Stephanie Haberer's Genius Hour Module 6

"Nothing is a waste of time if you learn something."

This learning process of my Genius hour project has taught me that I get aggravated quickly.  Sometimes, that results in my giving up.  However, thanks to this genius hour, giving up was not an option.

Though I was nervous at the beginning, I was also very excited to start.  When I actually finished my scarf (earlier than expected), I was very happy with myself.  I was happy that I was able to follow through with something I have never done before and actually end up with a final product.

I then was working on smaller projects; can koozies.  I think I may have thought that it would be way easier than the scarf because it was a lot smaller of a project.  However, i was wrong.  It was very hard to find a good video, and most required a smaller loom than I had.  The first one did not fit on the can and made me feel discouraged.  I then tried again.  I took this time to try new stitch patterns to practice without wasting good yarn and a ton of time since the project was smaller than most.

It was good to get some practicing done because I am going to need to start getting creative because there are not as many detailed videos as I had hoped for a larger variety of items to make.  However, I re-purposed the can Koozies and let my daughter have them for tops or shirts for her dolls.

I was pretty annoyed, but finally pushed through and made a hat.  My daughter loved it more than I had expected her to as well as some friends and family.  I learned that I gain motivation from praise and wanting to see the final result.  I then tried a different pattern and made myself a hat which I am also very proud of.  

When I see progress, I want to work for longer periods of time and more often.  I see myself squeezing in knitting time as much as I can.  I am looking for ways to get patterns for projects if I can not get a video.  I am searching for new yarn all of the time.  It has become a great hobby for me.  I just hope that I can remind myself that when I get discouraged it is ok and part of the learning process.   Not every thing I make is going to be perfect or easy and it is ok to get frustrated as long as I work through it.

Stephanie Haberer's Genius Hour

Mutiny 

"All things are difficult before they are easy."


I feel that I have come a long way this week.  However, with that came a lot of struggle and frustration.  The closer I got to finishing my first project the more I wanted to keep going.  I worked a lot extra than I probably should have, but I finished my scarf.  

When I went back to watching the video so I could figure out how to 'cast off' and finish up the end of my scarf I was very nervous.  After the beginning of the scarf, the middle was pretty repetitive and I gained some confidence.  Things that were frustrating though was that as the scarf go longer, everything kept needed to get untangled/twisted which took extra time and patience.  

I also became very frustrated when I ran out of yarn to close up my scarf.  I had no idea that I needed a very long piece of yarn that wasn't wrapped around the pegs to close up my scarf.  As I was going through the closing steps, my anxiety was kicking in.  I had come so far and did not want to quit now.  But, the yarn was gone and I was not.  I took a piece of yarn that my daughter had been using for other things and just tied it on hoping it would work and not be noticeable.  Luckily, it is a very small piece and at the end and can be hidden when wearing the scarf.  

I was very upset that the video did not warn me that I needed a pretty long piece of yarn to finish the job.  Other than that,the video was great for be to begin with.  I decided to gift the scarf to my Mom.  She will be so happy when I tell her it is hers.  

I was eager to start another project, so after posting me finished product on social media, I decided to try a hat.  I ordered more yarn but it will not be here for a few days.  Then, my daughter asked if I could make her a hat with the two yarns she has. I said yes, of course. 

These skeins of yarn are very long and the yarn itself is much thinner than my first project so I used two pieces together.  It gets tangled and annoying as well as the tutorial for the hat starts going to the left instead of the right which was hard for me to get used to.  I am sure I could have went the other way, but being so new still I did not want to try.  

My daughter being 7 wants everything instantly.  So, I have been working extra on this hat.  I even brought outside today to work at the table while my kids were playing for hours with the water toys in back.  The brim of the hat was a bit different but I got it done with no problem.  Aside from the tangled yarn and new way of moving my hand, I almost finished the hat in one day.

But, when I went to go find the tool I needed to thread the rest of the yarn through to close up the hole for the hate, i can't find it.  It is somehow missing.  I gave up searching after about a half hour and am going to order a new one. I had it about 10 minutes before I needed it so being frustrated and aggravated is an understatement. 

The setbacks are not going to slow me down forever.  I am enjoying this much more than I had anticipated.  I can't wait to continue with making new items for more loved ones.

                                       

Week 3 Genius Hour Stephanie Haberer

"A little progress each day adds up to big results."


Setting up a routine has really helped me make progress with my project.  As soon as I get both kids to bed, I come downstairs and work on my scarf for 20 minutes before I watch TV.  It helps me unwind and also keeps my hands busy so I do not do any mindless snacking which is an added bonus.  

