We have four grandchildren aged between 6 and 10, all of whom show interest in my various textile pursuits. I have dyed with eucalyptus with the two boys in Australia and taught them weaving on a rigid heddle. They are interested in silkworms, with our younger grandson being particularly fascinated by spider silk - a bit of a worry in Queensland! The girls, here in the UK, have done more spinning, weaving and dyeing. Most summers we have an indigo vat and the girls refresh their wardrobes, creating a demand for hand-me-downs from their friends. They can spindle spin and have a rigid heddle loom on which they have created some much-loved although aesthetically questionable items. One Saturday I had a phone call from Amy, then 7, announcing that they had been natural dyeing at school. I told her I thought this was wonderful. Her response?
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