Story by Mary Caterine Brooks ❖ Photos by Jenny Harnish
For thousands of years , women have used needles and various types of “ thread ” to produce practical items that made life easier – animal skins for clothing and warmth – as well as items that decorated their homes .
For centuries , sewing was almost a requirement for women – providing clothing for family members , bedding items , curtains , among other creations .
From crocheting to tatting , the use of needles and thread has evolved into a variety of art forms over the years .
Karen Green , a retired teacher , has been using needles and thread to fabricate unique , award-winning creations for several decades .
“ I can do crocheting , cro-hook , sewing , quilting , machine embroidery and cross-stitch ,” she said .
“ My favorite is probably crocheting . You can pick it up and do it at anytime for as long as you want . It is easy to tote , so it can travel with you .
“ It provides endless opportunities with so many stitch combinations . It is very soothing to me . Also , it provides great gifting ideas ,” the Pineville resident explained .
In addition to the stitch combinations , Green carefully chooses the types and colors of yarn that blend to build the perfect creations .
“ I have created afghans using a ripple pattern , combination stitch pattern , shell stitch pattern , basketweave pattern , and baby afghans with various stitches .
“ I have also created crocheted collars , rugs , and baskets . I have made memory quilts , sampler quilts and lap quilts .”
She also created a tailored riding suit for a friend ’ s granddaughter , who competed in equestrian competitions , that earned her a blue ribbon .
Green spent nearly four decades in the classroom and was named the Wyoming County Teacher of the Year in 2009 .
For 36 years she taught the domestic sciences to high school students .
Karen Green , a retired Wyoming County teacher , has been using needles and thread to fabricate unique , award-winning creations for several decades .
“ I taught for 37 years . That includes one year at Road Branch Elementary School , 17 years at Pineville High School , and 19 years at Wyoming East High School .
“ My degree was in Comprehensive Vocational Home Economics . However , I started my career as a third-grade teacher at Road Branch Elementary and Middle School . The next year , I got the Home Economics job at Pineville High School and stayed there until we consolidated into Wyoming East .
“ Later in my career , the program became known as Family and Consumer Science . Through the years , I taught classes such as Foods and Nutrition , Food Prep , Adult Roles and Functions , Child Development , Parenting , Sewing , Travel West Virginia , and Computer Applications .
“ The things that I enjoyed most about teaching were the relationships that you establish with so many of the students and a lot of those last a lifetime . It makes you feel very good when you see some of those kids later in their lives and they speak of the good memories they have of being in one of my classes .
“ I also got great pleasure seeing the pride and self-fulfillment in a student when they successfully completed an assigned project ,” she emphasized .
Green retired from teaching in 2017 .
“ It was a difficult adjustment for me ,” she noted . “ The first two or three years were challenging . I missed my school family . I missed the daily routine of having a set purpose for each day . I liked facing the challenges of each school day and trying to get things accomplished .
“ I also missed the satisfaction of helping others to find solutions and doing problem-solving .
“ My husband Tim and I like to walk as much as we can ,” she said of her current activities . “ We enjoy walking or hiking at Twin Falls State Park . We like to travel to state parks . There are only a couple that we haven ’ t visited yet .
“ We also enjoy visiting historical places and trying out new places to eat around the region .
“ Tim and I have also become interested in gardening over the past four years . We started out with only a few plants and have now worked up to a much larger number of plants and we add something more each year .
“ We get a lot of pleasure from watching things grow from seed or young plants into maturity . I guess
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