remember these? (planning ahead)

i stumbled across these two years ago in a central florida antique mall, on the way back from my first little/middle folk school.

they looked so cool, i grabbed some of these antique mill bobbins to make knitting spools with the kids at the next year’s little/middle, and then grabbed some more on the way back up last year.

i figured we could make these “bookworms”:

but, unfortunately, before i even introduced them it became clear that they wouldn’t really work for that purpose: the gauge was way too small for the kids to even try to knit on!  and so this  year we’re going to make our own knitting spools out of toilet paper rolls and popsicle sticks,

(courtesy birdlouise)

and warp some $15 ikea nightstands into four weaving looms each,

(courtesy ikeahackers)

in addition to the knitting looms and the ever-popular finger knitting…

“tom and huck”…?

and so, last year at little/middle, my wonderful antique mill bobbins ended up being picturesque scissor holders.

once they had “mastered” the few little techniques we were learning,

i made up, on the spot, a little ceremony wherein the kids got their “own” scissors (for the duration of the class period)  which symbolized my blessing to go forth and create whatever they wanted to, and i stored the waiting stubby, blunt-tip scissors like this:

much later on at home, my knitzi made me realize that they could make cool DPN holders for me, too, simply by stuffing a bead in one end.  but now that i’m being an antique wheel owner and have met all these cool antique wheel fiends folk, i’m thinking there’s probably a purpose for them that they might want to exploit, too? 

 

i think i can make my dozen bobbins do multi-duty!  after all, little/middle is just one glorious week each year…

 the “littles” fiber station at little/middle folk school

my wonderful volunteer assistant, teri, held some impromptu crochet workshops that i plan on exploiting further this year!  teri is a teacher from another state, too, and volunteers because she brings her granddaughter (neither of these kids:) to little/middle.  this is a fabulous thing all around!

 

i’m even thinking i should leap in the car right now and go up and buy whatever they have on hand, they always seem to have some kind of these old mill bobbins, after all.  these were only a buck apiece, so even if the price tripled, it wouldn’t be such a bad deal.  of course, the gas would cost me an extra $50 or so, so maybe--unless there’s major acclaim?-- i should wait until i’m already on my way through again in june…

Flickr Tags: little/middle,spinning