Thursday, May 14, 2009

Series on Knitting (Continued)

Why knit?

Why knit? In this day and age of mass production you may wonder if it's still worth knitting - or learning to knit. My response is a resounding - YES.

Knitting is a wonderful, often inexpensive craft or hobby - knitters are never bored....
Knitters are a wonderfully diverse breed.

Ranging from children with their french knitting followed by hesitant steps using large knitting needles through to teenagers knitting i-pod covers and funky scarves.
Young adults knit bags and totes, different to anything their friends own, and young mothers knit lovingly for their babies.

Stressed adults use knitting to chill-out and indulge in some "me time", but it doesn't end there - knitters knit well into old age - great-grannies with their stiff and often painful fingers generously passing on long ago learnt skills to younger generations….knitters are a caring and sharing bunch.

Knitting, once a yarn craft learnt and used out of necessity, is now a hobby, a hobby we return to again and again.

Most of us could simply shop to purchase any knitted garment, bag or accessory we like - that's fine if functionality and ownership is the only intention.

But, and it's a big but, we would miss the kick from planning our next project, the excitement of choosing our pattern, the sensual pleasure of touching all the luxurious yarns available.
We'd miss the joy of finding exactly the right color, the thrill of anticipation as we knit away.
And finally we'd miss that absolute sense of satisfaction which arrives when it's finally finished, it's right… and we did it. We made this beautiful thing …..

You can't buy that feeling…you can only achieve it.

The expression " once a knitter - always a knitter " is so true. Having learnt knitting as a child we pack our needles away, only to unpack them again and again as we travel through life…..satisfying our cravings for creativity, sharing our knowledge, and soothing our souls with the clicking needle's calming effects….

that's the real answer to the question " why knit?"

No comments:

Post a Comment