Ah, Friday. The last day of Blondie's Girl Scout troop's summer camp. And I went back again to help them with their knitting badge. (You may recall my attempts on Monday.)
On Wednesday, I scrapped the "bookmark" in favor of the earrings. The pattern is simple. Cast on five stitches. Knit five rows. Bind off. (Then for the second earring, they do the same, except they purl five rows. The badge requires them to learn the knit and purl stitches, but both earrings end up looking the same.)
I figured out what the big problem was. I needed to clone myself.
The girls did fine so long as I stood over them and watched them as they worked. But when I moved on to help another girl, the one who was doing fine under my eye lost her place without me there. And while I watched one girl, three others called for my attention.
But today most had finished earrings one and two, and it was time to install the hardware. This proved to be easy for them.
It was easy. They just had to use a jump ring to attach each swatch to the earring wire. I showed them the big thing (twist the jump ring apart, don't pull), and in about five minutes (they had to share the tools) they were all done.
No wonder jewelry making is the big thing right now. It's much easier to teach than knitting.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
WBW
...which stands for Writer's Block Workshop.
The name is a left over. There was a time when I'd go into that file and write random stuff when I was stuck. However, this thing has evolved since then.
Nowadays, I do all my writing in the WBW. I start a new page. I put the date in the top right hand corner. Then I start by whining about my day.
What I whine about varies. I could be tired. It could be late in the day. I might have no idea what I want to write about. I might be stuck in the plot of the novel. Whatever it is, I give myself permission to write it all out, and in about a paragraph I've whined myself out.
Then I get to the writing.
What I'm writing depends, of course, but generally I continue on from wherever it was I left off the last time. Interestingly enough, I find that after my whine, I can write 500-1000 workable words. Sometimes. Other times, I write two or three paragraphs, and then I stall.
At that point, I write down what it is that's stalling me. "This paragraph sucks." And sometimes I write out something that's bothering me about where the story is going.
I used to stop and talk out the problem. I'd get up, walk around the room, and think through what was wrong. It could take me twenty minutes to get back to the writing.
Now, I write out 1-3 sentences (usually one), and I'm back at it.
Then I go through, take out all the usable parts, and I paste them into my working document. What I'm working on varies, but no matter if it's a short story, a novel, or some other random article, I find that if I can stop and write out what I'm thinking when I'm thinking it, I get back to the writing that much quicker.
It may be a strange system, but I find it works for me.
Do you have any strange methods that work for you? Please share. I get my best ideas that way. (I didn't come up with the WBW on my own.)
The name is a left over. There was a time when I'd go into that file and write random stuff when I was stuck. However, this thing has evolved since then.
Nowadays, I do all my writing in the WBW. I start a new page. I put the date in the top right hand corner. Then I start by whining about my day.
What I whine about varies. I could be tired. It could be late in the day. I might have no idea what I want to write about. I might be stuck in the plot of the novel. Whatever it is, I give myself permission to write it all out, and in about a paragraph I've whined myself out.
Then I get to the writing.
What I'm writing depends, of course, but generally I continue on from wherever it was I left off the last time. Interestingly enough, I find that after my whine, I can write 500-1000 workable words. Sometimes. Other times, I write two or three paragraphs, and then I stall.
At that point, I write down what it is that's stalling me. "This paragraph sucks." And sometimes I write out something that's bothering me about where the story is going.
I used to stop and talk out the problem. I'd get up, walk around the room, and think through what was wrong. It could take me twenty minutes to get back to the writing.
Now, I write out 1-3 sentences (usually one), and I'm back at it.
Then I go through, take out all the usable parts, and I paste them into my working document. What I'm working on varies, but no matter if it's a short story, a novel, or some other random article, I find that if I can stop and write out what I'm thinking when I'm thinking it, I get back to the writing that much quicker.
It may be a strange system, but I find it works for me.
Do you have any strange methods that work for you? Please share. I get my best ideas that way. (I didn't come up with the WBW on my own.)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Teenage Wishes Part 8
I used to have a MySpace account. I started my blog there. But after I had a few too many technical difficulties, I moved the blog here. I have since closed the MySpace account. I hate to lose all of my blogs from that time, so from time to time I repost them here.
The previous posts from this questionnaire are here. This was originally posted on May 11, 2007.
A while ago (I don't remember exactly when, and I'm too lazy to go and look it up) I was posting students' answers to questions from a questionnaire called "The Wishes You Want to Come True" (or something like that). I thought that their answers were entertaining enough to share. But eventually I finished with that, and I had to move on.
Well, this week I was subbing for that teacher again, and apparently she liked the questionnaire enough to use it again. I would have thought that it would be too soon, but I think she has a new group now. So, I have new responses. And of course I have to share.
