurted out
tal parameters, some aspects of the story a whole litany of his woes and anxieties
will stand out more to one or the other as I was telling the story of the shepherd.
listener. It can provide helpful feedback to He was identifying with the lamb who had
briefly review a story you have told in the unwittingly become separated from his
classroom, asking, “What do you remember mother, and was reassured that the good
about yesterday’s story?” rather than solicit- shepherd would recognize his troubles and
ing a blow-by-blow account. This freedom return him to the flock. I believe this simple
in telling the story will also allow you to story help to calm some of his anxiety.
tailor a story to some listeners; perhaps Storytelling gives us as teachers an oppor-
a pet has just died, and this would be too tunity to get to know the students in a way
raw to include in the story; perhaps a family that is not confrontational or threatening
member is moving away, and the story and does not make them feel vulnerable.
can provide reassurance that the bonds Teaching through stories does not put
will remain intact. With care in preparing children on the spot. A teacher can draw the
the story, and a focus on the needs of the child in to the story gently and “obliquely.”
listeners, stories can be easily personalized By seeing themselves in the story (“I knit
without putting anyone uncomfortably on just like Jane”), children hear how Jane
the spot. learned, for example, to loosen up her
These “oblique” references can bring stitches, and each child can then decide to
up a manifest change in the listener. Their do that too. The learning is stronger, more
listening is sharper, and their attention is effective, because each student decides on
increased. In one case that I remember their own course of action, instead of being
30
instructed directly by someone else how to is very possible that several children need
fix their mistake. There is a further potential the same “tips,” so it is economical in this
to address social issues in the classroom or way too.
family by telling a story and drawing the In a very practical way, we know children
children in—such as the story when Jane have different modes of learning. It is pos-
and Jeremy argued. sible that some children respond well to the
The active imagination required and gen- “put the needle in this loop” approach, and
erated by listening to the stories provides this will be a part of the learning process,
nourishment for inner growth and develop- but stories will provide additional, comple-
ment, as the stories meet each listener at mentary modalities of learning. For those
their own level. At the same time, this is children who learn quickly to master knit-
a playful, enjoyable, learning experience, ting, stories provide more texture and depth
forging stronger bonds between teller to the experience, meeting each listener at
and listener. their own level.
In terms of class management, no one It is clear that children enjoy this playful
is waiting for help while all are listening to approach—there are smiles and laughter, not
the story (I do not allow knitting while I am furrowed brows and white knuckles (or not
telling a story; I’m looking for attention and so much, anyway). Recently a young girl in
no interruptions). It is easy to refine skills or one of my private classes and I were talking
address and remediate bad habits in a story. about how hard she has been working, yet
For example, Jeremy may have been holding after just a few classes of intense effort, she
his needles in an awkward position, or Jane has a great sense of mastery and expressed
may have been rushing so much that she how much fun it is to do something hard,
simply dropped stitches off the end of her and then to be able to knit row after row all
needle. Rather than put an individual on the by herself. A storyteller can recognize this
spot, the whole class listens receptively. It kind of inner growth in a listener, and this
31
Elizabeth Seward
is another advantage of telling, not reading: Giving stories an honored place in your
you can see the children. teaching communicates the message that
The old-fashioned, strongly prescriptive truth is found in community, and that no
model of education, in which the teacher single individual has the whole truth. This
is the sage on the stage and fountain of all is a most valuable life lesson. Only by vali-
knowledge, reinforces a hierarchy that is dating others’ perspectives can we arrive
counterproductive to fostering a lifelong at an approximation of a rounded picture
habit of inquiry and learning. Storytelling of reality or truth. In fact, stories are the
places the adult in the role of guide on the fabric of civilization; this is how history and
side and fosters a community of learning in learning have been passed on for millennia.
which all participants hold a valid point of Stories have been shared through genera-
view, seen from their unique and valuable tions, forming and shaping culture and civili-
individual perspectives. The teacher is not zation for far longer and with greater impact
the sage on the stage, and learning is not than formal, recorded history.
filtered through the “expert” but explored
together. This does not mean that the
teacher does not need to master what he/
she is teaching, but that we can avoid the
old, hierarchical model of the expert and
the omniscient textbook: through stories,
truth is found in community, compiled from
differing perspectives.
32
The Value of Listening
There is a difference between auditory and meet within our consciousness. Through
visual learning that goes beyond Gardner’s our sense of hearing, we can become more
Multiple Intelligence model. Vision, or sight, aware of the wholeness of the context in
perceives one thing at a time and can be which we find ourselves. Listening to a story
directed to exclude certain stimuli. Hearing together builds community in a way that
and listening, on the other hand, can pri- reading the same story cannot rival.
oritize but not exclude multiple sensory In the history of humanity, reading,
inputs. Vision and reading have a tendency especially silent reading to oneself, is a
to analyze; hearing and listening to synthe- relatively recent activity. The widespread
size. Hearing a story—or, more broadly, oral use of textbooks in schools is an even more
storytelling—allows multiple sensory inputs modern and perhaps regrettable innova-
and dimensions of the story to be simulta- tion. There is an overall tendency in the
neously present. history of the evolution of consciousness to
It is important to acknowledge the value abdicate authority/wisdom away from the
of our sense of hearing in this digitized, visual personal to the “objective”—to the written
society. Vision is focused and directed. We word, to the established teaching institu-
can close our eyes and direct our attention, to the internet, and so on. Dating from
tion away from selected things. Vision can the Industrial Revolution, when education
reach out selectively into the world of sense became a way to turn out workers for
impressions. It is, in some ways, an analytic the machinery of society, textbooks have
skill, breaking things down. now become an industry to themselves.
Listening, on the other hand, is a more Textbooks, testing, and standards compli-
synthetic, receptive sense. We can’t exclude ance are now multi-million-dollar industries.
(although we can prioritize) the sound of Stories allow us meet those requirements
the TV in the next room, or the neighbor’s and also to tailor the material to the stu-
chainsaw at midnight. Listening is an always dents in front of us.
open, “all around” sense, in which appar-
ently disparate stimuli come toward us and
33
Elizabeth Seward
Deeper Learning
Good stories invite the listener to identify and events through telling stories, as the
with a character or part of a character personal struggles of Pythagoras or Marie
and become invested in the story. In this Curie are told in story form. Without the
way, deeper learning takes place. Stories connection forged by stories, these facts
reach more than understanding; listeners may remain dry and distant. Students in the
can develop empathy and insight, and by middle grades are reached most effectively
walking in another’s shoes, realize they are through their imagination and their feelings;
not alone. As they vicariously participate this lays a firm foundation for intellectual and
in the unfolding of the story, they witness analytic thinking later. Through involvement
challenges they themselves may face, they in a story, listeners gently develop habits of
live into the situations, and they experi- focused and sustained attention, which will
ence ways difficulties and challenges may serve them well in other situations.
be resolved. Stories invite the listener into
a shared experience, where situations
and phenomena are observed and care-
fully considered.
In the early grades in handwork, the
stories provide a way to teach practical
skills in a reassuring and encouraging—and
very effective—way. In later grades, stories
can offer insight into the humanity of his-
torical figures, as biographies of great kings
and queens and explorers are told. Math
and scientific discoveries can be made more
accessible by introducing major concepts
34
A Glimpse into the

Broader Educational
Value of Storytelling
Education in general has been moving The students are both liberated and free in
from rote learning and memorization of their actions.
facts towards hands-on, project-based, and For me personally, good storytelling
student-centered learning. Phenomena are provides a meeting place, a liminal, imaginal
observed, or a problem is posed; students space where I share a common experience
observe closely and construct their own with others. I remember one sentence
hypotheses, which are then tested and from an international teacher conference
checked. In a story, students can be led I attended at least thirty years ago: “Every
through that process of trial and error as a true meeting between individuals is a peda-
preparation for the time when they engage gogical moment.” This means that if we can
with real-life situations and problems. As be present to each other as we meet, each
they identify with the character in the story, individual grows from this meeting, seeing
or feel themselves present in the story and being seen, knowing and being known.
space, they are empowered to attempt new This conscious encounter with the person-
approaches. Experiencing good stories, hood of another individual allows, supports,
students are less consumers of ready-made and encourages growth on a deeper level
bytes of knowledge and more likely to take than “learning about” something, gathering
ownership of their own learning. This is information, or accumulating skills.
my measure of success: not that students
simply retain what they have heard in the
classroom, but that they are willing and
able to translate that knowledge into other
circumstances outside school. Stories allow
me to invite and not prescribe that response.
35
Chapter 2:
Putting a Story Together
37
Preparing the Ground
This chapter gives specific tips and suggestions. None are hard and
fast rules for (or guarantees of) a successful outcome. They are
intended as helpful guidelines, but should not stop you from just
jumping in. At best, they will help you avoid some of the more disas-
trous mistakes I made!
Storytelling is a craft, not a talent. It can be learned and refined,
and there are many supportive guilds and groups to join. Listening
and reflecting on stories you have enjoyed hearing can be helpful.
Have courage! The best way to learn is to do it, reflect on it,
and then do it again. Breathe, act, and reflect. Nothing ventured,
nothing gained!
39
Elizabeth Seward
Keep It Simple
Start small and easy with stories. This means aim for three to five
minutes maximum at first. Tell about an actual event, paying close
attention to detail. Make sure your listeners are there with you.
Start with one event or situation only. Perhaps tell about the
time when . . . you went to the county fair with your parents and
saw a sheep. Save the pigs, cows, and ice cream for another install-
ment. One day trip, well observed and remembered, can yield fruit
for many weeks of authentic stories.
Consider the Three Unities of Greek drama: time, place, and plot.
The best oral stories are the most simply constructed.
If you need to “warm up” before stepping into storytelling, mini-
mize the temptation to a wordy introduction. Keep it short, along
the lines of, “Here’s a story about the time when Jane and Jeremy
got ready for vacation.” Then you are launched!
Don’t embed a story in another one. This means avoid telling
“the story your grandmother told you about . . . .” It is far too confus-
ing (for the teller as well as the listeners), and undoing this wrapping
distracts from the content and purpose of the story itself.
Setting and Environment

Choose a real house and environment that you know sufficiently
well. It’s confusing if the kitchen, for example, keeps wandering
around the house! This house or location can be a pastiche and
composed of several different elements, but be sure to keep them
straight. Try not to describe things that are not directly related
to that day’s story, and this will help you to avoid confusion. For
example, if you are telling about coming home in winter to a bowl
of carrot soup, describe the way from the door to the table, hand
40
washing along the way, and the table itself, but try and avoid dis-
tractors such as bringing in the mail or a muddy dog.
Stick with a certain climate you’re familiar with. We’re trying to
help the children connect with the world around them and feel able
to take it into their hands, lovingly. So we need to treat the world
around us lovingly, consistently, and truly. Be sure you know if it
snows in the sort of wood you are describing; know when frogs can
be seen hopping on the pond; know what kind of plants grow in the
gardens where the children play.
Involve the senses. Touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight are just
the beginning. Consider also fostering a sense of well-being in the
children who are listening; a sense of inner coherence in the story; a
sense for the beauty and melody of the language.
The People
Address the temperaments (see appendix 1 (The Temperaments)).
Twins worked well for me as subjects, as I was with a mixed audi-
ence. This allowed some listeners to identify with the boy and
some with the girl. I particularly gave them different (hopefully
non-gender-specific) characteristics, along the lines of the four tem-
peraments that Steiner outlines in his educational work. Jane is con-
sistently choleric-sanguine, and Jeremy is consistently phlegmatic-
melancholic. The characterizations are clear enough for listeners to
find some aspect of each character to identify with.
Try to avoid describing physical characteristics of the main char-
acters. If you want the children to identify with them, allow them
the freedom to picture the characters as they need and choose to.
Questions about how Jane and Jeremy looked never came up; I
would have been reluctant to describe color of hair or skin, or height
or build. I like to think Jane and Jeremy were so alive in the stories
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Elizabeth Seward
that the children “saw” them as children like themselves, beyond the
barriers of ethnic, racial, religious, or even gender issues.
Focus on the Audience, Not on

Yourself (Except Just a Bit)
Make sure the space is hospitable—tend to heat, comfort, light, and
external noises.
Expecting and requiring attention from the listeners builds an
experience of respectful community. All hear the same thing at the
same time.
Create a compassionate space for listening and for telling. This
is achieved outwardly with words and gestures of welcome and
warmth, and inwardly by holding all judgment at bay and being
certain that each person present (especially you) is bringing their
best to the situation. We think children are much more forgiving
than adults, but adults also love and are nourished by simple stories.
You may find it easier to tell to people you know; a kind of warmth
is created among friends, and if everyone has had a chance to feel
welcomed into the circle, the atmosphere is more welcoming for
you as a storyteller.
The field of storytelling is where we can encounter truth, recog-
nized intuitively. Imagination is the path to truth, and facts are not
the same as truth. Be consistent and honest, but don’t get caught
up in explanations and facts, which can be a great distraction.
Maintain integrity in the story; don’t trick your listeners. There is
an intimacy in storytelling, and trust is built that should be treated
with reverence. When people open their ears, hearts, and minds to
listen, they make themselves vulnerable. Surprise events or unex-
pected twists in the story may be acceptable in later grades, or later
42
in the learning process, but even then, don’t purposely mislead the
listener. That is a different kind of story.
If this is an ongoing experience, set the stage consistently: Are
you standing? Sitting? Wearing a story shawl? How are the lights?
Your tone of voice? Other activities in the room? Eye contact? This
helps the audience move into the story with you, and helps you to
feel rooted and secure.
Be present, but invisible. This is very important. The listeners’
focus and attention should be on the story, not on you as a story-
teller. Work through a story enough times so that you don’t “tear
up” and sob at the sad parts. Do that privately, ahead of time. Don’t
allow yourself to be emotionally captivated by one part of a story.
Those stories that have a strong impact on you will be the ones that
are meaningful for the audience, but you want them to hear what
they need from the story, and not focus on your emotions. If you are
shocked or horrified or saddened at something that happens in a
story you are telling, digest it before you tell it. If your emotions are
at the forefront, the essence of the story is secondary, the common
imaginative space you could create is eclipsed, and the focus is on
your personal reaction. Consider whether this could be equally true
of aspects of the story you find exciting and exhilarating.
Don’t make a story into a reward or a privilege that can be
revoked. Telling a story is an action that transcends bartering.
You can’t put a price on it or quantify its value. Storytelling is not
a tradeable commodity. Like unconditional love, telling stories is a
long-term investment. You will strengthen your relationship with
the child/class by giving a story—most of all when you least want to!
Then you can draw on this relationship when you need to.
Props can be either helpful or a distraction to both listener and
teller. Handwork teachers may choose to weave a story around
lions or lambs the children have knitted, or tell stories about the
Underground Railroad to seventh graders who are quilting (quilts
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Elizabeth Seward
hung on the clothesline to dry were used as signposts—a code

“hidden in plain sight”). However, if a prop doesn’t match the child’s
image, it can be distracting, and handling and managing the right
prop at the right time can interrupt the flow of a good story and pull
the audience back too sharply to the “here and now”.
Telling the Story

Silence is to be welcomed. Words are surrounded by silence, and
without silence, we cannot digest and make sense of the words of a
story. Attentive listening is an endangered skill. When all are listen-
ing together to the sound of one human voice, pauses and silence
are palpable presences, not absence of noise.
Use clarity and accuracy in your speech. Taste the words; let the
sound ring in the air; feel the listening ears reach out! When you
get more comfortable, pay attention to your use of adverbs—how an
action is performed.
Prepare the story well. Have a clear picture in your mind, and a
clear sequence of events (like a storyboard). A well-prepared story
will find a place in your long-term memory and can be retrieved more
easily at a later date for a new audience. Don’t just wing it—this will
lead to lack of true substance. Your listeners will perceive this on
some level. Telling my first story, either I was borne on the wings of
angels, or the adrenaline rush blurred my perceptions. Don’t count
on one or the other!
If your audience fidgets, it means YOU are insufficiently pre-
pared. They are not there with you.
44
Balance within the Story

People thirst for stories—they are food and drink for the soul. Silly
stories can add zest and spice to your repertoire; balance them with
nourishing moments.
The shift between laughter and tears is like a cathartic soul
massage. In time and with careful practice and reflection, knowing
your audience and handling them carefully and lovingly, you can take
your listeners to the depths and the heights of human experience.
The Perfect Can Be the

Enemy of the Good
The stories you tell don’t have to be literary masterpieces; don’t let
the desire for perfection stop you. Each story is not required to hold
one or more of life’s great lessons. Remember, one small incident/
event per story is enough. It’s OK to slow down in our multitasking
life; it’s beneficial for children and for us all. In fact, the practice
of handwork is an opportunity to slow down and be present in
the moment. Both handwork and this kind of storytelling give us
the chance to stop and stare, to slow down and smell the roses,
to be fully present with others, to experience, acknowledge, and
celebrate our part in the world around us.
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Elizabeth Seward
First Steps
Telling a story is equally rewarding for the teller and the listener,
and once started, you will be eager to tell more and more stories,
again and again. Sometimes, storytellers start “by accident” and are
quickly drawn in; some just jump in fearlessly, but many people like
to approach with small steps and successive approximations. Like a
toddler taking their first steps, plan on falling down once in a while,
and plan on getting right back up again, and making progress each
time. Here are some suggestions which may help you to refine your
technique, or give you some things to consider, and may provide
encouraging stepping stones for the faint-hearted!
I strongly suggest doing these exercises out loud, and if not in a
workshop situation among peers, then slip them surreptitiously into
a conversation. Writing and recording both change the form and
shape of your words and make the teller/writer more self-aware.
Rehearsing and recording the stories inserts a formalized step into
the “heart to mouth to ear to heart” experience you are working
for. This kind of storytelling is not a performance; it’s a form of
shared experience. It’s about stepping into a newfound liminal
space together.
I avoid telling physical details such as the name of the town where
the family lived, the color of their hair, their height, their weight,
and so on. I recognize this seems odd to many, and even somewhat
countercultural. Avoiding a physical description or depiction has
many advantages: it activates the listeners’ imagination; it fosters
curiosity and interest; it requires active thinking; and listeners
create their own images, thus investing more in the world they have
created, and picture what they need and can handle. Importantly,
46
racial and ethnic characterizations are minimized, and the stories

