Comments on: On Knitting and Purling

By: stella from new zealand

stella from new zealand — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:04:41 +0000

i love the idea of a learning project focussed around knit teaching books or resources. I’m currently mid way thru a tertiary teaching post grad dip, but had not thought to apply that knowledge to my knitting. I was reading in a John Biggs book, the chapter on international students that we ‘westerners’ often get confused bewteen rote or proceedural learning and the repitition used to deepen understanding (common in the east)- the knowledge that comes with repeated use. I’m not sure that there is a fast way to get beyond use without understanding. My little look at the published work on plagerism tells me that a copying or rote use is a stage all learners go thru, so I’m looking at ways to optimise and shorten that part of the journey. I teach in ‘studio’ classes on a design degree, so much is problem based learning, but at the opposite end of the spectrum from your maths kids. My own learning comes best from fixing my mistakes, so i give my students time and space to experiment and make mistakes.

By: KathyMarie

KathyMarie — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:03:28 +0000

Okay, the light bulb just went on in my head (after a year of knitting) when you wrote “knitting is just new loops pulled through old loops…”

Thank you for writing about this. I’m about to teach people to knit in a few weeks and I’m trying to find a better way of explaining it. Your post is very insightful.

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 04:54:55 +0000

Yes! Exactly.

I taught my good friend to knit recently, and I basically told her the same things. I also said that even mistakes can be turned into “design elements” if you know what happened, and how to repeat it. Kind of like a science experiment.

By: Sus

Sus — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 03:37:01 +0000

As a self-taught and mostly solitary knitter (except for the wonders of the innernets), I think I’ve taken for granted that you have to figure these things out or else you won’t get very far on your own. Thank you for writing about this, because it has kind of let me know “where I am”, if that makes any sense. I know what I know, but I probably have no idea what I don’t know. Although stumbling along cluelessly is how I’ve learned most of what I know, so maybe I should just stick with that.

But, yes, if the urge strikes you, please write more about theory!

By: Martha

Martha — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 00:48:53 +0000

This is a very insightful article. You should write more about knitting theory (If it makes you happy).

I do love seeing that light bulb go off when someone “gets it” in knitting.