Those That Do

by Ellen Palmer Allerton

Beautiful hands are those that do
Work that is earnest, brave, and true,
Moment by moment the long day through.

Handwork Through the Grades

On the surface Handwork classes seem to be predominately about acquiring various fiber arts skills requiring fine motor dexterity and attention to detail. However, there are other skills students develop while tackling the various handwork projects taught throughout the grades. 

Number sense, practical mathematics, problem solving, and spatial reasoning are all reinforced by the work we do. A first grade student experiences the number 12 over and over again as they count their stitches (12) and ridges (12) to knit the yellow square that will become a chick. A third grade student uses a balance scale to make sure that the weight of the yarn matches the weight of the dye plants. A fifth grade student uses multiplication and division to transform body measurements into stitches while knitting a hat on four needles. Mathematical thinking abounds in the Handwork curriculum!

Handwork classes also connect to social studies, history and science. The Sashiko style embroidery that is so popular for mending jeans comes to us from Japan. Preparing the red sails for Viking longboats took more time and effort than building the boats they helped propel! Green plants can dye textiles yellow or even blue, and dried brown roots can color yarn orange or red. The creation of textiles has occupied a huge amount of human attention for millennia, and as students learn to create their own textiles, they are connected to a diversity of human cultures both present and past. 

But although it’s important for students see and experience these connections, it is quite possible that the most important lessons learned in Handwork class are about patience, determination, perseverance, and kindness. Students are faced with the reality that acquiring skills in handwork requires repeatedly attempting to do new things and failing…until they succeed. It takes strength to keep working when the work is difficult, and it takes kindness to be patient with yourself and supportive of your classmates' striving. The pride that students have in their work is well earned, and one of the best moments is when a student finishes their final project of the year, and can look back and see how far they have come.

And of course, while all this is happening, beauty is being added to the world. Because at the end of the day, Handwork itself is about the intersection of utility and beauty. Humans may need clothes to keep our bodies warm, but we need pattern and color to warm our souls.

As we say at the beginning of Handwork class in 3rd grade: 

Our hands and fingers have the skill, 

to make a thing, and do it well. 

Our heads to tell us what to do, 

our hearts to choose the shape and hue. 

Our hands, our heads, our hearts combine 

to bring beauty to your world and mine.

"Each project you introduce as the students move through the grades offers an opportunity for them to broaden their perspectives on how to relate to particular materials, solve problems, and produce objects. They become powerful agents of making. They become makers. They can look at a finished project and say, “I know how to do that.” What a magnificent moment that is."

from the article Art, Creativity and Working with Our Hands
by Betty Staley, educator, author, workshop leader