are inviting to more children and accessible to a wider audience.
In a general way, if a child first reads or hears a story, then sees
a corresponding movie, there is often an inner sense of disappoint-
ment or alienation. The character does not look like the person the
child has brought to life and come to know in their imagination.
Commercial depictions are often superficial and oversimplified,
compared to the rich constructs of a child’s imagination. Changing
the persona of a character or describing in detail their physical
characteristics in a well-loved story (such as a fairy-tale) can seem
like a violation of a child’s inner sanctum of imagination. The value
of storytelling compared to watching a movie, or even reading an
illustrated story, is that the child’s imagination is awakened and
actively engaged with the story at the level each child needs at that
moment. Pre-conceived adult images imposed on the characters
can prevent a child from identifying with them and stepping into the
liminal space of the story. Their active imagination and thereby the
value of the story is reduced.
One of the magical moments in using this method of teach-
ing through stories is when a child spontaneously says, “Oh, Mrs.
Seward, he is just like me; he . . .” We are stripping the child of
that experience and denying him/her the opportunity to identify
in a deeper way with the character if we violate their imaginations
with simplified caricatures or overlay their images with our own.
This is one of many strong arguments against media exposure for
young children—they absorb indigestible, fixed, visual images that
rob them of the opportunity to establish and develop nourishing
archetypes according to their own individual needs.
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Elizabeth Seward
Here are some ideas to get you started children in our care to slow down and expe-
thinking. Use them as exercises, and adapt rience the present, here and now, is a price-
and change these suggestions as you like. less gift. Telling the simplest of stories and
“Experiment” on one child as your first audi- deliberately entering common space and
ence, and observe their reaction: time together is an irreplaceable nurturing
Describe a landscape, perhaps with a and healing experience—for both listener
particular child in mind. What would inter- and teller. Being aware of and delighting in
est/intrigue/delight that child? sharing the present moment together is the
Describe a dinner table—with one child stuff of life.
in mind, then another. Every true meeting between individuals is a
Look out of the window and describe pedagogical moment. This means that if we
what you see, and then what others would can be present to each other as we meet,
notice first: Clouds? Moving tree branches? each individual grows from this. In stories,
Birds? Quiet spaces? Buildings/fences? The it’s not only a question of a teacher instruct-
sounds of a plane overhead? Colors? ing a student, but a conscious encounter
Transfer the principle of these exercises with the personhood of another individual
to other everyday experiences. that allows and encourages growth on a
These apparently simple exercises bring level deeper than learning about stuff or
the teller and the listener into sharing simply gathering information. Stories lead
a common space and time. Being in the us easily and securely into these encounters.
moment and being present with others is Telling a story communicates from the
an art that is less and less common. Think heart and mind of one individual to another.
of cell phones in coffee shops; social media Like the unconditional love between parent
that fool us into “interacting” with “friends.” and child, it cannot be measured quanti-
People, especially children, need to be tatively and cannot be commodified. It is
nurtured by face-to-face, authentic, human one of the most inexpensive gifts, and one
presence. Reminding ourselves of the very of the most priceless, that one person can
simple yet essential components of being share with another.
present to one another and helping the
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Chapter 3:
The Stories
These stories are given as templates for you to enjoy and build your own stories. Before
the beginning of the story, I note which skills are introduced. I suggest reading the stories
to yourself first, to get a taste. Comments in italics at the end of each story are for you, the
parent or teacher, intended as an orientation.
49
Getting to Know Jane and Jeremy
In which you will hear about Jane and Jeremy, their family, and their house.
Jane and Jeremy lived in a house that is a little bit different from the houses most of us live
in here. Once you went in their front door, you had to go up some stairs to get to the living
room and the kitchen, and then up more stairs to get to the bedrooms. They lived with their
mother, their father, and a younger brother named Mark. They had a cat called Tippy and
a dog called Maxi, who was one of those very short dogs with very long hair—so long you
could hardly see his eyes—but it always felt as if he were smiling at you because he was a
very friendly dog. When our story starts, Maxi was already quite an old dog, but Jane and
Jeremy were around six, or maybe seven, years old.
There was something very special about Jane and Jeremy: they had been born on the
same day and were twins. They didn’t look exactly like each other, and often liked to do
different things and play with different friends, but they did also feel a lot more comfortable
when the other was around, and often just liked to know that the other was somewhere
nearby. Jane was the kind of person who liked to run fast and do things quickly. She liked
bright colors and climbing trees. Jeremy seemed a little more shy; when he rode his bike he
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Elizabeth Seward
liked to go slowly to look at things around him, and he liked to watch the wind rustle through
the leaves in a tree, rather than climb the tree. His favorite colors were blue and green.
They shared a bedroom on the top floor of the house, where the rest of the family also
had their bedrooms. One other room was used as a playroom, and this room had a small
balcony. Sometimes they liked to take a pile of big pillows out on the balcony and look at a
book or even just sit and watch the clouds going by. They could also look down on to the
front yard and to the street that went by their house. On the other side of the street there
was a wood. We’ll hear more about the wood, and the walks they would often take there,
another time.
As our story begins, Jane and Jeremy were sitting on the balcony just looking out over
the street and the trees in the woods. The children were waiting for Aunt Susan to come
visiting. She had been promising to teach them how to knit all summer, and today was the
longed-for day. There was a gentle breeze, which was good, because the day was hot and
had a sticky feeling to it. It was one of those days when every sound seems louder and
everything is kind of irritating. Right now, though, on the balcony things were peaceful.
They heard the sound of a neighbor working in his garden, digging a new bed for planting
flowers. If they listened very closely they could hear their mother singing downstairs as she
tidied up in the kitchen. They heard the leaves in the trees rustle as the gentle breeze came
and went. Then they heard a sound they didn’t recognize right away. It was like singing, but
they didn’t recognize the song or any words, and it seemed to be coming down the hill and
along the road. It wasn’t Aunt Susan’s voice. They both listened quite intently and looked
this way and that to see if they could see anyone that could make that music. They were
just beginning to make out the words when in between the bushes at the bottom of their
garden, they caught sight of a man striding along the street, a pack slung over his back,
and yes, they were right—he was singing, but not a song they knew. This man seemed very
sure-footed and moved quickly but smoothly along. As he passed their house, his keen eyes
must have noticed Jane and Jeremy on the balcony and their mother in the kitchen below,
because he turned to give a cheery wave, without slowing his pace at all or stopping his
song. Jane and Jeremy did not recognize him, but followed him with their eyes as he turned
into the front yard of a neighbor, just a few doors down, and knocked at the door. Jeremy
was the first to wonder out loud who he was and where he was from, and Jane commented
on what he was wearing—it wasn’t a sweatshirt or a jacket, but a kind of sweater they had
52
not seen before: it looked like nets and ropes and things you would see on a fishing boat.
It even seemed as though there were birds or seagulls as part of his sweater, all along the
arms and up the shoulders. Just as he was welcomed into the neighbor’s house, Jane and
Jeremy heard a knock at their own front door—Aunt Susan had arrived.
In another story you will hear more about the visitor and his sweater.
The story is purposely kept short and simple so that the listening children can begin to activate their
imagination and develop some curiosity. Bringing an imaginative world alive, peopled with a family,
a house, a neighborhood, and neighbors, is a demanding activity in itself. Anticipating a future story
very briefly at the end leads the children eagerly forward, and instant gratification is postponed. Of
course, you must remember to follow through and tell about this visitor another time.
A later story will tell about the sailor who comes to visit a neighbor and his (Aran-style) sweater,
which he himself has knitted. I only ever encountered one little boy who felt that knitting was not
for boys (he preferred to dismantle VW engines with his father). Telling this story helped him with an
attitude adjustment, and avoided any kind of confrontation or value judgment, or a nakedly concep-
tual discussion of gender roles.
53
A Walk in the Woods
In which Jane and Jeremy go for a walk with Aunt Susan and gather what they need to make their
own knitting needles. (If you tell this story to a group of children, they are highly likely to want to do
this right away themselves. Be prepared!)
Jane and Jeremy were happy that they had a family who lived nearby and came to visit
every now and again. Aunt Susan usually came once a week in the afternoons. The children
always enjoyed seeing her; Jeremy liked the comfortable way she would sit on the couch
and read stories, and Jane liked to see what she was wearing. Aunt Susan usually wore
colorful things, or things with lace, or clothes you wanted to feel with your hands as well as
see with your eyes.
One day when their Aunt Susan was visiting, Jane was bold enough to say, “How was
that made? I’d like to know how to do that.” Aunt Susan’s sweater had little spaces in it, like
you could almost poke your finger through if you tried hard, and yet it was really warm and
fluffy when you snuggled up against it. It was stretchy and comfortable, and there were
zigzags and patterns of all different colors. Aunt Susan explained to them that her sweater
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Elizabeth Seward
had been knitted, and that she had made it herself. She could tell by the look in Jeremy’s
eyes that he also really wanted to learn how to do that.
“I’d like to teach you how to knit, but there are some important things we must do first
before we can begin,” said Aunt Susan. “Perhaps there’s time to go for a little walk in the
woods across the street before your mother’s pie has finished baking.” It was the time of
year when the sun is still shining, but the air feels cold all around, so Jane and Jeremy put
on warm shoes and jackets and hats and mittens. They weren’t quite sure how going into
the woods could help to make a scarf or a hat or a sweater, but they both enjoyed exploring
in the woods, so they were happy to go. Jane thought they might be gathering colors from
the leaves that were beginning to turn yellow and red and brown, but she didn’t know how.
They carefully crossed the road and went into the woods. It wasn’t a scary kind of wood
that you might have heard about in other stories. The trees were tall, and there was lots
of sky space in between. The leaves fluttered in the wind, and the sunshine came through
them just a little bit—just enough to remind you that the sun was shining, but not so brightly
it bothered you. The trees were tall and straight and seemed to shimmer with silver when
the wind moved their leaves. And as they were walking along and looking at the leaves and
the birds and listening to the little streams in the background, Aunt Susan said, “We can use
some of these nice, even twigs on the ground when I teach you how to knit.” They all looked
to be the same color to Jane, who was a bit disappointed, but she helped gather a handful of
twigs. Aunt Susan told them to look for some very straight, nice, even twigs about as thick
as their pinky finger, and about as long as the distance from their wrist to their elbow. Jane
found two very nice little twigs, and Jeremy also found two little twigs. They took them
home, and they still weren’t quite sure how finding twigs in the woods was going to help
them learn how to knit and make something. But they were willing to do what Aunt Susan
asked them.
Once they got home, she said, “Now, while the pie is cooling, I’m going to show you how
to make knitting needles.” She said, “We could do this a couple of different ways.” They went
outside first and found a rough rock in the front yard. They scraped the point of the twigs
against the rock. Have you ever done that? Until there is a point at one end of the twig?
That was alright for Jane, because she was really an energetic kind of a girl. She scraped and
scraped until she got a good point. But Jeremy was just not into that at all. So Aunt Susan
said, “There’s another way of doing this.” They went inside and found a pencil sharpener.
56
Guess what that was for? Eventually, Jane had two really good points on her twigs, and
Jeremy had two really good points on his twigs. Then Aunt Susan asked if they knew where
they could find some sandpaper in their family’s toolbox, and she set them to work to make
those twigs just as smooth as smooth can be. She showed them how to use certain kinds of
sandpaper and how to really smooth it out. Those twigs wound up so smooth, they were as
smooth as the inside of a boiled egg. Have you ever really looked at a boiled egg and seen
that skin inside it and felt how really soft that is? After they worked really, really hard, then
their needles were just as soft and smooth as can be. They were quite tired by the time the
pie was ready to be put on the table and shared. Next time, I’ll tell you how Aunt Susan
brought a basket of yarn when she came to visit, and a little bit more about Jane and Jeremy
and how they learned how to knit.
When making needles with a class, I usually bought ¼-inch dowels from the hardware store, but
it would be lovely to use real birch twigs. Nine inches is a good length. Make the point at one end
long and rounded using a rock, sandpaper, and/or a pencil sharpener. Smooth the whole needle with
medium, then very fine (black, 600 grit) sandpaper. Some choose to rub in some beeswax or lanolin
and polish with a soft cloth. Write the children’s names on the blunt end of the needle with a per-
manent marker (like Sharpie) before waxing. So stitches do not accidentally slip off, glue an acorn
hat or other item from nature, or a small finial cap from a crafts store, or modeling clay (like Fimo or
Sculpey), or a bead onto the blunt end of the needle.
57
Visiting the Lambs
In which Jane and Jeremy go for a walk to the sheep field. They see a shepherd retrieve a lost
lamb, and they get ready to knit.
It was the day long promised when Aunt Susan was going to help Jane and Jeremy start
knitting. Jane and Jeremy had finished lunch with their mother and brother, and Aunt Susan
was not due for another hour or so. It seemed like a very long time to have to wait. Jane
and Jeremy went for a walk in the woods opposite their house. They were always sure
to let their mother know where they were going, and she promised that she would send
Aunt Susan to catch up with them when she arrived. It was a little chilly—Jane and Jeremy
could see their breath in the air in front of them—but they were warmly dressed in coats,
gloves, and woolly, knitted hats. They were quite warm inside their cozy clothes, and they
kept their chins tucked down into the collars of their coats as they walked among the trees.
Soon they came to an open field, where there were often sheep, and they wanted to see
what the lambs were doing today. By now the new lambs were almost as big as some of the
full-grown sheep, but they still kept close to their mothers. Getting close to the field, Jane
ran ahead a little ways and stood on the bottom rail of the fence so she was tall enough to
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Elizabeth Seward
see over the top rail. Jeremy came along and did the same. I’m not sure how long they spent
there, watching the sheep munching on the grass. The sheep looked up every now and
again, then moved to a fresh patch of green grass. It seemed to Jane and Jeremy that they
all moved together—if one moved, they all ambled along to the other side of the field. They
were trying to see if it was always the same sheep who led the others when they heard
Aunt Susan’s voice calling and her footsteps coming nearer. When she arrived, Aunt Susa
also leaned over the fence and was happy to watch for a while, but then they heard the
sound of a lamb bleating. It was louder and more insistent somehow than they had heard at
other times. Before long, they saw where the sound was coming from. Most of the sheep
were grazing, heads down, and most of the lambs were staying fairly close to their mothers,
jumping around and stopping for an occasional munch, but there was one little lamb that
somehow had gotten separated from the others and was on the far side of the fence on
the other side of the field. It was bleating loudly, as if calling to its mother, and was not able
to get back through the fence. Jane wanted to rush right over to help the lamb and, with
Jeremy’s help, drag it back through the fence, but Jeremy wasn’t quite ready to go do that.
He was worried about not being strong enough, or getting the lamb stuck, which would
be worse.
Just then, Jeremy noticed a tall figure entering the field. It was the shepherd on his daily
rounds, checking on all the sheep. He must have known how each lamb sounds, because
you could see him look at the mother to see where the lamb was. He saw the lamb wasn’t
there; then he looked right at the lamb who was stuck on the other side of the fence. And
although to Jane and Jeremy, all of those lambs and all of those sheep looked really just
about the same, still the shepherd knew exactly which belonged together. He strode right
over to the lamb bleating loudly on the other side of the fence. At first he looked to see if
he could lift the lamb over the fence, but he couldn’t reach properly; it wouldn’t work well
enough. So he used his shepherd’s crook. Have you ever seen one of those? It was a long
stick, longer than a walking stick, with a long, gentle curve on the top. First he looked and
made sure the lamb was not injured; then he carefully put the top of his crook under the
top rail of the fence; he gently caught the lamb round the neck with the crook, guided and
pulled him through the fence, and once the lamb found his feet he jumped for joy. As the
shepherd kept a watchful eye on him, the lamb began to gambol around the field with the
60
other lambs. Jane, Jeremy, and Aunt Susan breathed a sigh of relief as the shepherd smiled,
looked over at the other sheep, and then strode on to the next field.
On their way home, they talked a lot about the shepherd and the lamb. Jane was
impressed by the way the shepherd knew just what to do right away; Jeremy was trying to
remember exactly how he turned the crook to catch the lamb just right and pull the lamb
gently toward himself. They talked about the shepherd reaching under the fence; he caught
the lamb, firmly but not too tightly; he pulled him through just the right place in the fence;
and away the lamb leaped. “I wonder,” said Aunt Susan, “if this could help us in our knitting?
The shepherd reached under the fence, caught the sheep, pulled him through, and away
he leaped.” Jane and Jeremy didn’t exactly know how this could help, but again, they were
willing to go along with what Aunt Susan said, so as they walked back home, they repeated
in time with their steps, “Under the fence, catch the sheep, pull him through, and away he
leaps,” all the time remembering how the shepherd carefully put the crook through the right
place in the fence, gently but firmly encircled the lamb with it, pulled back through the same
space he had put the crook in to start with, and then how the lamb, with not a care in the
world, went off to play with the other lambs in the field.
This is enough for one session. Let the imaginative pictures and the story “ripen” in the children’s
minds, and resist the temptation to analyze and dissect the images. Keep the story “clothed” in the
pictures of the caring, capable, confident shepherd. If you go straight to the knitting “how-to’s”, the
images will deflate. Next time, have the children remember/retell the story, distill the “under the
fence, catch the sheep, pull him through, and away he leaps” mnemonic, and explain this will help us
knit. Demonstrate and allow the child to do some stitches when you are sure they are ready and have
the story images by heart. Remember: this is unhurried education; encourage, and know where you
are headed, but let the child set the pace.
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Getting Started
In which Aunt Susan brings yarn, and Jane and Jeremy make their first stitches.
The day had come for Jane and Jeremy to start knitting. For many days now, they had been
repeating, “under the fence, catch the sheep . . . ”, and they were eager to start. Jeremy, who
hadn’t been quite sure he was ready for something this complicated, now felt confident and
was looking forward to holding his smooth needles in his hands and pretending to help the
lambs find their way. Jane was ready to just get started and wanted to make a sweater, then
a scarf, then a hat, and had all kinds of plans for the things she wanted to knit.
The children were up on the balcony, looking over the front yard, when they saw Aunt
Susan coming in the garden gate. She had a basket with her, like a picnic basket, covered in a
soft cloth, and Jane was sure she saw some balls of yarn tucked under the cloth. She hoped
her favorite color was there.
Jane and Jeremy raced down the stairs and washed and dried their hands carefully,
ready to knit. Aunt Susan was chatting with their mother, but soon greeted the children
and asked them to sit one on either side of her on the couch by the fireplace. The couch
was big enough for everyone to sit comfortably and not bump elbows with each other. Jane
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could hardly keep her fingers out of Aunt Susan’s basket, but she did not have to wait long.
As Aunt Susan lifted the cloth, Jane saw the most beautiful, soft, red yarn she could have
imagined—her favorite color! It glowed like rubies, and there were her needles, tucked into
the edge of the ball of yarn. Jeremy saw the red yarn first, and was relieved his needles
were not tucked into the bright red yarn; he saw his needles comfortably tucked into some
gentle and welcoming blue/green yarn, which seemed to let the light shine through it like
the sea did on a sunny day.
Jeremy did not reach out for his needles right away; he saw that some loops were already
around one needle, and he waited to hear from Aunt Susan what he should do. Jane already
had her hands on her needles and was trying to figure out for herself how to hold the
needles and the yarn in her hands.
Aunt Susan gently guided the needle without anything on it into Jane’s right hand, and
the needle with the loops on it into Jane’s left hand. She asked Jeremy to look closely,
saying she would help him in just a minute. This was fine with Jeremy; he knew his sister
could not wait as easily, and was he was glad to watch and listen before he had to get his
hands on the knitting.
Slowly, Aunt Susan reminded them of the story about the lambs and the shepherd.
Under the fence . . . and she showed Jane how to slide one needle into just the right place.
Catch the sheep . . . and she showed Jane how to wind the yarn in the right way around
the needle. Pull him through . . . and Aunt Susan said this was often the trickiest part, to
find just the right place to pull through. And away he leaps . . . Jane wasn’t quite sure about
letting the little lamb go, but Aunt Susan was still guiding her hands. They did three stitches
together, Jane “telling” Aunt Susan what to do next, and then Aunt Susan turned to help
Jeremy. By now, Jane was willing to try by herself.
Jeremy had been watching carefully, and he knew about “under the fence, catch the
sheep . . .” He wound the yarn the right way around, so he was pulling the little lamb toward
him, not accidentally pushing the lamb away—but for him, too, it was tricky to find just the
right spot to pull the lamb through. Aunt Susan’s hands were ready to guide his, but he was
managing quite well, and was soon ready to try by himself. By then, Jane had been working
hard, but when Aunt Susan looked closely, she saw that some tangles had crept in, and
Jane’s hands were holding her needles and her yarn so tightly that it was quite hard work
to do each stitch. Jane was getting frustrated. When Aunt Susan looked back at Jeremy’s
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work, she saw he was having the opposite problem—his stitches were so loose that every
now and again, one stitch slipped right off the needle, but that didn’t seem to bother him.
Aunt Susan said that day the children would just do two short rows; then she would tell
them her “knitting rules,” and she promised that next time they knitted, everything would
go much more smoothly and easily.
When the children finished their rows, with a little help from Aunt Susan, they straight-
ened the work on the needles so it was hanging down evenly and neatly, and they were
both very surprised and pleased to see some very beautiful and even stitches. It was good
to look at their work for a moment, because they weren’t sure they were doing the right
thing and didn’t know what to expect, but Aunt Susan pointed out that all the stitches were
standing up on the needle, straight as tall trees in the forest, and there was a little bump,
like the roots, under each one. No trees (or stitches) were crossed or leaning over, and she
quickly counted the loops on the needle, making sure there was just the right number.
The children wound the yarn around the balls and slid the needles in to the edge of
the ball, both needles close like best friends together, then laid their work carefully in the
basket and covered it with a cloth.
Aunt Susan told them her three knitting rules: everything in knitting can be fixed; every-
one knits at different speeds; and her last rule was to try first before asking for help. Then
she said next time, she would remind Jeremy to knit a little more like Jane—a little more
tightly—and she would ask Jane to knit a little more like Jeremy—a little more loosely.
Then the children went out to play in the yard, and their mother and Aunt Susan had
some tea together and a nice chat.
In this story, as in the first knitting classes, yarn is provided for the children with a minimum of fuss;
I usually limit the choice of color in the class to two harmonious and “gentle” colors for this early
project, and in order to keep the focus on the first stitches, each child’s work has been cast on, and
two to three rows have already been knitted. See more discussion on this approach in chapter four.
Having the children choose yarn, plan a project, and learn to cast on first is distracting. First things
first: establish basic knitting comfortably, and then introduce other skills, one at a time.
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Remind the children it is important to catch and pull firmly but not tightly. The shepherd did
not want to hurt or scare the lamb, and he also did not want to let the lamb wriggle away and run
further from the field. If someone’s knitting gets too tight, after “pulling him through,” he could wave
a little to his friends and say, “Here I come”—this usually loosens the tension enough to make the
stitches workable.
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Following the Golden Thread
In which Tippy the cat has a surprise for the family one morning, and Jeremy remembers how to
wind a ball of yarn.
Jane and Jeremy came down to breakfast one morning and found a great surprise: from the
top of the stairs it looked as though someone had decorated the living room with yellow
and blue party streamers, but instead of being hung up high, they were all on the floor,
around the legs of the chairs and under the coffee table, under the couch and around the
lamp. Jane soon noticed that they were not streamers at all, but in fact the yarn that Aunt
Susan had brought over in the knitting basket. Right away Jane called out to their little
brother, already in the kitchen with their mother, “Mark, did you do this? Have you tangled
our yarn?” She was annoyed, and her voice sounded more like she was blaming him than
asking a question. He came to see what the trouble was, and their mother lifted the pot
of oatmeal from the stove, set it on the counter, and came to look as well. No one had an
explanation, but as they stood there silently, Tippy the cat came out from behind the long
curtains by the window, gently batting a ball of yarn with her white-tipped paws. She was
a lovely, silky, black cat; just her two front paws had tips as white as milk. As the ball rolled
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over the floor, she followed it around a leg of the coffee table and under the couch. The ball
came out the other side, smaller than it had been before and leaving a trail of yarn behind it.
The mystery was solved! Luckily, Jane laughed; their mother scooped up the cat and put her
outside for a while, asking the children to wind up the yarn before breakfast. Jane took hold
of the golden yellow yarn she had chosen for her next project and began to pull, standing
still. The yarn stretched a little and got tighter and tighter around the legs of the table and
chairs. Jeremy had a different approach: he quietly found what was left on his blue ball of
yarn and slowly followed the yarn around the chair legs and under the coffee table. Soon
they got to a tight knot that felt like it would never let go, where their yellow and blue yarn
seemed hopelessly tangled. Jeremy quietly thought the knot was there because Jane had
pulled the yarn so impatiently. Jane wanted to cut it, but Jeremy offered to try and patiently
untangle it while Jane helped their mother set the table for breakfast.
Jeremy remembered how Aunt Susan had shown them to wind a ball: he wound care-
fully around the ball and around two fingers, so the wool stayed nice and loose. He wound
around his blue ball as far as he could until it criss-crossed with the yellow yarn, and then
carefully wound the yellow yarn until he could go no farther. Little by little, the two balls
were getting bigger again, with no cuts and no knots. He crawled around the chairs and
under the coffee table, following the yarn. As he came around the corner of the couch, he
looked up and saw his mother watching, with a smile on her face. “You remind me of a good
story,” she said, “of a brave hero and a monster in the middle of a maze. He had to go in
and was afraid he would not be able to get back out again, but there was a young girl and a
golden thread who helped him. There’s more to the story, but I can’t remember it all right
now.” Both children wanted to hear more, but their mother promised they would hear it all,
with nothing missing, when they were older, and heard all about Greek myths and stories
at school.
By now, Jeremy had finished the yellow and the blue balls. They were both soft and
cushy-looking, but each had a tail of yarn hanging loose. Jane didn’t want to risk tangling
the yarn again, so she carefully tucked each yarn end into the ball, and put them in their
work baskets. When Jeremy saw the way she had tucked the yarn in, he thought it looked
like a little mouse trying to disappear into her hole, leaving just her tail trailing out behind
her. Jane asked their mother for a pretty napkin to cover them with, so Tippy would not be
tempted by the yarn again. By now, breakfast was ready: Jeremy had his favorite spoon,
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and just the right amount of raisins in his oatmeal, and Jane had her favorite painted bowl
and lots of applesauce. Their needles and yarn were ready for Aunt Susan’s next visit.
One of the first and very important things to teach is how to take care of materials: the children are
predisposed to care for the needles they have made and will learn from you how to care for the yarn
and their knitting. Be a role model, and demonstrate and remind the children about winding a careful
ball, avoiding waste, delighting in the seemingly small things—a well-wound ball of yarn, carefully
stored knitting, and so on.
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Jeremy Gets into Tangles
In which Jane and Jeremy develop different knitting styles, and both complete a first little bunny.
Jane and Jeremy had each chosen beautiful yarn; their needles were ready, and they had
been reminding each other of the lamb and the shepherd they had seen together with Aunt
Susan. “Under the fence, catch the sheep, pull him through, and away he leaps.”
They were playing in the front yard, digging a big hole, when Aunt Susan arrived. As she
came down the hill toward the garden gate, Jane and Jeremy quickly put their things away
and wiped their hands on the grass to get them clean.
They were eager to get started knitting and had all kinds of plans for what they wanted
to make. Jeremy wanted to make a big, cozy, dark green sweater with pockets and buttons
and a leather patch on the elbows, like his father wore on winter evenings. Jane wanted to
make a set of clothes for her favorite doll: sweater, skirt, pants, jacket, and hat, in matching
colors, and maybe a blanket, too. Jane and Jeremy ran indoors and took out their yarn and
needles, sitting next to each other on the couch. Aunt Susan sent them to wash their hands
and dry them well When they got back to the living room, Aunt Susan was sitting on the
couch, chatting with their mother.
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Aunt Susan asked Jeremy to sit on her left, and Jane to sit on her right, and she showed
them a basket of balls of yarn with soft, light brown and white and light grey wool. She
explained their first project would be a little knitted bunny, which could just fit comfortably
in their hands and which they could snuggle with at night. Right away, Jane chose white,
and while Jeremy was deciding between white and the lovely, soft brown yarn, Aunt Susan
quickly waved her hands around (or so it seemed to the children), and loops appeared on
one of Jane’s needles. Once Jeremy had chosen the soft brown yarn, Aunt Susan explained
she would “cast on,” which meant putting the first row of stitches on so they could start
knitting. She asked them to watch because they would learn this soon, but they did not
have to remember how to do this part yet.
Once both Jane and Jeremy had stitches or “loops” on their needles, Aunt Susan reminded
them about the rhyme they had been practising: “Under the fence, catch the sheep, pull
him through, and away he leaps.” She showed them how to hold the needles, making a
nice, straight fence with the left needle, keeping the needles touching almost all the time,
and how to do each of those four things. It seemed very confusing at first, but slowly and
carefully, Jane and Jeremy each managed to finish one whole row. If they got confused,
Aunt Susan gently reminded them and sometimes did a stitch or two. Their mother let
them know it would soon be time to put things away and get ready for dinner, but they
were eager to do another row, and their mother said it would be all right. Jeremy thought
he could go much faster this time, but somehow the stitches kept falling off his needles,
and there was a big tangle that began to look like a bird’s nest. At the same time, Jane (who
always wanted to be first) was rushing through her stitches and holding her needles and
yarn so tightly that she was having trouble sliding the little lamb through the fence. She also
got into tangles. By the end of the second row, both children were annoyed and frustrated.
“This is a good time,” said Aunt Susan, “for me to tell you my knitting rules. Everything in
knitting can be fixed; everybody works at their own speed; and the third rule we don’t need
to worry about yet is that you should try first before asking for help.” With that, she showed
them how to wind up their yarn, settle the needles in the edge of the ball, and carefully
place their work in the basket. She assured them that all would be sorted out and ready for
them before the next time. Both children heaved a sigh of relief and just then noticed that
there was a wonderful smell of soup and fresh bread, and that their little brother Mark had
kindly set the table for everybody.
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I suggest several small and simple, easy projects to begin, without shaping or color changing. First
build confidence and enjoyment. There is time for many challenges in the years to come. See chapter
5 on patterns for ideas. Alternate a playful and a useful item (use useful items!); alternate projects to
keep and to give away; alternate short- and long-term projects.
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Frogs in the Pond
In which Jane and Jeremy watch some frogs play leapfrog and learn to cast off without tangles.
It was one of those chilly, wet-but-not-raining days; the leaves were lying around on the
ground, wet and soggy, and there were a few little green things poking up in between the
leaves. The sun was warm on your face and arms, and there was not much wind, but if you
went outside, the cold seemed to creep up your sleeves and around your back. Jane and
Jeremy had been out to play in the woods that day but were ready to come in to get warm.
As they were headed back toward their house, they saw Aunt Susan coming through the
trees to find them. She had come to help them finish off and stuff the striped balls they had
been knitting, and she told them that their mother had some toast and warm apple cider she
was preparing for them. They were pleased to see her, and Jeremy especially was interested
in buttered toast, hoping there might also be some apricot jam. So they headed back toward
their house, each one holding one of Aunt Susan’s hands. It was a little slippery and muddy,
but they were just beginning to get into stride with each other when Aunt Susan stopped
and said, “Listen!” She often did this, and there was always some surprise for their ears: a
sound they were hearing but not really noticing. Has that ever happened to you? This time
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there was a really loud, squeaky kind of a sound, like a door opening over and over again
on rusty hinges. They looked around to see where the noise was coming from, and their
attention was drawn to behind some bushes. They walked in that direction, but they were
wearing the kind of jacket that makes a noise when you move—perhaps you have one like
that? Every time they moved, the noise stopped. The children stopped, and when it was
silent, the mysterious noise started again. They moved a little closer, but the sound of their
jackets made the noise stop, and so it went on until they came to a little pond they hadn’t
ever noticed before. Jane led the way as they tiptoed round the bushes; Aunt Jane held
Jeremy’s hand as they got closer, and they were surprised to find the noise seemed to come
from some frogs, hopping around on leaves in the pond. There were quite a few leaves on
the pond and lots of frogs that were jumping up on to the leaves and into the water again.
Jane squatted down to watch, Aunt Susan pulled her scarf closer around the collar of her
coat, and even Jeremy forgot about the toast and apricot jam for a while. They just stayed
quiet, watching; it was a nice, comfortable feeling to watch the frogs together, just to watch
and listen, standing beside each other. Then Jane said, “Look, they’re playing leapfrog.” It
was true; they seemed to be taking turns, jumping over each other, and landing in the water.
Jeremy was the first to notice that every now and again, a leaf would dip below the surface
of the icy cold water and sink; the frogs would have to swim away. Watching these frogs
closely, he saw that the leaf could hold one or two frogs, but three made the leaf sink.
Jeremy, Jane, and Aunt Susan began to talk quietly about what they saw, and Jane pointed
out how brave the frogs must be to jump right over the other frog and splash into the water;
Aunt Susan noticed that usually when one frog jumped onto a leaf, the one who had been
there longest jumped over him and into the water; then another would hop up and hold still
while he was jumped over, and so it would go on.
By now, however, their feet were getting cold, Jeremy was beginning to think about
toast again, and Jane was eager to get to knitting. As they walked back home, hand in hand,
Aunt Susan wondered out loud if thinking about the frogs could help with their knitting.
“Let’s see,” she said. “Do you remember the tangles we got into when we were casting
off those bunnies? I bet if we thought about the frogs it would help us—we’ll pretend our
working needle is a leaf and the stitches are frogs. Only two at a time on the leaf; the one
there longest jumps over the new one, and then another frog comes onto the leaf.” Jeremy
thought about this as they walked home, imagining that his needle was the leaf. He would
