Handwork Workshop November 6, 2010

Handwork Workshop
November 6, 2010
9:00am - 3:00pm
Davis, California

Open to adults who want to learn more about fiber arts and how to teach handwork to their own children in a homelearning and/or Waldorf-inspired environment. Limited space available. (Teens also welcome -- please email us in advance). Come join Jennifer & Joey Tan at Syrendell for a day of fiber arts fun!


Price includes all materials (including yarn and spinning fiber used during the workshop), a handout, snacks and an organic, vegetarian lunch. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, extra roving, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $80


More information and to register: www.syrendellacademy.com

Halloween Birthday - Ara Wilson Cerda Tan

Our son Wilson is turning seven on Halloween.  It seems like just yesterday that he was born. 

Here is a link to our blog post from last year where we shared about Wilson's unassisted home waterbirth.  Happy memories from that day!

Joey crocheted Wilson a tie.  Mommy crocheted a hat and scarf.  Joey helped Mommy (because Joey is a much better sewer!) cut and sew a cashmere hat out of an old sweater.  Now, Wilson is set for the cold weather at school!  Daddy is carving something special out of wood.  We will also make a felted banner with Wilson's name.

Speaking of names, Wilson has four names, just like our other children.  We create our kids' names from family members, trying to represent both Jennifer and Rick's sides.

Ara:  "King", Armenian, great-grandfather's middle name
Wilson:  "Protector", English, great-great grandparent's surname
Cerda: "Handsome", Philippino, grandmother's surname
Tan:  "King", Chinese, father's surname





Cousins are coming over to celebrate the birthday and then trick-or-treat in our new neighborhood.  We will end the night by singing our song (see last year's blog post for words) that we wrote for Wilson before he sleeps.  Happy birthday to our sweet, piano-and-guitar-playing, singing-and-dancing-loving son!  We are inspired by his zest for life...pure joy.   

Felted Slippers eBook

Our eBook on how to felt slippers is now available here on our blog (to the left) and in our Etsy shop!  Learn how to make felted slippers that may be used as nighttime slippers, indoor shoes, or outdoor boots.  A wonderful family project!

Singing to the Garden

Singing to our garden encourages growth and invites the elementals.  Singing is also soothing for us as we sow, water and tend to the needs of soil and plants.

We are building Winter gardens in a planter box and a barrel.  Asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, chard!

Our side yard gets the best sun, so we prepped an area with organic composts and biodynamic tea, while carving a geometric pattern around the birch tree.  We've heard that planting celery in a circle makes it grow well, so the circle row is for celery!  Radishes, beets, carrots, onions, kale, lettuces, chives, parsley.  And, some pansy seeds in-between for color. 

Now, what should we sing?  Sometimes we make up songs.  One of our favorites is a German song that we wrote about thanking the Earth.  We have movements that go with the song to help us remember our German vocabulary.

Danke fur die Erde
Danke fur die warme Sonne
Danke fur den Kletterbaum
Danke fur den Bach


Danke fur den Garten
Danke fur den kleiner Frosch
Danke fur die Schnecke
Danke fur mein Freund!

Edelweiss (alpine flower) from Sound of Music is another favorite...especially the part about "bloom and grow"!

Edelweiss, Edelweiss,

Every morning you greet me,
Small and White,
Clean and bright
You look happy to meet me.
Blossoms of snow may you bloom and grow,
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss Edelweiss
Bless my home land forever....


A Waldorf verse (we do this with movement, too)...
I dig, dig, dig
And plant some seeds
I rake, rake, rake
And pull some weeds
I wait and watch
And soon I know
My garden sprouts
And starts to grow!

What songs do you sing to your garden?

Watercoloring DVD Available

Our wet-on-wet watercoloring video is now available in DVD format!  Click here to order.  A wonderful resource for learning how to teach children ages 3-12 this artistic technique. 

Star Lanterns

Rise up O flame!
By the light glowing
Show to us beauty
Vision and joy!

Learn how to make your own Star Lanterns with our pattern.  It is available through our Etsy shop and here on the blog (button to the left).