Environment
My knitted garment is slowly coming to creation - the back is complete. Fisher & Yeats (1995 p.25) state “learning may develop from childhood”. Being connected with my knitting is unconsciously appreciated as my learning connects me with my sisters, mother and grandmother who all knit/ted quite efficiently. My needles and wool afford me the activity to participate in my craft. Hagedorn, (1998, p. 184) states affordance as ‘anything which the environment can offer the individual which is relevant to the role challenge, and can facilitate role and can facilitate role competence.’ Often these tools have been put aside on the cushion of a chair. Having to then hunt out my knitting as other family members would have moved them from the chair so as not to have the stabbing sensation from the needle.
My knitted garment is slowly coming to creation - the back is complete. Fisher & Yeats (1995 p.25) state “learning may develop from childhood”. Being connected with my knitting is unconsciously appreciated as my learning connects me with my sisters, mother and grandmother who all knit/ted quite efficiently. My needles and wool afford me the activity to participate in my craft. Hagedorn, (1998, p. 184) states affordance as ‘anything which the environment can offer the individual which is relevant to the role challenge, and can facilitate role and can facilitate role competence.’ Often these tools have been put aside on the cushion of a chair. Having to then hunt out my knitting as other family members would have moved them from the chair so as not to have the stabbing sensation from the needle.
Ambience & aesthetics
Sitting, pondering in the quiet luxury of my lounge, feeling the texture of the wool, smoothing a piece of the knitted garment provides me the ambience that encourages me further to pursue my project. A disturbance in the environment from a family member is given "a frowned look" when comments are made by ‘adding a new colour or a change in the design’ may be a better option. Yes everyone has a comment to make when someone else is making an article. Collingwood (2009), states "the aesthetic procedure is one whereby the artist and spectator jointly come to realize, come to know, certain mental states". My craft of knitting is a development of my practical, aesthetic skills of creativity.
Crepeau (2007) state that 'spirituality is the fundamental orientation of a person's life; that which inspires and motivates the individual'. Solace of my own company, the spirituality of creation of the craft, providing an end product for family or friend gives the opportunity of connection.
Why do I need this activity? It is a choice of work and not labour.
For
Evokes memories
Relaxation
Provides an end product
Product is wearable and provides warmth
Achievement
Pride
Expectation toward the next garment
Against
Fingers ache over time spent holding the needles
Could be doing another job (assignments)
an error in the garment and cannot be bothered attitude to repair at the time.
What will/could happen if I couldn't do this activity?
The activity of knitting would not give me the feeling of achievement.
Pride in the product.
Grieve in absence of touch of the texture of the wool.
Reference:
Crepau, E., Cohn, E., Boyt Schell, B., Willard, H., & Spackman, C. (2007). Willard and Spackman's occupational therapy. USA: Lippencott, Williams & Wilkins.
Fisher, M., & Yeats, M. (1995). Interview with Martin Fisher - violin maker. Occupation, 3(2), 25-33.
Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structured approach
to core skills and processes.USA: Elsevier Ltd.
.
Kemp.G.(2009). Collingwood's Aesthetics, Edward N. Zalta (ed.) Retrieved from <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2009/entries/collingwood-aesthetics/>.
Hey, hey Lyn!!!
ReplyDeleteThis really showed me the potential value of 'knitting' as an occupation and the meaning it has to you personally. I felt the references you used supported your statements well. The only area for potential improvement I felt was that it could have had a better layout. Although it was clear what concept (e.g. Affordance - environment -spirituality) you were writing about, it would have made it clearer if you were more consistent. For example the layout you used for 'spirituality' was well done but it needed to be consistent with the other concepts.