Working in the Round: Macramé, Knitting, and 3D Thinking
We’re excited to share a piece from authors, educators, and all around amazing humans, Shellie Smith and Elizabeth Seward! With decades of experience, they will be sharing insights into Waldorf handwork.
Handwork curriculum builds many skills, including spatial visualization!
Handwork, by its very nature, is three-dimensional.
From the earliest grades, children work with real, tangible materials that respond to touch and are transformed through the work of their hands. And yet, something new begins to emerge in fifth grade.
In first through third grade, children knit or crochet flat pieces that are later folded, shaped, and sewn into three-dimensional forms. In fourth grade, they embellish the surface, bringing individuality and design into what has already been made. But in fifth grade, there is a shift. Instead of transforming something flat, they begin working directly in the round—the form emerging stitch by stitch from the very beginning.
Three-dimensional thinking—sometimes called spatial visualization—is the ability to mentally hold, rotate, and understand complex forms.
It is the capacity to see beyond one perspective, to imagine how parts relate to a whole, and how that whole exists in space. This kind of thinking lives at the foundation of so many human endeavors: architecture, engineering, medical work, scientific research, and even the ability to navigate social situations with depth and understanding.
In contrast, two-dimensional thinking keeps us fixed in a single viewpoint. But in these middle years of childhood, something is awakening that calls for more.
Fifth graders stand at a threshold. They are no longer fully immersed in the world as younger children are; a quiet distance begins to emerge—a growing awareness of themselves in relation to others and the world around them.
With this comes a readiness for greater precision and complexity. They are preparing for geometry, formal scientific observation, and the study of history as something recorded and examined. Their thinking becomes more objective, their observations more careful, and soon—by sixth grade—they begin to question and debate.
Fifth grade handwork projects challenge the student to look at an object from different points of view.
Handwork meets this moment in a profound and practical way. When children work in the round—whether through knitting, macramé, basketry, netting, or other crafts native to your geographical location—they are actively creating a three-dimensional form in their hands.
This is not abstract. It is lived, tactile, immediate. Stitch by stitch, knot by knot, they build something that exists in space, quietly developing the inner capacity to imagine and work with complexity.
At the same time, something else is being asked of them. They must learn to focus and expand their awareness simultaneously. In knitting in the round, this might mean working with two active needles while holding the others in space, keeping them from slipping or tangling. In macramé, a student might work with twelve cords—focusing on four at a time while holding the remaining eight in the periphery.
This gesture is significant. Children are learning to attend to what is immediately in front of them while maintaining awareness of the larger whole.
This is not only a technical skill—it is a lived experience of balanced attention. Over time, this physical practice lays the groundwork for something much larger: the ability to hold multiple perspectives, to think around a question, and to recognize that more than one viewpoint can exist at the same time.
We see here one of the central principles of Waldorf education: experience first, understanding later. The hands lead, and thinking follows.
Traditionally, knitting in the round has been one way we meet this developmental moment in fifth grade. It is a beautiful, time-honored practice. At the same time, macramé bears a remarkable similarity. It calls for the same kind of three-dimensional thinking—working rhythmically, round and round, to build form through repetition.
Macramé asks students to work with multiple stands at a time while learning knotting techniques.
In a macramé plant hanger, for example, students might work with twelve individual cords—focusing on four at a time while holding the other eight in awareness. Just as in knitting, where a child learns to “read” their stitches, students begin to read their knots. The work itself offers clues, guiding them forward with increasing independence.
While macramé saw a decorative revival in the 1970s, the knots themselves belong to a much older and nearly universal tradition. For centuries, knotting was used to secure, strengthen, and finish textiles so they would endure. Across cultures, these simple knots have formed everything from functional nets and bags to finely detailed lacework.
And macramé is just one example. Across cultures and environments, this same gesture appears in basketry, netting, and coiling traditions that invite children to work directly in three dimensions. If knitting wool socks does not feel suitable in your climate or context, we can look to what is local, meaningful, and practical while still meeting the same developmental need.
This brings us back to an essential question:
Does everybody have to knit socks?
If our goal is to support their development, to strengthen their capacities, to bring thinking, feeling, and willing into balance—then we can begin to widen our lens.
What matters most is not the specific technique, but the gesture:
Are the students working in three dimensions?
Are they holding multiple elements in relationship?
Are they practicing focused attention alongside peripheral awareness?
Are they creating something meaningful, purposeful, and real?
Is it challenging enough to give them something to strive for while also ensuring their success?
If the answer is yes, then we are heading in the right direction.
In fifth grade, we are doing more than teaching skills. We are laying the groundwork for a way of thinking, a way of perceiving, and ultimately, a way of being in the world. First, a secure sense of self is built in the early grades. Then, slowly, the capacity grows to recognize and genuinely respect the perspectives of others.
This is the future we are working toward.
Interested in bringing this into your classroom? Waldorf Handwork Educators offers a 5th Grade Handwork Curriculum Guide that includes both knitting in the round and alternative projects like macramé—helping you meet your students in developmentally appropriate and meaningful ways.
About the Authors
Elizabeth Seward, PhD, founder, director and co-owner of Waldorf Handwork Educators has over 40 years experience teaching Handwork and other subjects in public, private, and homeschool Waldorf settings. Elizabeth is a trained Waldorf class teacher in the grades, and she was co-director of a nationally recognized Waldorf teacher training institute from 2000 - 2003. She holds a PhD in Education, an MA in second language learning, and an MA in Education and Spirituality. Elizabeth has three children and four grandsons who enjoy the lifelong benefits of Waldorf Education. She enjoys Scottish Country Dancing, swimming, gardening, and teaching basic handwork skills to children and adults! She is author of Teaching Through Stories: Jane and Jeremy Learn to Knit
Shellie Smith is the founder, director, and co-owner of Waldorf Handwork Educators, an international initiative supporting teachers through online professional development, global conferences, and individualized mentoring. She finds profound joy in guiding and empowering handwork teachers around the world.
Shellie has taught in public, private, and homeschool settings for over 25 years. With a background in social work and elementary education, and formal training in Waldorf handwork education from the Rudolf Steiner College, She brings a rich blend of skill, heart, and experience to her work. She believes that teaching through the imagination and fostering authentic relationships are the keys to meaningful, lasting learning. Shellie is also the author and illustrator of A Twisted Tangled Tale: A Handwork Fairy Tale, a whimsical story that celebrates the magic and metaphor of the handwork journey.