Comments on: Slow Design in a Fast World http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/2009/07/27/249/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:52:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Carl http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/2009/07/27/249/#comment-208 Carl Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:19:54 +0000 http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/?p=249#comment-208 It's so true what you say about the need to feel comfortable with mistakes. We just don't anymore. In our air-brushed, I'm-worth-it culture, we expect everything to be perfect. Including ourselves. Which is ludicrous, because making mistakes and admitting to them is the lifeblood of learning. At least I hope it is. Otherwise this knitting is going to drive me over the edge... It’s so true what you say about the need to feel comfortable with mistakes. We just don’t anymore. In our air-brushed, I’m-worth-it culture, we expect everything to be perfect. Including ourselves. Which is ludicrous, because making mistakes and admitting to them is the lifeblood of learning.

At least I hope it is. Otherwise this knitting is going to drive me over the edge…

]]> By: Lisa Bayne http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/2009/07/27/249/#comment-207 Lisa Bayne Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:39:19 +0000 http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/?p=249#comment-207 It is interesting that you mention the comparison to getting stressed at yoga. I find there are, indeed, many similarities between knitting and the practice, in my case, of Pilates. First of all, being comfortable with the mistakes, with the learning is key. Having a knitting buddy, someone with whom you feel comfortable saying: How do I do this? or What did I just do? or Can you help me? really helps. I find the whole business of learning something new as an adult to be enlightening. I am terrible at it. I expect to be an expert from the beginning, and thus the tension instead of the journey of the learning. Now, as for that scarf? I say, go for a hat. You can see the end from the beginning, which can be extremely motivating. But first find a knitting buddy to help you with those circular needles! It is interesting that you mention the comparison to getting stressed at yoga. I find there are, indeed, many similarities between knitting and the practice, in my case, of Pilates.

First of all, being comfortable with the mistakes, with the learning is key. Having a knitting buddy, someone with whom you feel comfortable saying: How do I do this? or What did I just do? or Can you help me? really helps.

I find the whole business of learning something new as an adult to be enlightening. I am terrible at it. I expect to be an expert from the beginning, and thus the tension instead of the journey of the learning.

Now, as for that scarf? I say, go for a hat. You can see the end from the beginning, which can be extremely motivating. But first find a knitting buddy to help you with those circular needles!

]]> By: Carl http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/2009/07/27/249/#comment-206 Carl Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:53:49 +0000 http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/?p=249#comment-206 Lovely post. Really brought back memories. At the Camp Bestival music festival this past weekend, I dropped in on the Knitting Tent for a lesson. I used to knit many years ago and figured picking it up again would be a doddle. Think again. The needles were more fiddly than I remember and I actually got a bit stressed when I dropped a stitch or my row got too tight. It didn't help that the teacher was hovering over me clucking away about how easy it all should be. Even so, I felt more than a bit silly. It was like getting stressed at yoga or meditation. But now I'm finding my rhythm again. The next question is what to knit first. Does the world need another homemade scarf? Lovely post. Really brought back memories.

At the Camp Bestival music festival this past weekend, I dropped in on the Knitting Tent for a lesson. I used to knit many years ago and figured picking it up again would be a doddle. Think again.

The needles were more fiddly than I remember and I actually got a bit stressed when I dropped a stitch or my row got too tight. It didn’t help that the teacher was hovering over me clucking away about how easy it all should be. Even so, I felt more than a bit silly. It was like getting stressed at yoga or meditation.

But now I’m finding my rhythm again. The next question is what to knit first. Does the world need another homemade scarf?

]]>