Monday, January 22, 2007

Creative Challenge: Make Mistakes



This week's Create a Connection Creative Challenge is Make Mistakes. Good one, Leah! And it couldn't have come at a better time for me. This past Saturday Shannon and I took our first "Learn to Knit" class at Lettuce Knit. And above you will see that I've taken full advantage of my opportunity for making mistakes, hehe. The instructor for the class had such a beautiful prespective on making mistakes and how it's a part of the process and a marker of what you've done and where you've been. She encouraged us not to unravel our mistakes. She said, "Well, it's homemade." And I love that.

When I look at that scarf, I see that a real person made it, a person for whom this is a first-time experience, and she's finding her way. I'll always look at this scarf and remember the cold, cold morning of a day that started out really crappy but got better and better. I'll remember Shannon and I giggling in this class of 6 in a cozy space in Kensington Market, making jokes about if you knitted in Star Trek, you'd explain it with binary code. I'll remember I dropped my left needle about 67 times. I'll remember that even though my scarf has mistakes, or maybe because it does, that learning to knit has already been a great experience.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is great, jamie! and it's so true, mistakes are part of the mark that make art unique and handmade and your own! scarf looks perfect to me!

Anonymous said...

That is so beautiful Jamie! It's one of the reasons I love it when people are unique. We are all different, flawed in some ways but I find beauty in those flaws.

This was such an eloquent and poetic post Jamie, I love every element and idea. Really wonderful observations and exposition. I can't wait to hear more and I already love the scarf! Homemade is love- & magick- made.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, is that pink lambs pride bulky I see?

Your scarf looks Gorgeous darling!

Anonymous said...

Lovely post, Jamie! I love knitting and your class sounds so cosy & fun! The scarf is coming along nicely, too :)
I have already emailed you, but wanted to say a big Thank You for the gorgeous mug & the delicious tea you sent, that arrived this morning! :) I feel better already, remaining positive even though I can't post a picture of it on my blog yet! I'm sat drinking out of it now, filled with warm, fuzzy thoughts of you! :D
Thank you so much, have a beautiful day ~ you just made mine!
Hugs,
Suze xXx

Anonymous said...

beautiful post and scarf!!! i believe we must always remember this challenge :)

Shannon said...

The class & experience was so awesome! I'm glad we did it together. Your scarf looks great!!! It looks warm and cozy and like it was made with love.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jamie,
That's a fetching scarf. I'm sure you had fun with Shannon. Knitting stores are such wonderful places.

I share your philosophy about mistakes. When I taught French class, I told my students that the ONLY way to learn a language is to make mistakes. So I told them that I fully expected them to make 5 or 6 mistakes during each class.

If someone went up to the board and made a BIG mistake, we all clapped. It meant that no one would make that mistake again. "Well, we got that out of the way!"

Anonymous said...

Hello!
You left a comment on my blog, so I wanted to check yours out. I love the creative things you try (from the little I saw--), and I especially like what you wrote about the scarf, how you can see a real person made it, a person who is finding her way. Awesome.

Happy Tuesday!

Jessie said...

that is so very cool, jamie! and i like your knitting teacher's philosophy on mistakes. this is some widsom that i'd like to try applying to several areas of my life!

happy knitting! you're doing great! :)

Anonymous said...

oh yeah. this scarf is all the more beautiful because of its imperfection. i love the idea of giving yourself permission to make mistakes. life is an experiment and mistakes are part of the journey.