One of the class assignments is to learn a new skill using educational technology and media.
I took quite some time to figure out what I wanted to learn, and settled on Amirigumi
Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. They are adorable, and apparently good for beginners.
Picture from Amazon.ca – A cover for a book of amigurumi.
I attempted to learn to crochet when I was a teenager and made about 25% of a washcloth.. and it wasn’t pretty.
Skills I struggle with: attention to detail, ability to focus on something for longer than 2 minutes.
About 5 years ago I sewed a tshirt and that went surprisingly well. I think it would be nice to develop the skills to make things that are useful or beautiful, and to mend items when they get damaged. So in a few months I will have either made a lovely little animal or something very scary (but knitted so maybe still cute?!)
There are a variety of websites with free patterns and youtube videos to follow along with! This week, I am going to practice some basic stitching patterns and be comfortable with those skills before getting started on my animal. I think I’m going to make a whale. Here are a few links that I would like to try:
I haven’t decided what tutorial I will use yet, but there are lots of resources for me to peruse!
So the first thing I did, after looking up some resources, was look for a local craft shop to purchase my supplies from. I wound up at Yarn over Fibre Crafting company. Here is a link to their website: Yarn Over Fibre
I walked in and told the employee what I wanted to make. They immediately knew what I would need and helped me pick out the supplies. I grabbed some extra yarn in case I got excited and wanted to make something else (or failed horribly at my whale and needed to switch up ideas…?). I grabbed a hook, some eyes and two kinds of yarn for under $20.
So, in my next update on this project, I should be able to make a chain, a single crochet, and a magic circle. Stay tuned!