Lessons in Making :: Crochet

Lunch hour crochet lessons... that's what I've been up to, on Fridays, sometimes Monday's too. As word spreads, the class has been growing, and that's sweet. In the beginning, Mrs. B and I were teaching Morea, India, and Maria... my favorite part to observe is that when new students show up and want to "try," one of the original three girls, happily, steps in to begin the lessons, with finger crocheting. This peer to peer teaching is what I've learned to encourage through experiences with Benevolent Order of Makers. Teaching builds confidence and reinforces our understanding of subjects that we are sharing; its not necessary to be 'older,' and you don't have to be absolutely 'authoritative' to be a dependable and helpful mentor. It might have been a daunting thing to welcome new students every week, starting over with every beginner, but we are adding as many teachers as students, and everyone is adding and building skills. This hour has become one of my favorite of the week... sitting in a (growing) circle together, exchanging ideas and skills, observing and praising each participant's progress, even feeling at ease and amused about frogging! I love how calming it is to be in that room, surrounded by thoughtful, kind, curious, and enthused crochet-ers, who set such a comfortable and encouraging tone.

And! Maria "made a thing!" I love that she loves what she made. It's not that she doesn't see the inconsistencies, the gradual slope, it's that she is thrilled with the prospect of getting better! She is delighted with the texture, the feel of those double crocheted rows that she made, herself. She has decided on a practical use for it, and she's started practicing the shell stitches for crocheting a shawl. And... ohmygosh, I just love her harvest gold square!

This reminds me of a funny thing about making... if I buy something from a store, I expect it to be square, or hold water, to be uniform and "perfect." But I love the affection, the almost romantic thrill of holding something homemade, our own, so that no matter that it tips, or leaks, or is lopsided, or not-quite-perfect, we love it, adore it, keep it for always. I love that Benevolent Order of Makers celebrates tinkering, creating, failing, trying again, success, sharing, cooperating, teaching and learning, across ages, across disciplines. We don't have to be "perfect," we only have to want to keep trying to reach our goals, and be thrilled with the journey. Inch by inch, row by row... this is how we learn and grow.

Make Way For Making

We did it. In spite of my doubts and insecurities, we we flung our doors wide open and invited people in. It was good. It was timely, and inspiring, and good. Here is some of what we enjoyed...

1. Priscilla's school has been invited to hold a booth at San Diego Maker Faire, which is a brand new experience for them. She asked for some suggestions for her 5th through middle school students... what could they do at the Faire, for the Maker Faire? We played with ideas that leaned toward technical, and ideas that leaned toward crafty. Our first test idea was the the copper dancer; a Homopolar motor. It's simple... sort of. Bending wire into just the right shape to make contact with magnets at the bottom of a AA battery takes some patience. It was fun to see the wire figure twirl, and we found the secret is in very carefully denting the positive end of the battery, so the dancer's foot can more easily balance. The downside: it's a short show. The battery drained in less than two minutes, and even when we considered using rechargeable batteries, we decided this was amusing, but wasteful. Not too bad for a one time experiment and example of a simple motor, but hardly ideal for repeating all day at a two day fair.

Priscilla offered that crafty might be a better direction, and after some consideration, I thought of the Thousand Origami Cranes. I think it offers a lot that will make their Maker Faire experience interesting, engaging and worthwhile, while being an easy introduction for their first visit. The students will learn the historic and cultural significances of folding the cranes, and making 1,000 of them will be an admirable challenge. They can choose someone to receive the gift, and further their community outreach by teaching Faire visitors how to do origami, while sharing their goal and intentions with everyone. From an academic perspective, we were thinking of many ways it would support school curriculum, including: history, math and geometry, language arts, and practical art.

