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Consider Knitting

journal.stuffwithstuff.com

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Re: Consider Knitting

#121

Post by munificent »

rkangel wrote: post #59

This article misses a point that I really like knitting - that it is a lot like executing software. There are a small number of knitting techniques - knit, purl, a few increases and decreases etc. Knitting patterns give you sequences to apply these primitives and at the end you have a complex, useful item, potentially in 3D. You're doing a few simple things repeatedly and you end up with complex behaviour. That's a C…

I thought about discussing the connection between knitting and programming. You're exactly right that following a pattern is exactly like being a human virtual machine for a tiny programming language. There is something delightful about that.

At the same time, I don't knit because it reminds me of programming. If I want to scratch the programming itch, I'll program. So I ended up not mentioning it in the article, but there's definitely an overlap.

Re: Consider Knitting

#122

Post by balfirevic »

benchly wrote: post #41
bonki wrote: post #2

I like crotcheting (tried it again for the first time since childhood during Covid). My main problem is that, unless you have already mastered it and can do it in your sleep, I have to fully concentrate on it to not fuck things up, which means I can't do something else at the same time, e.g. listen to an audiobook. And because I'm so slow it takes too much time for me to not think that it's a waste of time because I…

If I may ask, do you suffer from anxiety and depression? I do. As part of that whole package, I find it exceedingly difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time. As much as I would love to sit and code a bit while watching tv or listening to an audio book, I simply cannot do it. I've tried many times and find it impossible to focus on my project while my brain is more interested in the easy attention economy o…

> As much as I would love to sit and code a bit while watching tv or listening to an audio book, I simply cannot do it

> She seems to be able to sew, crochet and knit while watching tv without any effort at all, paying attention to both whatever show we have on and what she's doing

Those combinations don't seem at all comparable.

Re: Consider Knitting

#123

Post by tonyarkles »

munificent wrote: post #98
criddell wrote: post #87

> Because regardless of how good the object itself is, it is an inarguable testament to the fact that I chose to spend dozens of quiet hours making stitch after stitch, all the while thinking about her and how much she means to me. A fraction of my life’s wick that I burned for her and no one else. That's lovely. When I moved to Portland in 2004, we went to the bank (Umpqua) to open accounts and found out that they h…

Haha, good question. I have tried: * French press. Makes great coffee easily (but not super quickly), but the clean-up is a huge hassle and makes the total iteration time not worth it. I gave up on this quickly. * Aeropress. Makes good coffee and the clean-up isn't too bad. Pretty quick and not too fiddly to do. I did this for a couple of years. * Mr. Coffee drip coffee. Makes mediocre coffee very easily, pretty quic…

> I think I prefer the coffee from an Aeropress more, but the convenience of the Keurig is hard to beat.

I do dirty field work a fair bit. Large drone test flight campaigns in the middle of nowhere for a week at a time. I've got an Aeropress Go with the stainless filter, a hand grinder, and a small electric kettle that I keep in my suitcase. I'll usually grab a bag of locally-sourced beans. Man oh man has that little kit ever brought a lot of joy into the world. When someone seems like they're starting to burn out I'll make them a fresh ground cup of coffee and you can just see their eyes light up when they take that first sip. Such a wonderful piece of plastic made by a frisbee company :D

Re: Consider Knitting

#124

Post by agumonkey »

tiniuclx wrote: post #17

The point about being disconnected with tactile sensation is very poignant. I've experimented with crafts before, but my go-to hobby has always been music - stringed instruments like the guitar. There's something very rewarding about the instant feedback you get when you fret down a string, and how much nuance you can get out of the smallest movements of your hands.

Indeed, the subtlety of musical instrument is so special.

ps: And then there's playing with other people, the lock-in is one of the few near esoteric experience I experienced, but I digressed.

Re: Consider Knitting

#125

Post by agumonkey »

jvanderbot wrote: post #40

I find woodworking fun for basically all the same reasons. Plus there's still the math of adding up things to predict cut layouts, and you end up with a new shelf or box or table. I'm not sure I would use anything I knitted.

Some light wood types have golden shades if looked at closely. It's quite beautiful. And when sanded very fine, it's silky smooth.

Re: Consider Knitting

#126

Post by munificent »

tonyarkles wrote: post #123
munificent wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha, good question. I have tried: * French press. Makes great coffee easily (but not super quickly), but the clean-up is a huge hassle and makes the total iteration time not worth it. I gave up on this quickly. * Aeropress. Makes good coffee and the clean-up isn't too bad. Pretty quick and not too fiddly to do. I did this for a couple of years. * Mr. Coffee drip coffee. Makes mediocre coffee very easily, pretty quic…

> I think I prefer the coffee from an Aeropress more, but the convenience of the Keurig is hard to beat. I do dirty field work a fair bit. Large drone test flight campaigns in the middle of nowhere for a week at a time. I've got an Aeropress Go with the stainless filter, a hand grinder, and a small electric kettle that I keep in my suitcase. I'll usually grab a bag of locally-sourced beans. Man oh man has that little…

Ugh, you're tempting me to switch back to an Aeropress.

Re: Consider Knitting

#127

Post by dunham »

munificent wrote: post #82

Author here. You can thank nosecreek for prompting me to write this up: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44137085 :)

Thanks. This has been on my todo list for a while. I've ordered some supplies and will attempt a dishcloth (https://nimble-needles.com/patterns/easy-dishcloth-knitting-...) and work my way up from there.

Re: Consider Knitting

#128

Post by munificent »

dunham wrote: post #127
munificent wrote: post #82

Author here. You can thank nosecreek for prompting me to write this up: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44137085 :)

Thanks. This has been on my todo list for a while. I've ordered some supplies and will attempt a dishcloth ( https://nimble-needles.com/patterns/easy-dishcloth-knitting-... ) and work my way up from there.

A dishcloth is a great place to start, and I've learned ~90% of my knitting from Norman. He's great.

I will caution you that cotton yarn is definitely not the easiest yarn to start with. It has very little stretch which makes it hard to keep good tension and form stitches. Not impossible, just sort of difficult.

It's very much like learning to play guitar starting with an acoustic compared to an electric. Everything is a little stiffer and requires a little more finger strength.

So if you feel like it's more difficult than you expected, it may partially be because of the yarn.

Re: Consider Knitting

#129

Post by softbuilder »

This is great. I picked up weaving right before the pandemic and it carried me through. I've fallen off the past few years but hope to get back to it. Like any hobby it has the "I could do X if only I had a Y!" feature/curse that can potentially eat your bank account.

Re: Consider Knitting

#130

Post by criddell »

munificent wrote: post #126
tonyarkles wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think I prefer the coffee from an Aeropress more, but the convenience of the Keurig is hard to beat. I do dirty field work a fair bit. Large drone test flight campaigns in the middle of nowhere for a week at a time. I've got an Aeropress Go with the stainless filter, a hand grinder, and a small electric kettle that I keep in my suitcase. I'll usually grab a bag of locally-sourced beans. Man oh man has that little…

Ugh, you're tempting me to switch back to an Aeropress.

Well, for just $2500-$4000 more have you considered a mid-range espresso machine & grinder? You might need an electrician to install a 20 amp circuit and it’s totally not portable and takes a long time to heat up, but you know, it’s another option. Or Aeropress. Either way works…
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