Teaching knitting in the age of information
I was asked by a friend for help with a knitting project. This is a new knitter (comparatively) and she was reaching beyond scarves. She had picked a pattern online and was stuck at a slightly ambiguous instruction. I got the pattern company and pattern name, I downloaded it, I printed it off.
Then we got down to cases. Where EXACTLY was she stuck? Figured that out. So then I walked her through the confusion step by step. I did all this with her 50 miles from me sitting in her house and I in mine. On Facebook chat.
To me, this is an incredible thing. I went to college. I took "Computer Programming and Statistics". Never in my wildest DREAMS would I expect to chat to my friends (anywhere in the WORLD). Never did I think I would solve knitting dilemmas on chat.
Now I grant you, we DID set up a knitting fun day at the same time. We're meeting and having a fiber fest in a couple of weeks. Nothing takes the place of being in the same room, but when you are stuck it's kind of nice to have a knitting instructor on your computer.
I was perusing Ravelry today. How many really nifty patterns are on there? Millions, I'll bet. Did those geeks, sitting in their garages and the basement computer labs in the 80's really imagine that their nifty personal computers would allow me to access shawl patterns from NORWAY (available in six languages)? I'll bet they didn't. I'll bet they didn't know how we would turn their invention to our own use.
It's kind of like making a shawl or a quilt for someone as a gift and then going to their house and seeing it used as a tablecloth, couch cover or a dog bed (I've seen all three). You are shocked, but you gave it to them, and they use it as they see fit.
Sorry Mr. Jobs, Mr. Wozniak, and Mr. Gates. We took your beautiful work and used it to spread knitting propaganda. We used your gorgeous creation, not to launch rockets, but as a metaphorical tablecloth. However, in the process we are creating beauty and keeping idle hands busy. We are spending hours making lovely gifts that will be used as picnic blankets. We understand.
Then we got down to cases. Where EXACTLY was she stuck? Figured that out. So then I walked her through the confusion step by step. I did all this with her 50 miles from me sitting in her house and I in mine. On Facebook chat.
To me, this is an incredible thing. I went to college. I took "Computer Programming and Statistics". Never in my wildest DREAMS would I expect to chat to my friends (anywhere in the WORLD). Never did I think I would solve knitting dilemmas on chat.
Now I grant you, we DID set up a knitting fun day at the same time. We're meeting and having a fiber fest in a couple of weeks. Nothing takes the place of being in the same room, but when you are stuck it's kind of nice to have a knitting instructor on your computer.
I was perusing Ravelry today. How many really nifty patterns are on there? Millions, I'll bet. Did those geeks, sitting in their garages and the basement computer labs in the 80's really imagine that their nifty personal computers would allow me to access shawl patterns from NORWAY (available in six languages)? I'll bet they didn't. I'll bet they didn't know how we would turn their invention to our own use.
It's kind of like making a shawl or a quilt for someone as a gift and then going to their house and seeing it used as a tablecloth, couch cover or a dog bed (I've seen all three). You are shocked, but you gave it to them, and they use it as they see fit.
Sorry Mr. Jobs, Mr. Wozniak, and Mr. Gates. We took your beautiful work and used it to spread knitting propaganda. We used your gorgeous creation, not to launch rockets, but as a metaphorical tablecloth. However, in the process we are creating beauty and keeping idle hands busy. We are spending hours making lovely gifts that will be used as picnic blankets. We understand.
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