Category: Learning Project

The plan throughout last week was to learn how to “cast on” and learn the basic knit stitch to develop my knitting skills further. This called for a trip to the store to gather all of the supplies I would need. As I am just starting, I kept the shopping to a minimum as I only needed to figure out how to get the yarn on my knitting needles and learn a basic stitch this week. My purchases included a…

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For my learning project I have decided to really get into knitting. I have been crocheting for years and a while ago i thought I’d take the next step and also become a knitter. Guess what, it’s very different than crochet and for me extremely difficult. I really struggled to get a hang of knitting … Continue reading “Knitting Journey: Hand Cramps Are Real”

The first week of my learning project started slow but was followed by a breakthrough. After watching this video, I linked last week. I could do chains quite easily, and I practiced them for a couple of days to get a feel for the hand movements and start learning tension control. When I moved onto…

For this week of my macramé learning journey, I wanted to start with a project that I felt was manageable for a beginner, however after reading the comments on my last post, I wanted to try something a little bigger! So I chose a simple macramé plant hanger pattern I found on a crafting blog titled Jenny Lemons DIY Macramé Plant Hangers. The pattern was labeled as easy, which honestly gave me confidence that I could take it on. I quickly glanced over the instructions before I started, only to begin doubting my decisions, it seemed complex yet simple and I truly was a little worried about if it would work out. The main technique was called the square knot, which seemed to be a basic yet essential part of most macramé art. This article showed step-by-step photos to help teach the pattern. Last week I relied on videos to help teach me, however, this resource required me to give a little more attention to the task. This experience is all about learning new things and stepping outside of my comfort zone to create something beautiful. So rather than sitting and worrying about if I was good enough to try something more advanced I decided to go for it! Before I began to knot, I set up my workspace. The guide suggested attaching the cords to a stable anchor or taping it down. With the length of these strings, I was not able to simply tape it down on my desk, I spent close to 20 minutes trying to find the perfect spot to hang the strings. I noticed a 3M hook on our front window that we use for holiday décor and that it would be perfect, and I was right! I remembered from last week how important it is to have a good setup before starting a macramé project to avoid a tangled mess, so I am thankful I found a perfect spot. I then measured and cut out all the cords I needed, following the guide, and attached them to a 2-inch wooden loop with a gathering knot. From here I began knotting. Once I began I noticed I did not look or need further instruction! I started knotting and just kept going until it was complete. A lesson I learned from this macramé project was that I need to trust my own creativity and continue to challenge myself. Instructions tend to include very specific, crucial details that are easy to overlook, but I took the time to review them at the start and this led to a successful plant hanger. For instance, the pattern started with instructions to tie a gathering knot to secure the cords. Then, it said to start the square knots, which I did, but I added some extra flair. I found spare wooden loops and decided to get a little extra creative this week. Thankfully, this did not ruin the overall project, but I can imagine that adding such a detail could be problematic in more intricate designs. I was slightly nervous as I continued tying knots, worried that I might have missed an important step. This anxiety faded when I saw the plant hanger taking shape. My room was slowly being transformed by this new creation, which felt incredibly rewarding. I was honestly ecstatic when I finished; it looked exactly like the picture in the tutorial! I hung an empty pot in it to test my creation, and it fit just right. I was thrilled with the outcome of this first week of my macramé project, and I am eager to continue improving my skills. P.S. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a homework assignment before.

This week I started my American Sign Language journey by exploring the ASL Bloom app. This was interesting because I discovered that you only have access to three courses before you are asked to register for an annual subscription. This was extremely d…

This week I focused on learning how to say the alphabet in Spanish. I found it to be quite difficult to do based on the online tools I used. I used images off google to see the whole alphabet as well as google translate to learn how to pronounce the letters. I found google translate…