Today I've been thinking about new skills you learn as you need them. Stuff you find out about because you want to. New skills that keep it interesting.The other day Bren and I were trying to teach Indi to do long subtraction for her homework. She had to learn it but didn't necessarily want to. It didn't seem at all relevant to her life and I didn't blame her.
But I'm not talking about school skills. Skills that you have no idea when or if or how you'll ever make use of them in real life. I mean skills you learn because you choose to. Because you want to. Because it makes life easier, or more exciting or interesting.
This afternoon I cast on 72 stitches for a new born baby beanie but then realised that I didn't have small enough circular needles to join them in the round. My choices were to use double pointed needles which I don't feel particularly comfortable with or to learn the magic loop.
This lady showed me how to do it. She was so patient, such a great teacher and repeated herself over and over until I was confident I knew what I was doing. I can now magic loop.
I love the magic loop!
But if I had to learn it at school I might not have.
This week Farmer Bren has learnt all about earthships, Indi has learnt how to knit, Jazzy has learnt how to do a ballet leap and Miss Pepper has learnt how to tell a joke. I'm sure we've all learnt about a gazillion other things too but these are the things we've been the most excited about and hungry for.
BUT I do have to add that there is such thing as negative learning too. During the week when I was at my sickest I made the mistake of googling my symptoms only to discover that I had about three weeks to live. My doctor thought it was hilarious. I wont be doing that again in a hurry.
So have you learnt anything cool lately? Do tell...
See ya. XX
Kate I'm excited for Farmer Bren to have been learning about earthships. This way of building fascinates me. Has he looked at Erdhause in Switzerland? Ahh, many a dream has been had over that kind of building. One day, one day...
ReplyDeleteI've learnt this week that amaranth is delicious, crocheted beanies are cool, and experimenting with rolling sourdough in cocoa gives a funky effect that definitely needs more playing with.
This week I've learntthat, trying to be as open-minded as I can, I just don't like eating blood sausage. I've learnt that grey hairs will win the fight in the long term. I've learnt the basics of dyeing yarn and that I will not be too scared to give it a go after all. I've learnt that finding photo frames in Australian shops for 5" x 5" photos is near impossible. Glad that you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteHiya Kate, Iv'e learnt that sometimes it's 'ok' to let go, I've learnt that there are some amazing people in my world and I should foster the friendship.
ReplyDeleteI've also learnt that giving something yuk more time and energy than it is worthy of costs me plenty and cost the 'yuk' none...So I'll stop now. Great to see you the other day. P xo
I learnt how to tan a hide, which I know you will find icky ;)
ReplyDeleteI learned how to wet felt last night which was great. I am going to learn, one of these months how to not spend over 2 hours every night getting my boys to sleep. One takes 5 minutes the other we have to keep up late or he won't go to sleep for hours and hours and then he still takes ages to go to sleep. I want to learn how to stop this as it is KILLING ME!
ReplyDeleteOh Kate i've done that too, when dad was quite ill I googled his symptoms and thought he was going to die.
ReplyDeleteI blame all those long medical words.
not wanting to sound bleak, but this week I learnt that I'm stronger than I thought. that a time I didn't think I would get through i did. somehow on my own. xo
Thanks to finding your blog and enrolling in a class I've learnt to crochet and spent all day at a work conference listening and crocheting at the same time. I've also learnt that you CAN add cocoa to playdough to make really good imitation biscuits but it is then really hard to not want to eat them because they smell unbelievably good.
ReplyDeleteThis week I have learnt that the enthusiasm of teenagers with special needs for sewing is remarkable. That its VERY important to read the rules when you have special needs and want to go to the disco! And that there is no point in dragging yourself off your sick bed to take two young boys on half term holiday to a concert, as they won't enjoy it and you feel dreadful and they would rather be trashing their bedroom.
ReplyDeleteYay for magic loop. A whole new world, like knitting too sleeves or socks at once. Go Bren on the Earthships. I remember getting carried away with the possibilities they present a couple of years ago.
ReplyDeleteHmm what have I learnt this week. Not so much learnt as improved, I am getting better at spinning finer while remaining even.
Have a great weekend.
Oh and you'll have to get Pepper to tellus all a joke sometime
Well done! I love magic loop, it changed my knitting world.
ReplyDeleteI just jumped online to find out about magic loops for a doll cardigan arm, and thought I'd check a couple of blogs first. And there was your post about magic loops!
ReplyDeleteAh Kate you made me laugh (I needed one) self diagnosing is probably not the best practice! I love the magic loop too and those earthships are seriously cool! Have a great week :-)
ReplyDeletenot so much a new skill but an old one tried and true revisited successfully.
ReplyDeleteALWAYS trust ones own gut feeling. (I did and feel so much better.)
AND
NEVER respond to harsh comments and stupid emails ( I didn't and feel better) ( etsy very kindly put my world map cushion on their FB page and there was some nastiness about its price etc)
Wow magic loop already Kate! You do amaze me. I still dont do magic loop but I will one day. You will be able to knit socks one day if you can do that and they keep your feet extra warm! Well done for Indi learning to knit too, you will be able to do it together! Things I have learnt lately that things you worry about a lot are still going to be there until they are solved and finding a solution is not always easy but there is an end to everything eventually, good or bad. I never google symptoms for being sick anymore as it just scares me and makes me anxious making me think all the things I could have. Glad your on the mend as you sound a lot happier today!
ReplyDeleteI love Earthships and Michael Reynolds, I have all of his books! Lucky Farmer Boy, I wish I was close enough to see him too :)
ReplyDeletelearning new stuff is shizzle
I'm learning all about how plants grow at the moment... I love learning new things and, you're so right, a lot of it is on an 'as needs' basis!
ReplyDeleteNext on the agenda for me is crocheting. x
Snap on the magic loop. I taught myself the other day so I could start a beanie for a friend cause I couldn't find the right length. I am loving it and am kicking myself asvro why I have not learnt it before this.
ReplyDeletethe same lady taught me too! Yours looks heaps neater than mine every did, though:)
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful post, Kate :) I've learned a bit of humility this week and that time for reflection is often very necessary before jumping to action ;) Hope it's a great week for you! Kx
ReplyDeleteLOL, good post!
ReplyDeleteThe magic loop is next for me to learn. Just made a pair of mittens and avoided the DPN, so made them with 2 needles.
Now is the time!
wow, earthouses are cool!! the earthouses the swiss company builds are ghastly expensive though, I'd rather learn how to build my own! And I know I will one day, for now I am quite satisfied with almost finishing a yurt, and I am planning on learning how to make pasta today.
ReplyDeleteThis is a gorgeous green Kate and well done for learning something new!At the moment, I just seem to be learning hungry :) using my camera, sewing my quilt,parenthood and a 11 years old going through a hard time... taking life challenges a little better and keep being "happy" :)
ReplyDeleteIts lovely to be able to be excited about learning new things...heard of a little boy on the weekend who had once been scared of growing up, because when you're little you get to learn SO much and its SO fun, then he said, when you're thirteen it all ends. I thought it was brilliant and hilarious and was like, 'oh no, the learning has barely begun'
ReplyDeleteAnd yup-never google your symptoms!! "I'm dying of a rare African intestinal worm" ;o)
xoxo
I've never actually tried magic loop knitting but its intrigued me for a while. Maybe I'll have to give it a go...
ReplyDeleteI want to learn how to do the magic loop next but would have to actually start knitting again ;)
ReplyDeleteDr google is evil, he told meI might have the big C last week, needless to say I have stopped googling symptoms now, glad to hear you are feeling better xxx
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