The real point of all of this, for me, is that Maker Faire is not only impressive, it is supportive, inclusive, meant to inspire by being receptive to everyone, at all levels. So, wherever you are in a learning process, you are welcome to share, and encouraged to learn. The learning is what is celebrated, the sharing and engagement are what matter. No one should give up, or fail to start, because they are intimidated by bigger-fancier things, or feel inadequate to an experiment, an idea, a desire to learn. Do it. Make it. Play. Break it. Take it apart. Try again. Fail. Ask for help. Offer suggestions. Support. Encourage. Tinker. Dabble. Do it, again. Even if you feel like you don't know what you are doing, when you try, when you step forward, you are already inspiring someone else to play, too.

2. Geoff brought out motors, batteries, cables, and wheels, and Maria got a quick refresher in circuitry and rudimentary car making. She eagerly shared her interest with Emma M. and Amira.

3. Anna B brought out her handmade patchwork pillow, and made some updates for repurposing it. It's made up of memories, of treasured pieces, and she even added a new square, something from her travels to Iceland. We all watched YouTube videos about beautiful Sashiko stitching. Inspiring, for sure, and also requiring tremendous patience. I am all for trying new things, as well as knowing when to simply appreciate someone else's skills and dedication!

4. Bambi is working on her Halloween costume. Definitely a DIY project, from the design up! She's developing her own patterns for her original design, and sewing a lot of ruffles! We brought out other dress patterns, and special rulers, which we hope will be helpful. William worked on cutting his custom pattern for another pair of breeches. Priscilla decided she'd bring her sewing machine to our next gathering... jumping into new ventures can be much easier to imagine when you are surrounded by friends.

5. Maria is making a drawing tutorial. She acknowledged that drawing while documenting every step, including photographing the progress, is a lot of work. But she persisted. I should also add that, this is the very weekend that she demonstrated her new found skill: H@cking. She's into the interface, locally modifying code in her browser. Making changes. H@cking for good. We are so proud.

6. Speaking of persistence... I followed a tutorial for making granny squares, and I really loved this pattern that has fewer holes and gaps than many granny squares. But my persistence got a bit carried away, and I made it really huge, and then it got very wonky, and not a bit square. So, sadly, I had to frog the whole thing. I am a bit discouraged, but I strongly suspect that when this heat wave passes, I will be in a shop, choosing colors for a new crocheted blanket.

7. The big attraction of the day, literally, was the tentacle arm. It's coming closer and closer to completion, thanks to Geoff's effective and diligent persistence. He was glad for the assistance of William and Paul, and for the awe felt cheers and admiration from the rest of us, when he got the arm properly wired and dancing! It's a sight, and a sound! Pneumatic pistons firing and aluminum rings collapsing and rising at his command. We mean to top it with something thematic, and bring it to the Faire.

{One more thing... because it's just too sweet to leave unmentioned: The next morning, after a full day, and late night of working, playing, making, tinkering, eating, laughing, and sharing, Maria was up very early, and when we found her at the kitchen sink, she'd already cleaned the entire kitchen. My heart. Our girl. She's an inspiration.}

Sewing Makes Me Happy

This is a cheap flour cloth dish towel thing. Very big, but very thin. It's almost a waste to add so much time and effort to it, but I love cheap flour cloth dish towel things, and I love sewing. While Maria was was in her Java class, I passed the time by either adding rows to a thing I am crocheting, or embroidering dish towels. I try to stay in the habit of carrying a basket, or bag, keeping it well stocked with works in progress, and supplies, like threads, needles, floss, a hoop, a pencil, fabric, hooks, and yarn... all handy for the ten minutes or two hours when I don't have much else to do. My down time bag saves me... it occupies my hands and thoughts, it gives me purpose, it makes me happy. Strangely, sadly, I never feel like this is an adequate excuse or explanation for my pastimes. So much of what we learn to value or praise is meant to have a higher purpose, to have a net worth, or an ultimate significance, and I struggle to justify sitting in a corner pulling colored threads through cheap flour cloth.