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have to knit two stitches onto the needle, like frogs climbing up onto the leaf. Then the first
stitch that had been on the needle the longest would hop up and over (he knew he would
have to help the stitch with his other needle). Then that stitch would go “splash” into the
water. With only one stitch left on the needle, he would knit another one on, then help the
older stitch hop up and over. He kept repeating that in his mind’s eye, working his way along
the needle, and forgetting his cold feet and nose. Soon enough, all their feet got warmer,
and as they got closer to home, they could already smell the warm apple cider and the toast.
There was apricot and raspberry jam on the table ready for them.
I know this story is out of order according to the seasons. It arose on an “as needed” basis. I’m offering
it to you as an example of what can be improvised if you have well and thoroughly visualized the
basic setting of the story. You may have another image that will work and that will fit in exactly with
your setting.
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A Visitor to the Neighborhood
In which the friend of a neighbor reveals an unexpected skill to the children.
Once, when the children were waiting for Aunt Susan, and sitting on the balcony in their
playroom, they saw a man walk down the hill and past their house and knock on the door
of their neighbor. He was whistling and singing songs as he walked. Jane noticed he was
wearing something like a sweater, but it seemed to have ropes and knots and nets all over
it. The man came fairly often to their neighbor, and one day when Jane and Jeremy were
helping their mother pull weeds in the front yard, he walked by again. The songs he sang
seemed to fit just right with the sturdy and even pace of his steps, and it almost seemed as
if the rhythm of the song was carrying him along with it; his steps seemed effortless.
This time, he stopped to say hello to the children and their mother, and Jeremy and Jane
stared quite intently at his sweater. It was a creamy-white color and looked heavy, thick,
and warm. If it weren’t for the ropes crisscrossed across it, and the nets and bobbles spread
over the surface, it would have looked just like their knitting. It was Jane who had the
courage to ask, “How is the sweater made? It looks like our knitting, but more complicated.”
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The man replied with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, “So you knit, do you?” He came
closer and held out his arm in the long sleeve of the sweater for them to see more easily.
In fact, it was knitted! The ropes and nets were knitted stitches themselves that had been
twisted and turned to look like ropes and knots.
The children marveled over the thickness and beauty of the patterns, and again it was
Jane who asked, “Did someone special make it for you?”
“Aye, indeed,” answered the man. “In fact, I made it myself. I spend long months at sea,
because, you know, I am a sailor, and instead of staring at a computer screen I would rather
make something with my hands that reminds me of the sea when I am on land.” They had
to say goodbye then, as the neighbor was expecting him, but both Jane and Jeremy hoped
they would learn to knit like that one day too.
This can lead to a discussion of Aran knitting, of different traditions in different cultures, or of gender
roles, all depending on your and the children’s interests and needs. Or the story could stand alone
and leave space for wondering and imagination—perhaps the better option!
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Making a Simple Doll
In which the children knit a family of dolls.
Jane and Jeremy were so excited about starting to knit, they had not asked Aunt Susan
what they were making. By now they had knitted several whole rows and were beginning
to get very comfortable knitting. They no longer needed to say the little rhyme (“Under the
fence . . .”) out loud at every stitch, and sometimes they noticed that it was possible to look
up from their knitting and look over to see what the other one was doing. This helped Jane
to remember to knit a little more loosely, like Jeremy, and it helped Jeremy to remember to
knit a little more tightly, like Jane. Aunt Susan reminded them that if they needed a break,
it was best to finish a row first before getting a glass of water or looking out of the window.
Otherwise, it could be inviting tangles in to put an unfinished row down; it was easy to lose
your place.
They knitted on and on, until finally they each had a long strip of knitting that looked to
Jeremy like a very short scarf. Aunt Susan said it would be just the right length for the body
of the pocket dolly they were making. Honestly, neither Jeremy nor Jane could imagine how
it would turn into a doll’s body, but they just wanted to work on it until it was done so they
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could see. After casting that piece off (turning the lambs into frogs), Aunt Susan let them
choose another color for the hat. Once that was just the right length, they cast off again,
and tucked it into the knitting basket, hoping some knitting gnomes might come and visit
and turn their knitting into a little dolly. One night passed, and another night, and still no
gnomes had come and worked on their dollies, but then the third morning when they woke
up, there were two little dollies peeking out of the basket. The children were so delighted
that they both wanted to make a little family of dollies together, and asked Aunt Susan for
some more yarn. Altogether they made five pocket dollies, just like their own family of
mother, father, twins, and a little brother.
For some early projects, ‘“gnomes” come to help with finishing. I want the children to have a sense of
accomplishment and delight, and making up the pocket dollies is time-consuming (for little hands),
tricky, and potentially very frustrating. The head, for example, is a skill they will not need again for
many years, so the invisible “gnomes” just quickly do that. The children never see “gnome work” being
done. In my experience, the feeling of getting extra help from an unseen source boosts their confi-
dence and supports the feeling of wonder and delight in the creative process. Soon enough, they will
hear that gnomes are very busy and only come when they can. The children themselves will be able
to do more and more independently.
I do not burst the bubble, even when one child or another might say, “It’s really you, isn’t it?” I
answer with something like, “Do you think I have the time to do all this?” or, “I have never seen a
gnome; I don’t know how they get in or where they come from.” If there are persistent questions, it
lets me know the time for that particular kind of magic is probably over. There are occasional times in
later years when the gnomes might play tricks and mix up some children’s needles or even put things
in the wrong basket.
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A Blanket for a New Baby
In which Jane and Jeremy learn to cast on their own work. The children contribute to a baby
blanket for a new cousin. Mother looks on, and wonders if she could remember how to knit.
One day, when Aunt Susan came to visit, she was carrying a different basket of balls of yarn.
The colors were different, but when Jeremy reached out to touch them, they felt differ-
ent too. The yarn felt smoother, and when he picked up a ball, it seemed heavier than the
wool yarn they had been using. After Jane and Jeremy had settled in to knit on their own
work, Aunt Susan explained why she had brought the other basket of yarn with her. In their
cousin’s family, a baby was expected, and Aunt Susan was organizing members of the family
to knit squares that she would then sew together into a blanket for the new baby. Jane and
Jeremy were quite excited about this and wanted to know right away who else would be
knitting squares, how big the blanket would be, and if they could choose any color they liked.
Aunt Susan explained that she had chosen the yarn in the basket so all the colors would go
together well, and they could choose any color from the basket. She also had some pairs
of thinner needles with her because the yarn was thinner and more delicate for the baby.
There were four pairs of needles in the basket, so Jane asked who they were for—one for
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Jane, one pair for Jeremy, one pair for Aunt Susan, and one pair for their mother. You may
remember that their mother knew how to do basic knitting, but just didn’t feel comfortable
enough to show the children and teach them everything they needed to know. The plan
was to cast on together and work on the square in between Aunt Susan’s visits.
They were eager to work on a square for the blanket, and their mother was also eager to
knit again, with a little help. One problem: they were not sure how to start and get the first
row of loops (they knew to call the loops “stitches” by now) on the needle. “Oh, that’s easy,”
said Aunt Susan. “I’ll show you a few stitches, you can do some, and then I’ll finish the row
if you need me to. It’s just like knitting with two small variations.” She seemed so confident
that even Jeremy felt it would work out fine, and he knew you only had to cast on for the
very first few stitches at the bottom, and then the rest would be just plain knitting.
Jane reached right into the basket and rummaged around until she found the color she
liked. Jeremy took his time to look and choose, and then while Aunt Susan helped the chil-
dren cast on, their mother patiently tidied the basket of yarn while she decided on her color.
She was also quietly looking over at the casting on, hoping she would remember.
Aunt Susan showed the children how to make a slipknot near the end of the yarn. This
became the first stitch on the left needle. She explained that casting on meant putting
stitches ON to the left, or resting, needle, like lining up little birds on the top of the fence.
Just like in knitting, the shepherd needle goes under the fence, but this time he gently
catches a little bird, pulls him through, and places him on the fence. Aunt Susan explained
that there was a special, secret way to reach under the fence, which made the cast-on
row stronger, and she showed them how to put the shepherd needle between the stitches,
instead of through the loop of one stitch. She explained the two things that were different
from ordinary plain knitting: putting the little bird on the fence, and reaching between the
stitches. After she had explained and showed them a few stitches, Jeremy was ready to try,
and soon after Jane was as well. Meanwhile, their mother had been following along, and her
hands seemed to remember more than she thought. By the end of Aunt Susan’s visit, four
squares were started for the new baby.
You can probably guess that Jane worked quickly, and by now, she had few tangles in
her knitting, so she completed several squares before Aunt Susan’s next visit. Jeremy really
liked the feel of the cotton yarn, and he was pleased how easily he learned to cast on, so he
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also made several squares. Jane even had time to make an extra-large square for a blanket
for her teddy bear.
Blanket squares can be useful for faster knitters—keeping them usefully occupied while the slower
knitters “catch up.” While the faster knitters are given the privilege of working independently (and
enjoying a sense of mastery), this frees up the teacher’s time to help the slower or less confident knit-
ters. See chapter 4 for pacing in classes or groups of mixed ability. Making a blanket allows a more
free choice of color and a sense of contributing to a larger whole, and could offer the opportunity to
talk in a general way about different fibers—for example, the washability of cotton. More detailed
study of fibers will come in the third grade of the Waldorf curriculum.
One word of caution: wait until the children knit reasonably evenly, with few dropped or tangled
stitches, and with reasonably even tension, so the squares will be all of the same or similar size. We
want them to be proud of their gift in five years’ time as well!
Note: I taught the double cable cast on (which can be found on YouTube), which is almost exactly
like the plain knitting stitch. See chapter 4. This made it much easier to introduce it as a new-but-
familiar skill for the second project. Teaching just a few children at a time, I would show them and
promise to teach this soon. Let the children take the lead, but encourage them to let you know as
soon as they feel willing to try and take matters into their own hands. One new thing at a time builds
confidence. If the children were not actively casting on themselves, I required them to watch, but let
them choose when to attempt it themselves (and with some children, this seemed to take a very long
time, but when they said they were ready, they were, and more confident and capable because they
had decided themselves).
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Jane and Jeremy Go Skiing; Aunt Susan
Makes a Hat with Trees and Snowflakes
In which Jane and Jeremy get a glimpse of what they will learn when they are older: knitting “in
the round” for hats and socks, and telling stories with their stitches.
It was winter; schools were on vacation, and Jane and Jeremy’s family were planning a
trip to the snow. Every year now, for as long as they could remember, the whole family
had packed up and gone to one particular small town for a few days in the vacation after
Christmas. Over time, they had gotten to know many people who lived there—there were
the storekeepers at the stores where they bought milk and eggs and the mailman who
always gave them a cheery wave, and they had become friends with some of the children
who lived there or visited each year at the same time as they did.
It was a wonderful time to pack all of their cozy clothes and choose one or two Christmas
presents to take with them, knowing that when they returned, it would be like finding the
other Christmas presents all over again. They made sure to take the new sled/toboggan
and of course their skis, new boots because their feet had been growing, and lots of other
special clothing. About a week before they left, they had tried on all their jackets, and made
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sure that everything still fitted. Mark, their younger brother, was now wearing some of the
things that Jane and Jeremy used to wear, and Jeremy had a new pair of ski pants.
The morning came to leave. They had eaten breakfast and washed the dishes, tidied
the house, and put everything away so it would feel welcoming when they returned. Aunt
Susan came by to say goodbye and wish them a good trip. She was carrying a couple of
things under her arm—fairly small, soft packages, wrapped in gift paper. Jeremy was inter-
ested but thought that they had nothing to do with him; Christmas had come and gone, and
it was nobody’s birthday soon. It seemed Jane had not even noticed; she was very busy
helping their mother and making sure that Mark had his favorite toys, that Jeremy’s favorite
stuffed animal was packed with their things, and that her own teddy bear had a comfortable
seat in the car.
As they were saying goodbye, imagine Jeremy’s surprise when Aunt Susan turned to
the children and said, “I don’t usually do this, but . . . I’ve enjoyed showing you how to
knit so much that when I got home each time, my fingers were itching to knit, too, so I had
a few bits of wool of different colors, and I made a little something to keep each of you
warm. Please wait until tomorrow morning before you open these.” Right away, the children
started to imagine what could be inside the packages—they poked and prodded, squished
and squashed, but they had to get in the car. They thanked Aunt Susan, and left. Jeremy
remembered her words: “When you are older, I will be happy to show you how to make
something like this too.” He wondered how much older he would have to be.
Each package was about the same size—easy to hold in two hands, but too big for one
hand—and Mark’s seemed to have a little lump in it about the size of his fist, but much softer.
They were pretty sure it would be something woolly, perhaps a sweater, but it seemed too
small for a thick, winter sweater. Perhaps a scarf? But a scarf would surely be folded evenly
and straight, and this was more like a half-moon shape. Jane began to imagine out loud,
hoping hers would be yellow and orange and red, the colors of a winter fire, with stripes and
zigzags and sparkles. Jeremy was quietly hoping that his would be a lovely, soft, deep green,
the color of trees, and dark blue like the night sky, and that it would be soft and cushy as a
pillow. They could hardly wait to open their packages, but they knew they had to.
In the morning they were excited to be out in the snow, but got up and ready extra
quickly so they could see what Aunt Susan had knitted for them. When they came to the
breakfast table, their mother had put the parcels right next to their places. Jane, Jeremy,
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and Mark poked and prodded as they wondered what was inside: a scarf? Mittens? Socks?
A sweater? A hat? A vest? What would it be? What was the soft lump in Mark’s? Jane’s
fingers thought there were firm edges around something . . . then her fingers found their
way to the tape holding the parcels closed, and they tore the tape off. Mark, too, tore the
tape off the paper. Jeremy slowly took the tape off without tearing the paper—he wanted
to smooth out and keep the paper because it was so beautiful. The paper made a noise as it
crinkled open from three packages, and their mother and father heard this noise and came
to see.
Mark had his open first, and the mystery was revealed—he had a striped hat, in his favor-
ite colors, with a pompom on the top. It looked as if ropes and braids led from the bottom
edge of the hat towards the pompom. When he put it on, it came down just over his ears,
and it seemed to bring a smile with it! The further on he pulled the hat, the bigger his
smile! He had a pompom on the hat that bobbed softly on top of his head. He kept it on all
through breakfast.
Jane was next. She too had a hat, in just the right colors, but hers had no pompom; it
came to a little pixie point, and also covered her ears just right. Close to her face, at the
bottom of the hat, it was a soft, fluffy white, and then came a lightning-shaped yellow zigzag
all around the hat, and above that, flowers, stars, and snowflakes in red, blue, green, orange,
and many other colors. There were little diamonds of color all the way to the point of the
hat. She turned it ‘round and ‘round in her hands to see it from all sides, and then she put it
on her head and did not take it off until it was time to go to bed that night.
Jeremy was not in a hurry to open his; if truth be told, he was just a little worried about
being disappointed. He liked to see the pompom on Mark, and enjoyed the perky point on
Jane’s, but was hoping his would just be round and smooth, and the main thing, that the
colors and the hat itself would be soft and dark-colored and smooth like a pillow. He was in
luck! No pompoms, nothing sticking out, nice and roomy for his head, and the colors were
just wonderful. His fingers could feel the softness of the wool even before touching it.
There was some white, like snow; there was a light blue and a dark blue, like the sky in the
evening as it turns to night. There were some green trees, large and small, all around the
hat, and at the very top, if he looked closely, he could see the knitting stitches spiraling in to
make a smooth, rounded shape, which fitted just right.
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Each wore the new hats in the snow, and even though many people had snowsuits the
same color as theirs, nobody else had warm hats like theirs. It made it easy to see where the
others were, even from the back or at a distance.
It was the best day in the snow the children could remember.
This story can demonstrate the high value of anticipation and postponed gratification! More com-
fortable knitters and more analytically inclined beginners will be able to grapple with the idea of how
different textures (such as cables) and color patterns (such as zigzags and diamonds) can be incorpo-
rated into knitting. I would wait to introduce these techniques to the children until much later. The
value of anticipation (“when you are older, you will learn how to … make a hat, knit a sweater” and
so on) cannot be overestimated. It is one of the key principles of education. I am not suggesting any
teacher should knit a hat for each child!
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A Soft, Woolly Lamb and a Golden Lion
In which Jane and Jeremy learn how to make animals appear on their knitting needles.This story
challenges the visual thinkers—how to imagine turning a shaped, one-dimensional piece into a three-
dimensional animal. Casting off and on within the knitted piece are the new skills learned. See pat-
terns in chapter 5.
Jane and Jeremy were ready for a challenge. They had been knitting well and were now
comfortable casting on and casting off, and had made many squares, so Aunt Susan decided
they were ready for something new.
They went for a walk together again and went to see how well the lambs had been
growing. There were still some little ones, but most were growing fast and jumping around
and playing together, in the same field, but even quite far from their mothers.
The day was sunny, but it had rained the day before, and there were still some puddles
and wet grass in the shade of the trees and around the edge of the field. Jeremy didn’t like
to get the bottom of his pants legs wet, because then they stuck to his ankles, but Jane
didn’t worry too much about that, and went straight through the long grass to their favorite
spot by the fence. They climbed up for a good view and watched for a while. Aunt Susan
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was thinking about knitting a lamb, and she asked the children what they thought—if they
would like to, and if so, she asked them to think about how they would do it. Where would
they start? Could they make it out of one piece of knitting? Would they like to make a grey
lamb, or brown, or white? There was one lamb in the field that Jeremy kept watching—it was
white with a brown face. He really, really wanted to make a lamb that looked just like that.
Jane was unusually quiet and did not seem so interested, but then she started to giggle.
Aunt Susan and Jeremy looked over in the direction she was looking in, and saw that a little
lamb was having trouble with a muddy puddle in the shade at the edge of the field. They
felt sorry for the lamb, but it really was funny, as the lamb slipped and slid around, splashing
and covering himself in squishy, brown mud. All at once, all four legs went in opposite direc-
tions, and the lamb landed tummy down in the mud. He looked for a minute as if he was
swimming, but then he got a firm foothold and managed to get himself out of the puddle.
His wool looked pretty bedraggled and messy, but Aunt Susan said it would dry off quickly
in the sun, and the next rain shower would soon set him to rights and rinse off his wool.
It was time to walk back home, and as they walked, Jane and Jeremy talked about the
lamb. Jane even lay down once on the ground like the lamb, flat on her tummy, with arms
and legs out to the side.
“Aha!” said Aunt Susan. “Now I know how we are going to knit a lamb!”
Next time they met, they drew a picture of the lamb as if they had been a bird on a tree
branch up above, and Jeremy began to knit his white lamb with a brown face. Jane was not
happy about knitting a lamb, but when Aunt Susan suggested making a lion in much the
same way, Jane was immediately eager to get started, and even had a name for her lion
before she cast on (she called him Max).
It is a satisfying challenge for capable knitters to feel as if they can figure this out for themselves, at
least in broad strokes. This engages their thinking and leads to the sense of mastery and accomplish-
ment we are striving for. You will find written patterns in chapter 5.
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An Elephant in the Knitting Basket?
In which the children begin to see all kinds of possibilities: Jeremy imagines how to make an
elephant, and Jane wants to knit a horse.
One day, when Aunt Susan came to visit, there was something pink in the basket. What was
it? Aunt Susan slowly pulled back the cover, and they saw a knitted mommy pig, with six
little piglets tucked under her big belly. Jane and Jeremy squealed with delight and asked
immediately how Aunt Susan had made them. She said the same thing as usual—“Think
about it and try to figure it out first; then we’ll see if it will work out.”
The children looked all over the pigs, and saw they were knitted in basically the same way
as the lion and the lamb, but with shorter legs and a slightly different head, and with little
ears and a curly tail. They didn’t realize how Aunt Susan had made the piglets smaller until
they tried it themselves. She had cast on fewer stitches and changed the number of rows.
Immediately, Jeremy wanted to make a grey elephant and Jane wanted to make a chest-
nut horse. They also thought about making a giraffe, a rhinoceros (that was Jane’s idea), or a
camel. Can you imagine how to make other animals? Once you have made a lion or a lamb,
you will be able to design and knit many other animals.
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Jane Knits a Magic Row
In which Jane changes color for stripes.
By now, the children were knitting very well, and they wanted to make something with lots
of colors; they had made several little animal toys, and it was as if their fingers wanted to
play around with color now too. Aunt Susan suggested making a striped ball, and one day
she brought one that she had made herself.
Jane looked at it and really liked the way the colors seemed to be playing with each other
in the stripes. Jeremy liked the way the colors changed smoothly and evenly, but neither
of them could work out how it was made. Aunt Susan decided to let them look at it a little
longer and try to figure out where it was cast on, and how it had been put together.
After a while, Jane came up with the idea that it had all been made in several different
pieces and sewn together, but Jeremy could not find the sewing stitches. Aunt Susan gave
them a clue that it was all made in one piece, and as they followed the lines of valleys and
mountain ranges, they saw that somehow one color stopped and another started, and the
ends of the rows were somehow squished together.
“Just right!” said Aunt Susan. “Let’s cast on and get started!”
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After four rows, Jane was ready to change color, so Aunt Susan broke off the yarn she
was using (Jane was a little worried, thinking everything would come undone, but it didn’t).
Then she showed Jane an especially good knot, tied right under the first stitch of her row.
(Jane had started knitting with yellow; now she was going to use a juicy kind of orange
color.) Aunt Susan explained that this was a magic row—stitches that were yellow before
would change to orange, as if by magic, if Jane just did the same kind of knitting as before,
but used the new orange yarn. Jane hesitated and asked Aunt Susan to do the first stitch,
but it did really work, so she was eager to try. Under the fence . . . and using her orange
yarn, it was quite exciting to see how each stitch on her resting needle started yellow but
turned to orange on the working needle.
Soon Jeremy was ready, and his magic row changed his stitches from pale sky blue to a
gentle lavender color, as if the colors smoothly just melted in to each other.
Their first magic row!
Note: the “magic” is tongue-in-cheek on my part. Soon enough, the children’s natural curiosity will be
activated, and they will themselves figure out how this works. But they will still call it a “magic row”
because it is like magic!
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Aunt Susan’s Sweater
In which Aunt Susan does some mending, and Jeremy notices something new.
One day, as the seasons were changing toward cooler weather, Aunt Susan brought a
bundle of something with her. After the children were settled in to knitting, and she had
answered all their questions and made sure everything was in order for them, she opened
the bundle. She said that while they were sitting together, she wanted to use the time to
fix an old sweater. It was one of her favorites that she had made many years ago, and it
was getting thin in some places because she had worn it so much. It was a lovely, light grey
sweater, with buttons in the front and long sleeves, and Jeremy remembered the feel of
snuggling up against it in winters past. Jane always liked to look at the white and dark grey
patterns and zigzags around the cuffs and the neck, and she followed them with her finger.
To her they looked like snowfalls and stars in the wintry sky, and the white wool was as soft
as a fresh snowfall.
Aunt Susan set to work on the elbows, which were getting quite thin. There was no hole
as yet, and you could just see the stitches without the usual fluffiness of the wool. She
took out a big, blunt needle, the kind Jane and Jeremy used for sewing up their knitting,
and some grey yarn, and began to follow the old knitting stitches with the new yarn. Her
stitches wound up and over, down and round, as she followed the path of the yarn that
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had made the stitches. All three of them worked quietly for a while, concentrating on their
own work, while Aunt Susan looked over every now and again to make sure the children’s
knitting was going well.
After a while, Jeremy put down his work and looked over more closely at the sweater. He
had been looking over every now and again, and now he knew what had been catching his
eye. One side of the sweater was smooth with no bumps, and one side (the inside) seemed
more bumpy than his own knitting. He saw that his own knitting was bumpy on both sides.
When he made a stitch, he saw that the bump would land always on the far side of his
needles, and on the next row, after he switched hands and turned his work around, the
bump would still land on the far side, but now it was the other side. He realized there must
be a way to make one row of bumps always land on the near side.
Well, as he was thinking this, he did not realize that he was resting his own knitting, and
concentrating and staring at Aunt Susan’s sweater, and that his fingers were reaching out
to feel and to look to see if he was right about other parts of the sweater. Jane noticed him,
and stopped her own knitting to watch him, and Aunt Susan stopped and watched too. All
of a sudden, he realized they were both watching him, and felt he was waking up from a
dream, and felt a little silly. They all laughed gently without hurting any feelings, and Aunt
Susan said, “I’m guessing what you are thinking, and that’s exactly what I want to teach
you soon. We have been doing plain knitting, but soon I want to teach you how to make a
variation on the knit stitch. We will soon learn to purl, and I think we’ll make a little mouse.”
Both children were very excited; their knitting was going well, and they were eager to learn
something new and make a little mouse.
It is very nice if you can catch the moment when children show by their genuine interest that they are
ready for the next step. Their powers of observation and perception have been refined and strength-
ened, and they are curious and able to imagine what might account for differences in technique.
Purling is very much like knitting; I teach it as very similar, with a few differences, rather than seeing it
as “the opposite,” which can feel intimidating. Build on what they know, don’t sweep it away, and try
to build a new foundation. The mouse pattern in chapter 5 is a good way to introduce purling.
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Jane and Jeremy Arguing—Sitting in
Different Places
In which Jane and Jeremy argue with each other and have to spend some time alone—Jane
retreats to her favorite place on the top stair to the attic, and Jeremy sits with Tippy in the garden.
One time when Aunt Susan came to visit, the children were nowhere to be seen. Aunt Susan
went into the kitchen to talk with her sister, Jane and Jeremy’s mother, and ask where they
were. Apparently, it had been a difficult morning, and Jane and Jeremy had been calling each
other names and teasing each other. Their mother needed to do some of her own work, so
she gave them their knitting and told them to find a quiet place to be by themselves. Jane
went to sit on the top stair that led up to the attic, and Jeremy sat in the back yard with
Tippy the cat curled up near his feet. When Aunt Susan went to look, Jeremy was quietly
singing, and Jane was sighing as she worked.
The grown-ups had a moment to have a cup of tea together, and then when Jane and
Jeremy came back to the living room, all was well. It was like a storm had passed, and
everyone was able to get on well together.
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Knitting can be soothing and relaxing, helping to “soothe the savage breast.” Stories can be short and
just as satisfying. There’s no minimum length requirement, and the imagination is activated all the
same.
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Jane and Jeremy Go on Vacation
In which the family takes a camping trip, and Jeremy worries about his knitting.
Summer was coming, and the family was getting ready to go on vacation. Almost every year,
they went camping to a favorite spot and spent their days walking in the woods, swimming
in the lake, or sometimes taking a trip into town to buy groceries. This year, Jane and Jeremy
were looking forward to camping again and meeting old friends at the campground. Their
mother asked them to help pack up the clothes they would need—swimsuit, beach towel,
sun hat, PJs, and other things they would need. She also asked them to put their bedtime
story book in the suitcase, and as they did, Jeremy thought of their knitting. “Can we take
our knitting too?” he asked.
Their mother thought for a moment, and then said, “Well, I’m not sure right now. I know
you like to knit, but I think we’ll have lots of other things to do, and we don’t want to get it
muddy, or to lose a needle, or anything like that. Let me think about it until tomorrow.”
The next day came, and everyone was busy making the final preparations before leaving
home. The tent and sleeping bags fit just right into the trunk, the suitcases were loaded in as
well, a bag of snacks for the journey appeared, music was chosen for everyone to listen to in
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the car, and then as they were sitting down to lunch before setting off, Jeremy remembered
the knitting.
His mother must have noticed something, because before he could even ask, their
mother said, “I’ve been thinking about the knitting, and it seems to me best if it stays here.
We’ll have lots to do, you’ll be playing with friends there, and the knitting would be safer
here. We’ll leave it in the basket where it usually is, covered with a cloth so it won’t get
dusty, and that way when we get home, it will be ready for us again.”
At first, both Jane and Jeremy were disappointed because by now, sitting together and
knitting was so much a part of their day that it felt like something would be missing if they
didn’t knit. But as they ate their lunch and began to think of all the things they would do
on vacation, it seemed like it would be OK, and of course, their needles were very precious
to them.
Jeremy still had one worry, though, and after the last bite of his cheese and mustard
sandwich, he managed to find the words to ask, “But what if I don’t remember how to knit
when we get back?”
You remember that by now, Jeremy was a really good knitter, but at first it had been
really hard for him to learn, and he had had lots of tangles in his work, and had had to wait
for Aunt Susan to come by and fix them. Now he was worried that he would get out of
practice, and would have to start all over from the beginning again.
Jane heard his question and had some of her own, too. “How will we remember what to
do next? I only have three more rows to knit, and then I have to cast off, but I might get too
busy playing when we’re at the campground and forget. Can’t I just please finish it?”
Their mother knew how important their knitting was to them, but she also knew how
much there was to do at the campground and by the lake. “No,” she said firmly. “We’ll find a
good cloth to cover the knitting with, we’ll put the basket by the couch so you can find it as
soon as we return, and we’ll take camping things on our camping trip—no knitting.”
Jane was not very happy at this, and as she went to look for a cloth, she stamped her feet
and almost slammed a door. A few minutes later, though, she returned with a white cloth to
cover the knitting. It had three small flowers embroidered in the corner, a red one and two
yellow ones, and as she tucked the knitting in the basket, she made sure that the flowers
showed on the top.
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At last, all was ready for the trip; their father took a last look around the house to make
sure everything was in order and took a spare key to the neighbor. Everybody got in the car,
fastened their seatbelts, and they set off on their summer adventures.
Anxiety about forgetting how to knit (or about losing any other hard-won skills in the first formal
year of schooling) over summer vacation from school will be dealt with in the next story. In a group or
classroom setting, it is much easier to pre-empt the inevitable questions about taking knitting home
over the break with a story. It is gratifying to know that children want to keep knitting!
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Back Again!
In which Jane and Jeremy return from vacation, Jane works hard and makes a lot of tight tangles.
Jeremy’s knitting is loose again, but they get a little help from Aunt Susan, and all is well.
Jane and Jeremy’s family vacation was coming to an end, and they were arriving back home
again. They had enjoyed their trip but were glad to be home. As the car drew closer to their
house, Jeremy began to think of his knitting. He remembered putting his work carefully in
the basket with the cloth cover; he remembered the rhyme Aunt Susan had taught them,
“under the fence . . .” But he was getting a little worried about remembering how to hold the
needles, and he was worried he had forgotten all the other things he had learned that year:
casting on, casting off, sewing, measuring, counting rows, and knowing if the stitches were
right or not. The closer the car came to their house, the more worried he got.
At the same time, Jane was saying, “I can’t wait to start knitting again and start some-
thing new!” She already had plans to make a scarf, a hat, some mittens, a sweater for her
teddy bear, and many other things as well. When the car stopped in front of the house, their
mother reminded them to take in all their bags and luggage and camping equipment first,
but once everything was out of the car and carried into the house, both Jane and Jeremy
went straight to their knitting basket. The basket was still on the shelf; the cloth was on
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the basket. They took their knitting out, and Jeremy was pleased that his hands seemed
to remember all by themselves how to hold the needles and the yarn, but he hesitated to
make a stitch, afraid he would make a tangle, and everything would go wrong. Jane hardly
stopped to think, and immediately put her needle in, wrapped the yarn around, pulled the
needle through, and off she went like a steam engine. Pretty soon, though, her stitches
were getting tighter, and there seemed to be a big lump where there used to be a neat row
of stitches. She was frustrated and annoyed and almost wanted to throw her work down
on the floor.
Luckily, just then, their mother said it was time to get ready for dinner and put their
knitting away. At the table, she noticed the disappointed and annoyed faces of Jane and
Jeremy, and once they talked about it, she decided to ask Aunt Susan to come the next day
to see if she could help. Aunt Susan did come, they sat together on the couch again, and
within just a couple of minutes, both Jane and Jeremy were knitting even more comfortably
and confidently than before!
It’s likely that after a break, a certain measure of anxiety will be felt by the children—hopefully less
than Jane and Jeremy experienced! I purposely exaggerate the children’s difficulties, and this seems
to help my students identify with one or the other and also feel like things are not so bad. In this
way, I think the reassurance of adult help is even more meaningful. It is also very true in many cases
that after learning something, then a period of “putting it on the back burner,” a person comes back
refreshed and reinvigorated, and their skills are greatly improved. I have seen this many times with a
child who may be struggling with some academic skill; then all of a sudden, returning to school after
break, that child has made a great leap forward. Taking a break is important in the learning process!
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Chapter 4:
Tech Support for the
Handwork Classroom
This chapter will give some “technical” suggestions about teaching handwork and managing a hand-
work class or homeschooling group and offer some practical suggestions. For a discussion of the
value of storytelling in teaching and the effects of storytelling in general, see chapter 1.
This chapter also includes specific ideas about establishing a productive and satisfying learning
environment for handwork classes. The examples will be drawn principally from my experience in a
Waldorf classroom, but apply to other school situations and to a home setting as well.
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First Things First: Why Are We