These questionnaires were given to students at a continuation high school. Mostly they are over 16. I am typing in their answers as given, only altering punctuation so that the answers will be understandable.
The first question was "The age I wish I were...Why?" There were a lot of similar responses. Mostly they wanted to be 18 (to move out of their parents' house, so they could "do stuff") or 21/22 (for obvious reasons). But a couple answers were a bit more interesting.
~21. Because their alot of things I could do at that age.
~5. Kindergarden was my favorite time while I was in school.
~3. Cause my tricycle.
~24. Be thats the age I think I'm going to finish my carrer.
~Seven. because I can get away with anything.
~28. I'd like to be this age because I'd have my life situated by then.
The previous posts from this questionnaire are here. This was originally posted on May 11, 2007.
A while ago (I don't remember exactly when, and I'm too lazy to go and look it up) I was posting students' answers to questions from a questionnaire called "The Wishes You Want to Come True" (or something like that). I thought that their answers were entertaining enough to share. But eventually I finished with that, and I had to move on.
Well, this week I was subbing for that teacher again, and apparently she liked the questionnaire enough to use it again. I would have thought that it would be too soon, but I think she has a new group now. So, I have new responses. And of course I have to share.
These questionnaires were given to students at a continuation high school. Mostly they are over 16. I am typing in their answers as given, only altering punctuation so that the answers will be understandable.
The first question was "The age I wish I were...Why?" There were a lot of similar responses. Mostly they wanted to be 18 (to move out of their parents' house, so they could "do stuff") or 21/22 (for obvious reasons). But a couple answers were a bit more interesting.
~21. Because their alot of things I could do at that age.
~5. Kindergarden was my favorite time while I was in school.
~3. Cause my tricycle.
~24. Be thats the age I think I'm going to finish my carrer.
~Seven. because I can get away with anything.
~28. I'd like to be this age because I'd have my life situated by then.
Monday, July 25, 2011
How Not to Teach Girls to Knit
I attempted to teach some 5th and 6th grade girls to knit today. I failed.
It's Blondie's Girl Scout troop. They're having a week-long summer camp to complete a few badges. To complete the knitting badge they must cast on, knit, and bind off.
Only one girl (of six) caught on to the standard cast on method. We switched to another method, but that led to other problems as they attempted to then knit their first row. Blondie got so frustrated that she ended up in tears. And she's knitted before!
The girls were making decent progress. I got one making stitches, so I went to help another, and then the first one got lost in the process and needed help again. Their knitting was a bit of a mess, but getting it to look pretty comes with practice. Today's goal was to get them familiar with the technique.
This was not good enough for them. It was "too hard". I suppose if I could have sat down with them one by one, it might have gone better. It's an unfamiliar motion. But I couldn't convince them to keep at it. When I called time (because they needed a break, not because they were anywhere near completing the badge), they were thrilled.
(Well, all but two. One had knit before. The other took to it like a duck to water.)
I'm supposed to go back Wednesday. The girls were not enthused. This is not good.
I've got to figure out a better way. Pep talks only go so far. Perhaps I need to show them some videos. There are plenty online.
I guess I should stick to knitting by myself. I want to make this dragon hat (for Detritus) and this alligator bag (Blondie oohed when she saw the picture). Yeah, that'll be much easier.
It's Blondie's Girl Scout troop. They're having a week-long summer camp to complete a few badges. To complete the knitting badge they must cast on, knit, and bind off.
Only one girl (of six) caught on to the standard cast on method. We switched to another method, but that led to other problems as they attempted to then knit their first row. Blondie got so frustrated that she ended up in tears. And she's knitted before!
The girls were making decent progress. I got one making stitches, so I went to help another, and then the first one got lost in the process and needed help again. Their knitting was a bit of a mess, but getting it to look pretty comes with practice. Today's goal was to get them familiar with the technique.
This was not good enough for them. It was "too hard". I suppose if I could have sat down with them one by one, it might have gone better. It's an unfamiliar motion. But I couldn't convince them to keep at it. When I called time (because they needed a break, not because they were anywhere near completing the badge), they were thrilled.
(Well, all but two. One had knit before. The other took to it like a duck to water.)
I'm supposed to go back Wednesday. The girls were not enthused. This is not good.
I've got to figure out a better way. Pep talks only go so far. Perhaps I need to show them some videos. There are plenty online.
I guess I should stick to knitting by myself. I want to make this dragon hat (for Detritus) and this alligator bag (Blondie oohed when she saw the picture). Yeah, that'll be much easier.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Modern Games
It was Monday. Or Tuesday. Or maybe Wednesday. Oh bother. This past week has completely run together. What day is this, anyway?
