Oh, I have the best kids (in my CityKidz Knit! program) in the world. We had our last session at Foster Center today, until Fall. I had a dozen knitters (and 6 additional children playing on computers in the same room) today. it was crazy-busy but wonderful. We enjoy one another so much. I have kids from age 5 to age 18 and it works, somehow. It works really well, actually.

Let me tell you something… never underestimate a child. These kids can do so much! Today when I was busy getting the Kool-Aid dyeing project ready, several of the older knitters helped several of the newer/younger knitters fix “hiccups” in their work. With that many folks in one room I really did need the help and they were quite good at jumping to do what needed doing.

We dyed some yarn that had been donated by one of you wonderful blog readers in the last year. Often we don’t get wool donated, but this year we got a lot of it and we really have taken advantage of it. This cream colored standard worsted-weight yarn was perfect for our needs.

I made small loose center-pull balls on my ballwinder, maybe 5 yards each (enough to make a wristband), and we put them in my turkey roaster with soapy water and drink mix powder. We used red on one side, then turned over each ball and added orange. It turned out that we had so much dye that the amount of wool I started with did not use up the color so we added more yarn. The second batch became a pretty coral color.

After that batch was complete, one of my High Schoolers brought a skein of yarn she got after a wonderful donation from a Mid-Michigan Knitting Guild colleague, a gorgeous textured cream wool. So we dyed it with some Canadian grape (a sort of burgundy color not available in the USA) and some red, I think it was cherry. It’s the skein hanging up at the top of the photo. It turned out just beautifully, she was delighted.

This last photo is a sock by my 7th grader (front row center in top photo, with ball of yarn in hand). This is her 3rd sock and the 4th is all done except for the last few rows that are purple. Actually, I bet it’s done as I am typing this, she was so excited to finish. She left the purple skein at her house and was quite bummed about it. Personally, she is knitting socks faster than some adults and she’s doing it while school is in session. I’m eager to see what she does this summer. She’s already about a third through a Garden Capelet, as well.

I’m sort of sad… some of these kids I will not see again. Some I will not see until fall. I don’t know which they will be yet. I’m pretty sure my three oldest will come to summer program, they are able to bring themselves to the place and time where I’ll be knitting. But even then there are complications, plans made by parents and summer schools and staying with this or that relative or other parent this or that week. One day at a time, I guess. I already miss them.

Photos: 1) The group that was still in my room several hours after we started… and me at far right in tie dye shirt. 2) Toe Up sock made by CityKid knitter.