Doing This (Handwork)?
The value of handwork extends well beyond the ability to make

a cute little decorative item. Pairing thinking with action, beauty,
function, and service in the work of our hands brings innumerable
benefits. The place of handwork in education is to integrate and
address, and hopefully also to nourish and stimulate, the whole
human being—head, heart, and hands—and to challenge and support
the development of the full potential of each child—physical, emo-
tional, social, and intellectual—in a way that affirms and empowers
them as a productive member of their community. Working with
our hands directly confirms our place in a larger ecological whole.
This can be true in varying degrees of all education, and is a
more or less explicit goal of all subjects in the Waldorf curriculum
(for resources on Waldorf or Steiner education, see Resources).
Handwork is where the rubber hits the road in education and a
visible and tangible product is produced. Each craftsperson must
engage both imaginative and practical thinking in a dialog with
the fiber or material and achieve a product that is fitting to its
intended purpose. Creative activity mediates between seen and
unseen realms: something from individual imagination or inspira-
tion is brought from immaterial realms into physical reality, and
something from the material world is transformed through being
“worked” in order to approach the craftsperson’s intended goal.
Through handwork, an individual craftsperson and his/her think-
ing become the meeting place between unseen spirit and tangible
matter. To take this one step further, in thinking through and plan-
ning a project, in selecting raw materials, and in carrying it out to
completion, the craftsperson can begin to experience a co-creative
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process. In a corresponding and reciprocal imposed by the need to hold and support
way, as the material is transformed, some- the knitting, leads to inner stillness, which
thing is also schooled and refined within the can result in positive health benefits. There
craftsperson. is a reassuring quality to knitting, in which
Recent neuroscientific studies demon- mistakes can be corrected. Knitting can be
strate the benefits of knitting in multiple unraveled and reknitted, in a way that some
ways. Knitting alone or in a group is a thera- wish life’s blunders could be resolved.
peutic and restorative activity and can lead In adults, knitting is described as a pow-
to the ability to come to quiet and find inner erfully effective contemplative practice
calm. The practice of knitting has healing that can combat and alleviate the effects
and self-regulating physiological benefits. It of chronic pain, clinical depression, mental
can be a gateway into a contemplative prac- illness, PTSD, and multiple other personal
tice or may even itself be a form of contem- problems such as sleep disorders. The
plative practice more readily accessible to complex, repetitive, bilateral coordination
those who are more reluctant to “just sit still of hand movements (which form pathways
and quietly,” as contemplative or meditative in the brain), crossing the midline and
practices can sometimes be misunderstood. thereby demanding significant brain capac-
Cultivating a habit of quiet, contemplative ity, distract from pain or depression, pro-
engagement in traditional, creative hand- ducing serotonin (from the repetition) and
work arts can be a mode of contemplative reducing stress. Both hands work smoothly
and mindful engagement and also a place- together, and the body is integrated and
holder for later mindful practices. moves rhythmically.
Inner calm is a primary characteristic of Historically, subtle shifts in the physiol-
many handwork skills, including knitting. As ogy of the hand, brought about by envi-
the hands are busy, attention is engaged and ronmental changes, led to a reshaping and
focused on the work at hand, which calms rewiring of the human brain. This reshaping
and centers the knitter. Outer stillness, of the hand and therefore of the brain had
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a significant impact on language, cognition, These qualities are highly correlated to

