The Process vs. The Product

#1

I have come to a realization. I think I enjoy the process of knitting stuff more than the products themselves. The first sweater I knitted, I ripped it apart even after it was TOTALLY done, and made it into a different sweater. I never wore it so I gave it to Salvation Army. Since, I have made Sitcom Chic, it’s hanging in my closet. Even the handknit socks I have made, I rarely wear. I have made scarves for myself and I’m not a scarf person so I haven’t worn them. Thankfully my boys wear the toques (that’s Canadian for hat, hehe :lol: ) that I made for them.

Now, I also have Picovoli hanging in my closet, but I’m truly hoping to wear it lots, it just isn’t warm enough yet.

What’s my problem??? I’m thinking I should just scrap knitting stuff for myself and do charity stuff instead because I LOVE knitting itself, just not the stuff I make :frowning: . Maybe it’s because I can only afford cheap yarn, I don’t know.

Anyways, I guess I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same way.

#2

Once I finish a sweater, I like it, but not as much as making it. Once it’s made it just becomes part of my clothing. I do wear them, so there’s a difference there, but the process is much more to me than the product.

I have yarn that I love but hesitate to use because I’ll no longer have that yarn. Silly, but true.

#3

I get this totally!!! :slight_smile:

#4

I do enjoy the process a lot. That is one reason my bloggie on KH was named “My Knitting Journey” because I said it wasn’t the destination (completed project), but the journey (the process).

I have recently come to the conclusion though that I’m not a fan of doing big flat things like blankets. I’d prefer to do hats, sweaters, bags, toys etc. I don’t know if it’s more the instant gratification or the fact that it’s not nearly so boring. I think even a detailed blanket would drive me nuts though. So I guess it’s both. I wear my sweater all the time though. It’s so soft and snuggly!

#5

I think I love both…I love the process but then I really love my FO’s–especially the delight on people’s faces when they find out that I made it…

I can relate to Ingrid’s yarn issue…I have a couple of skeins of yarn that I’ve bought that I really need/want to use but then I’d have to buy more so I’d still have some, you know?

#6

I’m w/ Christy. I can’t wait to see the finished product and wear it (if applicable). :wink:

#7

I first read about this in the book “The Yarn Harlot”. I too enjoy the “process” even more than the finish products. I have knitted some beautiful scarves and I do love them and wear them. I used expensive yarns too. I’ve knit a lot of hats and scarves for others. I’ve knitted a few sweaters for my gd and just finished my first Entrelac felted bag for myself and I like that a lot!! But I too enjoy the “process” even more than the finished “products”. :XX: :XX:

I think that’s why it doesn’t bother me very much if I have to rip something out to make it look even better. I’d rather rip it out and reknit it and make it look better than to continue on and know it won’t look as well as it might have. I just get to “process” it again if I rip it out. lol :happydance:

#8

I think that is why I don’t knit sweaters. I am so much a process person. I finish something and it just sits there. Now socks I love to wear because I love people to look at my socks and go, “OMG! Where did you get those great looking socks?” and be able to say, “Oh, these? I made them.” :slight_smile: Scarves, shawls, throws, wraps, etc etc etc all get set aside after they are done. I do like toting around my felted totes though :smiley:

#9

I LOVE that!! :heart: (I added the bold, that’s exactly how I feel!) I still have this thing though whereby I’m hoping to come by the PERFECT sweater pattern and have it come out exactly as I’ve imagined it would. I’m working on another one at the moment. The ‘pieces’ (front, back, sleeves, etc.) are coming out great individually, I’m tweeking the pattern as I go along to make sure I have the exact same # of raglan decreases on the sleeves and body, etc. (so I’m obsessive that way, not to mention this pattern has quite a few little glitches) so you’d think it would come out perfect, right?? Well on this one I’m still hoping but so far my track record has not been great.

Anyways, at least I know there are others who feel the same way I do I just wish I LOVED my FO’s as much as I loved making them.

Onward and upward, right? I’ll keep ya posted on my current project, maybe this is ‘the one’! LOL :lol:

#10

The process, definitely! A good example of this is that I have never worn a shawl in my life, and probably won’t. However, I’ve made lots of them and love them. Just not…to wear. I know it’s weird. Same with scarves. I’m not a scarf person whatsoever. Go figure.
I do love to make afghans; I can’t even count how many of those I’ve made in my life. Probably close to 60. More, if you count baby blankets.
When ponchos came back I made probably 30 of them, but I haven’t worn one at all. Never will. My daughters do, and we gave some to their friends too.
I don’t need hats or mittens at all, but I like making them.
I wear sweaters on occasion, and have many I’ve made. Mostly I enjoy taking them out and looking at them, imagining how it was making them.
Odd, isn’t it?

