This is a guest post by Alisha Trammell, handwork teacher, and Waldorf-inspired homeschooling mother of 4. Find three stitching projects here.

at the beginning of grade 2 at our waldorf school (and in many other waldorf schools, i understand), each child's first handwork project of the year is their flute case...as they begin learning their pentatonic flutes in earnest during this...

Last year, I attended a lecture given by Dr Reggie Melrose. The topic of the lecture was on brain development and, specifically, how cutting-edge neuroscience supports Waldorf theories. She was utterly fascinating and her insight into the developing brain was truly enlightening. I couldn’t believe our luck when she agreed to share her expertise with […]

We’re excited to share the third and final guest post from author, educator, and all around amazing human, Elizabeth Seward! Elizabeth brings decades of experience, and is sharing her insights into Waldorf handwork.

I thought it might be nice to share a little snapshot of a sample lesson with you. If you've never used my curriculum guides before, this is what you get.

updated: please go to https://www.facebook.com/knittingwithchildren/?ref=bookmarks to stay abreast of a new website, coming soon, that will give you everything you need to know to teach children to knit, and support you and your children in a developmental, imaginative, gentle way. Patterns and stories included. When teaching children to cast on, I usually tell a story the day or two before about a boy with a ship. Then, I retell the story, adding instruction and supplies. I give each student a rolled ball of white yarn and one knitting needle. There was a boy who found a treasure map one day. The treasure map had a curious inscription: If you would climb Thumb Mountain, then over to Pointer Mountain soar, Scoop up the gold , under vines, back home, then treasure will be yours. This boy, when he read those words, knew exactly where to find thumb mountain. It was an easy journey for him, and he knew it well. He had a ship, and he knew just how to sail it. This is your ship. Put your slip knot on the knitting needle, with pads of fingers touching the shaft. I tell the students to hold their needles 'birds on a wire' so their fingers are a bit looser. Some want to grip the needle in a fist...help them hold their fingers over the needle like so: Now you can sail your ship up, down, and through waves. The boy knew he was getting close because he could see the beach. He then set out to anchor his ship by grabbing the line hanging from it. Then, he split the line so the boat would be steady while he was gone. At this point in the story, the tip of the knitting needle becomes the boy. Now it was time for the ship to rest and for the boy to go to the island to find treasure. He landed on the beach. The knitting needle comes forward and down. The "mountains" stand strong. Now the boy crept up Thumb Mountain, under the vines, all the way to the top, and he never fell off. He remembered the writing: If you would climb Thumb Mountain, then over to Pointer Mountain soar, Scoop up the gold , under vines, back home, then treasure will be yours. From the top of Thumb Mountain, he could see Pointer Mountain. He flew over, because he was a very special boy and could do things like that. You will notice my hand has turned to the side here. The boy is on top of Pointer Mountain. Now he sees the gold and scoops it up, and flies back to the top of Thumb Mountain. The yarn coming from Pointer has been scooped and is on its way to Thumb. Now the boy is on Thumb mountain and is ready to go home. He slides down Thumb Mountain, under the vines with his treasure, and lands on the beach. He is back home on the beach! Now take your whole hand out and pull one of the strings to close the loop. You will have two stitches on the needle now. Congratulations! A continental cast-on. Start the whole process again to cast on the rest of the stitches (there's more gold in those hills!) Eventually, instead of taking out your whole hand, you can simply sweep your thumb across to close the last loop. See knittinghelp.com for a video of the Continental Cast-On.

We’re excited to share the third and final guest post from author, educator, and all around amazing human, Elizabeth Seward! Elizabeth brings decades of experience, and is sharing her insights into Waldorf handwork.