and culture. The more differentiated the use academic progress and are now considered
of the hand, the more differentiated is our more important in academic success than
thinking, language, and our social interac- measures of intelligence.
tion. This directly affects perception and Meaningful hand movements play a
understanding on both a physical and a pivotal role in the development of thinking
conceptual level. and language capacities and in developing
In adolescent students with behavioral deep feelings of confidence and interest in
challenges, craftwork has been found to the world. Handwork boosts the individual
drastically improve life choices. The self- sense of control and increases the per-
correcting nature of physical craftwork sonal locus of control, thereby increasing
gives immediate and tangible feedback. the sense of effective agency and improv-
Sustained attention and deferred gratifica- ing self-control and emotional stability in
tion are closely linked to impulse control, other circumstances by offering visible and
which is learned through the inherent law- concrete displays of success. These provide
fulness imparted through learning crafts. the basic foundation for the emergence of a
The requisite three-dimensional skills and capable and caring individual.
hands-on understanding of materials and Beyond the physical, emotional, social,
processes lead to whole-body attentive- and cognitive developmental support,
ness, improved focus and concentration, direct engagement with physical reality in
and the ability to make decisions from a handwork has significant consequences
place of calm centeredness. for a child’s relationship to the activity of
In addition to the benefits outlined learning. Teaching handwork imparts a
above, another value is that of self-regula- powerful, implicit message of interconnect-
tion. Handwork or craftwork is especially edness and interdependence. The world is
fulfilling because its materiality anchors the no longer held at arm’s length, handworkers
worker’s understanding in reality. The maker are more closely engaged with everyday
sees the immediate effect of every step he objects, and a child begins to differentiate
or she takes along the way. It requires the more clearly between things often taken for
ability to alternately shift and focus atten- granted—wool and cotton, for example. This
tion and to inhibit impulsive responding. sharpens observation skills and perception.
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The craftsperson / handworker experiences in their actions. Children begin to take

direct contact and personal efficacy in their their place in a meaningful society and are
contact with their environment, and the empowered as they learn to work alongside
sense of immediate and intimate belonging trusted and admired adults.
is cultivated and fostered. The creative activity of handwork
These feelings of belonging and effi- requires careful planning and discriminat-
cacy are significant, not only in regards to ing use of materials; it also requires the
supporting a learning environment, but focused and attentive craftsperson to be
also in a more general moral and ethical fully absorbed in the moment. Athletes
way. Contributing to others’ well-being by call this moment of optimal performance
producing a beautiful or functional item by the “Zone”; business leaders speak of the
hand connects the craftsperson to others “Flow.” It is a moment in which the person
throughout history and throughout the steps out, as it were, of chronological time
world. I tell historical and traditional stories and into another dimension, where time
of Navajo sheep-herding; stories of silk and space as we know them are no longer
from 2,000 BCE in China; stories of sewing relevant. This is the time when there is no
map-quilts from the Underground Railroad; longer a need to consciously think of every
stories from Japan; from Seattle; from the movement, when the body and mind relax,
Northern Coast of Scotland; from Central and when a person enters something like a
and South America; from Hmong refugee meditative state. It can seem as if the knit-
accounts; from African, Jewish, Arab, and ting is almost being done through us.
Hindu traditions. The wealth of fiber and Preparing a person for this experience is
textile stories is astonishing, and all serve to an immeasurably valuable gift for a teacher,
affirm in a subtle and non-didactic manner and this transcendent practice of inner still-
the threads that bind us together. ness, complete focus, and selfless absorp-
Making a warm hat, an appealing toy for tion can become a source of immense joy.
a younger sibling, or a potholder for their And this can be easier than it sounds.
mother, children establish a place for them- How we teach and parent the future
selves. They weave themselves into the tap- generation is what we teach them. The
estry of life and the continuum of history medium is truly the message, and a genu-
and discover meaning and consequences inely practical education and upbringing
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supports children in discovering their place and their importance

in the world. Working with their hands to create useful and beauti-
ful things will help them in later life to “give their ideas legs” and
empower them in untold ways.
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Knitty-Gritties
In this section I will share some very specific suggestions on successful

teaching strategies and some things to keep in mind. I urge you to adopt or
adapt these as you see fit.
When to start knitting

I have found that about age six to seven is a good age to start.
Before that, the perseverance and follow-through are not as well
established, and completing an item (or even a row) is not easy. This
can backfire, and a young child may feel like knitting is a burden.
Younger children are still living in the age of imitation: they soak in
and absorb everything around them and are eager to imitate the
work of the grown-ups they see around them, whether it’s baking,
sweeping, driving, or engaging in handwork. For this very reason, if
you are knitting at home, a young child will be interested and want
to knit as well. I suggest telling them a short version of the lamb
story, showing them how to do a stitch or two, and not expecting
more than two or three stitches. Here are a couple of rules of thumb
for teachers:
Set them up for success: Think through every small step you
must teach the students. For example, do not assume that they
know how to tie a knot or use sandpaper.
Quit while you are ahead: Leave room in your goal setting for
some of the children to comfortably exceed your expectations.
About eighty per cent of the students should be successful about
eighty per cent of the time. Do not set the bar discouragingly high,
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yet always maintain a forward momentum. Leave the students

eager for more, not exhausted.
Divide and conquer: At times, you must work individually with a
child or divide the class into small groups.
How to Start
It’s most effective to teach one skill at a time and for children to
have a sense of accomplishment before moving to the next chal-
lenge. It’s important for them to practice, but at the same time to
see their own progress. For these reasons, I cast on the first project,
and teach them how to knit first. They practice knitting and can
soon see their work grow (or you point it out to them). At the end
of the first project, we can see how much they have improved—this
is a visible, tangible record of progress (rare and extremely valu-
able in contemporary education), and they can be rightly proud of
their accomplishments. At the end of that piece, after telling the
Frog story (see chapter 3), I show them how to cast off, and I can
usually expect the children to cast off about half or three-quarters
of that row.
For the next project, I have them watch me cast on, and offer
an opportunity for them to cast on a few of those stitches if they
choose. Some do; some don’t want to; that’s fine. They will in their
own time.
This progression may seem counterintuitive. Why not start with
first things first? This is the difference between a logical thinker and
a teacher. My goal is to build competency and self-sufficiency; my
focus is on the learning process.
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More on Casting On
“Begin at the beginning,” says conventional wisdom, yet I suggest
that the young child start with knitting, and that this be a small
piece, perhaps twelve or sixteen stitches, that you have cast on for
them. Knitting one or two rows as a foundation is also helpful and
gives something more substantial for the student to put their hands
on. If insurmountable tangles arise, then twelve stitches should not
take you too long to replace! Once the child is secure in the basics
of knitting, then they can learn to cast on the next project. There
are dozens of ways to cast on. One way, very like knitting, is the
double cable cast-on, which is also appropriate for shaping the lion
or lamb projects.
Casting on the second small project, have them watch you cast
on, and then invite them in to the process—perhaps they would like
to try a stitch or two. Encourage and affirm that soon they will want
to be able to do it all themselves and be able to work independently.
By the time the third piece comes around, I can usually expect to
show them one or two stitches, and I anticipate their eagerness,
confidence, and self-sufficiency by then to cast on their own work.
I drop a few prompts ahead of time, such as, “Soon you will be able
to cast on your own knitting,” or, “I can help you with the first three
stitches; then you try the next one, and I’ll help if you need me,” or
“Sit next to me while you cast on, so I can look over and help you
right away if you need it.”
This approach (pulling the child in and paving the way for them
to “beg” for the next step) is always more effective than pushing
the child towards independence (in everything). Beginning with the
third or fourth small project, the child could perhaps manage all of
the basics with supervision. Of course, the beauty of teaching is in
the infinite variations in speed and ways of learning from individual
to individual!
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As with all things, there is another school of thought—and this

suggests that learning to cast on first is important; that the students
will have a sense of capability and independence if they can start a
project on their own without help, and that if they get into tangles
or drop stitches, or if the whole piece of knitting comes off the
needles, then they themselves are capable of fixing the problem,
and this leads to a sense of security and mastery.
Shaping
Once the children have mastered knitting, casting off (sometimes
called “binding off”), and casting on, we can use those skills to make
different shapes. After squares and rectangles, the lamb or lion
offers the opportunity to increase and decrease mid-project. Agile
thinkers enjoy the challenge of anticipating and picturing the need
and techniques.
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Progression of Skills
I like to give the children a sense of mastery and teach one skill
at a time, offering plenty of practice before introducing something
new. For this reason, I cast on the first project so they can start
knitting right away. Casting off is a variation of knitting, still using
the basic knit stitch, but because casting on seems to be harder, I
introduce that slowly, and allow the children to let me know when
they are ready. I still don’t have a good story for casting on—let me
know if you come up with one. Somewhere in that story there is
a bird flying through the fence, or a squirrel darting around, who
comes back again and then perches on top of the top rail. After lots
of practice with plain knitting, casting on and off, I usually intro-
duce purling towards the end of the first year to some of the faster
knitters. In this way, it is on the “back burner” over the summer,
and almost everyone is ready and eager to purl at the beginning of
second grade. Anticipation is an extremely effective tool.
In homeschooling or mixed-age-group settings, I still keep the
progression of these skills, but sometimes the speed is accelerated
or slowed, depending on the actual children.
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Signs of Success
Success is not measured by completing one perfect project in the

classroom. Education in general is about lighting a fire, not filling a
bucket, so I count success when children take what I have taught
them and make it their own. They come up with all kinds of inter-
esting things—a green dragon or an elephant based on the lamb
pattern; a mushroom; or something I hadn’t even thought of. This
means they have incorporated and digested what they have learned.
It has not just stayed on the level of superficial learning. This is what
the goal of good education is, and why unhurried education, which
allows learning to percolate through the whole human being, is so
valuable these days. We are not fitting the children to work as cogs
in the machine, but they must master and transcend what we teach
them and be empowered to find their own way.
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Rhymes, Images, and Mnemonics
There are many rhymes, images, and mnemonics that can be used,
and they are surprisingly successful. In the story section, I intro-
duced some: the lost lamb, the frogs, and other images were drawn
from and clothed in story form. This kind of image is the most
alive, and therefore the most productive and effective. For this
very reason, making up your own will be the best choice. I suggest
sitting with the question first as you knit, pondering and considering
the images that arise, and testing to see whether they work, and
whether you have found the sort of image that can be extended and
may be capable of generating new truths.
Teaching adults can also be amazingly streamlined by using such
images. It is wise to avoid treating adults like children—they have
different learning modalities and speeds—but there is sometimes a
hunger for clothing systematic instructions in images. In any case,
even if the images are self-consciously introduced, they do persist
in the adults’ minds and are very useful shortcuts through the haze
of intellectualization that may often accompany adult learning.
For Knitting
Under the fence,
Catch the sheep,
Pull him through,
And away he leaps
(see story A Walk in the Woods)
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For Purling
I haven’t settled on a good story yet (let me know if you come up
with one). There could be something like a butterfly landing on the
lamb’s nose and tickling him so he pulls his nose quickly back. A bird
could also fly into the field through the fence, catch a worm, and go
quickly back out the way he came.
I tend to say purling is a lot the same, but a little bit different,
rather than saying it’s the opposite of knitting, or knitting back-
wards. In this way, I am adding to what they know and anchoring
it in a well-established skill. “Knitting backwards” sounds to me like
you have to discard what you have struggled to learn in the right
order. The two things that are different are the yarn stays in front,
and the needle goes in through the side of the stitch.
Which Way?
When you pick up knitting after a break in the middle of a row, the
working yarn (the end that’s attached to the stitch) should be in the
working (shepherd) hand.
Casting On
As I mentioned above, I have not settled on a rhyme yet, although
there are perhaps some little birds in there, and perhaps a careful
hand that draws them through the fence and sets them on the top
rail. It’s like knitting, with only two small differences: go behind
the whole stitch, and put the new loop on the fence to become a
new stitch.
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Counting Rows
In garter stitch, we count valleys and (mountain) ridges; each valley
and each ridge is one row. Pretty soon, one or two children will start
to count by twos.
In stockinet stitch, we count the little hearts or the pointy arrows
all piled on top of each other.
Casting Off
The hardest thing is usually letting go of the stitches the child has
worked so hard to keep on the needle. It’s more helpful to “send”
the stitch somewhere, rather than just letting it go. This is why the
frog story (Frogs in the Pond) is so helpful—the frog jumps back into
the water where he/she belongs.
Making a Knot
I point to the sky
And with feet near the eye,
I wind five times around.
When I have it right,
I hold on tight (but not too tight),
And slide all the way down.
I tell my parent volunteers: once you have this, it’s worth the price
of admission!
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Locking Off a Thread

I never say “tying” off because then all sorts of freeform knots
appear. We make two little tiny loops in the same place, and put the
key (aka needle) in the lock (aka through the loop).
Threading a Needle
Three Ps: point, press, push
Fold the yarn over the point of the needle; press it completely
flat between thumb and index finger; push it through the eye of
the needle.
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Left-Handers
As I began assisting in the classroom, my first assignment was to

work with left-handers and to help them knit in a mirror image to
the right-handed children. This was an intriguing challenge, but
quickly became so specialized that few others were able to help
the left-handers in an adequate way. For this reason and others, I
now always recommend teaching all children to knit in the same
way. Left-handers have the advantage of being able to use their left
hand in a much more strongly supportive way; knitting requires the
use of both hands, working as a team in different but complemen-
tary ways. Neither hand can be passive, and equal does not mean
the same.
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Continental or British?
Some handwork teachers could go to war over this (I’m definitely

not one of them), debating the question of whether to hold the
yarn in the left hand and hook it through with the right, or whether
to wrap the yarn round the needle with the right. I learned the
British way, wrapping with the right, when I was five, so I have been
teaching the British way for over half a century now. Colleagues
have tried to convince me that their way is faster, more ergonomic,
easier to adapt to crochet (this one I accept), easier for color-pattern
knitting, or in many other ways better. I continue to maintain that
both hands are used when knitting and I find it much easier to knit
fair-isle patterns in later grades wrapping both yarns with separate
fingers on the right hand. There are many traditions in all parts of
the world that require that the yarn or the needles be held in one
way or another. Glimpsing so many different ways, it is impossible
for me to say one way is the right way. It is important, however,
that both hands are used as a team and that each child is able to
achieve a sense of mastery. I suggest using whichever method is
most comfortable to you. Occasionally, someone at home will knit
differently, or rarely, a child may come to school already used to a
different method. Welcome diversity! I encourage that child to con-
tinue knitting in that way if it is well-established and comfortable
and they are successful. In general in the class, however, it is not a
free-for-all, and I teach the time-tested efficient and effective ways
to hold needles and so on.
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How Much to Fix?
A big question is how much to intervene; is it important that the

child sees that a good product is made, or is it more important that
they see their own mistakes and gain a sense of consequences? It is
easy to err on both extremes.
It is important that the child feels good about their accomplish-
ments, in a genuine, true way. So I found it necessary to always check
through each child’s work between classes. It is an opportunity to
hold the children in your thoughts in a special, silent, wordless way.
If you are teaching a large class, it helps to keep things straight; if
you are teaching one child, it is also an opportunity to connect with
them and ponder. Handling the child’s work and picturing them in
class, their successes, challenges and difficulties, also allowed me to
plan and picture how the next lesson would go. In a practical way, it
also gave me the opportunity to be sure that I had enough supplies
on hand. Most importantly, I was able to make sure the children
would have an easy start in the class and could get right to work.
They recognized in a subtle way that a teacher was aware of their
progress, and I believe this encouraged them to do their best.
In sorting out the inevitable tangles in beginning knitting, it is
important not to overcorrect; the child will lose a sense of personal
ownership and pride in their own accomplishment and begin to
feel that their own work is never good enough if it is constantly
“corrected” by the adult or teacher. On the other hand, facing
consistent tangles and not gaining a sense of moving ahead can be
very demoralizing. Perhaps the balance is found in functionality: if
the item can function in its intended way, then it is “good.” For this
reason, I suggest avoiding the word “correct” like an English paper
or math problems. Maybe “untangle,” “sort out,” and “look through”
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would be acceptable synonyms. Never “rip out” a child’s knitting.

This is violent. Steiner mentioned that handwork is the footprint of
the soul, and in my experience, it is true that knitting can reveal
something of the inner person. If it is true, if you can accept this as
even a working hypothesis, then correcting the soul’s expression is
out of place! Use gentle words to help, not to censor. Bend the reed,
don’t break it, and don’t polish the vessel so hard that you make
a hole.
If there are tangles in class, I first ask if I can help. I talk about
untangling or sorting out—never ripping out. I don’t talk about mis-
takes or knots—that sounds too final. I remind the child of my knitting
“rules”—everyone works/learns at different speeds, and everything
in knitting can be fixed. I usually reassure them this is a quick fix,
and depending on the child and the tangle, I may show them what
happened and how I fix it. If it’s a bigger challenge, I weigh up how
many others are waiting or may soon be needing help, and on rare
occasions I may say I’ll put it aside until I can give it my full attention
before next class, and have the child wind a ball of yarn, or tidy the
yarn basket and sort colors, so they are very visibly contributing to
the class. I try always to remember that the physical “footprint” or
handprint of the children’s work—knitting, drawing, writing, playing
with friends—is an outer manifestation of their inner state, and treat
it with respect and care.
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Tight/Loose Knitting
Gauge or tension is just about the hardest and last thing to be mas-
tered in these beginning stages. The stories about Jane and Jeremy
are very helpful, as Jane needed to “loosen up” and knit more like
Jeremy, and Jeremy needed to “get a grip” and knit more like Jane.
Thinking back to the lamb story, the shepherd had to hold the lamb
firmly but not too tightly around his neck. He did not want the lamb
to wriggle away and run further into the woods, and he did not want
to hurt the lamb by pulling too hard. I know I have hit home when I
hear a child say, “Oh, that lamb got away from me again,” or when a
child says, “I know I’m holding the lamb too tightly; I’m worried he’ll
get away and be lost.”
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Reluctant Children
Very occasionally I have met children who are reluctant to engage in

the work at hand. I speculate that some are concerned about making
mistakes; some want to have a perfect finished product right away;
some are simply shy about trying something new; and some may
never have seen anyone knit before and therefore have no valid
concept of what our goal is. The stories help children find a way in
as they can usually identify with some aspect of Jane or Jeremy’s
personality, and I can tailor the next story to speak to them in an
invitational and not a confrontational way. If an occasional child
simply refuses to pick up their work, I know I can’t and don’t want to
force them, but I do require that they watch someone knit, and they
may not disturb others who are working. Gradually, I may invite
them to just try one stitch that day, then two or three once the
first hurdle is overcome. It’s almost certain, if I set my requirements
low and hold firm to them, that the reluctant child will soon exceed
my requests.
Once, there was a boy who felt it was not “manly” to knit. His
parents gave him an old VW bug to dismantle for his seventh birth-
day, so he was clearly on a different trajectory! That’s when the
sailor (A Visitor to the Neighborhood) made his appearance, and that
story seemed to invite the boy in to attempt to knit. Interestingly,
once he had done a row, he felt he now knew how, and didn’t need
to keep doing the same thing over and over, and it took several
more stories to gently encourage him to keep at it!
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Showing Samples
It is tempting to show an example of what the new project will look

like, and I think for adults this is very helpful, but it can backfire for
children. Young children (around first grade) have difficulty imagin-
ing what could be the same or what could be different. For example,
if I show a brown lamb, it is almost guaranteed that everyone will
want to make a brown lamb. This can be avoided once the children
are just a bit older (end of second or third grade) by showing mul-
tiple examples.
“Old school” teachers would not even tell the children what they
were making until they were done, citing the desire to awaken the
imagination and keep open-ended thinking alive. I find that children
today (at least in twenty-first-century Los Angeles) are different,
and seem to come from the other end of the scale. Their imagina-
tion is more likely to be engaged if I describe a finished product and
ask if they can figure out how to get there. This is another working
hypothesis, and I encourage you to make your own observations.
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Classroom Survival Skills
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by a class full of children all needing

help at the same time. The short and simple truth is that it is not
possible to meet all their needs at the same time. As teachers, our
goal is to help the children learn in as joyful and effective way as
we can, but it is not possible to help thirty first-graders all learning
to knit at the same time. It is difficult for many other teachers to
comprehend how unique this handwork teacher’s predicament is.
Perhaps an orchestra conductor comes close, in having to discern
the tone of each instrument as well as the whole group, in his need
to keep all instruments in tune. We have only one pair of hands.
As with everything in teaching, it is all about the students, and
you should first ask what experience you want them to have. From
this you can decide what climate you want in the class, and then
how to get there. Some teachers want their students to have a
quiet, meditative, concentrated time as they work carefully with
their hands. Others want the students to experience the exuber-
ance of creation. The first teacher will work toward quiet or silence
in the handwork class, and the second will be happy for the children
to be aware of others and share ideas; the first teacher may have
the children sit separately at their own desks; the second teacher
may encourage students to form work circles with their chairs or to
sit on the floor in small groups.
In each case, it is important to maintain a sense of order and calm
in the classroom and to keep the main focus on the work at hand. If
a student has a question, it must be heard, the teacher’s response
must be heard, and it is valuable if one student hears another’s
question—and listens to the answer! Again, functionality is a key
criterion, and you must decide how quiet the room should be.
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Learning and Forgetting

One of the things I have learned, and use and experience every day,
is the value of forgetting and sleeping. At first, it sounds counter-
intuitive to say we learn many things best by letting them go and
forgetting about them, by sleeping on them. However, the principle
of waking and sleeping in both the literal and metaphorical senses
serve me well, both in teaching first-graders how to knit and in
writing this book, a Ph.D. dissertation in almost record time, and
most recently a second Master’s degree. When a person sleeps,
recent learning is integrated with what has already been learned
and digested. This is one of the main principles of Waldorf educa-
tion, and it works! When I write, or when I’m trying to think some-
thing through, I put in effort and then “let it go” overnight (or for a
short nap on the couch). When I wake, it is almost guaranteed there
is a new insight or a fresh idea. Working with the children, I can
reassure them with certainty that if something is hard one class,
and they work hard at it, if even for a moment, it will be easier next
class (and I’m sure to check back with them the next class so they
know I’m serious). The same principle applies to winter and summer
breaks. If we can just introduce and give them a taste of something
new before a break, the children will have a much easier time when
they return.
A related technique is the use of anticipation, which is a par-
ticularly valuable aspect of these stories. Previewing something
like casting off with the frog story before the students are actually
“ready” allows them to put it on the back burner or forget about it
until they need it. Reviewing the story refreshes and reactivates the
learning, and then it comes much easier to them. For this reason,
it’s important to plan and pace the introduction of new techniques:
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Elizabeth Seward
don’t tell a story and immediately strip away the digestible, imagina-
tive images the children are in process of forming by leaping too
quickly to the actual skill you want to teach. If the story is firmly
embedded and digested, children will remember the frogs, even if
they think they have never heard of casting off.
Predictable Form for the Lessons

