Minor Update II
KnittingHorrible. I washed and blocked all 16 of my TKGA Master Hand Knitter L1 swatches over the weekend and to my utter horror, learned a tragic lesson in gauge and
why it is so important to wash and block gauge swatches before beginning any projects.My swatches GREW. Enormously.
My four-inch swatch became 5+ inches upon hitting the juice. Dear God. No amount of scoonching and squinching would make them conform to anything close to four inches.
With much resignation, I dug out smaller needles and worked up two swatches of garter and stockinette and washed and blocked. Huh. I used the same yarn—different color—and needles one and two sizes smaller... and got two swatches that are perfectly four inches. Shouldn't one be smaller? (Or was I distracted watching
Sid & Nancy for the 45th time and didn't notice I used the same size the second time?)
I IZ KORNFUZZED.
Oh, well. I guess I'll reknit a couple on the #7's in the off-white yarn and see if the results match. This means, sadly, that I will not make my self-imposed deadline of one year by mailing them on the 31st. Oh, well.
HomefrontCleanliness. Organization. Words that, when used in a sentence along with my name, used to invoke giggles from my friends. I'm pleased to report that the small bathroom has achieved a state of dirt nirvana. It is CLEAN. It was swept AND mopped. OK. So I've managed to sweep and mop an entire 24 square feet of a 1400 sq ft house, to take out five bags of garbage, and to sweep up dustbunnies from the kitchen and utility room. It's a start. One room down. Nine to go.
The Big SecretGetting closer to The Reveal. The timetable shifts now and then, but otherwise it's going as planned. My phone bill may be enormous. Is 7.5 hours a long time to chat?
MusicSuccess! The drum tracks for the test file arrived, my bass part went down easily, I uploaded it to the brand new Wiki the keyboardist set up (we are SO techie it's disgusting), and the guitarist has downloaded it and is working on his aspect. I just picked up a copy of
Cubase Studio 4 recording software, and I'm learning to use that. Why, when I have a 24-track digital recording machine? Uh... because everyone else on this project has it? So file transfer will be easier. Move over, graphics software. The audio software has taken over.
Other Changes
Somebody actually made it to the gym four times in two weeks. Somebody actually might stick with it this time. It helps that the community center is so nice, clean, modern and accessible, and that there is rarely anyone in there during the hours I prefer (I like to workout pretty much alone).
Labels: boring household crap, music, the band, the big secret, TKGA Masters Level One
Minor Update
The Big SecretSo far, things are moving along nicely. There are good reports arriving from points West. The timetable appears to have moved up by a couple of weeks—fingers crossed. It will be great.
KnittingI know I haven't posted many photos here lately (of yarn, anyway). As a reward, I'll post some of my latest Stash Acquisitions, just for sticking it out this long. ;-) I have completed all 16 of my TKGA Masters Level One swatches. They just need washed, blocked, woven in ends, labelled, and packaged up. I'm in the middle of the hat. Yes, it's a low-key knit. But that's OK, as my mind is still a ball of mush and thinking (ie doing cables) is difficult for me right now. If I keep at it, I'll make my goal and have this out the door before the end of the month.
I'm also still working on the Waving Lace Socks and have added the Spiralling Sock from one of my KALs to the list. Too many socks. Not enough time!
MusicHurrah for me, I've written a song. I'm 95% certain the latest edition of the lyrics is the final cut; but that could change depending on what my muse decides. (My muse being that great creative force in the sky.) Why this is monumental is because I haven't written a song since my parents became ill, let alone pick up my guitar. But I got all the recording gear set up, and Ron had emailed me some music needing lyrics, and one of them really struck a chord with me (no pun intended). I work in spurts. I listen, I hum along, I see where the melody wants to go. Then I mumble any snippets of words that come to mind. When it stops freeflowing, I stop, put it away, and let it marinate. I've been humming this song to myself for a week straight, watching it write itself in my head. I'm pretty satisfied with the latest version of the lyrics, but I'm not sure I've quite said what I want to say exactly how I want to say it.
Still, it feels good to be back in the swing of it again.
HorsesDo I have horses? I seem to have forgotten again.