I was watching Blondie, Detritus, and the baby. I think I was watching the baby's show, or perhaps I was tracking the baby as he tried to get into anything that he wasn't supposed to have (because it would have been too easy if he only played with that he was allowed to have). Blondie and Detritus were keeping themselves busy, so it took a moment before I started listening to their game.
Blondie had her Nintendo DS. Detritus had a toy cell phone. Blondie pretended her DS was a cell phone, and she was getting a text from somebody or she was texting her mother or both. Then Detritus took off his shirt ("I'm hot"), and Blondie "snapped a picture" of him.
Blondie: "I just emailed that to all your friends. Now I'm putting it on Facebook."
Detritus: "I'm putting this on my Facebook." (I'm not sure how Blondie's appearance would have shamed her on Facebook, but Detritus phrased it as a threat.)
Blondie: "I'm deleting your pictures from Facebook and putting up this."
Blondie had "snapped" another shot of the shirtless Detritus. Before Detritus could figure out another threat, I told him that if he perhaps put his shirt back on, Blondie wouldn't have anything to threaten him with.
Threatening to put up embarrassing photos on Facebook. That's a game I didn't play as a kid.
I was watching Blondie, Detritus, and the baby. I think I was watching the baby's show, or perhaps I was tracking the baby as he tried to get into anything that he wasn't supposed to have (because it would have been too easy if he only played with that he was allowed to have). Blondie and Detritus were keeping themselves busy, so it took a moment before I started listening to their game.
Blondie had her Nintendo DS. Detritus had a toy cell phone. Blondie pretended her DS was a cell phone, and she was getting a text from somebody or she was texting her mother or both. Then Detritus took off his shirt ("I'm hot"), and Blondie "snapped a picture" of him.
Blondie: "I just emailed that to all your friends. Now I'm putting it on Facebook."
Detritus: "I'm putting this on my Facebook." (I'm not sure how Blondie's appearance would have shamed her on Facebook, but Detritus phrased it as a threat.)
Blondie: "I'm deleting your pictures from Facebook and putting up this."
Blondie had "snapped" another shot of the shirtless Detritus. Before Detritus could figure out another threat, I told him that if he perhaps put his shirt back on, Blondie wouldn't have anything to threaten him with.
Threatening to put up embarrassing photos on Facebook. That's a game I didn't play as a kid.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Teenage Wishes Part 7
I used to have a MySpace account. I started my blog there. But after I had a few too many technical difficulties, I moved the blog here. I have since closed the MySpace account. I hate to lose all of my blogs from that time, so from time to time I repost them here.
The previous posts from this questionnaire are here. This was originally posted on March 9, 2007.
"The Wishes You'd Like to Come True" questionnaire--one more time. Today's final question: "The way I'd one day like to earn my living, and why".
Some responses:
"Profesional basketball player. Make that cheeze."
"I want to be a psychology, because I can socialize and get really close to people with problems."
"As a teacher, because I think is good to teach others what you already know."
"Working for the government. Social services pays good and i like looking out for children."
"Making comic books, because I have been drawing since I was 3 years old."
"Doing nothing, because whats better then getting paid to do nothing."
"With my career, because I worked hard now in school."
And that does it for this strand. I hope you enjoyed it.
The previous posts from this questionnaire are here. This was originally posted on March 9, 2007.
"The Wishes You'd Like to Come True" questionnaire--one more time. Today's final question: "The way I'd one day like to earn my living, and why".
Some responses:
"Profesional basketball player. Make that cheeze."
"I want to be a psychology, because I can socialize and get really close to people with problems."
"As a teacher, because I think is good to teach others what you already know."
"Working for the government. Social services pays good and i like looking out for children."
"Making comic books, because I have been drawing since I was 3 years old."
"Doing nothing, because whats better then getting paid to do nothing."
"With my career, because I worked hard now in school."
And that does it for this strand. I hope you enjoyed it.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Here We Go...Away
While we were packing, Nick Jr. was usually on in the background. I've mentioned my niece and nephew, but I haven't mentioned the other nephew, the youngest. He's 14-months-old. Yeah, so not so much with the helping of the packing.
Because that channel is aimed at the really young, I should have expected that certain segments get repeated over and over and over and... Yeah, it got bad. Not as bad as this, but annoying nonetheless. The worst offender...
Imagine hearing that song every 15 minutes. (If you have a young child and already watch the channel, you don't have to.) Enough said.
Imagine hearing that song every 15 minutes. (If you have a young child and already watch the channel, you don't have to.) Enough said.
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