The last time I picked up my knitting needles (I really like starting stories this way) was on Saturday at work. At first it was raining outside so I sat on a chair with my knitting things on another chair beside me. Then the rain stopped and the sun came out. I noticed that the sun was shining directly onto the bed so I moved to sit on the bed with the sun on my back. It was warm and lovely! I was all by myself for most of the time, the person I support was asleep. I knitted and thought and my imagination went wild. Another staff member came in and I was so engrossed in my knitting and thinking that he had to let himself in as I didn't hear him knock. He was there to pick up a car and left soon so I picked up my knitting again. Since I have a lot of free time at work and am required to be there and available for the person, knitting is a good pastime. I can knit and chat to the person or knit by myself when they are doing other things. Knitting can be put down anytime so I can just leave it where I'm up to and go assist with something. As I get used to the pattern it becomes easier and easier to knit and do something else, like chatting or watching TV. I no longer need to have the pattern in front of me as I can tell by the stitches what I am up to. I don't need to count anymore either. Even a complicated pattern has a definite shape and repeats the same series of stitches over a few rows. You can tell quite easily when you have made a mistake and the sooner you can tell the easier it is to fix!
Knitting is a lot like baking - Recipe vs pattern, Ingredients vs wool. However the difference lies within being able to leave your activity. Being able to walk away from a cake in the oven is not a good idea. Both these activities follow specific guidelines. I really enjoy recipes as I like order in my life. Im a very concrete person and like control. I enjoy baking because once you start this activity you have to be there with it from start to finish, constantly checking the project. When reading this post I keep thinking of the fact that knitting is something that can be left and finshed later (with later being minutes, hours, days, months, years). I enjoy starting and finishing things in one go especially when it comes to assignments etc. Are you the same? or with other things in life do you start them and go back to them later? Is this activity a paralell to how you like to work?
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelsey, that's a really helpful comment. I hadn't thought about this aspect before. And yes I do tend to leave things when they get too much and go back later.
ReplyDeleteHi Judith, I like how you write about all the things that knitting affords: sun-baking, day-dreaming, chatting, watching television. I also like the fact that you note some of these affordances are possible because you are an expert. I'm an expert cross-stitcher and will do it while watching TV and chatting, but a friend of mine is just learning, and has to focus 100 % on the task. She cannot cross-stitch and talk at all! Hannah
ReplyDeleteOne suggestion for improvement would be to delve more into the affordances, and relate it to your level of expertise and also that of a novice, maybe relating it back to occupational therapy practice.
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying your blog Judith. I believe that knitting is a good way to fill in time. However, I am too impatient for it! You make a good point about your activity leading onto other activities. This had made me think about the other activities involved with my activity of cooking. I agree with Janine...it wold be lovely to see some finished pieces of knitting!
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