Boosting our Creativity - Reorganizing the Craft Room

This past month, we took all of our craft supplies outside and reorganized our craft/music room! A daunting task, but one that has freed up space and created an energy flow, giving us a "boost".

On a daily basis, we are in this wonderful room, filled with art supplies, fiber arts tools, musical instruments, and a work table that Rick built years ago.

There is even space for a silk fort!

Now, our craft magazines, music, patterns are in files. We can quickly locate yarn by color. Art supplies are organized and easy to reach. 

We can find what we need for fiber arts workshops, lessons and sales. The room has a sink and a door to the backyard...both practical elements for painting and dyeing.

To keep from spending a fortune on this endeavor, we spent $30 at the local thrift store, getting baskets and magazine holders. We pulled out old food jars and wood bowls. We did splurge on chalkboard labels from Bradens Grace on Etsy to label the nooks, baskets and jars, and love that we can reuse them over the years.

We love this hanging fruit basket that we found at the thrift store.  Perfect for little balls of yarn!

Bits of leftover roving get their own space and baskets and can be used for felting or carding batts for spinning up Junkyard Fairy yarn.

And, we finally have a place to put our works "in progress".  It is much easier and neater to grab a basket full of supplies for the doll that we are sewing or the gnome that we are knitting when the supplies are all together.  

Space for the drum set and keyboard, various guitars, as well as our work desk and computer was carved out. There was space for one spinning wheel, but not our floor loom or second wheel.  So...perhaps the ultimate room would need to be an entire house for just crafts, music and art?  

New Workshops!

New workshops are scheduled for 2011!  Come and join Syrendell to learn more about handwork, art and aromatherapy.  Workshops are held in Davis, California unless otherwise noted.  Davis is about 20 minutes from Sacramento and 1.5 hrs. from San Francisco.  We also travel and teach!  Email us to schedule a workshop near you.

To see the upcoming schedule and register: www.syrendellacademy.com

February 6
Felting 10-12
Spinning 1-3

March 6
Beginning Crochet 10-12
Tunisian Crochet 1-3

April 3
Beginning Knitting 10-12
Wet-On-Wet Watercoloring 1-3

Learn Knitting, Crochet, Spinning and Aromatherapy

Upcoming Syrendell Workshops!  Go to our website to register.

Handwork in the Dell Workshop - Beginning Knitting December 5, 2010

10:00am - 12:00pm

Davis, California
Price includes yarn used during the workshop, a pdf handout (emailed), and organic snacks. Knitting needles available to use. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, wool roving, yarns, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $30

Handwork in the Dell Workshop - Beginning Crochet

December 5, 2010
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Davis, California
Price includes yarn used during the workshop, a handout, and organic snacks. Crochet hooks available to use. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, wool roving, yarns, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $30

Aromatherapy in the Dell

December 20, 2010

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Fair Oaks, California

Price includes all materials (including oils used during the workshop), a pdf eBook, snacks and two aromatherapy products. Supplies, books and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $40 (Note...this is in Fair Oaks)

 

Handwork in the Dell - Beginning Spindle Spinning January 9, 2011

10:00am- 12:00pm

Davis, California

Price includes all spinning fiber used during the workshop, a pdf handout (emailed), and organic snacks. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, extra roving, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $30

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

Inspired to do Handwork....

Ricky has been spinning yarns and carding batts to fundraise for his Waldorf class 8 field trip.  These pictures show one of his elemental yarns, "Californium", and some batts.

Joey crocheted coffee mug holders for each day of the school week for her teacher (Daddy!).  She crocheted "LAPHH" on each one for Love - Abundance - Peace - Health - Happiness.  A nice reminder for him each morning.

Mommy has been crocheting hats and scarves and spinning yarns for customers.

East of the Sun

West of the Moon

Salamander

Syrendell Workshops and Lessons

Syrendell offers customized lessons or small group workshops for homeschoolers, Waldorf schoolers, co-ops and anyone who is interested in handwork, art or Wadorf curriculum. Lessons and workshops are offered at our home in Davis or at your location.  Email us if you are interested.  We now have a beautiful arts and crafts studio!


Some pictures from recent lessons in wet-on-wet watercoloring and chalkboard drawing.

Come and join us for upcoming workshops!  More information and registration at: http://www.syrendellacademy.com/.

Handwork in the Dell: Full Day Workshop
September 25, 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!  Lunch included.  $80


Spinning in the Dell: 1/2-day Workshop

September 26, 2010
1:00pm- 3:00pm
Davis, California


Open to adults and teens who want to learn how to spin. Beginners will learn on a spindle. Seasoned spindlers will learn the spinning wheel. We will learn about fibers, how to card batts and make our own yarn! Limited space available. (Children ages 9-17 able to learn how to spin are welcome to attend with a parent -- email us in advance). Come join Jennifer & Joey Tan at Syrendell for a day of spinning!  $30

Aromatherapy in the Dell: 1/2-Day Workshop
October 3, 2010
10:00am - 12:00pm
Davis, California


Open to adults and teens who want to learn more about aromatherapy and how to use it for self, children and home. We will experience a variety of oils and custom blend an synergy oil to take home. Limited space available. (Teens also welcome -- please email us in advance). $30

Summer Snippets

Nature walks to the pond preserve at the end of our street, observing egrets, geese and dragonflies.

Taking care of our new cat, Sammy, and her 4 baby kittens.

Observing interesting, new plants during our family walks.

Crocheting custom orders for wonderful customers (Joey crocheted the cashmere tan one on the bottom).

Officiating weddings!  One of our favorite things to do.

Custom spinning yarn for handwork projects and doll hair.

Reading Pogacnik's book on Elementals and attending study groups.

Trips to the library, parks, university, pool and Explorit Science Center in Davis.

New Yarns!

Lately, we've been inspired to create soft, warm, wool yarns for handwork projects and for sale.  They work well for doll hair, knitting, crocheting, weaving and felting.  The fiber colors inspire us to spin and spin!


Auloniad (nymph of the glen)

Bohemian Fairy

Twlight Fairy

Sylph (air elemental)

Chocolate Fudge Fairy

Spinning, Dyeing, Weaving!

As homeschoolers, some of our best projects are the ones that we do as a family.  Handwork is no exception!

For the third year, we have made a woven table runner together. We use it on our dinner table, for nature tables and other displays in the home.  Here's how it goes:

1.  Spin fiber into yarn on one of our spinning wheels.

2.  Dye the fiber with plants and natural materials at the annual Griffin Dyeworks Dye & Fiber Retreat in Castaic, CA.

3.  Warp up the Ashford Knitter's Loom with a crochet cotton.

4.  Wind our yarns onto stick weaving shuttles, singing: "Up and down, up and down, we are making figure eights. Up and down, up and down, we are loading shuttles."

5.  Weave the weft (yarns on shuttles) into the warp.  We take turns and do a little bit each day.

6.  Trim the ends, tie knots for fringe, and we are done!

2008 Table Runner

2009 Table Runner

2010 Table Runner

Click here to see books and supplies for weaving, dyeing and other handwork projects!