Rhythm replaces strength. If you can establish a clear form and clear
expectations early in the year, your work will be halved. You will not
have to use so much effort to manage the course of each lesson.
Handwork teachers have the benefit and the burden of manag-
ing multiple classes every day, and this can represent a significant
expenditure of energy, just getting the students in the door, and out
again—in an orderly fashion! Home teachers can also benefit from
a clear “book-ending” to lessons, as this will help the students to
focus and concentrate, and to feel satisfied at what they accomplish
in that time.
We teach the students, using handwork as a vehicle, not as an
end in itself. More is taught than the skill itself, and in many ways,
we are preparing the students for life itself. In handwork class, as in
life, there are beginnings, middles and endings.
It really helps to begin the class with your own way to set the
scene. I only started using a verse in the last few years, but I find it
very helpful. The students stand, and I pair the verse with stretch-
ing, crisscrossing, large and small movements that relate to the
words of the verse, and this establishes our handwork space within
whichever room we might be in that day! Then I hand out the work,
we work, and then towards the end of class after a two-minute
warning, we pack up the knitting, and the children put it carefully in
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the basket. I maintain an eye for “quality control” as they put it away,
because I want them to learn to respect their and others’ work.
Then comes time for a story, or even just a two-sentence “teaser”
if we are running late. We finish standing, again with a verse. It is
vitally important to finish the class calmly, and with an eye to the
next class. It’s very effective to start and finish with just about
twenty to thirty seconds of quiet reflection on what is to come, or
on what has been achieved in the lesson. This calm ending truly
helps the children deal with change, transition, and, I believe, loss—
we are teaching the children, and not only knitting skills—and it’s a
tremendous gift to the next teacher after you if the children are all
in good shape for the beginning of the next activity!
A Buffet of Specific Suggestions for

Classroom Management
Handwork teachers have tried several approaches to classroom
management. Outlined below are a few strengths and challenges
of some approaches. Bearing in mind your students’ needs and your
own strengths, it is possible you will find a different or better way.
Reading aloud. Some teachers ask a parent or another teacher to come into class and read
aloud to the children while they work. The handwork teacher is then free to move around
the room and help individual children as needed. This certainly provides a quiet and orderly
classroom; yet I wonder if purposely distracting them from the task at hand is counterpro-
ductive. It seems to be asking the children to do two things at the same time: evoke inner,
imaginative images from the story and focus in a concentrated, outer-directed way on
handwork. Many experienced knitters like to listen to audiobooks or watch a movie while
working. Many adults find knitting to be a kind of oasis and way of centering themselves
in a busy world, and I used to knit through seminars at college, and in faculty meetings,
knowing that if my hands were busy, my mind was free to focus on what was being spoken.
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It is possible that once the knitter is working comfortably on “automatic pilot,” the rhythmi-
cal and repetitive movements of knitting can free the mind. In my experience, however,
adults’ and children’s minds respond differently to the same stimuli. Learning new skills
requires total focus, and there are always some children in the classroom who are learning
something new or still struggling towards mastery.
Storytelling. An urban legend at my former school told of a teacher who could tell a story
to the class while herself moving around the classroom and helping the children. Good luck!
Silence; raising hands. This seems the most obvious approach for most teachers: “Could
you just be quiet and raise your hands when you need help.” It is not the most obvious for
children, however, and as a teacher, trying to stem or change the course of a river once the
sluice gates are open is seldom successful. It is much easier to require the first few moments
be quiet or silent, and to gradually extend that time. Experience tells me that when the
teacher says words to the effect of “be quiet,” however gently, the children may retain a
feeling of repression. They never (for very obvious reasons) remember the teacher’s saying
“get louder” or “talk more”!
Lists—a variation on raising hands. In older grades, some teachers have the students write
their names on the board in order as they request help. This is perceptibly fair and orderly,
and transparent if several teachers are in the same room. At the same time, however, it can
be time-consuming, and in my experience, once the students have written their name on
the list, they feel they are free to wait, just wait—never a winning strategy!
I’ve recently introduced the idea of a bagel shop or fabric store waiting line, in which
I assign numbers to children requesting help. It seems to raise their awareness, both of
others’ need for help, and that I recognize their need. Often times, while waiting, they sort
things out themselves, and I praise them for that! The downside to this method is that it
requires an assistant or other helping adults in the room to be equally aware of the order!
Triage! I help the most capable children first. This way I am sure I can help the maximum
number of children in the minimum amount of time, leaving me more unhurried time for
the one or two students who will need most care and attention. While they wait, they can
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be usefully occupied in winding a ball, or sorting colors, and in this way, also contributing
meaningfully to the class community.
Wait and watch. It has always seemed obvious to me, but not to all of my students, that
you can learn by watching others! I’ve found that calling a specific child’s attention to a
specific thing for a short time works best: “Sam, just come over here for a minute and see
how evenly Jose is casting off,” or, “Luna, Mel is having the same challenge with purling that
you are; come and see if I can help you both. Watch what I show her; then I’ll help you if
you need it.”
Busy work; drawing. I have seen teachers require children to keep busy while waiting for
help by reading or drawing. This again achieves a sense of quiet and order in the classroom,
but can backfire, when the child spends much of the handwork class doodling or with an
engrossing book, and is reluctant to interrupt that activity.
Student helpers from older grades. Many schools bring in older students to help with the
beginning stages of a new skill. This has many obvious benefits: validating the achievements
of the older students, modeling for the younger ones. Many hands are available. This knits
the community together! Difficulties can be overcome with goodwill and a view for the
broader picture: scheduling and making sure the older students do actually remember how
to knit and know how to help.
Peer helpers. This is a wonderful strategy when it works well. I personally get concerned
about quality control, so I sometimes “appoint” assistants on a temporary basis. The chil-
dren are naturally very eager and happy to help each other, but I’ve found that in my school
demographic, it can often be the students who have trouble monitoring the quality of their
own work who are the most forward in offering help to others, perhaps looking for a break
and wanting to connect with others. It’s a delicate balance between quality control and
welcoming the warmhearted offer of help.
Working groups. I like establishing small groups around the particular activity. I may ask an
assistant or parent helper to sit with the children who are casting off that day, or sewing,
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or who need some extra help. This is one of the reasons I find it
valuable to have my own teaching space and not have to navigate
the classrooms where they spend most of their day.
Donut award. This is really silly, but may inspire you to a better idea
of your own. Sometimes, in recent years, I’ve achieved such a quiet
and focused working environment in the class that I’ve joked with a
parent helper that we could just slide out the door and get a quick
cup of coffee and a donut while the children work. I came across
patterns for knitted donuts and cakes, so now, if the class is quiet,
a knitted donut appears on a (soon-to-be-knitted) plate. No, I don’t
send the donut to their classroom. No, I don’t make a donut for each
child. No, they can’t take it home with them . . . I will put it back in a
soon-to-be-knitted pink box.
Whichever approach or blend of approaches is used, it has to be

fair (which is not the same as equal)—and more difficult than that, it
has to be perceived as fair. The sense of security that results from
a child knowing that they will get the help they need is important
and goes far beyond learning a particular technique. The ability
to perceive and accept that someone else’s need is greater in that
moment also goes beyond waiting a turn. In all teaching, remember
to teach the child, not the stuff.
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Parent Helpers in the Classroom
I really welcome parent helpers in the classroom, although this is

controversial among some teachers. I like to see it as an opportunity
for parents to see how it might feel to be a lead classroom teacher
and to develop some understanding of the pedagogy behind what
I am trying to do. Many (eight to ten) volunteers have gone on to
become full-time carrying teachers as a result of this experience.
The controversy arises among some teachers who believe there
should only be one adult presence leading a class of children—only
one captain of the ship, as it were. In my opinion, that may have been
valid in the past, but I feel it is an additional learning opportunity for
children nowadays to experience a good, cooperative, and mutu-
ally respectful working relationship between two adults (or more,
if there is an assistant in the large classes, and a volunteer as well).
Additional skillful hands and eyes are more than welcome in big
classes of near thirty students, and I look on them as “apprentices.”
I do urge caution, though, and I don’t simply throw the doors
open to all comers (I’ve learned from experience!). At the beginning
of the year, I send an email to the parents of the classes I teach via
their main class teacher, inviting them to join me one morning per
week to become familiar with the projects the children will be doing
and with the way I teach. We meet for several weeks, while in the
classes I am establishing or re-establishing the form and expecta-
tions I want to see. If parents already know how to knit, great! I
show them how we knit in class, and share the stories and images,
and they practice the projects (making three before they teach
one!). If they don’t know how to knit, we teach them, again sharing
the stories and images, and they practice. Once I am sure they will
be able to help the children and not need help from me during class,
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Elizabeth Seward
and once I am sure we can establish the kind of in-class working

relationship I want to see, then I invite them in on specific days. I
ask for a reasonably predictable commitment on their part, and I
balance the number of helpers in the room.
On the mornings when we meet, we refine the parents’ skills,
talk over any specific observations they may have made (and I find
this very helpful—complementing my own observations). Of course,
these observations and discussions must be confidential, and I do
not share any private details with parent volunteers. I request/
require that they ask me directly about anything they may find
questionable and that nothing they observe in class is shared with
other parents (again, I learn from experience).
The weekly meetings are also opportunities for me to both get
some help with prep work and share insights and articles about the
pedagogy of teaching handwork. I believe this is a way of spreading
information and interest in the educational approach we use at our
school and also helps to form a stronger community.
Besides all this, I invariably really like all the men and women
who are drawn to this work; I appreciate their dedication and their
strengths; and I continue to learn from their questions and interest.
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Chapter 5:
Patterns and Projects
This chapter begins with criteria and suggestions for selecting,
adapting, or inventing your own projects and patterns. Other
thoughts follow, specific to teaching handwork in a classroom or in
a homeschooling situation, such as the effect of color choice on the
children; the importance of natural fibers; and suggestions on what
to do when you don’t know what to do!
In selecting projects, it is important to activate the imagination
of both the teacher and the child, because this is the spark of true
education. Stories open the door to new horizons, and teacher and
students step through the door and become active participants in
education by doing, by making, by “taking matters into their own
hands,” and by creating something new from raw materials and their
own ingenuity. Classroom education can provide the knowledge
and skills, but the mark of success for me as a teacher was seeing
the spark of initiative lit in a student (child, teenager, or adult). I am
always thrilled to see a student who masters the techniques and
skills I have taught, and who can go beyond those to add his/her
own individual mark to someone else’s written directions, or who
can invent a new pattern. This involves more work than following a
set of instructions, but the rewards are much, much greater.
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In suggesting patterns, I encourage you a difference in the final result, and to what
to think laterally; I want to avoid providing extent unforeseen mistakes may affect a
a set checklist of expectations. Whatever is satisfactory outcome. Within reason, the
taught, in any subject, is a balance of three patterns should always be committed to
things: the ideal curriculum, which is some- memory. This will of course be easier if you
thing like a blueprint or a road map; teacher have three “in your fingers” already. In the
ability/strength; and, most importantly, the early grades (for which these stories are
needs of the learner or learners. My teach- intended), not having to break away from
ing background is in Waldorf schools, and the child you are helping in order to consult
so the patterns are drawn from or were a written pattern for every step establishes
developed in my classroom. There is an and reinforces the natural authority of the
interesting sense of community when one teacher, not in a power-hungry way, but in
Waldorf student recognizes another’s first- a way that reassures the student that you
grade Waldorf lion, or third-grade net bag, know what you are doing. In this way, you
which may have been made a hemisphere focus on the children’s learning process, not
away and decades apart. This should not your own. Children in the middle grades will
restrict the teacher, however, from innovat- benefit from learning by doing first. This
ing and adjusting projects and plans to the entails thinking around a project, pictur-
particular children and the particular place ing it in their imagination, and bringing it
in which the school is found. In my opinion, to life, and it gives a sense of co-creation.
there should be no Waldorf checklists. Following prescribed patterns or directions
Here are some guidelines to use in choos- is more mechanistic and feels less “juicy”
ing or developing patterns. At the end of and fulfilling. Students in the middle grades
this chapter, I will give you some commonly will often make something first (a sock or a
used patterns and suggest some variations. slipper), then shortly afterwards record the
You will find more enjoyment in inventing instructions. This lays a firm foundation for
your own, but please use these as a first being able to follow (and perhaps adapt)
step if you need them. It is always valuable patterns later. In turn, this leads to an under-
to make three before you teach one. This allows standing of craftwork and the satisfaction
the teacher to become familiar and playful of mastering a creative process from start
with the patterns. You will be able to know to finish.
how much variation or deviation will make
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Choosing a Knitting Project
Alternate between Playful

and Useful Items
It’s fun to make little toys, but children will also gain immeasurably
from making truly useful items. Among the first projects could be a
washcloth or knitted dishcloth, as well as a simple doll or bunny or
ball to play with. The items should be small and manageable for the
child, and will require some adult intervention, but be sure it is over-
whelmingly and recognizably the child’s work—not yours! Set the
standard at functionality. If it’s a pouch, there should be no gaping
holes for things to fall through. If it’s a washcloth, gaps are OK, but
it should not come unraveled.
Use what the children make. Don’t display a potholder on a wall
like studio art. There is a moral question here about fulfilling true
potentiality. Without even having to verbalize anything, a child will
learn in this way to contribute in a true (not superficially cute) way
to their family and community. They will feel a well-deserved pride
and a natural sense of empowerment.
Alternate between Items to Keep and

Items to Give Away
A healthy pendulum swings between, on the one hand, personal
satisfaction and gratification, and altruism on the other hand. Young
children have an easier time giving away the fruits of their labors,
and it is worthwhile maintaining that habit/attitude. A dishcloth,
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one of the first knitted projects, can make a very useful and much
appreciated gift. I’ve known children and families who have knitted
a pile of washcloths for a local retirement home or for an elderly
neighbor. In a school, fast knitters could make an extra doll/lamb/
ball for the Early Childhood Center, or cotton cleaning cloths for
neighboring classrooms. I began a tradition that fast knitters would
make a blanket square (or two). I or a parent in the class would
sew these together into a “class blanket” to provide a wonderful
source of comfort for any child in the class who wasn’t feeling well. I
learned to use washable wool or cotton, having seen a few blankets
felted and shrunk by the best of intentions on the part of a non-
knitting class parent!
Many schools encourage the production of winter bazaar or
spring auction items for fundraising purposes. I personally oppose
this for several reasons. First, it is very problematical to put a
price on work that a child has poured him/herself into (and there
are practical questions such as: Would you price items differently?
What about the one or two items that don’t sell?). Secondly, few
people have any idea how long it takes a child to produce an item
in school—weeks and weeks, maybe months if there are only one
or two classes per week. This is a significant portion of the school
year. Are you pricing the item or the labor? Is this sentimentalism or
materialism that leads parents to a bidding war at the auction? It’s
great to raise the needed funds, but what is the true cost?
Alternate between Short-Term and

Long-Term Projects
Longer-term projects develop perseverance and follow-through,
encourage patience, and foster the ability to plan and postpone grat-
ification. These are all extremely valid goals of handwork lessons,
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but it can take a child much longer than most adults would expect
to complete even a simple object. It does take longer to make things
in a classroom than at home, but in both cases, it is a good idea to
plan in some one-session projects every now and again. These can
be seasonal, tied to the yearly festivals, or to honor mother’s day
or a birthday. Inserting an occasional short-term project (completed
within one or maybe two classes) can keep the classes lively and
increase motivation—and thereby increase the completion rate of
the longer projects! These short-term projects are well received if
they are not knitted, giving a break from the challenging work of
knitting and an opportunity to exercise different skills. This is most
helpful for the children if a breathing rhythm is achieved, a balance
between short-term and long-term projects. Too many short proj-
ects and the child “pants” and risks losing interest; too many long
projects and the long “out-breath” drains the child’s interest as well.
Include Seasonal Items

Seasonal items can serve as short-term “breathers” and bring
variety and diversity to handwork classes. It is usually difficult to
complete a longer project in time for a specific event in a classroom,
because there is such a variety of skill levels. This is an area in which
homeschoolers have an enormous advantage, as this is much easier
in a one-to-one or small-group situation. Teachers can choose proj-
ects that work on specific skills—tying knots, using scissors, paper-
folding, and so on.
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Elizabeth Seward
Use of Color
In the span of my career, my steepest learning curve has been

in the realm of color. Here I learned an immeasurable amount,
partly by consulting with colleagues, but mostly by observing and
reflecting on the children’s responses to color in their hands and in
the classroom.
I learned how to offer guidance to children in choosing colors
and how to pre-select the range of colors for success. Once I
gained confidence as a teacher, I restricted the first color choice to
two colors; gradually, I introduced more choices, but I made sure
that each color would harmonize with any and all of the others.
The colors have to “sing” together in harmony to yield a pleasing
outcome. I spoke with the children about the colors singing: Was
one loud and dominating? Was one of the colors more shy and
quiet? Did the colors balance each other in a friendly way? Did each
color seem to make the other more beautiful? Or did they seem to
argue with each other? In this way, in a playful, imaginative, and non-
conceptual way, I led the children to careful, harmonious choices.
To achieve a no-fail range of choices, I chose clear, jewel colors.
The light seemed to shine through them and result in a more pure
experience of color. I avoided heathers and greyed-down and
browned-out variations; I also avoided pastels, although pale, clear
colors like pale amethyst and sunlight yellow still fit the light-filled
criterion. Neons and fluorescents were banned because they were
strident and could not harmonize happily with other colors. I experi-
mented with multi-color, variegated yarn, but decided against it for
the classroom, although I encouraged faster and more confident
knitters to use it at home with very gratifying results. Single, clear
colors allow all the children to see their stitches and the shape
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of the item they are making more easily. I according to whether I am working with
found that children (and adult beginners) blue, or yellow, or deep purple. This effect
struggle with navy blue and black because can be seen in the children, too, and we can
these dark colors make it harder to discern present them with healthier or less healthy
their stitches. I found a wonderful, soft yarn, choices. Waldorf teachers associate colors
made from high-quality wool mixed with a with each of the four temperaments (see
significant proportion of mohair, provided appendix 1), and I have found that children
the best colors and the most pleasurable are more eager to invest their efforts into
feel. Do not overlook the sensual appeal of a color that meets their personality. Red
the materials the children are working with. can feel confrontational and overwhelming
Their (clean!) hands should be eager to take to a boy who tends to be shy and retiring,
hold of and enjoy the sense of touch as well and whose favorite color might be rich
as the feel of “bathing” in the pure, light- forest green; soft blue can be boring to an
filled color. energetic girl who likes bright yellows and
The mood in the room changed sig- oranges best. I am not suggesting children
nificantly according to the colors used. should be restricted to their “favorite” color,
Harmonious colors brought a harmonious but I suggest you observe how changing
working atmosphere; bright primary colors colors affect the children, and this gives you
seemed to lead to louder, more insistent an opportunity to guide them to nourish-
calls for help; muted and heathered colors ing experiences.
seemed to be associated with a more dull Sometimes I was puzzled by the colors
and somber atmosphere in the classroom, children chose when left to their own
and noticeably less enthusiasm. devices, and I learned that this often meant
My personal research with color leads they were thinking in words, not looking at
me to think of working with color as a the colors. (“Green goes with . . .”; “I like pink
kind of “soul massage.” Working over time and red because . . .”). On one occasion, a
with one color, drinking in and breath- particularly stomach-churning moss-green
ing the color, I feel different about myself and heathered-brown combination heralded
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Elizabeth Seward
an illness on the part of a third-grade girl this natural personality. I have worked for
in which indeed her stomach did churn. It many years with Steiner’s insights into the
was hard for her to return to those colors; four temperaments (see appendix 1 for a
if I had had more experience, I would have more thorough discussion) and observed
insisted on modifying her choice when she the effects of color on each child in this light.
returned to school. Each temperament can be remembered
easily by linking it to one of four colors: red,
green, yellow, or blue. It’s very important to
Pink Elephants? remember these are not stereotypes, but
Purple Lambs? ways or tools to help see the children clearly
and understand better the layers of who
I may seem old-fashioned, but there are they are.
no pink elephants or purple lambs. I offer a Red is a very bold and outgoing color,
choice of color, within reason, for animals— which can feel very comfortable to a bold
white, brown, grey, and the like. Just as we and outgoing child, but can feel very over-
all have different colors of hair or skin, so whelming to a quieter, more retiring child.
do most animals. We are, however, knitting To the right child, a lot of red can feel like
a lamb, or a mouse, or a hamster, and an he/she is met on equal ground, known
appropriate color will help the children bond and acknowledged for who he/she truly
with the essence of real animals. I always is, and can bring out the best in a child
let the children know this is what we do in who no longer feels they have to fight to
school, and if they want to make another be recognized.
one at home, they are very welcome to use Green is the color of plants and living
any color they choose. things, and can feel life-giving and refreshing
to some children but stifling and sluggish to
others. To the right child, green can encour-
Choice of Color age, reassure, and comfort, but to others it
According to Personality can seem boring and undistinguished. To
or Temperament the right child it can give a feeling of accep-

