Parks and Recipes

Hi all!

If you remember way back to my first project, I worked on a fan-based online tutorial. It was based on Parks and Recreation, and was a blog of recipes inspired by the show. Just wanted to keep my followers (both of you... :D) in the loop about that. I am updating the blog and my attempt at a video tutorial will be for the most recent recipe. Stay creative!

parksandrecipes.blogspot.com

Reading an "old fashioned' Knitting Pattern with DIY Learning

I am super excited because today I will do starting to knit my second sweater! It's a big undertaking but I have my yarn and my pattern. This pattern is from a magazine that I love, not only because it's named "Rebecca" but also because their patterns turn our quite nicely. I made a scarf over the summer from a "Rebecca" pattern and it was very simple and ending up looking really pretty.

However, knitting patterns are notoriously difficult to read. 

So, today I am going to walk you through this sweater pattern and how I do my online crafting research. I could do this for every part of the pattern, but that would make an unnecessarily long and rather repetitive post, so I will just be showing you the basics of my online craft searches and how ridiculously simple it can be to clarify your crafting confusion. 

Title: Raglan Sweater in Half Fisherman's Rib

I want to know what a raglan sweater is, what it will look like, and what makes it different from knitting other kinds of sweaters. A quick google search should fix that.

Interesting. I am now curious about the sleeves, because they have a different style than the ones I am used to. I can skim this article from craftsy: http://www.craftsy.com/article/understanding-raglan-sleeves

Also, I have never heard of half fisherman's rib before. I'm going to google that. 

My Google search came up with an explanation right away. Simply clicking on the images tab will show me some examples of what this stitch may look like. 

This image search can also help influence my color and yarn choices. Different types of yarn and different colors of yarn will look different, even if you are using the same stitch. This can show me the basic design without my knitting an entire swatch. 

Finally, YouTube:

I hope this post gave you a bit more insight into how the online environment can really benefit the average crafter. Feel free to comment if you have any questions and as always, stay creative!

Rebecca

A Reflection on Online Tutorials: Knitting Edition

What is DIY Learning? That is what I created this class to discover. I have thought about it a lot in the past few weeks, and started noticing that a lot of things I take for granted are a result of online learning.

For example, let's take knitting. I am a huge knitter. I just finished my first sweater, which I am very proud of. When I tell people I knit, they always comment on how "cute" or "sweet" it is. Yes, I know knitting is mainly thought of as an activity grandmothers do to pass the time in their rocking chairs. But there has been a lot of research on the effects of knitting on mental health plus my friends and family are always really touched by my hand-knit gifts.

I have been knitting for a little over a year now. To be fair, I learned the basics of knitting in elementary school when my mom started knitting. But once my mom had made about 15 scarves and could not seem to follow the VHS tutorials she stopped knitting, and so did I.

My best friend Rachel, on the other hand, started in third grade and has been knitting ever since. Instead of late night high school parties she spent her afternoons at her local knitting store, where she was the youngest member there by several decades. She tells me how these women, retired or stay at home moms, spend their lives at the yarn store, sitting at the table, buying yarn, and getting help from more experienced knitters.

Rachel has been knitting for over a decade. I have been knitting for a year. Here's the paradox: Rachel comes to me when she needs help. Why? Because ironically I know different skills and I am not afraid to learn a new technique.

This, I think, is why online learning appeals to me so much. It has made me more adventurous and less fearful of failure.

A particular example of this is with the knitting technique of learning to cast on. There are multiple ways to cast on to start your project, and almost every educational knitting book has a diagram or explanation. But teaching yourself a new skill is not a "one size fits all" deal, especially with creative minds. My mother could not figure out how to cast on, and always had the woman at the craft store start her project (I assume she annoyed customers in line more than once). She had beginner knitting books and a few VHS tapes but still, it's a hard technique to learn without a specialized lesson.

A quick YouTube search shows me:

If you have specific problems, there are videos for that

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. I will hopefully be adding another soon. Here is my personal favorite cast on video, but feel free to find your own lesson that works for you. Isn't that what online education is all about?

Stay Creative,
Rebecca

Future Video

My first video tutorial will be based off this project I made a few days ago:

Stay tuned!

Parks and Recipes!!

My first blog post tutorial is up!!

Project 1/Online Tutorial Project: Ann Perkins' Eggs

I'm very excited about this. Hope you all enjoy!

http://parksandrecipes.blogspot.com/

Flip Flopping the Syllabus

I think one of the nice things about designing my own course is that I am in control. I have lots of ideas that will come at any random moment (ask anyone who's ever met me, it's been commented on many times). I am in process of creating a video, but I need to order supplies that won't be here until Wednesday, and I have a new tutorial idea I want to try out.

My lovely younger sister Shayna (who is younger, despite popular opinion), will be turning 16 on November 1. I love gift giving, and I wanted to find something this year that she would really appreciate and use. This past year (well, since January or so), she has become a big fan of the TV series Parks and Rec. (For the record, I introduced her to it. Then she convinced me to go back and watch the series, which I did. It was fantastic.

My DIY Learning Project 4 was geared towards fan culture and fan-produced DIY art and pop culture- inspired crafts. After a quick google search, I couldn't find any Parks and Rec Inspired recipes that had nicely written tutorials. So I DIYed it!!

For my first project, I will be creating an online tutorial blog for Parks and Rec inspired recipes. So my video project will now be project 2. Try and keep up :)

Stay Creative!

Rebecca

What I'm Reading: Video Nation

Hello my fellow creatives! Sorry I haven't been in touch-- it's been a long week and I've been sick. But I'm committed to bringing you my thoughts and ideas on the DIY Learning culture of the Internet. Starting...NOW!

The first book on my required reading list is called "Video Nation: A DIY Guide to Planning, Shooting, and Storing Great Video."