I was very hesitant to starts and felt defeated when it was hard for me to tie the slip knot to start.  I had to pause and re-watch that party numerous times.  I finally got it even though I was pulling on the opposite side of the string than they had stated. It may have been because my yarn is so thick that it would not pull the way they did.  It is still holding up the way I ended up doing it so I think it is safe to say it worked.

I continued to start and stop the next part of the video a few times to make sure I was moving the yarn on the pegs the correct way.  The last peg before needing to secure and use you pick tool to bring the yarn over the pegs was a tad confusing at first because you had to remember that you already wrapped it around and to go straight behind the next peg.  

I just watched how to undo my slip knot from the anchor point since it is no longer needed as the yarn is very secure the longer it gets.  Sometimes I find the yarn easy to lift over the pegs with my pick tool and sometimes it is difficult because it feel very tight.  It can also feel that way when going back and push the yarn down before starting to wrap again.  Since I just learned how to do this, I am sure I will start to notice what I am doing to make it easy or more difficult.

Once in a while when my kids are keeping themselves busy, I find myself gabbing my project and sneaking in some work when I can.  Both kids are very curious so I told them that if this turns out I will look in to making them something next.  I told my daughter that she can even help me with the next project.  She was happy with that and sticking to her friendship bracelets for the time being.

Aside from my 20 minutes a night routine I have nicely established, I also watch videos.  I make sure I watch a video about the project I am doing now, or other projects that seem like they will be fun later on.  I also search for yarn or different patterns on Pinterest as well.  Looking online keeps me motivated.  Sharing my progress with friends and family over the phone is good motivation as well.  I cant wait to get back to the stores because I feel like it will be easier to buy yarn in person than online.

I have been really good sticking to my routine and working on my project at night as well as doing things to better my loom knitting experience daily as well.  The one thing I will be researching next is how to start a new skein on yarn because I am about to run out in the next few days.  

The routine I set seems doable through summer.  If I want to keep this up, I will have to find new places to squeeze in my loom work when school starts back up because I am usually finishing up chores and headed to bed after I get my kids to sleep.

Loom knitting seems like  great hobby to have for a lot of people.  As I am showing my friends and family my progress, they are wanting to put in requests already.  I even had a few people say how interesting it looks and that they may be interested.  I told them I would be happy to show them how to get started.  I am by no means an expert, but I can get them in to the basics and share my looms for them to check it out before they buy their own.

Since I have had kids, it has been hard for me to make time for myself and do something for me.  This has been so great and I am so happy that I am taking time out for me.  Even when my routine needs to be changed late on because of a busy schedule, I feel that I will still be able to knit, I will just have to get even more creative. 

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elevator pitch

Week 2 Genius Hour - Stephanie Haberer

"Success doesn't come from what you do occasionally.  It comes from what you do consistently."
-Marie Forleo

What can you do now that you couldn't do last week?  What do you know that you did not know last week?

I feel that I have already learned so much about loom knitting  However, it is not coming easy to me at all so far.  When I picked this project, I thought I would watch a video or two and get started while watching TV at night.  However, I have watched more tutorials than I care to admit and still have yet to pick up the needle.

There are so many new terms that I have heard so far as well has hand movements that seem impossible for me to know if I am moving the yarn correctly without someone actually being by my side for the first few rounds to make sure I have the hang out it.  Well, our family is still not seeing anyone closer than 10 feet away, so I will have to make due with the tutorials from the internet.  I am hoping it clicks faster than I am imagining in my head.

Since my family is not even going out to stores (husbands call, not mine), I had to order what I needed off of Amazon so I could get started.  I chatted with a friend about what yarn would work for a scarf project.  I had no idea there was so many different choices of yarn.  I also went with the round looms instead of the rectangle.  Both have many videos and tutorials for beginner loom knitters.

I have also learned that this is not something I can do while my head is up looking at the TV screen.  I have been around people that would sit and talk to me while crocheting, so I just assumed that this would be the same.  I did not take in to account that there no peg board for crocheting and the people I have watched have been doing it a while and do not need to look at their every move.

My daughter wanted to start making something as soon as she saw my supplies come.  I told her that I would make something with her once I got the hang of it.  Until then, we made her a friendship bracelet disc from out 3D printer and we figured that process out together.  We have already made a few bracelets each and it is fun and similar to a loom pattern so I figured that would be great practice for the both of us before we start a loom project.

After numerous videos and watching some more than once, I narrowed it down to my favorite two and am going to start my cast on tomorrow.  From the videos, I learned that casting on includes making the slip knot and putting it on to the anchor peg.  I am excited and anxious to start and hope it goes better than I am picturing in my head.

loom knitting for beginners

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