tance and minimize the feeling of being
Each child has their own personality, and “less than.”
color can accentuate, support, or balance
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Yellow reminds me of sunlight and but- children achieve balance so they can find
terflies. Some children feel their soul is and develop their true potential once they
enlivened as they respond with delight to feel known, validated, and accepted. Color
yellow. They can flit and fly through the task can work wonders, supporting, acknowl-
at hand. Other children feel vaguely threat- edging, challenging, reassuring, stimulating,
ened by the formlessness and ephemeral and exciting the children. I wish you joy on
quality of the color. It is hard to take hold the voyage of discovery!
of, as it seems to flow everywhere and not
stop anywhere. To the right child, it brings
a smile to their face and lightens their step; Choice of Color
they feel in tune with everything. According to Season
Blue is a colder color, retiring and rather
solid. Some children are drawn to blue as it Children often want to choose seasonal
feels like it’s watching and waiting, reliably colors, but this is seldom satisfactory in the
constant in its presence. Despite our associ- long run. For one thing, it takes far longer
ating it with water, there is something about than the child can imagine to complete
blue that holds firm, and many children feel the project, and the colors quickly become
“met” and anchored by blue. Others want to unseasonal and de-motivating; for another,
springboard away. For the right child, blue “seasonal colors” are often superficial
can provide comfort and security and allow convention (red and green for Christmas;
them to flourish. pink and red for Valentine’s Day). Lacking
It is very important to remember that a deeper correspondence, these color
this is a very quick, short, and superficial choices do not have the same potential
description, both of personality traits / tem- for nourishment.
peraments and of the colors themselves. Working with the beauty of color can
Forest green, for example, is very different be a soul-satisfying, nourishing, healing,
from lime green; soft, eggshell blue is very and joyful experience. Do not miss
different from an inky navy blue; and so on. this opportunity!
Please see this as an invitation to observe
and refine your own perception.
Everybody is a mixture of these traits,
and our goal as teachers is to help the
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Elizabeth Seward
Natural Fibers
I always insist on using natural fibers with my students, usually wool

or a wool-mohair mix. They are responsive and more elastic than
synthetics, which means they are more forgiving for beginners’
uneven stitches. More importantly, they respond in an authentic
way to our sense of touch. It’s important not to fool our senses if we
want to develop a feeling for authenticity and genuineness. If some-
thing looks like wool, it should be wool, in my opinion, and not recy-
cled soda bottles. Recycled material has its place, and re-purposing
man-made materials that would otherwise be discarded is a valu-
able contribution to the health of our planet, but it is very important
to educate children’s sense of touch first with natural materials.
There has been a great deal of neuroscientific research in recent
years, demonstrating how hand movements and fine finger skills
actually build brain development. Differentiated use of the hand
shapes intelligence, our capacity for speech, and our ability to
“grasp” a concept.
The philosophy behind Waldorf education takes things further,
and I offer this idea to you as a working hypothesis that I have been
mulling over for years. The sense of touch is the very first sense
to come into play after birth. It gives a sense of security, a sense
of boundary, and gradually a sense of “I” and “you” and a sense of
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“I” and the “world.” Hopefully, these boundaries are comfortable

and reasonably consistent. The truth and security in these bound-
aries depending on the sense of touch is reinforced by avoiding
synthetic, artificial, or imitation sense experiences. The philosophy
behind Waldorf education describes a gradual metamorphosis
of the physical sense of touch into a sense of the genuineness of
another person. It’s crucially important that we educate this sense
of touch truthfully. This is another idea I’m sharing from my experi-
ence, not to swallow whole, but to take as a working hypothesis,
and to observe and consider.
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Elizabeth Seward
About the Patterns
This part of the chapter will lead you through the basic practicalities
of how and what I suggest you knit with the children. Remember
to make three before teaching one. Children learn more than we
think from watching us teachers and parents deal with challenges
and learning new skills. However, they need to achieve a feeling of
security and mastery, and if you are uncertain, or explain things or
give directions in different ways, they will feel confused, thinking
this is their shortcoming, and not realizing it is because the direc-
tions are unclear and lack confidence. They learn resilience and how
to cope with setbacks based on their sense of security.
This is important!
If you are uncertain or “learn along” with them, they are likely
to feel there is no firm ground beneath their feet. Many parents
who have not learned how to knit as children marvel at the accom-
plishments of their children. I often hear parents say, “Now you can
teach me how.” I caution against this. Children need the security
of a guide along the path in their early years, and although many
children can knit very comfortably in the familiar and supportive
handwork classroom environment, it is a great leap in complexity
to be able to switch roles from student to teacher, to scaffold the
learning process, and to correct mistakes; to understand how to
teach someone a challenging skill.
You cannot read a guidebook to Paris and then teach French.
Stay comfortably ahead of your children and students so they
feel secure in following your leadership and guidance. Make three
before you teach one!
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Story and Pattern Overview

Here is a quick overview of the skills I teach in first grade, or to
beginning knitters at any age, and suggested first-grade-appropriate
projects. Some may not fit the season exactly, so please adapt the
stories as needed!
SKILL SUGGESTED PATTERN
Knitting Bunny
Casting off Bunny
Casting on Pocket dolly

Introduction (watch, maybe do a stitch or two—or more if they want to) Pocket dolly—hat
Basic sewing (overcast) and stuffing Pocket dolly—assembly
Casting on—relatively independently Blanket/butterfly
Changing colors Blanket/butterfly/rainbow ball
Tucking in ends Blanket/butterfly
Shaping by casting on/off in the middle of the knitted piece Lion or lamb
Forming/shaping by sewing and stuffing Lion or lamb
Purling Mouse/hamster
Mastering garter stitch and stockinet stitch, and alternating between the two Flute case
Freedom to experiment with colors, stripes, maybe color pattern knitting Mini-man/Mini-miss
Introduce crochet Mini-man/Mini-miss—hat
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Elizabeth Seward
Do I Have to Use These Patterns?

No, but these work very well. They are relatively straightforward
and pleasing to the children. Feel free to make up your own, but
I suggest starting with these until you feel confident about these
skills. The important thing is to activate the imagination—of both
the teacher and the child. This demands a lot from the teacher, but
the rewards are much greater than simply following a checklist.
In writing this book, I hesitated at first to give you patterns; there
are, or should be, no Waldorf pattern checklists. These are sugges-
tions for various patterns and projects that have proven valuable
over time. Many more similar patterns can be found in some excel-
lent books now available online and through Waldorf sources. See
the resource list for suggestions at the end of this book. Despite the
fact that there should be no checklist, over time, certain patterns
and projects have become traditional, largely because they meet the
needs of the children in a reliable way. When one Waldorf student
recognizes another’s first-grade Waldorf lion or third-grade net
bag, which may have been made a hemisphere away and decades
apart, an interesting sense of community arises. It is nice to include
these “classics,” but this should not restrict the teacher, parent, or
teaching adult from innovating and adjusting projects and plans to
the particular children and the particular place. The children are the
focus of our teaching, not the knitted toys!
Here are some guidelines to use in choosing or developing pat-
terns, and then I will give you some of the patterns I like to use. You
will find more enjoyment in inventing your own, but please use these
as a first step if you need them! Remember to make several with
some variations before teaching. This allows the teacher, parent,
or teaching adult to become familiar and playful with the patterns.
Within reason, they should always be committed to memory. This
establishes and reinforces the natural authority of the teacher—not
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“authority” in a power-hungry way, but in a way that reassures the

student that you know what you are doing and allows you to focus
on the children’s learning process, not your own.
Another Word about the Patterns

All patterns are made using wooden needles the children have
made themselves. See the story about A Walk in the Woods for
guidance on how to introduce this. Returning to knitting in the fifth
grade of a Waldorf school, after learning to crochet, spin, weave,
felt, embroider, and sew, students will begin knitting in the round.
Fifth-graders may make their double-pointed needles in the same
way, but with points at each end. Basic needles for first-graders and
beginning knitters are approximately size 10½. Using bulky yarn
provides a fairly firm but forgiving fabric that holds stuffing well.
Worsted weight yarn gives a soft texture to the knitting that is easy
to handle. Advanced knitters may choose to make thinner needles
(perhaps size 8), which will produce a firmer fabric with worsted
yarn and be a little harder to work.
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General Notes about the Patterns

There is no Waldorf rubber stamp. Sometimes you may hear people
speaking about “THE ball” or “THE lion,” but it’s about teaching
skills and open-ended, creative thinking. There are some guide-
lines I would suggest, both practical and based on child develop-
ment, outlined above and in the patterns. These patterns should be
supplemented/changed according to the children’s needs (and the
ability and thoughtful reflection of the teaching adult). Remember
to consider the child’s cognitive developmental stage, different
from an adult’s. I have found it key to construct and work with one
knitted piece of fabric in the early grades. This gives an experience
of wholeness and integrity to the work at hand. An animal can be
made by planning the shape of the knitted fabric, then folding and
shaping and stuffing to make the shape of the animal appear, which
emerges in the process. I cannot support making lots of undif-
ferentiated—loseable—pieces, and then stuffing and sewing them
together to make one figure. Children need a sense of oneness and
wholeness, of unity and integrity, not of assembling baffling inter-
changeable parts to make a living figure.
I stay consciously vague about numbers, because the children’s
knitting varies enormously at this point, and changes in evenness
and tension occur throughout the first year. I judge by eye, and
by folding to find proportions. For example, fold the bunny piece
diagonally to see if it is a square; counting rows will not tell you this.
In terms of the progression of skills, I always cast on the first
project so they will learn to knit and be moving forward first. Then
they cast off that first project, with help (see the frog story in chapter
3). For the second project, I invite the children to watch and/or do a
few stitches to cast on as they feel ready. For the third time casting
on, I expect more participation, according to the child’s readiness.
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Use the wooden needles, made from ¼-inch dowels, or size

10½ bamboo needles, and wool yarn. I provide worsted weight
yarn for some projects, but for the animals and balls, which will be
relatively firmly stuffed, I provide bulky weight yarn. Natural fibers
are easiest to work with, and wool is far easier than cotton for a
beginning knitter.
In every group, there are some speedy knitters who finish quickly
and well. If you move them “forward” into the next project, and the
next, and the next, it can quickly become competitive “I’m ahead
of so-and-so because I’m on my rainbow ball”—and this can quickly
become difficult to manage in a group because you are juggling five
to seven different projects within one class or group of children.
I would rather give them the opportunity to master skills and feel
independent and empowered (which is the goal of all my teaching
anyway), and I do this by offering them variations on a theme. So
instead of project 1, then 2, then 3, and so on, I work “laterally”: fast
and careful knitters make project 1, then 1A, perhaps 1B, until the
class is more-or-less working on the same project, perhaps a first
white mouse. Faster knitters will then be allowed to work indepen-
dently, remembering the pattern to the best of their ability, and they
can make maybe a brown mouse, or a grey one. (I don’t abandon
them, but strongly encourage independence). This has the added
benefit of promoting a sense of community and mutual help in the
classroom.
Beauty and Truth

There is an interesting balance to be found in the quality of the work
we expect from the children. There is more discussion in the previous
chapter, and you must work out what you can realistically expect.
This is probably different for each child, but my main guidelines are
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functionality (will the stuffing fall out of any big holes?) and pride in
accomplishment (will the student still be pleased with his/her work
in a year? In five years? Will the item truly reflect the student’s best,
or will it display the teacher’s “corrections”?).
There is also an important and fine distinction between imper-
fect and distorted. We are all imperfect reflections of what a human
being can be, but we want the children to be surrounded with
healthy images and to grow toward healthy blueprints. A distortion
(for example, radical misplacement of the eyes or ears) can be dis-
turbing on a soul level.
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The Patterns!
157
Start from the Beginning and

Make Your Own Needles
This is a really empowering step for both children and adults—to make your own tools and then use
them to create the useful and beautiful knitted items. Later, in school and college work, a writer has
to create a strong premise in order to build on that. It’s basically the same thing; another valuable
example of how concrete, physical experience and learning in the early years leads to a sense of self-
reliance and well-founded thinking in the later grades.
In recent years, I have found an excellent source of needle-making supplies, and I now order
pre-cut, pre-measured, “raw” pieces that the children sand (see resources list). If this is not
available to you, here is how I used to make the needles with the children:
For size 10½ needles, a good size to start, I buy ¼-inch dowels from a hardware/lumber
store, and I have found end-pieces or finials online, with a ¼-inch hole. You can also use a
bead, modeling clay (such as Fimo or Sculpey), papier-mâché, or an item from nature that
will stay securely attached to the blunt end of the needle. Some teachers/parents like to
have the students file and smooth the needles on rocks outdoors; in my case currently, with
90 first-graders in three classes, I use pencil sharpeners, and then rough and finally very
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smooth sandpaper. I have found that good-quality hardwood dowels do not require waxing,
but many teachers like to use some form of beeswax or lanolin to polish the needles. I write
the child’s name on the blunt end of the needle using an ultra-fine permanent marker (such
as Sharpie).
Please note: I have usually generously rounded up the amount of yarn needed for the small
projects, because it is so annoying and disappointing to run out. There is an economy of scale. For
example, I usually “eyeball” three lions/lambs to each four-ounce skein, or six or seven mice to each
four-ounce skein.
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Bunny
I have just recently begun to introduce this as the first project for first grade. It offers the oppor-
tunity for basic knitting skills and is completed fairly quickly. I sometimes offer a choice of three
bunny colors: brown, white, or grey. I usually do not add the tail, as the bunny tail is seen only when
signaling distress to other bunnies (and our bunnies will be well taken care of). Fast knitters can
make a little bunny family while slower knitters complete their first bunny.
• one pair size 10 or 10½ needles

• about two ounces worsted yarn
• about two ounces wool stuffing
BODY:
Cast on 16 stitches.
Knit in garter stitch until the piece is square. Check this by folding in half diagonally to make
an even triangle. A few more rows are better than too few. It is hard to be exact because the
children’s first knitting will vary so much. Not to worry; the bunny will be loved just as much!
Cast off all stitches.
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TO SEW UP:
Using yarn of the same color, threaded into a yarn needle and with the ends knotted
together, approximately two or three rows above halfway between the cast-on and cast-off
edges, sew a line of running stitches from side to side. Continue with this thread to the
center of the nearest edge (smallest half); then return with running stitches to the knot
and slide the needle into the loop made by the threads just above the knot (see illustra-
tion above). Slowly pull on the stitches; this will gather the triangle together, and if you
insert your thumb into the triangle (now you will see it is the bunny’s head), you can wiggle
your thumb as you pull the gathering stitches together to make the head and ears, and the
bunny magically makes his/her appearance. Stuff the head with wool; tighten the gathered
stitches (so the “brains” don’t fall out!). Secure with a lockstitch. With the same yarn and
needle, overcast the two side edges together, stuff this body firmly, and gather the rear end
together neatly. Secure with a lockstitch, and hide the end inside the bunny. Tuck in and
hide any other ends of yarn.
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Pocket Dolly
I offer a choice of two or maybe three gentle colors—soft yellow, periwinkle, or light jade—which feel
harmonious together in the classroom. The children choose one for the body and then choose the
same or the other color for the hat. I have a selection of five skin colors for the head, and these are
assigned randomly. Adults make the heads, and “gnomes” assemble the whole doll.
The knitting—two rectangles—is fairly simple, but the construction and assembly are more challeng-
ing (which is why adults take this on for my classes).

• about two ounces worsted yarn total, in two colors
• about two or three ounces wool stuffing
• one square of cotton knit fabric in a skin color for the face, approximately five inches
by five inches
BODY:
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Knit in garter stitch until the piece is about three times as long as it is wide. Again, it’s hard
to be exact with numbers because the children’s knitting will vary so much.
Cast off.
HAT:
Cast on 8 stitches.
Knit until it’s also about three times as long as it is wide.
Cast off.
ASSEMBLY:
Prepare the Body:

Fold the body in half, laying the cast-on edge over the cast-off edge. Sew the sides of the
body together, leaving the cast-on and cast-off edges open, making a pouch.
Stuff, but not so firmly that it distorts the body (the children’s knitting is likely to be rela-
tively loose).
Prepare the Head:

With a sewing needle and regular thread, doubled, use a running stitch to sew a circle
around the inside of the square of knit fabric. Leave at least a one-half-inch margin on the
outside of the circle. Gather, stuff firmly, wrap the thread several more times tightly around
the gathered stitches, and secure the thread. (A parent volunteer says don’t panic if you
break the thread!). Trim the corners of the knit fabric to about one-half an inch.
Prepare the Hat:

Sew the cast-on edge of the hat to the cast-off edge, and now the fun happens: hold the
sewn head with the smooth part of the fabric to the front and the gathered ends at the
“back” of the head. Put the hat on and play with it until it looks right. You will have to sew
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the back of the hat together, gathered in a circle, or sewn in a straight line, or folded down.
Perhaps the hat has a brim, or a pixie point, or a bow under the chin, or some feature you
have not yet imagined. Sew the hat with regular thread firmly on to the head, allowing only
the smooth face (not the chin) to show. Make sure the “ears” are covered.
Assemble the Doll:

With matching yarn, gather and secure the opening at the top of the body, adding more
stuffing if needed (the head should be secure and not wobble). Place the head on the body
and secure it firmly by sewing the body to the hat (there is no neck).
Note: I avoid adding distinctive features such as eyes and mouth. For one thing, they can easily land
in the wrong place, and the face can look quite disturbing. For another, without a specific indelible
expression on the face, each child can imagine whatever they choose or need at the time.
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Blanket Square or Pocket Dolly Blanket

(Magic Row)
This is another project that arose out of desperation, when I had some superfast knitters and
wanted to give them independent work while I tended to the slower knitters. I use a variation of
this project nearly every year. It can be adapted; there is really no “pattern.” Using size 10 or 10½
needles and worsted yarn gives the blanket a softer drape, and the independent knitters may
choose their colors freely from the second-grade (worsted weight) basket.
If you want to make a square for a blanket (like Jane and Jeremy did), measure by folding along the
diagonal; tension/gauge is so different and so variable at this stage that there is no point in count-
ing rows.
Making a doll blanket, I estimated the number of stitches (the fast knitters who started first cast on
more stitches) and then asked them to knit a square, after which I showed them and the class how
to change color and make a “magic row.” See ”Jane knits a Magic Row”. This became the stripe at the
top of a rectangular blanket.
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Butterfly
A quick and easy project, useful in spring, or as an extra for fast workers.
For this project, small scraps of yarn can be used.

• worsted or lighter weight yarn
Knit 12 rows, changing color as often as you like, in multiples of 2 rows.
Cast off.
Tuck in ends (good practice for the children, as it doesn’t have to be super-neat).
Gather along the middle-ish row.
Use a chenille stick to tightly gather the body and make the antennae (see illustration).
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Rainbow Ball
By now, the children’s knitting is likely to be more even, and rows can be counted.

• approximately four and one-half yards each bulky yarn in red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, purple, or about two ounces total
• about two to three ounces wool stuffing
Knit 8 rows (4 ridges) in red.
Tie on orange; knit 8 rows. Repeat with other colors in rainbow order.
Cast off after 8 rows in purple.
Sew the cast-on edge to the cast-off edge to make a tube.
Gather one side together. Cinch firmly.
Gather the other edge loosely; then, making sure the ball is right-side-out, stuff with wool
firmly and evenly.
Gather and cinch firmly, hiding all loose ends within the ball.
Congratulations; enjoy!
Sew and Stuff:

Staying close to one of the edges, use an even running stitch and a double thickness of yarn
to gather it firmly together. This makes a cup shape.
Fill fairly firmly with wool stuffing.
Gather the open end tightly, as above, and sew it closed. Secure the yarn, and hide the ends.
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Ankle Warmers / Fingerless Mittens

This is usually a project for fast knitters. It is a popular project, but can take some children longer than expected.
I try to have the children work independently, estimating how many stitches to cast on (but keeping track so the other ankle/
wrist warmer turns out the same size), and changing color as desired, but always in multiples of two rows.
Garter stitch is used because it doesn’t curl at the edges like stockinet stitch does.

• around two to four ounces bulky yarn in one or more colors, depending on desired size
OR
• one pair size 8 needles
• around two to four ounces worsted yarn in one or more colors, depending on desired size
Cast on 20+ stitches.

Knit (garter stitch) until the piece wraps around the wrist/ankle snugly. The cast-on edge should just meet the
cast-off edge, with rows/ridges parallel to the bones in the arm or leg. Sew cast-on edge to cast-off edge, leaving a
space for the thumb in the fingerless mittens. It is best to knit both mittens first, then sew them on the same day.
This assures the thumb will be placed evenly on each mitten.
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Washcloth
Make a mistake on purpose! An “extra” for those who need a challenge. One handy thing about this
project is that it can be any size. Stop increasing and start deceasing when half your allotted time
is up.

• around two to four ounces cotton yarn, depending on desired size
Cast on 3 stitches.
Next row: knit one stitch, yarn over; knit to the end of that row.
Repeat this row until the knitted piece is the right size for your purpose: it will be the diago-
nal half of a square.
Knit one row with no yarn overs. This is your center diagonal row.
Next row: knit the first two stitches together, yarn over; knit the next two stitches together,
and knit to the end of the row.
Repeat this row until you only have three stitches left.
Cast off.
Tuck in ends.
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Lamb
A well-loved Waldorf project, there are several variations; I start from the
head, which feels more “incarnational” as babies also gain control first
of their heads. Starting with 12 stitches is also less overwhelming than
starting with 36, which would be needed to start at the back legs.

• around two to three ounces of bulky yarn
• around three ounces of wool stuffing
Knit 26 rows. (head)
Cast on 12 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. (front legs)
Knit 10 rows.
Cast off 8 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows.
Knit 10 rows. (tummy)
Cast on 8 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. (back legs)
Knit 10 rows.
Sew legs and stuff; stuff and sew tummy closed.
To shape the head:
See illustration above
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Fold the cast-on edge in half and sew it together, and then bend this down and attach it with
a few stitches just above the front legs. (It will look as if the lamb is eating grass) Lightly stuff
the head, and indicate ears with one stitch on each side of the head, leaving the ears open.
Note: stuff firmly enough so this animal will stand.
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Lion
I like to offer the children a choice between making a lion or a lamb, and I really enjoy seeing the
lions and lambs co-existing (peacefully) in the basket and in the classroom. The fast knitters have an
opportunity to make a second animal. They can choose to make the same or the other animal. The
really fast knitters can figure out their own pattern (with some help from me) for an animal of their
choice, such as an elephant, or a dragon.

