Travis was able to learn to use a drop spindle in just a few minutes. I am very impressed. I learned how to spin wool a couple years ago. I know my family will all tell you it took me MUCH longer to learn how to do it. I know my hubby still remembers me pouting, tossing the spindle down on the sofa, and stomping off like a baby. I think it took me a few days just learn how to keep my spindle from falling to the ground!
My video clips of Travis learning are not that great. If I knew he was going to learn so fast I think I would have tried to video tape it a bit better. I did try to get Travis to tape me giving instructions after every step but my son isn't as steady with our camera so I will try to record a simple set of spinning instructions using our tripod (all steps from how to make a spindle to making yarn) sometime next week.
Travis and Demi are studying the ancients times again this year (we did this 4 years ago). Last year we covered all modern times up to 2007 so this year starts all over again at the beginning of time. I thought it was silly to read how people use to spin yarn to make clothing. I thought having Travis do it would be a lot more fun. I figure it counts as part of our history lesson, a home economics class, and an art lesson for the day. This is one of the reasons I love homeschooling.
You will see and hear Demi and Zehira in the videos. The music is the girls playing with a musical teapot. Zee is tossing toys all over the floor, pushing a chair around, and wearing just a diaper. Demi was dropping papers all over the floor I don't know if she was playing with learning cards or art pages I just remember she had a ton of stuff all over the floor by the time I was done teaching Travis. I guess it gives you a real look at some of our school time. It looks a lot like this when I am teaching other subjects. I do try to find ways to keep Zee and Demi quiet for Math class so Travis can concentrate but most other subjects look something like this.
I had to upload them on you tube. My dial up locks up when I load video clips on blogger. Here are the links.
This is spinning video 1 (me just talking about it). 22 second intro clip
Video 2 Travis preparing the fiber. 12 second clip
Video 3 Travis drafting some of the fibers. 24 second clip
Video 4 Travis spinning from the hook. In under a minute he was making yarn. 23 second clip.
Video 5 another clip of him spinning from the hook. 14 second clip. It isn't rolling that well to be making much yarn.
Video 6 wrapping the fiber (using his arm as a distaff) preparing to drop spin. 27 second clip.
Video 7 first try at real drop spinning! 33 second video clip
Video 8 30 second clip
Video 9 7 second clip
Video 10 33 second clip
Video 11 27 seconds clip
In about 5 minutes he was spinning with the drop spindle with no problems at all! I guess it is true what they say.... Kids catch on to things very quickly!
After his spinning lesson we finished up school and got ready for soccer. Later in the night he tried spinning againfor a few minutes. He is now spinning standing up and walking around the house! He is doing a wonderful job and making his mom feel like a slow learner. LOL! I do want to give him a few more lessons on drafting the fibers. I think he can learn to draft when he is spinning. In the clips above he is drafting before he spins (called park and draft method). I think I will give him some lessons on my spinning wheel in the next two weeks. He has used my wheel before but it has been a couple months. I think if he keeps an interest in spinning he will be spinning better than me in a few weeks. Hmmm... Maybe he can spin and I can do the knitting?
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