I know, I know where the time went! (hand waving wildly in the air) Ravelry took it! Work took it! Nagging The Dork took it!
Monday - Back to School Night. I got to talk with all the 4th grade parents who came about Information Literacy and why it's important that students learn how to quickly find relevant, accurate info in this age of information overload. I mean, think about it in fiber terms - how are we as adults deciding which patterns we'd like to make, what clothing option might actually suit the person it's made for, what yarn to use, whether the pattern is accurate or not, how to modify or fix the pattern to suit what you want to make, and then decide whether or not we did the right thing? (Couldn't knit, though. Out of the house from 7 AM to 9:30 PM)
********************
Side trip: the
Big6 research method in action:
1)
Task definition - What questions do I need to answer? What is my end product supposed to be?
In other words: what's my next project? I need to make a sweater for my roommate. Parameters - Hopefully one that fits her! Needs to be made in something washable, soft is good, and she's a plus-sized woman whose size is not reflected in the standard knitted pattern measurements.
2)
Information seeking strategies: What are all the sources I can look at for info on this question? Which are the best ones for me to start with? Internet, subscription databases, books, interview....
In other words: Ask her what she wants, search through my sweater books for something that might have elements she'd like. After all, I don't need to bother with the sock books for this question! Other places I should use are the
Ample Knitter's site,
Big Girl Knits, ask at my LYS for help, talk with knitters who have made plus-sized sweaters about what how they've modified existing patterns to fit.
3)
Location and access: How do I get to all these resources?
In other words: Online is not a problem because that's available to me and I know how to search effectively. Getting to the yarn shop - maybe I should wait until they open...darn it, that's not until after I have to be at work. I guess that'll have to wait until later. Oh no, I now have to wait for a copy of Big Girl Knits because everyone is out of it and the library's copy is checked out.
4)
Use of information: Once you've found some information, you need to understand it and take notes. If it isn't quite right, go to the next source. Constantly be thinking of the Task in mind to make sure you're doing the right thing.
In other words: measure and write it down so you don't have to do it again! Look at the different options for the sweater, stitch pattern, find something that's close to the defined sweater, choose the right yarn and color (in this case, Encore worsted in a sage green), make a gauge swatch so you can play with the numbers... scribble various numbers in the margins of some possible patterns. Decide that recalculating existing patterns is too much work. Decide that you need to draft the pattern on your own when you find a link to tutorial on
fitted sweaters.
5)
Synthesis: put all your notes & information together in the final product.
In other words: Knit it! OF COURSE, you are constantly evaluating whether or not the end product is going to suitably answer the Task Definition. Take your gauge numbers, plug them into your pattern formula and actually do it!
6)
Evaluation: did I do the right project? Did I do all the things I was supposed to do on it - did it match my Task Definition? How did I feel about it?
In other words: does it fit and does she like it? What have I learned from this project? Would I do another one? Why and why not?
**********************
Where am I in the process? Only at #4, but almost ready for #5. Can I get this one done for Christmas, seeing as I started this process around this time last year...?
**********************
Okay, back to the week:
Tuesday & Wednesday - besides the regular day school librarian thing, I also work for a public library. Usually only Wednesday evenings for 3 hours, but got asked to fill in on Tuesday night too. Out of the house from 7 AM until 9:45 PM.
Thursday - After we arrived home about 6 PM, thought about going out again to Knit Night at
Purlescence, but then decided I was too tired to do any more driving. Loaded projects into Ravelry.
Friday - School all day, get The Dork to his fencing class by 6:30, have to pick him up around 9:30. What to do in between? Why, go to Late Night Knits/Movie night at Purlescence! Pirates of the Caribbean, comfort food, friends, yarn...what more do you need? Out of the house from 7 AM until 11 PM.
Saturday - Out of the house by 9:30 to get The Dork up to the fencing club to help coach the younger kids and then his lesson and class. Should pick him up around 3:30. Although, he needed to learn to wire his new epee blade, so he called and said pick up around 4:30 because the wiring should take between 15-30 minutes after his coach finished private lessons. Well, we didn't leave the club until 6 PM, after they'd worked on it for 2 hours and something wasn't quite right. [That's okay, lots more knitting time!]
On the real knitting/crocheting front, I'm finally blocking the Pretty-in-Purple tank top.
and I've divided my Ribby Shell into front and back, and might actually have another finished product soon!
Here are my first, second and latest socks. The green pair (unknown Opal yarn) were made at least 5-6 years ago. The Dork had seen the yarn at Stitches and said "Hey Mom, that yarn would make great socks for school." (school colors being green and white, uniforms...) So I made them, and he wore them for about 2 months before outgrowing them. And, oh darn, his feet had been the same size as mine were for those 2 months...MINE!