When someone asks about the lilac yarn I am crocheting, I know it's not good to answer apologetically, "I don't know... it's a thing I started, and I'm not sure how much yarn I have, so I guess I'll know what it is when I run out... " and I probably add: "It's nothing." It's not good to be embarrassed, to feel desperate for a solid rationale for wanting to sew, for spending time doing something that has no deep meaning, or patron, that isn't going to a gallery, or Regretsy. I am not with Etsy. Heck, I haven't even mustered the confidence to believe I make Etsy-worthy stuff. I only know, I like to sew. I want to have fabric nearby, and too many shades of floss to choose from, and a new idea to try out, a sketch to stitch. And I want to not feel silly-goofy-apologetic about it.

Ah, cheese wiz, it's even silly to feel goofy about being silly... time to watch Adam Savage's Maker Faire address, the one when he implores us to make what we can't not make! He adds the Art in STEM: "Art is where it begins! Make what you want. It starts with what you want to have."

I want to put a bird on it. I want to have a little red work creation from my own hands, with my own design,

I want to build on picture books I've seen, stories I have imagined, and I want to make another part of a whimsical place, where mice trek with knapsacks, and carry charts.

I want to feel calm, and content, to be occupied with the feel of cotton, colors, even tangled floss.

I want to be amused.

I want to have an escape from the everyday, from worries, from stress, from things I cannot manage, but must live with. I want to see what I can do with what I have in my bag.

I want to be one of the makers who demonstrates that it's good to play, to tinker, to mess up, and try again, to teach, to inspire. I want to share a skill, encourage silliness, and feel good about enjoying the feel of crocheted rows, wool sheep, pointless things, like hen's teeth.

Time and materials are riches, luxuries, some of the best resources in my life, and it may very well be disrespectful, a squandering waste, to not enjoy them heartily.

Sewing makes me happy. My needles, and hooks, threads, and fabric make me happy. Sharing makes me happy.

This is What I Love

I love STEAM... a new acronym some bright and dedicated students taught me. STEM is a big buzz word in the media these days, and it refers to Science-Technology-Engineering-Math...
Links:
Connect a Million Minds
STEM Coalition
STEM on Wikipedia
FIRST... Robotics

STEAM is a more evolved, inclusive nod to whole learning, to the diversity that makes us stronger, brighter, smarter, cooler, and more passionate. STEAM is: Science~Technology~Engineering~Art~Math. FIRST 2102 Team Paradox is full of STEAM. I think of them as STEAM Paradox.


Maker Faire is also where I get my STEAM.

I love Maker Faire.

I love Love and Rockets~Art of Engineering, our Young Makers Club.


I love that we are going to enjoy another opportunity to visit all of the other Bay Area Young Makers Clubs, see what they have been up to since last year!


I love that we are going to see people of all ages come together to explore and share science, technology, engineering, art, and math... that it will be a hands-on experience, a happy experience!


I love that Maker Faire recognizes the many creative, and diverse skills there are for making... crafts, robots, music, innovation, performance, FIRST Robotics, photography, STEAMPunk... the list goes on and on!


I love that we made new friends, like R.O.S.E., and that we will see each other again, soon!


I love that I can have a celebrity moment with people that inspire me, like Gever Tulley. He is spreading the word about how learning really works, and taking back our right to be curious, daring, intelligent risk takers!


I love that we will see art that makes us question the values and ideas that we are subjected to... art that turns those messages around and asks us to look deeper.


I love that we will see art that is kinetic, dynamic, almost paradoxical, until you learn more, understand the relationships between forces and substances. I love that I will learn more.


I love that we are going to come home with new ideas, new plans! And also confidence and encouragement to test old plans, to move forward with ideas that have been waiting for their chance to be made into reality.


Just to hear the MondoSpider walking will make this trip worthwhile! Our movie-slide show highlights a bit of that power walk.


It is a unique and uplifting experience to be among hundreds, thousands of people that want to tinker, play, make, design, engineer, share, be engaged in what they do, and be engaged in what you do. Makes my heart and mind go boingboing with happiness.


And as members of FIRST 2102 Team Paradox Robotics we are certainly looking forward to meeting up with FIRST 1868 Space Cookies!

