Speaking of woolen socks: For Christmas I got a "learn how to knit" kit. So I learned how to knit.
Now before all you knitting friends of mine start feeling all triumphant, I have to tell you that it's just as I expected. I don't like it. It's tedious and consumptive. Sure it gets faster with more practice, but it's still ridiculously slower than sewing. It also violates my greatest DIY philosophy, which is to always use as little material as possible. It uses so much yarn, no matter how you do it. And it's impossible for me to keep track of counting things over long periods of time. Just doing single ribbing took too much concentration. "Crap was that a knit or a purl I just did? I'm not paying attention because my brain is going numb with boredom!"
I'm not saying that knitting is the worst thing ever. It's just not for me. I like knit clothing, but I don't like making it. So I'm just here to tell you that now I've tried it. I mean, I don't run around telling people how awesome sewing is and how it will change their life forever if they learn how to do it. As far as time-consuming crafty hobbies go, I think I've got enough to work with between sewing and tablet weaving. Unbelievably, I don't have the time to sit around doing these things all day. Everyone says, "Just do it when you're watching TV/movies," but guess what, I don't have the time to sit around watching TV and movies. I'm not just making excuses.
However, just to placate these crazies, I think I'll try to knit some woolen socks using some of the yarn my mom has spun. I guess I'd have to find a sock pattern or something. I don't know if socks are considered hard or easy. I guess I'll see. If I utilize my new-found knitting skills further than that, I'll probably just make parts of clothing. Like collars, cuffs, waistbands. To get an interesting mixed textile effect.
Of course, if I'm going to get into the world of tedious, time-consuming, fiber-consuming fiber arts, I should be learning how to naalbind. Now the half of you who aren't saying "What the crap is that?" are saying "Why would you want to learn that, it's reportedly even harder/more time consuming than knitting!" Well, it's simple. It's a skill that not every other person on the block has. It's something that's actually useful for me in an SCA way as well as real life. Mostly, I think it looks cooler than knitting.
And on top of tablet weaving I'm going to look at figuring out fancy ways to braid. Maybe with wire. If anyone is wondering about weaving, braiding and naalbinding, this page is very useful.
"Crap was that a knit or a purl I just did? I'm not paying attention because my brain is going numb with boredom!"
ReplyDeleteha ha! you kill me.
i do have many a sock pattern if you need it. (i could probably scan and send you one.)
Okay that sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about knitting vs. sewing in terms of the time commitment, I just like that the stitch-by-stitch construction of knitting makes it easier to do it almost perfectly. (What can I say? I was always a crappy seamstress.) I think knitting's probably also superior to sewing when it comes to highly sculpted garments, because you've got more flexibility to change the shape with every row, which would be harder when you're constructing a garment out of flat pieces.
ReplyDeleteTry knitting a functional corset.
ReplyDeletethe reasons I prefer knitting are.. no need to rely on a machine! i could knit using items found on a desert island (I gauge all activities this way). only as much sewing is involved as I want there to be—additionally, tubular items can be made in a tubular fashion without seams. and it's something I can do nearly everywhere, so formerly wasted time sitting around waiting for stuff becomes useful time—so it fits into my particular life well.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty idiotic for anyone to think something they enjoy will dramatically change everyone else's lives for the better, OBViously not everyone likes all the same things. But I know what kind of people you mean... there are a lot of idiotic people that I can't stand being around in the knitting world (nearly everyone I've met so far.) They also love name-dropping and not understanding what they are doing on a fundamental level.
Socks are good and not difficult, and there are a million patterns online (and more importantly, sock formulas and techniques so you don't have to use a specific pattern.) the biggest problem with socks, for me, is i get bored of making the same thing more than once, and obviously you have to make two socks, they call it "second sock syndrome" when you never get around to making the second one.
Bless you for trying. My relationship with sewing is probably similar. I havethe skill, because it's a great skill, bu the washing the fabric, the ironing it, the cutting it out... too much prep for my taste. I like to pick up the yarn and get going right then. But sewing makes me tense. I can't get straight lines and things are always pouching out at the wrong place and the bits don't line up.
ReplyDeleteBut people need shirts and sweaters, pants and socks, skirts and scarves. So I'm glad we're both around.