Fiber Arts Class

By: John Wilkins

Spring Fest at National Sports Academy kicked off this week on Tuesday afternoon after the 8a.m.-2p.m. class’s finished.   One new class in the Spring Fest curriculum is Fiber Arts.

            Fiber Arts is a class made to teach students how to create their own clothing and accessories out of yarns and felts to their own preference.  It’s a class that helps bring out everyone’s originality and gives people the knowledge on how to make your owns hats, scarfs, shirts, and more.

            In week one’s class last Tuesday students went the Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid to check out different colors and patterns of yarn that they may use for knitting and crocheting.  They also got to see some final products that were hand made by some of the workers and how well you can make them.  If you didn’t know any better one might think some were made in a factory.

            This yesterday was day two of the  Fiber Arts class.  Students were given the option to crochet a hat or head band, or knit a hat or scarf.  Andrea St.John tought students how to knit while Cathrine Dawson and John Wilkins taught the crocheting.    John brought his and Matty Saehrigs collection of hats and head bands to show the class some examples of what to make and most people decided they wanted to crochet.

            The class was entertained with a guest appearance by Luke Hudak while he tried to teach some of the class how to juggle three tenis balls.  Steph Lawee was struggling on her hat for a while but then impressed the class with her juggling skills.  Nicole Gianano Started on her grey hat and made a lot of progress while also helping Fred Halle start his first hat.  Kathryn Masson made a lot of progress on a really cool sick red head band then unfortunately ran out of red yarn right before she finished.  It seemed like everyone was exited to learn how to make there own hats and head bands and I think a lot of them will continue making them,

            Week three’s class will continue crocheting, while also getting the option of learning how to knit as well.  The difference between knitting and crocheting is the patterns of loops you make as well as the tool you are using.  While crocheting you use a singal hook, but while knitting you use two needles.  Also the most common item knitted would be scarfs while it would be hats for crocheting.

            Week four students will be felting, where we will be taking pieces of felt, cutting them into the shapes and designs , then sewing them onto articles of clothing such as sweaters, hats, neck gators, or bassiclly anything that the students have made in class.

            Week five will be about finishing up and getting help on any projects we have had so that everyone will be able to finish a few different things and be able to continue making them on there own.

            It is not definite but the class is going to try to have a day where they can bring in two or more of there own shirts, cut them up, and sew them together to make one unique shirt that is the exact size and fit you like.