11th June World Wide Knit in Public Day.

World Wide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005 by Danielle Landes. It originated as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other's company.

Knitting is not only for grannies. It is a beneficial hobby, and it improves your mental, emotional and physical health.

It is surprising how many children's picture books feature knitting. Even if it isn't central to the story, there is often a character knitting in the pictures. Betsy Bird has made a point of studying these picture book knitters to make sure they are holding the knitting needles correctly. The article also gives examples of books that include knitting that you may not have explored.

In the past children used to love learning to knit, doing French or finger knitting and making pompoms, but in the current crowded curriculum crafts like these are no longer school activities, so when I do a display of 'knitting' or 'craft' books they are not as popular as they once were. 

For more picture books with knitting see this Pinterest.

National Non-Fiction November Part 2

Why don't you ...?

The theme for 2024 is Why Don’t You…? and this is designed to stimulate discussion around hobbies and leisure activities and to encourage young people to try something new.

It is not the part of nonfiction that is the most visited in the school library anymore. Ten years ago the students loved borrowing cooking books, craft books and sport books. Not any more I really need to promote books that explain how to do something. Parents encourage their children to borrow nonfiction in the hope that they 'will learn' something, not 'do' something, especially if it involves the parent's time or assistance.

Here are some 'how to' books that are in the library that I will use for a display.

• Why don't you cook?

•Why don't you do some craft?

• Why don't you knit or sew?

• Why don't you play chess?

• Why don't you go fishing?

• Why don't you go hiking?

• Why don't you do some origami?

• Why don't you do some  collage?

There are so many other things you could do too...

9th May Lost Sock Memorial Day

Lost Sock Memorial Day mourns all the single socks, whose partners got lost somewhere in the laundry cycle. Every year, this whimsical holiday serves as a humorous reminder of the many socks that have mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind their lonely counterparts. It’s a day to reflect on the mystery of the missing socks. 

It’s a day to celebrate the remaining single socks and give them new life, whether through crafts, repurposing, or simply by recognizing their lost partners. So where to start? Read first... there are 28 books about socks in our school library!

Then collect all those odd socks and repurpose them...how? Craft! Make a sock puppet.

And this is instructions for a sock puppet that goes with Michelle Robinson's Odd Socks.