In the last few weeks, Amy started introducing Needle Felting with the expertise of Jody Labb, Ila’s mom. Like all first experiences with new materials, we are experimenting. Using poking techniques, we’re observing the ways the colors blend. The children are commenting on the texture of the wool and the different shades of color with associative and comparative vocabulary.
The children’s level of focus and dedication has been high (despite a few poked fingers) and their willingness to rework and revisit shows their strong interest in mastering this new material.
About the wool:
Owen: “It feels soft like Coke.” (the hamster).
Laurel: “That yellow looks like lemons. The lighter one is like lemonade.”
Lola: “We could call that green: avocado.”
About the process:
Owen: “The more you poke it, the smaller it gets. The flatter it gets.”
Micah: “The more we poke it, the more knottier it gets.”
Owen: “Yeah, the more knottier it gets. Not knottier like naughty, like when you do something bad, knottier like tying knots.”
About the experience:
Owen: “I like it because it’s soft. I really like how it feels.”
Micah: “I like it because you can make whatever you want, not like wire. Sometimes with wire you have to make what it says, but with felt you can make anything.”
Over time, the children at NSW are exposed to hundreds of materials to facilitate expression. Being fluid in the use of a material assists in forming ideas into reality, which facilitates verbal narration or visual communication in order to receive the satisfaction of being understood. This validation and participation in reciprocal communication supports the delicate tension between owning knowledge and taking the risk of sharing ideas.
As our familiarity with the needle and felt increases we will move into more 3-dimensional and representational work.
Amy and Kris