In creating my puppets, I had planned to refer to several books on my shelf; I own a small library of books on the topic of building puppets and also a couple of books on making Waldorf dolls, but none of my books offered much help when it came to creating a glove-puppet with a Waldorf style doll-head. When making a glove-puppet, it is usual to have space inside the head for the fingers of the puppeteer; however, on a traditional Waldorf doll-head, it would be very difficult to create a space inside the head. This left me with a bit of a problem - I now had to design a pattern for a glove-puppet from scratch. I sewed test patterns from muslin and then proceeded to cut up precious pieces of vintage velvet which had been hoarded for many years in my fabric-stash, only to discover that my patterns were flawed. Back to the drawing board, and on to using revised patterns to cut the next series of puppet-bodies from some lovely brown velour... only to discover that my pattern was still not quite right! Luckily, I was able to buy more brown velour to use when I finally perfected the pattern! In this tutorial, I will give you guidelines for creating your own pattern, however, I strongly recommend that you create puppet bodies from muslin (or some other scrap fabric such as an old t-shirt) to test your pattern before you cut your puppet-body pieces from fine cloth. MAKING THE HEAD There are several good books on making Waldorf doll heads, including one titled Making Waldorf Dolls published by Hawthorn Press. Additionally, you can find excellent instructions on the blog Doing Without. Below, I offer a very basic outline of instructions, however, if you've never made a Waldorf doll-head, I suggest you refer to secondary resources for more specific information. Most Waldorf doll-making instructions tell you to start off with tubular gauze. In the United States, tubular gauze is only available via mail-order; not having any on hand, and wanting better control over the size of my doll-head anyhow, I sewed a tube using fabric from an old, cotton t-shirt. Knowing I wanted my head to be about 4 1/2 cm wide and approx. 5 1/2 or 6 cm high, I cut the width of my fabric about 13 1/2 cm wide, folded it and sewed it into a tube. Then I made a tight gather at the top, turned it inside-out, stuffed it firmly (so the height was approx. 6 cm), and tied it off at the bottom. To create the eyeline, I took heavy cotton thread, wrapped it a few times horizontally around the center of the head, made a few vertical wraps and then tied off the string. To secure the string, I sewed an "X" where the horizontal and vertical wrappings crossed on both sides, then pulled down the horizontal crossing at the back to get the correct shape to the head. To make a nose, I stitched round and round, just beneath the eyeline, catching bits of stuffing as I went along, pulling tight until I had a small raised area. To firm-up the nose of my puppet-head, I smeared on a good layer of white-glue and allowed it to dry. Many years ago, I bought two yards of mini-ribbed cotton fabric and dyed it a rosy-tan color. I was glad to have it in my stash and used this bounty to cover my puppet-heads. Before I sewed on the face, I decided on eye and mouth placement by inserting pins into the head (the eyes go right on the eyeline.) Then, inspired to try something new, I also created a Mother Earth puppet with a head from felt. You will notice, in the pattern I drew, that the neck is quite wide; I had planned to construct the puppet so that my fingers could fit up inside the head, but changed my mind; The neck on my puppet head is narrower and accommodates my fingers going up behind the head inside a pocket, as you will see below when I describe construction of the puppet bodies. Anyhow, to create this type of head from felt, you will need to draw a head with a face in profile and cut 2 pieces. You will also need to cut one gusset-piece to go up the back of the head. I do not show it in a photo, however, I sewed a test pattern from scrap-felt to make sure the size and shape of the head was correct. My first version was too small, so I enlarged the pattern slightly and then proceeded to use the corrected version of my pattern to cut my peach-colored wool felt. Here you can see the top of the head where the gusset meets the side-pieces. I have also embroidered eyes and a mouth. The cheeks are made pink by applying red wax crayon. MAKING THE BODY Here is a drawing of the basic pattern I created for my puppets (both the Root Children and Mother Earth.) You will need to cut two of these. There is a 1/2 cm seam allowance built into the pattern -- and, please know that the whole thing is sized generously. I have given measurements, however, this is not rocket-science... if your pattern does not exactly match mine, don't worry. Just keep in mind that it's always better to cut a little larger than you will need. If your puppet-body is too small, it might not fit, however, if it's too large, you can always make it a bit smaller. Measurements: The portion at the top, extending up from the neck, will form a pocket at the back of the puppet's head to accommodate your fingers. It is 7 1/2 cm wide. At the widest point, the arms measure 21 1/2 cm. The widest point of the body should measure approx. 19 1/2 cm. The height of the entire pattern should measure approx. 