KnitLit Club, Haverstraw Middle School, NY
OK ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…the past few days have been difficult. After 8 years in my school and 11 years in the district, yesterday
I had to say goodbye to my dear Haverstraw Middle School, having become one of the casualties of massive layoffs in the North Rockland School District.
I am grieving this loss; HMS has become family to me. A supportive staff, good friends and colleagues, wonderful students and families, and my superstar KnitLit members are all things that I will miss. (Click here to visit KnitLit’s facebook page)
At the same time I am turning my face toward the sun, and the new beginnings that are being forced upon me. An opportunity to dive into crafting again (click here to check out some of my work), grow the KnitLit Program, teach knitting, and “scarf it up” on Project Scarf.
That said, I have been delinquent in keeping you up to date on the doings of Project Scarf, which has been progressing nicely! I take it with me everywhere now, and it’s becoming quite a conversation piece, even though it’s still just a “baby”.
Here is my journal since I last posted…
Day 3
June 19, 2011 – Father’s Day…
Today was the day we came up with the official name “Project Scarf”, after days of frustrating internet searches to discover that apparently all clever names are already in use – so we decided to just keep it straight and simple.
Length by Day’s end: 71.5″ (+32″)
Day 4
June 20, 2011
Project Scarf visits Lehman College in the Bronx, NY. While daughter Kalliope toured the campus, I basked in the sun in a courtyard and watched the world go by (while knitting, of course!)
View of Lehman College from my knitting spot
Project Scarf goes to college
Lesson learned – remember to ask someone to snap the picture – short of growing an extra limb, it’s virtually impossible to photograph myself knitting.
Length by Day’s end: 90″ (+18.5 from yesterday)
Day 5 – Summer Solstice
June 21, 2011
Project Scarf visited HMS during Final Exams while I was reading questions one to one to a 5th grader. The knitting seemed to have a very calming and focusing effect – student did a GREAT job!
After school, Project Scarf paid a visit to the Tomkins Cove Library, where I am a member of the Board of Trustees (and both of my kids get off the school bus there). We got a little silly with it, but were able to spread the word to lots more folks!
Project scarf with Ann Vitale, librarian extraordinaire, at the Tomkins Cove Library
The Scarf tends to inspire a great deal of silliness – I’m all for that. I think we all need to get silly a good deal more often.
Length by Day’s end: I was a slacker today – no clue, as I forgot to measure it.
Day 6
June 22, 2011
A momentous day, as son Phoenix graduated from Stony Point Elementary school, and is now a middle schooler! The wheel of life rolls on…
Congratulations Phoenix! Look out world.
Project Scarf visited the after party and kept the kids company on the playground at Haverstraw Bay County Park on a drizzly day. Betsy was eyeing some of the playground equipment for future Project Scarf photo opp’s…
In the evening, we celebrated at one of Phoenix’s favorite restaurants, The Hard Wok Buffet, in New City.
More silliness (with jello, this time) ensued…everyone should have a scarf on their head while slurping jello, don’tcha think?
(Click on the thumbnails to view larger)
My fortune:
kismet?
Length by Day’s end: 101.5″ (that’s over 8 feet!)
Day 7
June 23, 2011
Very busy with year end of school stuff…no time for knitting at all 😦
My day was not complete.
Day 8
June 24, 2011
2 rows completed!
A momentous day, and sad: I say goodbye to HMS after 8 years there, and 11 years in the district. My normal anticipation of the beginning of summer vacation was tempered this year with sadness and some anxiety, though for the most part I feel hopeful and confident that I can create an interesting new chapter.
Fittingly, I taught a bunch of kids to knit (I had a group of 3 boys and 2 girls), and they all got to bless Project Scarf with a least a few stitches!
I got some fabulous photos, but without parents’ permission I hesitate to post them. From now on, photo releases will be included in Project participation paperwork! (Meanwhile, KnitLit members have signed photo releases, so I CAN post this one, of wonderful Kaitlin, a second year KnitLit member!)
Kaitlin M., KnitLit member
My observation of the day was the observable benefit of knitting in certain students who are normally quite rambunctious and easily distracted (NOT Kaitlin – she’s a superstar!). I saw amazing amounts of focus, concentration, and persistence. Students needed to sit up straight and be aware of their limbs..attention could not (and did not) wander. What a feeling of accomplishment these students had when they knit a complete row on their own!
Logistics:
decided today that I will have several scarves in progress already on needles in ziploc bags, so newbies can simply learn the knit stitch and accomplish at least a row or two for Project Scarf. Hopefully they will come away from the encounter with a newfound inspiration and curiosity to learn more, and head straight to the craft store for needles and yarn!
Length by day’s end: 130.5″ (That’s a grand total of 10 feet and 10.5 inches!)
That’s all for now folks!
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Project Scarf 