The other day I was sitting with Skylar, knitting, having a lovely time, when he said "you know there are machines that can do that."
I think he was joking, but I'm not totally sure.
The next thing I knew I was having a complete internal meltdown.
"What the hell am I doing?"
"There are machines that can do this."
"There are machines that can do the painstaking labor I often perform through blood, sweat, and tears over the course of several months. But the machines can do it in like, what, an hour?"
Maybe they're even faster. I don't know. I don't know where these machines are. But I assume there are machines that can knit and I assume they can knit much faster than my little old grandma hands. And I assume these machines do it without "mistakes that I'm sure no one will notice but me," which is the official name of every project I complete.
And I know. I KNOW. Sometimes it's just about the journey.
I picked up knitting as a form of winter therapy. I needed something to do on dark and snowy Salt Lake City nights in January when my town gets sleepy and my neighbors hibernate.
I needed something to fill the therapy void that gardening and biking in the mountains fill in other parts of the year.
I needed something that would make me stop hating the planet and my life during a full 1/3 - 1/2 of every single year.
I needed to find projects that didn't require me to sit in front of a computer and type or read words. One that I could be proud of. One that produced a result, even.
Knitting seemed like the best possible thing. I could even be good at it if I tried hard enough. More importantly, I could do it while watching TV. Meaning, I didn't even have to sacrifice the most important relationship in my life for the cause.
So I picked up the knitting.
But machines can do this.
And look. I already knew machines could do this. But there was something about having to realize it the other day that made me wonder: is there some other task machines can't do that I would find more fulfilling? Like, it would be nice to accomplish things that I couldn't just relegate to our current technological dystopian servants.
But then again, could the machines do THIS:
Ok, yes. A machine could do that. But Duncan wouldn't have let a machine make him model it.
Tell me what you do during the winter. Any hobbies that keep you sane?
~It Just Gets Stranger
Crochet!!! They have not yet developed a machine that can replicate crochet stitches. And if you can already knit, you can definitely crochet because knitting is harder.
ReplyDeleteAw damn, I can’t post a picture in a comment. I just crocheted a Santa hat for a T Rex skeleton because my kids were bummed about putting it away...they decided we should turn it into a Christmas decoration so it can stay out longer.
ReplyDeleteI also bake. A lot.
I cross stitch. Intricate, complicated, eye-bending patters. And, I read and get house projects finished.
ReplyDeleteI knit and crochet. It keeps my hands busy! Yes, a machine can (sometimes) replicate the same product but not always. It also makes time go more quickly on those long holiday trips. I get carsick if I read so knitting (or crocheting) is a great way to pass the time...
ReplyDeleteI knit and crochet. I know that some of the things I made could be knitted by a machine but many cannot. Funny thing is when I first started knitting, I though knitting socks would be crazy stupid but now I love knitting socks! Both are a great way to keep busy during holiday road trips also. I get carsick so reading isnt' an option. But stupid standard time has limited my ability to knit in the car after 5 pm.
ReplyDeleteI make jewelry. I'm sure machines can do it much better. I bake, again machines don't better. I need a machine to come clean my house. I mean, I know machines already do this but I want ones that don't require my running them.
ReplyDeleteI knit. I knit a lot and I knit constantly. I knit in meetings at work (my colleagues tell me that when I knit I make fewer sarcastic comments --some think this is a good thing, and some miss my sarcastic comments). I've been knitting since I was a child and it is so relaxing and combines well with my desire to sit and watch tons of shows. Winter is horrible here in Montreal and I basically try to stay inside and wait it out. This year for the first time ever I entered my knitting in the fair and I WON RIBBONS! It was very exciting. I also cook and bake and preserve things in jars which can also be outsourced but I enjoy it and that is all the reason I need.
ReplyDeleteOff topic: Strangerville and Hive Mind are my two favorite podcasts and I listen to them on my commute on the train every morning. The problem is since each of these podcasts are only once a week, this only accounts for 2/5 of my morning commutes so for a full 3/5 of my commute I'm very sad. I just feel like if you and Meg actually care about me you will start recording three additional podcasts every week. I feel like it's the least you could do for me. Thank you for your consideration.
ReplyDeleteI 100% relate and agree.
ReplyDeleteWatercolor, card making, hand-lettering projects for home decor......all while I stream movies and tv series.
ReplyDeleteI crochet and it's a lovely winter activity! But also I've heard that if you can knit, it's really hard to crochet and vice versa because the techniques are so different.
ReplyDeleteI crochet, do cross-stitch, and make things in my kitchen (baking, infuse sugars and salts, make simple syrups, etc). Anything to do less sitting in front of the TV doing nothing...