CatsAll fine and furry as usual.
Estate BSStill BS. But we're close to finishing up. Good, because I'm so tired of it. I want it wrapped up and the spoils dispersed equitably and ASAP. I've been living under the black cloud of this stuff for a full year now, following almost a full year of watching the parents go downhill. It's time for a positive change. It's time to get out from under the cloud, back into the sunshine, and live again. My horoscope swears that as of or around September 28th, I'll enter a fantastic period that'll last through May 9th where basically everything I ever wanted will arrive. Buh-RING IT AW-won!
LotteryHopefully I have the winning ticket tonight. We'll see.
That's all, folks.
Oh, yeah, pictures.
Dalegarn Tiur for the Winter Garden Socks (from Knit Socks!)
Sleeping Dragon Sock Yarn in Roses & Chocolate
Twisted Fiber Arts Arial Sock Yarn in Regiment
Hopefully these are visible and clickable. First time using Flickr to post (usually I use PhotoBucket). This is just a taste of what I snagged at Threadbear two weekends ago. Yuuuuumy. Sock yarn.
*sluuuuurrrrp*
Labels: cats, estate nonsense, horses, music, stash enhancement, the big secret, TKGA Masters Level One
Thoughts on the TKGA Masters Levels
My deadline for completion of TKGA Masters Level One is nearing. I'm 12 or 13 swatches into it (16 total due) and still need to do the report, the questions, and the project (a hat). Being aware of the looming deadline, I'm pretty sure I'll make it. In fact, I INTEND to make it. One of the things that will allow me to do that is to avoid being OCD about my swatches.
I've been lurking on the TKGA Forum and the Yahoo group devoted to the Masters and I've noticed a pattern amongst the participants—they stress over the perfection of the swatches. They knit and reknit and rip and reknit their Level One swatches because they are worried that unless they are PERFECT, they won't pass. Some of them have been at it for a few years and have yet to submit anything. To me, this seems pointless.
I'm a Parelli Natural Horsemanship student. PNH has levels 1-3 as well. I've come to believe that the two programs (TKGA/PNH) share a similar philosophy. If so, then these are some key points:
- Level One is the basics, foundation, building block level. It doesn't have to be perfect, and in fact nobody expects it to be "pretty". The object is to demonstrate the rudimentary grasp of the most basic concepts.
- Level Two is where these skills are expanded upon. Things should start to look natural, maybe even somewhat pretty. Details are becoming more important, but this level is more about breaking down each of the fundamentals and tweaking the parts of each fundamental.
- Level Three is where you're expected to have the concepts firmly under your belt so that the fun can begin. It's second nature. You don't have to think to do it. It flows and there is beauty. Now you can start to play with it. You know the rules, and now you can break them or use them to your advantage to develop something of your own.
Like, OK, you can create a knit stitch. Or a purl stitch. You know what an increase or decrease is used for, and you know at least one way to form it. You know how to cast on, bind off, and you can tell which is the inside or outside of the "garment". Those are the basics at the most primitive level (pre-Level One).
But what are the parts of that stitch? Let's examine a knit stitch. Components of a knit stitch include:
- the size horizontally and vertically
- the balance between the two sides of the loop
- the left and right sides of the loop
- the specific way the loop sits on the needle to be correct (which loop is more forward)
Keep in mind these are my gut instinct feelings, not absolute fact and that none of this has been officially prescribed by anyone on the TKGA committee. It's merely my observations based on what I've been reading from others participating in the program and comparing it to my experiences in and knowledge of PNH.
In PNH, for example, the levels have names. Originally they were Partnership (1), Harmony (2), and Refinement (3). They've revamped and greatly improved the program (if perfection can really be improved upon), and now they are known as Safe (1), Confident (2), and Advanced (3). I think the original names described it better, but oh well.
The idea was that in Level One, you formed a partnership with your horse. You learned the basics of communication and understanding horse behavior and motivation so you could be safe around your horse. Level One should be done quickly, and it is NOT expected to look pretty like Pat & Linda. In fact, Level One can look pretty ugly as long as the concepts are understood, demonstrated, and the right attitude is present. For example, you know what the Seven Games are, in order. You know that Game #5 is Circling. You know that somehow you ask the horse to move away from you, go out to the end of the line and walk or trot around you in a circle, and you know the Game ends with the horse returning to you, facing you. As long as the horse responds appropriately, even at a slow walk, it's a pass.