#11

I love both, actually…

I really love and wear the things I make. For some reason, getting real use out of something I made is really satifying to me.

#12

Yeah, I would too if I could knit as beautifully as you can!

I like the process best I think. I love knitting for other people and giving stuff as gifts. The weird thing is that as much as I love knitting, I don’t particularly like knitting socks and yet, those are the only thing that I love wearing that I’ve made. I have a couple of sweaters laying around that might be nice to wear, but I haven’t seamed them. They’ll probably go out of style before I get around to it…

kimmie

#13

For some of us its not even the process, its buying the yarn. :smiley:

#14

:roflhard:

For me, I enjoy both the process and the finished product – but, if I had to choose – I’d say the process is more important. I can totally understand knitting things you will never wear or use, or knitting something and then ripping it out again. I certainly have knitted a few things more for the experience than the FO.

That said, it is very satisfying to be able to wear/use something I’ve created. :happydance:

#15

I have found the process to be so therapeutic that I love making small objects. ( Though my pharmacy co-pay would be cheaper than yarn!)Someone else said it, that instant gratification thing. I intially thought I wouldnt be a real knitter until I did sweaters, but I dont feel that way anymore. I love dong smaller projects with new techniques. ( at this point everything is a new technique to me). I never thought I would make socks. The time and money invested in them didnt make sense to me. But I love :heart: making them.
Now I dont feel silly about my Manos stash either. I will hate to see it gone. :roflhard:
I just love knitting. Its a great thing to be addicted to!

Cindy :XX:

#16

For me, its the WHOLE package.

I love using the things I have made, but will love it more so when I can find a sweater pattern that actually FITS me. I DO enjoy the yarn-buying VERY much ( :rollseyes: ) and I NEED the process…very theraputic, as mentioned above.

#17

I have this too but with chocolate :roflhard:

I felt quite empty when I had finished Tubey and reading this thread has made me wonder if ‘the process’ is the reason that I am going mad buying loads of yarn - so that I always have something to do next :thinking:

However, I am looking forward to wearing Starsky and having people say ‘You didn’t make that!’ and then I can say 'Yes I did - see these mistakes here … they’re mine!" :shock: I am wearing Tubey again today for the 3rd time, even tho I think it makes my tummy look bigger than it is - just because I MADE IT!

I also like giving the fo’s away … I have experienced the ’ :shock: you made that!’ and want to experience it again :lol:

#18

I REALLY like the process …'cause it can scare the heebie jeebies out of me and yet I know all will be well. :smiley:

But the product is part of the process. I’m making Mr. Bumble Bee (black and yellow striped cardigan with bumblebee pockets -Knitter’s winter 2004) for a friend’s baby shower in two weeks - never made (check that, completed) a sweater before - but every time I finish one set of section instructions I am just AMAZED! at what I’ve accomplished. It’s just going to be so DAYUM cute and it’s going really well…I can’t wait to see it finished!

So… I love both the process and the product.

#19

Definitely the process for me too. I think for me it’s because I am not a crafty person at all. :blush: Drawing is like torture, I hate sewing and I enjoy cooking… sometimes. But for some reason, knitting speaks to me. The idea of shaping your fabric while you make it is just fascinating! There is enough complexity in understanding a pattern or a new technique, but there is also the “zen” aspect of the repetitive movements. So as far as the finished product is concerned… I don’t really care that much.

Of course the satisfaction is higher if the result looks good. But because I am not a crafty person, I do not always know if it looks good or not. :smiley: I can not sit back and look at what I did objectively and say “this looks good”. What I see is the effort, the time spent on the project, the choice of yarn I made, the mistakes and the new techniques I learned! This is why I am a bit reluctant to wear what I made, I’m afraid it might look HIDEOUS! And this is also why I hesitate to knit gifts for my friends! :rofling:

#20

I completely agree. I like the process of knitting so much better than the final product. BUT I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from finishing something. I usually knit for other people and that seems to work out best for me: enjoy knitting and finishing and then see someone enjoy wearing it!