Will you be at Maker Faire? Are you inspired to go next year, or to find a Maker Faire, or Mini Maker Faire in your area?


You can meet artists, like Anthony Hicks.


Possibly you will learn what a Wimshurst machine is from Jake Von Slatt.


We will definitely be catching a performance or two of Arc Attack. Tesla Coils and Music... yes, and yes.


I love Maker Faire because of what I cannot expect, because of what will surprise me.


I love Maker Faire, because this year we are going to be sharing the unexpected, the science, technology, engineering, art, and math with a whole lot of friends... not too much could make it any better.

For Love and Rockets

We will be attending our second Maker Faire, this coming May. I cannot wait. And I cannot wait to bring more people with us, to share the experience. We knew from our first visit that we would love to participate in Maker Faire, and now we have Love and Rockets! It's such a natural progression for us, a family that loves to design things, invent stuff, make things, fiddle around, tinker, take apart, reconstruct, experiment... we felt like we belonged to a larger family of like minded people when we were at the Maker Faire.

As much fun as we have making robots, sewing costumes, modifying NERF guns, building chicken coops, constructing sets, making optical effects with mirrors and lights, painting, modeling planets in 3D Studio, building giant theater screens, playing with yarn, and generally keeping everyone in stitches with good humor and love... yes, as much as we love all that, we also love seeing what all the other creative, talented and inspiring Make people are up to...


We cannot wait to meet new friends.


We are excited about the music, and the outfits, the unexpected sights around every corner.


I want to go back, so I can ride on this!
Totally.


At Maker Faire we can participate in FabMo's plan to re-purpose designer fabrics, because "It's really true that one person's trash is another person's treasure."


For Arc Attack! And who wouldn't want to witness a rockin' Tesla coil visual musical concert?!


Would you like to hear me play the Doctor Who theme?


We want to meet up with fellow Young Makers Clubs members, like Tony DeRose...


and the Young Makers who designed and built Saphira! The fire breathing dragon.


I want to see Maria touch an Electric Giraffe!


The electric giraffe (aka 'Rave Raffe') is a shy, nocturnal creature of the Playa. It can sometimes be found roaming the streets of suburbia where it elicits awe amongst the spectators. Native of Southern California, the 'Raffe' can sometimes be coaxed further afield for special occasions. We hope you will be at Maker Faire, Raffe!


We hope R.O.S.E. will be at the Faire. Maria and her friend, the Reanimate Optimized Search Engine, had a very good time together. The League of S.T.E.A.M. are masterful in the art of creative play.


Perhaps we will have another visit with fellow SteamPunk artist and gentleman, Anthony Hicks.


Throughout the Maker Faire we found wonderful opportunities to meet and talk with talented, generous artists, inventors, tinkerers... like Jake von Slatt, of the Steampunk Workshop.


Look! It's a ping-pong an Original Egg-Bot! We will never run out of amazing projects and ideas we can aspire to try!


Last year we saw nearly everything... no, not really, but we tried.
The good thing is that however much we saw, we enjoyed it all. It's a pleasure to share in people's joy, in their pride for what they have made. It was never dull. There was no stress or pressure... just happy discoveries and inspiration wherever you look.


New perspectives. Fanciful expression. Grassroots energy. Green energy. High energy. Family fun. Legit.


And even a chance to enjoy our other Passion: FIRST Robotics, and FIRST 2102 Team Paradox! We met FIRST 1868 Space Cookies!


And hopefully, when we meet them in St Louis, we will be in the same alliance. You see, like FIRST 2102 Team Paradox, the Space Cookies are also Regional Engineering Inspiration Award winners! Go Space Cookies! Go Paradox!


Maria fell in love with a spacecraft. With The Hermes Space Shuttle. I love it when girls find a passion for science, math, and technology... for space exploration.


I love it when anyone finds inspiration, and support, to pursue their dreams, to play, think, make, explore... even to watch in wonder, and that is why we are returning to the Maker Faire.


We are going to Maker Faire, for Love


... and Rockets!