ReplyDeleteKnitting and crocheting, any kind of needlework, is wonderfully therapeutic and allows you to be creative and use your brain in another way. The bonus is you get to create beautiful things for other people (furry or otherwise) which are made with love and capture some of your wonderful spirit. Those things are priceless. Knit on!
ReplyDeleteI quilt! I used to crochet, but that’s fallen by the wayside as quilting became more of a focus.
ReplyDeleteI paint. And at first I thought “painting is something a machine can’t do!” But then I remembered, most people buy prints, not original art. Which makes sense because prints are way cheaper. Copied by a machine. Then I question why I’m even trying to paint. But I can’t seem to *not* paint. Sigh. I just really enjoy it. If you enjoy knitting, why not knit?? Didn’t your grandma put love into every single stitch of a present she gave you and Skylar? That right there shows why it’s okay to still make something by hand. Plus the TV part is great. By the way, as an aspiring artist, I want you to know I LOVE reading about when you buy paintings during your travels or wherever. Why do you buy original paintings instead of a print??? Maybe the answer can help you with the knitting dilemma too. :)
ReplyDeleteI crochet. I've crocheted so much in my life that I've developed trigger finger...yes it's a real thing...look it up. I'm having surgery on it later this month. Anyway, I still crochet, just not as much right now. A year ago I started decorating sugar cookies and have started a nice side hustle with it. I'm hoping to retire from my grown up job soon and become a full-time, stay at home, Nana, crocheting, cookier!
ReplyDeleteI scrapbook. A big part of this for me is telling the stories that go along with the pictures. Who is in them. How we know these people. Why the event is significant. I have loads of pictures from my parents and grandparents but I don’t have any of the stories to go with them and they’re no longer around to share them. I’ll never know the story of my grandmother seated seductively on a bench in Cuba with a man standing ten feet away gazing at her. I won’t hear how my dad ended up in a grass shirt and coconut bra at our beach. I want my descendants to know these stories in my life and my scrapbooks record them .
ReplyDeleteI knit as well, I used to crochet as well but I like the look of knitting better so whatever, but I also play the mandolin, my husband wasn’t aware what he was committing to because although I owned my mandolin at the time we were married, I didn’t start taking lessons and then begin playing in earnest until it was too late. But I love it!
ReplyDeleteI knit and this year I taught myself to crochet. I don’t care if a machine can do it. I love the sense of accomplishment when I complete a challenging project. I’m doing it for myself anyway, not to clothe everyone. If you can knit, you can definitely crochet. It’s much easier. I prefer the look of knitting but crocheting is quicker, especially if you’re working on something like a blanket. I have never, nor will I ever, knit a blanket. That just sounds way too time consuming.
ReplyDeleteOK THERE IS LEGITIMATELY A MR ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT KNITTING MACHINES!!! I will find the season/episode and update you...I've found it once before for my MIL who was reminiscing about it. I'm sure Mr Rogers' soothing commentary on knitting machines is the cure for your new case of knitting anxiety.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, knitting machines have their place, but there is absolutely nothing like something that's been hand-knitted. My MIL and SIL knit by hand (like a lot. They're amazing and I constantly try not to compare myself to them.) AND my MIL has a knitting machine (I think from the 80s, so not the most up to date home knitting tech but still). Her take is that the machine takes forever to set up, it's complicated, and it doesn't always work. It's worth it for big things like blankets or sometimes sweaters, if you want something boxy, but it's often easier to just pick up a pair of needles and some nice yarn. Also, the therapeutic element of knitting is missing when you use a knitting machine. So yeah. Knitting by hand is WORTH IT. And Duncan is the best model. The end.
FOUND IT! Mr Roger's Neighborhood Episode 1472, season 10 episode 12. It's on Amazon Prime Video! I'll email you a link because that works better than leaving links in comments.
ReplyDeleteI make soap 💜
ReplyDeleteI thought about this conversation yesterday when I was at the eye doctor, waiting to get my eye poked out. Two hours in a waiting room with mostly elderly people. Not a single lady had a knitting bag or project in her lap. You used to see that all the time. But they were mostly all looking at their phones. As was I, to be honest. Not a single handiwork project in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteI take my knitting/crocheting with me when I go and sit in waiting rooms!! At 36, I am that lady now.
DeleteEating. But it’s actually a year round hobby. So my winter hobby is eating while wearing a sweater.
ReplyDeleteI love this.
DeleteJigsaw puzzles! I love them so much. They are my happy place.
ReplyDelete