30 1/2 cm (or taller.) After I cut two body pattern pieces, I took one of the pieces and removed the tall portion from above the neck (this is marked by a dotted line in the pattern photo.) This tall portion above the neck is needed to form a pocket at the back of the head (to accommodate the fingers of the puppeteer); however, this flap of fabric is not needed on the front of the puppet! Next, I pulled out my stash of knit cotton (which I had used to cover the puppet head) and cut 4 hand pieces per puppet. To make a pattern for the hand pieces, I matched the width of the hand-pattern to the width of the arm opening of the body. My hand patterns are approx. 4 cm wide and 4 1/2 cm tall. You will also notice, in the photo above, that I finished off the puppet head by removing most of the fabric which had been hanging off the bottom of the head. I left approx. 2-3 cm of fabric, folded it toward the back and carefully sewed it down. Then I pinned the hands onto the right-sides of puppet body pieces and sewed them in place. Next, I matched up the hands, front to back, pinned the sides of the bodies together (front to back) and sewed down each side from the neck, around the hand and down to the bottom edge. Note: I left 1/2 cm at the top of the neck unsewn. This allowed me to roll the fabric under when I pinned & sewed the front of the body to the head. For me, attaching the head of the puppet to the body is always the best part, because, after this is done, I can put my hand inside and make the puppet wave hello. That first hello is always very sweet and magical. This is what I love most about glove puppets -- their expressiveness -- their ability to wave hello, nod their heads, play peek-a-boo, clap their hands and then take a bow... To attach the head, I pinned the front of the neck (where I had removed the tall flap of fabric) beneath the face and then sewed the pocket-flap to the back of the head. The pocket flap is not intended to be sewn down flat against the head. It should be raised in the back to form a roomy pocket for your finger(s). I had intended it to fit 2 fingers, however, I actually find it most comfortable to control this puppet with my index finger up behind the head, my thumb controlling one of the hands and my middle finger controlling the other hand. Note: I did not sew down the top of the pocket at the back of the head. Leaving the top of the pocket open left a little more room for my finger(s), and, because I have covered the heads of my Root Child puppets with stretchy knit hats, this works out just fine. According to your preferences, you may or may not want to sew the top of the pocket shut. COSTUMING THE PUPPETS The Root Children, newly awoken, dressed in their brown, root gowns Now for the fun part -- costuming the puppets! There are so many choices to make... I added grey, looped braids beneath the cap of my Mother Earth puppet, and added hair only on the front of my Root Child puppets because I couldn't figure out how to add hair over the pocket at the back of the head... Root Child glove-puppet by Melissa However, my clever friend Melissa figured out how to add hair to the entire head (front and back) of her Root Child puppet! To create hair, she crocheted a cap for her puppet using a loop-stitch, and it looks so wonderful that I'm a bit in awe. I also stitched up flower-petal pinafores from wool felt to garb my Root Children for their Spring and Summertime festivities. I hope you have fun, too, coming up with your own original costuming ideas and designs. Mother Earth glove-puppet by Melissa RESOURCES FOR PURCHASING SUPPLIES U.S.A Child's Dream Come True Magic Cabin Canada Maplerose Bear Dance Crafts Australia Morning Star Winterwood Toys Mother Earth glove-puppet by Jen of SEWNnatural Finally, I'd like to share with you this link to the Ballard Institute at the University of Connecticut which shows several hand positions you can use to control your puppet. For this particular set of puppets, I am finding it most comfortable to use my index finger to control the head, with my thumb inside one puppet-arm and my middle finger inside the other arm; however, this link will show you a few other options. Tiptoes Lightly marionette by Rhonda of Joy Grows Mother Earth glove-puppet with a knit body by Melissa And now, dear Readers, a public service announcement: Did you know that, even if you "Like" we bloom here and/or Making Peg Dolls on Facebook, you may not be seeing updates and messages from me in your Facebook feed? Did you know that you might be missing tutorials for lovely, quick-to-whip-up gifts? Missing information about the upcoming blog tour? About book give-aways, and other give-aways? Here's what you can do so you don't miss anything: once you’ve liked the we bloom here and/or the Making Peg Dolls page (thank you!), use the dropdown menu right under the “liked” button to select “get notifications.” This lets Facebook know, going forward, that you really do want to know when I've posted a new tutorial, give-away, and other assorted nonsense. Another way you can hear from me is to have a look at the right-hand sidebar of this blog, and find the widget which allows you to "follow by email." Once you've typed in your email, you will get notifications delivered directly to your inbox. I don't have access to information about who signs up for email through my blog, so there is no way I could add you to some list and send you junk-mail (not that I would ever consider doing such an annoying thing anyhow, I promise). Thanks for visiting! Please say "hi" any time -- I love hearing from you. xo mb

