Dear Blog,
These past two weeks have been hectic. I’m back at work, and my stress levels are once again through the roof. I haven’t had much time to knit, but I have been doing some reading. That’s how I stumbled upon a book about Tunisian crochet. I know the basics and have taken an online course, but I was curious to see what this book had to offer.
I downloaded it to my e-reader and started reading. I wasn’t even halfway through when I felt a strong impulse to throw the darn thing out the window. Of course, that would have meant throwing my tablet out too, since it was a digital book—and I’m not that crazy.
This woman (I won’t reveal the author’s name) offered no real techniques, no patterns, and no useful advice on how to improve Tunisian crochet. Instead, the entire book revolved around how much she hates knitting. She used phrases like, “Knitting is boring,” and “Knitting doesn’t make sense.”
I wasted the $2.00 I paid for that book. First of all, who cares whether or not she likes knitting? Apparently, she stuck with Tunisian crochet because she was incapable of learning how to knit.
Second, people should do what comes naturally to them. In my case, I learned both knitting and crocheting when I was young, so they come easily to me. Over the years, I’ve met knitters who have no interest in crocheting, crocheters who find knitting too complicated, and crafters who happily do both—and more.
The same kind of judgment exists with knitting machines. I’ve heard countless times that knitting machines are “for cheaters” who can’t knit well enough by hand. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unless you own an industrial knitting machine, you still have to manipulate stitches and learn how your specific machine works. That knowledge takes patience, trial and error, and watching a lot—and I mean a lot—of YouTube videos.
I want to end by saying that this is exactly why I love crafts: there are no boundaries. Rules can be broken. Mistakes can turn into masterpieces. No craft is better than another. They are all powerful, creative ways to earn money, reduce stress, express yourself, and keep your brain active.
LONG LIVE CRAFTS!
Helen Textile Crafts 