Yesterday, I taught a seaming class to a group of 7 eager knitters. Most of them were there because they had had bad finishing experiences in the past and really wanted to know how to solve their problems. They were definitely of the opinion that, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well."
As I tried to squeeze as much as possible into two short hours, I heard comments about how much there was to learn about the topic and how many different ways there are to get the job done. Since I am in the midst of putting together several more hours of finishing classes, this was good to hear.
And, unfortunately, it is the opposite of what the general public thinks about knitting. The public seems to think that if you can knit, purl, cast on and off, you know everything there is to know about knitting. This is actually pretty sad, because they really don't have a clue about what they are missing.
Maybe I'm just a slow learner, but I feel like there is no end to what I can learn about knitting. There are so many different techniques, yarns, colours, stitch patterns and projects around that can then be recombined into new ideas ...that it just boggles my mind. And that's just one of many things I love about this great art!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
How do you eat an elephant?
Hmmmmm ...maybe it's because there's a monumental elephant statue across from the shop that I've been using the phrase, "One bite at a time," a lot lately.
It started with the goal of clearing up piles of paper. You know the kind ...knitting patterns. I've been sticking them into page protectors and sorting them into binders for three weeks now ...and I've made sure to do a bit every day. And I can see progress.
And then there's the 60-80 hour lace shawl project that I'd sure like completed by late August; and the samples for an upcoming class; and ...and ...and.... I just keep reminding myself, "One bite at a time."
While talking with a customer the other day, she complained that she didn't have time to knit because of her gardening. She was just too tired at the end of the day to knit for her usual few hours. I suggested my one bite at a time approach. When sitting to take a break, she might find that ten minutes of knitting can really add up. And, anyway ...it is physically better for us to take breaks while knitting.
She smiled and I could see the excitement in her eyes. After all, is there anything better than playing hooky from chores, with your feet up, a favourite beverage at your side, and knitting in your lap?
It started with the goal of clearing up piles of paper. You know the kind ...knitting patterns. I've been sticking them into page protectors and sorting them into binders for three weeks now ...and I've made sure to do a bit every day. And I can see progress.
And then there's the 60-80 hour lace shawl project that I'd sure like completed by late August; and the samples for an upcoming class; and ...and ...and.... I just keep reminding myself, "One bite at a time."
While talking with a customer the other day, she complained that she didn't have time to knit because of her gardening. She was just too tired at the end of the day to knit for her usual few hours. I suggested my one bite at a time approach. When sitting to take a break, she might find that ten minutes of knitting can really add up. And, anyway ...it is physically better for us to take breaks while knitting.
She smiled and I could see the excitement in her eyes. After all, is there anything better than playing hooky from chores, with your feet up, a favourite beverage at your side, and knitting in your lap?
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