In Level Two, you smooth things out. Level Two has a TON of information, concepts, and detail in it. In Level Two, for example, one learns the phases within a phase. One learns how to take a concept like one of the Seven Games and break it down into components. Isolate, Separate, and Recombine becomes a big theme.
You'd take a basic concept such as the Circling Game, and break down the Game into the elements: Send, Allow, Bring Back. Then you work on perfecting each element. You figure out how to improve your Send so the horse responds more quickly to your request, and how to do it so the horse does it willingly with a good attitude. You learn how to improve your Allow and let the horse decide to go out at the requested speed/gait and stay out there until asked to stop. You work on your Bring Back until the horse responds right away to your request and comes trotting into you, then stops, turns and faces nice as you please. You learn to analyze these parts to figure out what's working and what's not. Once you have that going, you start to play with the parts and combine the Games into new techniques. Because it's being smoothed out, it begins to look pretty, it begins to come naturally. You no longer think through the phases or the steps, you just automatically Lift it, Lead it, Send It, Allow It.
PNHers say that Level Two is the FUN Level, and many of the ones who make it to this level don't go on to Level Three because in Level Three you begin to get really picky. It's about finesse. It's about perfecting things to a high level of subtlety and lightness of response that the majority of backyard recreational riders won't be interested in achieving. But if one is into dressage or competition, this level can help them achieve it because that's how picky the level is. Level Three students take all the knowledge and rip it down to the microbes. Then they think creatively and rather than being told what to do, they decide what they want to do and figure out a way to do it.
According to my observations, then, in TKGA Level One, you show that you can execute a knit stitch (or purl, increase, decrease, etc). Period. It can be uneven, a bit sloppy, not exactly like its neighbors, and you probably should know by now which loop is more forward on the needle. You can also execute the other basic stitches, whether the tension is looser or tighter than the knit stitches or not. You've "got" the concept. It might not be pretty, but it's decent. The knitting demonstrates overall that you understand these concepts, and that you've been practicing enough that you can execute a
fairly consistent row of stitches and that you can be
fairly consistent from row to row... "fairly consistent" meaning the size of each stitch is pretty close to its neighbor—it doesn't look like stitch #1 was knit on size 6 and stitch #2 on size 9 and stitch #3 on size 2.
In Level Two, you'd be working on tweaking the execution of the stitch so that it is balanced, that all knit/purl stitches are consistent with each other, and so on. You're perfecting the ability to maintain consistency and tension in the knit/purl stitches versus increases/decreases, etc, and you're learning more advanced techniques. There is flow. There is beauty. There is a competent level of perfection demonstrated across the board.
Once you hit Level Three, you're expected to have corrected all your flaws, and use the knowledge gained to experiment on your own—to be able to use the rules and break them, develop your own style, design a garment. Here, you should be able to say, "OK. I know that by doing
this, I can achieve
that... but
what if...?" and having absolute confidence that it'll work the way you expect it two.
That's my vision, anyway.
Wow. I'm wordy today. Anyway. A lot of PNH students take years to pass Level One because they are too focused on
perfection when the idea is, get through it in a month or so and move on to Level Two, don't stay stuck in Level One Purgatory because it's boring for you AND the horse and once you have the concepts down, if you stay in Level One Purgatory you will not progress (sometimes the horse REgresses out of boredom).
TKGA seems to have the same approach. I've seen examples of passing Level One swatches that were far sloppier than I would have imagined would pass, but they
did. The minute I saw those, I realized I knit well enough that I should be able to pass most if not all of them the first time. So my philosophy is, I'm knitting them the way I happen to knit, and I'll let them tell me what to fix rather than trying to figure it out myself and cause myself immeasurable stress. I'll knit them, pass Level One, then perfect things during Level Two.
That's my lecture for the day! :-D
Labels: TKGA Masters Level One
