Tuesday 1 May 2018

Knitting is a skilled

art. 
I am tired of people denigrating knitting. There is another letter in the paper this morning and the headline reads "stick to your knitting". 
It is not meant kindly.
Knitting, in one form or another, has been around for several thousand years.  Archaeologists know this from the small fragments that have survived in places as far apart as Egypt and Peru.
Perhaps part of the problem is that knitting gets used. It is generally made from materials that will eventually disintegrate over time - wool, silk, linen,cotton and other natural fibres all make good knitting yarn. A thousand years from now (and if there is anyone left on the planet) people may find items made of acrylic but the natural fibres will have, unless deliberately preserved, gone.
No, knitting doesn't last forever. But, it does last. I have an Aran style pullover that is more than thirty years old and I can still wear it. The Senior Cat has a "gardening" one that is even older. I have reknitted the cuffs twice and the elbows have been darned. It is almost shapeless and covered in glue and paint stains. He still insists on wearing it. You see, it's wool and it is still warm - although not as warm as it once was.
But knitting appears elsewhere as well. You are almost certainly wearing something which is knitted right now. My socks, underwear, t-shirt and cardigan are all knitted. Knits of this sort are beloved by busy parents who can simply fling them into the washing machine  - something you do not do to a precious item knitted by hand. All those items you can fling in the machine had their origins in something knitted by hand. 
And yes, knitting by hand is a slow process. It doesn't happen quickly.  It can be frustrating when things go wrong but it can also be soothing, relaxing and very satisfying.
And no, it isn't "just for old people". There is one very young member of the local guild and it would be lovely to have more. The recent "Fibre Feast" in this state had literally hundreds of young people in their teens and twenties looking for supplies. Schools have just been on holiday here and I taught a small group of teens with a range of problems to knit. It was something they could choose from a range of activities offered to them. 
We have knitting groups for charity because people want to knit. We have increased the range of classes in our main state wide "show" (think county fair) so that people can show their work - and some of that goes to charity too. 
I have felt real pleasure at the sight of a homeless man walking down a city street ahead of me while wearing a warm hat made by a teen I taught to knit.  It's a thrill to see someone wearing a shawl I made.
People get a lot from knitting, both those who wear it and those who make it. Of course we can simply go to a shop and buy something but it isn't the same. I can knit to fit. I can give someone something in the colour they want. The sleeves can be made the length they want.
And there is real skill involved in all of this. Yes, you can learn to do the knit stitch and the purl stitch and you can knit backwards and forwards or around and around but knitting is much more than that. It is colour and texture and form, size and shape. It is the finishing too. It is haute couture and the simplest charity beanie. 
Please don't denigrate knitting. It is an art and a craft.
And without it you might not  be nearly so comfortably clothed. 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

And don't forget Cat, crafts like knitting aid in the offset of getting diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's, and on a purely social level it is a way for people to get together and communicate with one another.
Linda T.

Anonymous said...

Cat, take note of Linda T's post - it's why we want you to stick with us no matter what the EC may say or do.

Kate Lace said...

It is incredibly calming and therapeutic. It de-stresses me like nothing else.

Jodiebodie said...

I did not see the letter in the paper saying "Stick to your knitting" but I hazard a guess that it was a male contributer who said it because I have never heard this phrase used by a female.

Many people associate knitting with "women's work" and as such devalue it (just like other 'women's work' as seen by recent examples in the news of companies paying women much less remuneration than men for the same work.) Thus I find the expression "Stick to your knitting" highly offensive and derogatory towards women.

Obviously the person is highly ignorant of the fact that knitting is a traditional skill of men as well as women. Here are some examples:

"Sweaters were essential garments for the fishermen of these islands because the natural oils within the wool provided some element of protection against the harsh weather encountered while out fishing."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_knitting

"It was a craft that needed little equipment and a skill that could be passed down generations and was, at times, practised by both men and women."
Knitting traditions of the British Isles and Ireland
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/british-knitting-traditions

You might find the latter reference very interesting but I suspect you already are familiar with the content.

So men who say "Stick to your knitting" should take their own advice and stick to what they know about rather than showing up their obscene ignorance!

jeanfromcornwall said...

Every time I have to go into hospital (had rather a lot of that recently) I grab one of my mitred-square shawls, made from leftover sock yarn. It is warmer and cooler than the nasty synthetic blankets and also protects me from the plastic of the mattress, pillows and the chair. Every time I get massive ooh and aahs from both nurses and patients. What I really must do before the next time is to write the recipe and print out a batch of cards - I am always asked how to do it, and give a class!
And it is not just the women who ask.
At one time, women were barred from knitting guilds - they were the spinners.

catdownunder said...

Thanks all - stirred up a bit of comment for once!
I will knit onward!