• around two to three ounces of bulky yarn
• around three ounces of wool stuffing
Knit 8 rows. (head)
Cast on 12 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. (front legs)
Knit 10 rows.
Cast off 8 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows.
Knit 10 rows. (tummy)
Cast on 8 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. (back legs)
Knit 10 rows.
Sew legs and stuff; stuff and sew tummy closed.
To shape the head:
Gather the cast-on edge tightly, stuff and sew
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Note: stuff firmly enough so this animal will stand!

Add a mane around the neck, just forward of the shoulders. The simplest way is to sew
around 3 rows using big, loopy stitches, and securing these with an occasional small,
firm lockstitch.
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Mouse
This is a nice preview of the second-grade fables when knitted after the lion, and is an easily
completed project to learn purling and stockinet stitch.

• around two ounces of bulky yarn in a mouse color
• approximately two ounces wool stuffing
Work 12 rows in stockinet stitch (knit rows 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11; purl rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12).
Next row: knit 2 together; knit to the end.
Next row: purl 2 together; purl to the end.
Repeat these last 2 rows until there are only 4 stitches left.
Break yarn and gather the stitches; sew and stuff. The yarn end becomes the tail.
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Ears:
Position the ears a little further forward than you would have thought.
For each ear: make two loops in the same place over an adult pinkie finger or a child’s finger.
With the remaining yarn, weave around the sides of the loop in the shape of a figure eight
until the loop is full and the right shape. Draw the tail of the yarn down through the ear, and
bury it inside the mouse.
Repeat for the other ear.
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Hamster
This is a variation on the mouse; an appealing extra for fast knitters, or a nice alternative
to the mouse.

• a total of around two ounces bulky yarn in two hamster colors
• approximately two ounces wool stuffing
Work in stockinet stitch for 10 to 12 rows, and then change color if desired for the “saddle.”
Work until the total number of rows is 16.
Change back to the original color.
Next row: knit 2 together; knit to last 2 stitches; knit 2 together.
Next row: purl 2 together; purl to last 2 stitches; purl 2 together.
Repeat last 2 rows until there are only 4 stitches left. Break yarn, thread through the
stitches, and gather. Sew and stuff (no tail).
Ears:
Make these like the mouse ears, but smaller, more rounded, and slightly less pointed.
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Flute (or recorder) Case.

Often, Waldorf flute cases are knitted in stripes of a dark color and a light color from bottom to
top. Starting with several rows of the dark yarn, the number of rows of the dark color is gradually
decreased, and the number of rows of the light color is gradually increased, resulting in a striped
pattern that moves from dark at the bottom to light at the top. In the very large classes I teach, and
with my eye on quality control, I found it very challenging indeed to help students claim ownership
of the process, and found it beyond the conceptual grasp of most first- and second-graders. So I
innovated. We now make the flute cases “sideways,” so there are more stitches to cast on, but far
fewer rows, and this seems to keep the children’s interest better.
Keeping track of rows and switching between garter stitch and stockinet stitch is a very challenging
undertaking, but second-graders are ready to take this on. Fast knitters make one (or two) spares for
slower classmates, or for children who will join the class in the future.

• a total of around three ounces of worsted wool yarn in equal amounts of two differ-
ent colors
**Knit 4 rows. (garter stitch)
Change to second color.
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Knit 1 row.
Purl 1 row.
Knit 1 row.
Purl 1 row. (stockinet stitch)
Change back to first color.
Repeat from ** until there are four stripes of each color; cast off all stitches. Sew cast-on
edge to cast-off edge together to make a tube; then gather and close one end.
I crochet around the top, making “windows” for a drawstring:
Round 1: Single-crochet in each cast-off stitch.
Round 2: Chain 3, skip first single-crochet from previous round, *double-crochet into next
stitch; chain 1. Repeat from * to the end of the round. Slipstitch into the second chain from
the beginning. Fasten off.
Make a drawstring, and thread it through the “windows.”
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Mini-Man/Mini-Miss
This mini-man or mini-miss provides a nice, easy way to bridge into crochet when making the hat.
There is a clear pattern with instructions for the form, but I encourage freedom to improvise in color
choice and in sweater pattern—garter stitch, stockinet, stripes, zigzags, or a taste of other Fair Isle
patterns the children will explore later in fifth-grade hat knitting in the round.

• a total of around three ounces of worsted yarn in several colors: for the shoes/boots;
for the pants; for the sweater with or without color patterning; for the hat. You will
also need about one ounce of some kind of skin color. In class I always offer a choice,
and I am pleased when many choose a color other than their own.
• about four ounces wool stuffing
Work in garter stitch for 4 or 5 rows. (shoes)
Change color; work in stockinet stitch for 12 rows. (pants)
Make 1 (cast on first) at the beginning of the next 4 rows (total 30 stitches) (widening pants
for pockets)
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Change color; work in stockinet stitch for 14 rows. Add stripes, patterns. (sweater)
Change to skin color; work in stockinet stitch for 14 rows. (head)
Do not cast off; gather stitches together, and fasten tightly.
Sew down center back, using matching color yarn in each case.
Stuff firmly but not tightly. The head should be slightly harder than the body.
Gather and tie tightly around neck.
Indicate arms and legs with a few firm stitches all the way through the figure. Use the
illustration as a guide.
Legs: Sew halfway from feet to waist.
Arms: Use 2 or maybe 3 stitches to indicate arms with hands “in pockets.” Looking at the
upper body, divide the width of the body in thirds. Each arm is one-third the total width of
the “sweater.”
Hat: Knit a small square (casting on maybe 8 stitches); then crochet around as you like. It
could be a beanie, a wide-brimmed sun hat, a baseball cap with a brim, an old-fashioned
bonnet, or many other things.
Sew hat to head, making sure the hat covers the nape of the neck and the ears, keeping
the forehead free.
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Appendices
183
Appendix 1:
The Temperaments
A Valuable Tool: The Four Temperaments
Every child is different and unique, and at the same time, some similar characteristics can
be recognized. I have found that studying the four temperaments as described by Steiner
and Waldorf educators, and always keeping a spirit of inquiry, has helped me to connect in
a deep and fruitful way with my students. If I use these descriptions as portals, or as ways
of beginning to understand the dynamics within a class, or between children, or between
me and a child, I find that I can more easily put myself in others’ shoes and broaden my
perspective on any given situation.
The four temperaments are related to, but not the same as, the four Greek humors, and
very similar descriptions can also be found among modern psychological personality types.
The temperaments (not to be confused with “temper” or “temperamental children”) can be
seen as a meeting place between the inner or soul life of a child and outer circumstances.
The child’s own individual and unique personality can be glimpsed through the tempera-
ment, like a light shining through colored glass. It is a mystery to observe how people react
differently to the same circumstance. This is where the temperament becomes apparent.
By recognizing the child’s temperament, and responding accordingly, a teacher or parent
can relate better to that child and acknowledge his or her perspective with understanding
and acceptance. At the same time, with a working understanding of the temperaments,
the adult can support the child in overcoming any “stuckness” and lead the child lovingly to
other alternative reactions by adapting to and adopting whatever response the child truly
needs in that moment.
The temperaments are most obvious and pronounced between the ages of five to
fourteen (roughly in the elementary grades), with a stronger “coloring” in the earlier years,
and ideally more balance in the later years. No one can be described as having only one
temperament, and it is a mistake, sometimes with regrettable consequences, to reduce any
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person to just one temperament. Usually one stands in the foreground, one recedes more
into the background, and two are in the “middle distance.” It is often easiest to identify the
temperament that is the least present.
In this age range (five to fourteen), and especially in the earlier grades, it is important to
address each temperament in every activity or story that is presented in school. In this way,
each child will feel recognized and acknowledged. In the community of the class, or group,
or in the community of the imaginative space of the story, each child will learn to value and
appreciate different strengths and virtues brought to light by a respectful and understand-
ing portrayal of the temperaments. In teaching, it is most effective to move from strength
to strength, recognizing the child’s gifts, rather than to negate or try to repress unwelcome
characteristics. Don’t try to reform the child, but ennoble the temperament, and bring out
the best.
The lessons and stories should contain not only something that appeals to each tem-
perament, but also something that draws out the best features of each temperament.
Working consciously with the temperaments and attempting to understand them with
a spirit of constant inquiry brings a new awareness to teacher or parent, allowing us to see
the world from a perspective that is not our own. Otherwise, we are impoverished, and we
provide only a narrow viewpoint to our children and students. Attempting to understand
the child and his/her temperament, teachers or parents can attempt to “dwell” in the nature
of the child, walk around in the child’s shoes, as it were, and carefully observe details: bodily
constitution; how the child moves; what kind of food the child prefers; the way they stand
in line; which colors are preferred; whether behavior changes according to the color of the
clothes they are wearing; and much more.
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What Are the Four Temperaments?
I recommend you read more on the temperaments. Along with storytelling, it’s one of the
most valuable tools in Waldorf education that I would like to share. This whole book could
be dedicated to the value of understanding and using the temperaments in education, and
here I am only just scratching the surface. Remember to test what you read against your
own observations. Many books and articles are available; this is just a brief overview to get
you started. Linking the features of each temperament with colors, and with the classical
four elements of water, fire, earth, and air, can be helpful, but also runs the risk of being
superficial and seeming too fixed. Nonetheless, I offer them as a beginning scaffold for your
own research.
The Sanguine Temperament

is the temperament of childhood, epitomizing wonder and the desire to explore. I think
of yellow, like sunlight, like a butterfly that flits from one beautiful flower to another. This
child’s focus is on the outer world; they usually seem to dance lighthearted and light-footed
through the day. They are interested in everything; they might seem “flighty,” but they are
the children who will remember everyone’s birthday and will just naturally hold the overview
of the social situation of the class. Sanguine children are often surprisingly good organizers,
as they are aware of everyone’s interests and needs and genuinely want to incorporate
those in the planning. They are interested in beauty and novelty and hardly seem able to
stay still. In a classroom, I would seat them near the door, in case errands need to be run
or messages need to be taken to another part of the school. In stories, I describe colors,
details, embroidery, and patterns, and I would expect a sanguine child to feel more comfort-
able working with light colors, perhaps yellow or yellow-green; this child would particularly
enjoy knitting stripes (like the butterfly in our patterns).
187
Elizabeth Seward
The Melancholic Temperament

reminds me of a rock, solid and still, not calling attention to itself, but also potentially intrac-
table and inflexible. These children focus inwards. This temperament makes me think of an
older person, moving slowly, perhaps a little stiffly, and reliving old memories. Melancholic
children are usually deep thinkers, needing time alone and time to mull things over. The
color usually associated with (and preferred by) melancholics is dark blue (but unfortu-
nately, that is one of the hardest colors to knit with). A melancholic child will feel things
deeply and can empathize with others who are in pain. I would seat the melancholics in the
warmest part of the room, perhaps in the back or a corner, so they do not feel uncomfort-
ably exposed. In a story, I would include some element of concern or worry; something
might go unexpectedly wrong (but be resolved). These are the children who will notice and
be troubled by inconsistencies in a story, and who are most likely to remember details even
a year or more later. A melancholic child is likely to identify with Jeremy, who is concerned
he might make tangles. As more of a spectator than an active participant, Jeremy is the first
to see the frogs in the pond.
The Phlegmatic Temperament

can be likened to plants, which grow slowly and steadily, and green is a comfortable color,
restful and undemanding (like middle age, perhaps). Like water, a phlegmatic child will tend
to stillness and be even-tempered, perhaps to the point of sluggishness. This child may be
slow to learn to knit; stitches are likely to be loose, but once knitting is mastered, row upon
row of soft, even stitches will flow off the needles. Phlegmatic children thrive on repetition.
In a story, I usually include some reference to a snack, to smells and textures, and perhaps
to a soft, dark-colored velvet pillow on the couch! This child is more likely to make a lamb
than a lion, and will really enjoy making a soft little bunny that nestles in the hand.
188
The Choleric Temperament

can be quite a challenge for the teacher. Associated with the element of fire and the color
red, this child needs to be first in line and needs to have their strengths acknowledged.
On a difficult day, a choleric child can seem demanding and “entitled”; seen from another
perspective, a choleric child is forthright, honest, and has an unerring sense of right and
fairness, and can be a guiding light in the class for justice and moral uprightness. Choleric
children are usually energetic, future-oriented, and practical. They will likely prefer to make
a powerful lion with a mighty mane, and will work hard to complete the task at hand quickly
(and, hopefully, correctly). For this child, I include an element of speed and decisiveness
in the story and describe a challenge that must be accepted or a difficulty that must be
overcome. This child will be proud to carry heavy baskets to help the teacher.
The temperaments color the glass through which our personality shines, and they are
most vibrant and alive when they are strong, clear, and bright without being too “loud” and
overpowering others. In the same way as a painter does not try to erase an intense color,
but strengthens another color to balance it, teachers can acknowledge the beauty of each
temperament and expose the children to the best of the others. Normal social interaction
can balance and modulate/moderate any excess, and stories are an extremely effective
contribution in this important responsibility.
The temperaments interact within each person and between people as well. It can be
enlightening to observe how any particular incident can be filtered through a child’s tem-
perament and through the parent’s temperament, and can then return to the teacher, who
may have seen things through a completely different lens! Temperaments interact with
each other to help or sometimes to hurt. A fiery choleric nature can warm a cold, hard,
melancholic rock—or, if it is too much, the heat could crack the rock. The cool, reflective,
melancholic nature can help to stabilize and anchor what could be the flighty sanguine, or
could depress and weigh it down. Air feeds fire; earth controls fire; water sinks into earth
and can enliven it or cause destructive mudslides.
Each of the temperaments is a valuable contribution to the class or family community;
each has its noble and less-than-noble aspect, yet they can be harmonized and can be
appreciated as different instruments are essential parts of an orchestra.
189
Elizabeth Seward
Appendix 2:
Planning Help
Skills I Teach in First and Second Grades
Here is an overview, in list form, of the progression of skills I aim to teach in the early grades. These
are guidelines and suggestions, and your situation will be different, but here is a recommended struc-
ture as a starting point.
First Grade:
Make needles
Knitting
Casting off
Casting on
Basic sewing (overcast) and stuffing
Casting on—relatively independently
Changing colors by knotting yarn at the beginning of a right-side row
Tucking in ends
End of First Grade / Beginning of Second Grade

Shaping by casting on/off in the middle of the knitted piece
Purling—some may start in first grade; most start in second
Second Grade
Mastering garter stitch and stockinet stitch, and alternating between the two
Freedom to experiment with colors, stripes, and maybe color pattern knitting
Mid-Second Grade (Before Spring Break)

Introduce crochet—this will help to preview the “nine-year-old change”
190
Rhythm of the Class (First

and Second Grades)
Respectful opening:
Quiet; calm
Verse(s)/movement/stretches
Focused working time:

Hand out work in an orderly way; be sure their work is “ready to go”
Work
Gather in work in an orderly way
Calm ending time:

Story—listening; not working (five minutes or so)
Half a minute or so of quiet, “digesting” the lesson
A moment of anticipation for the next class
Closing: verse/stretches
191
Elizabeth Seward
Yearly Plan
This is a plan for you to fill out, inserting the skills, projects, and so on that you plan for the
year. It is crucial to stay aware of the yearly rhythm, so you maintain an overview of the year
and can help the students come to a sense of calm completion. You may need to add in a few
extra times at lunch or recess to help individuals catch up, and also to signal to others the
importance of working as diligently as they can. Timely completion of a project increases
the sense of pride and success, and boosts their enthusiasm for the next challenge.
Grade XX plan for the year in handwork DRAFT

Remember to sprinkle short seasonal projects throughout, to the extent possible
Skills – Projects – Variations – Reality checks –
the most important column NOT a checklist. Modify as needed keep the engine stoked, while you Use these times to stay on track
keep the caboose attached
• Establish clear
expectations and discipline
BEFORE
Thanksgiving
Advent
• Best learning time
Xmas/ Winter break

• Don’t worry too much
before winter break, things
change
February break
• Assess what is realistic for
the remaining time
• Make mid-year notes for
reports
Easter/ spring break

• Consolidate what has
been learned,
• anticipate next year
• write reports before the
end of school
192
Reflection Questions after Every Lesson
adapted from helpful prompts shared by experienced teachers
Ask yourself these questions at the end of each day:
1. Have I given the students real and appropriate images or pictures in my storytelling,
or have I given them bare concepts/instructions?
2. Have I used the night? Have I used the thread of anticipation? Have I properly
reviewed the lesson?
3. Has every child made at least some effort?
4. Have I met the needs of the engine and of the caboose—and of those in between?
5. Have I checked in—however briefly—with each child?
6. Was there an ebb and flow, a real breathing in the lesson?
7. How have I addressed the temperaments?
8. Have I taught or anticipated teaching something new—a new skill, some knowledge,
or a variation on an existing theme?
193
Elizabeth Seward
Appendix 3:
The Secrets of Success
in Handwork Class
Teach the students, not the subject.
• Remember sewing is a vehicle, not a destination.

• Retain an interest in how the students learn or approach something, but be enough
of a master of what you are doing to guide them.
Make three before you teach one.
• This means you have to know the project inside out.

• You will probably enjoy a sense of mastery, and this will communicate itself to the
students. You’ll be more playful with the “project” and able to accept and encourage
their creative ideas.
Check in with each student, each class.
• Even if it’s just, “How are you doing over there?” Make personal contact.
• Every true meeting between individuals is a pedagogical moment.
• Find something positive to say to each, even if it’s apparently minimal.
194
Prepare.
• You cannot over-prepare.
• It is dismayingly easy to under-prepare.
• Prepare on a different day, just in case you need extra supplies or one person’s work
needs a lot of help.
• Consider the child as you handle their work. This is the footprint of the soul. What
are you able to learn? What can you learn about yourself as a teacher?
Keep your sense of humor.
• It’s all going to be OK in the long run.
Use predictable form for the lessons

and set out clear expectations.
• This leads to security in the students (and in you, actually).
Maintain an overview.
• Come up for air once in a while, and just look around.

• Students accept something like, “I just want to see that XYZ is OK with the hem;
then I’ll be back.” But then you have to come back!
It all comes down to knowing what you are doing and taking (or developing) a genuine
interest in the students.
Enjoy! It’s the best!
195
Resources
197
Elizabeth Seward
Further Reading on Waldorf Education:
Websites
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
https://waldorfeducation.org/
This is the official site for independent Waldorf schools. It is extensive, with articles and useful links.
Alliance for Public Waldorf Education

http://www.allianceforpublicwaldorfeducation.org/
This is the official site for public Waldorf schools, with links and some documents.
Books
Waldorf Education: A Family Guide (Pam Fenner, ed.)
This is a very easy-to-read introduction to various facets of Waldorf education. Most articles are two to three
pages long. Very informative and helpful.
Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out (Jack Petrash)
This is a very readable chronicle of one teacher’s experiences as he accompanied his students through all eight
grades of the elementary school.
The Educational Tasks and Content of the Steiner Waldorf Curriculum (Martyn Rawson, ed.)
This is a very comprehensive and informative overview of the Waldorf curriculum through and across all
grades, including brief and helpful overviews of the developmental stages and how the curriculum supports
each child’s development.
198
Suppliers
Brown Sheep Company
http://www.brownsheep.com/
I use a limited palette from the Lamb’s Pride line—the yarn feels
lovely and looks great, and fifteen per cent mohair spun into the
wool gives a luster and richness to the color that I haven’t found
anywhere else. Customer service is excellent, in my experience.
Knitpicks.com
https://www.knitpicks.com/
Knitpicks is an online store with unparalleled choice of color
and fiber (mostly natural fibers), quality, and prices.
Twin Birch Products

http://www.twinbirchproducts.com/
Many Waldorf schools buy the “raw” materials for the children
to make their own needles. Quality and customer service
are excellent. On a smaller scale, their finished needles are
also excellent.
West Earl Woolen Mill

110 Cocalico Creek Road, Ephrata, PA 17522. 717.859.2241
No website, but very responsive to phone calls. I have been
ordering wool stuffing here for several decades. Quality and
service are very good.
199

Teaching Through Stories

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TEACHING

Jane and Jeremy

Copyright © 2019 by Elizabeth Seward

All rights reserved.

1. Education, Teaching Methods & Materials, Arts & Humanities

Distributed to the trade by The Ingram Book Company

Use This Book! 9

How Is This Book Organized? 17

Chapter 1: The Why and How of Stories 19

Chapter 3: The Stories 49

Appendix 1: The Temperaments 185

Appendix 2: Planning Help 190

Appendix 3: The Secrets of Success in Handwork Class 194

What Other Authors,

My mother for teaching me how to knit.

My daughter Dawn Bertani—my best editor—who does not hesitate to tell

My students for teaching me more than I imagined possible.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for you!

You want to share your love of knitting with someone in a delightful,

Where Do the Stories Come From?

I am consistently surprised by my journey as a teacher. When I first wrote these stories

Use This Book!

and personal anecdotes and biographies of important mathemati-

How Is This Book Organized?

Where Did These

Why Tell Stories?

Why Would I Want to Do This?

Telling adds a dimension of personal intimacy and care that almost

What Benefits Can I

The Value of Listening

A Glimpse into the

Preparing the Ground

Setting and Environment

Focus on the Audience, Not on

hung on the clothesline to dry were used as signposts—a code

Telling the Story

Balance within the Story

The Perfect Can Be the

racial and ethnic characterizations are minimized, and the stories

First Things First: Why Are We

The value of handwork extends well beyond the ability to make

a significant impact on language, cognition, These qualities are highly correlated to

The craftsperson / handworker experiences in their actions. Children begin to take

supports children in discovering their place and their importance

In this section I will share some very specific suggestions on successful

When to start knitting

yet always maintain a forward momentum. Leave the students

As with all things, there is another school of thought—and this

Success is not measured by completing one perfect project in the

Rhymes, Images, and Mnemonics

Locking Off a Thread

As I began assisting in the classroom, my first assignment was to

Some handwork teachers could go to war over this (I’m definitely

How Much to Fix?

A big question is how much to intervene; is it important that the

would be acceptable synonyms. Never “rip out” a child’s knitting.

Very occasionally I have met children who are reluctant to engage in

It is tempting to show an example of what the new project will look

Classroom Survival Skills