Learn about similarities and differences between the Montessori and Waldorf methods, in a "for-beginners" series comparing alternative educational philosophies.

Project by Jeff.

Moonshine has been thoroughly enjoying the Norse myths, and it really shows in her work. She has become such a wonderful artist-- quite...

Breton's project.

We’re excited to share the first of 3 guest posts from author, educator, and all around amazing human, Elizabeth Seward! Elizabeth brings decades of experience, and will be sharing her insights into Waldorf handwork.

Made for story telling. All the wool (yarn and wool fibres) and silk fabric is plant dyed with white and red onion skins. Except the brown felt on the doll in the background, which is natural brown wool. The dress in the front of the picture is nunofelt, wool fibres felted on silk fabric.

. In de peuterklas: de kleuterklas . . . . . Kijk eens wat een mooie eetkleedjes we in de klas kregen! De zonnekinderen, helpers van de dag, dekken er de tafel mee! Eerst alle kinderen tellen, dan …

I completed my sample work for my summer session at Rudolf Steiner College. We covered the first, second and third grade curriculum. It has been such a benefit to me in my teaching at Azalea Mountain School and I have enjoyed my work so much. I thought I would share some of the project samples for my classes, though there are so many more wonderful ideas. I am amazed and delighted to see how well the children love to knit and crochet, and how much joy it brings to them. And most all of the materials for my classes have been plant dyed by me! grade 3 projects: crocheted hat (from center to outer rim), crocheted water bottle case, drop spindle and spun wool, stitched felt candle mat grade two projects: knitted gnome with crocheted cap, knitted horse, butterfly stitch jump rope, crocheted washcloth grade three: crocheted wrist warmers grade 3: crocheted flute cases grade two/three: stitched scissors case, little knitted doll, crocheted hat( from outer rim to center) My grade three/four transition project: knitted and stitched sewing needle case from Linda's pattern here. I love being inspired by her blog Natural Suburbia. Grade one: indigo baby bunting (I make dolls for them when they are finished), knitted flute case, knitted rainbow ball

We’re having such a fun time with our current Physics block! This week’s main lessons included lots of water squirting everywhere. When you’re studying water pressure, it’s bound to happen, I suppose. I figure it’s a pretty memorable experience and completely appropriate for the topic at hand. Some students were a little disappointed that water inadvertently […]

Image 18 of 19 from gallery of How to Design Schools and Interiors Based on Waldorf Pedagogy. Axonometric. After-School Care Centre Waldorf School / MONO Architekten. Image via MONO Architekten

Our woodland tree is still a work in progress! The last ornaments I'd like to make with the kids are cinnamon cut out ornaments. I have...

A running theme of the sixth grade Waldorf curriculum is the phrase “cause and effect.”

Here's what I've been doing late at night :) A young expectant mama asked me to construct this Heavy Baby from a kit that she purchased here. She intends to present it to her toddler when the new baby arrives. This 16 " Heavy Baby is filled with 4 pounds of millet that is scented with lavender essential oil. It was an amazingly delightful sensory experience to work with. The pattern was very simple and straightforward and required only basic sewing skills. It involved a combination of hand-sewing (making the head and attaching the head and hands to the body) and machine stitching (sewing the body and clothing). I enjoyed making this doll so much that I made a second, smaller 12" one to keep and share with Toucie :)

These were sculpted as part of the 8th grade history curriculum, which centers on revolutions.

10 Lessons Art Educators Can Learn From The Waldorf Approach % %

We start our first language arts block on Monday, so this weekend I took some time to really solidify what we’re going to do during each of our language arts blocks and I’m feeling really good about the plan. By the way, if you’re looking at teaching 1st grade language arts anytime soon, you might […]

I have 4 children in the 1st grade who are about to start their 6th project...fast knitters!!!!! we will be making a rainbow ball 14 stitches 3 ribs/6 rows per color. put yarn needle through the top and pull. this will gather it. sew it up, stuff it and put a bell in the middle...DONE!

The Six-Year Transformation By Michelle Brightwater The six-year transformation or change is an amazing and tumultuous time in the life of your youngling (and for you!). This time is referred to as the “first puberty,” which gives a great deal of insight into the kind of behavior you might expect during this time. Although it […]

Things change and adjustments are made. Moving in and of itself is an adjustment to make. A transition that some children (and adults!) handle better than others. The move, away from family, to a c…

Last year, I attended a lecture given by Dr Reggie Melrose. The topic of the lecture was on brain development and, specifically, how cutting-edge neuroscience supports Waldorf theories. She was utterly fascinating and her insight into the developing brain was truly enlightening. I couldn’t believe our luck when she agreed to share her expertise with […]

Jen has just finished her Physics block and now we have moved on to Chemistry, this is what she has been busy with over the last week. This was an amazing experiment. We filled a round glass bottle with water, stuck a cork onto the bottle and inverted it into a large and sturdy glass. We …

Little Girl’s Assignment: Build a longhouse or wigwam, using as many natural resources as possible. She was determined not to use anything other than natural resources. If it was up to her, …

Want to know how to plan a main lesson block? Here you can learn which activities to include and how to put lessons all together. #waldorfhomeschooling #mainlessonblocks

The Paleo Mama shares why she loves Waldorf education and Waldorf-inspired toys for her kids.

Note: The following is an explanation of the science component of the developing Christopherus Curriculum. Remember that, in addition to the Curriculum, we have a range of materials for those parents wishing to put together their own Waldorf-inspired program, including our science book, From Nature Stories to Natural Science. One of the beauties of Waldorf […]

I can’t quite believe our magical first grade year has come to a close. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed teaching Waldorf first grade. Over the course of the past few weeks, the first graders and I have gradually prepared ourselves for second grade. We’ve moved into our new classroom, we stitched […]

Jen has just finished her Physics block and now we have moved on to Chemistry, this is what she has been busy with over the last week. This was an amazing experiment. We filled a round glass bottle with water, stuck a cork onto the bottle and inverted it into a large and sturdy glass. We …

A running theme of the sixth grade Waldorf curriculum is the phrase “cause and effect.”

This tutorial is a perfect first loom building and weaving experience for young children, typically around age 6, who are ready to be introduced to handwork or for an older child/adult who is new to weaving.