Posted by msfish on 2005-09-29 12:54:04
Post Subject: knitting (and other crafts) for lefties
at long last, i picked up a beginner's (okay, a kids') knitting kit and am trying to teach myself the trade. the author suggested that lefties (like me) should reverse all instructions; that sounded too confusing to me, and it certainly didn't help with the illustrations, so i decided to learn right-handed instead.
fellow left-handed craftsters, how do *you* knit? have you gnashed your teeth over "handed" how-to info with other crafts?
Posted by anjowin on 2004-11-08 13:50:07
Post Subject: knitting virgin
help! I am desperately wanting to learn to knit. I am going in for surgery next week and will be laid up mat home for 4 to 6 weeks so I thought that knitting would be the perfect craft for me to do from bed. I bought a knitting kit at Target yesterday but.... Will some of the knitting divas please break me in. Thanks in advance.
Posted by anirtak on 2004-10-19 16:33:32
Post Subject:
i was reading a knitting kit the other day which came with bamboo knitting needles and they claimed that they could be taken on an aircraft, so i guess they would be permitted as long as they weren't metal.
Posted by Astrid on 2008-07-26 18:34:58
Post Subject:
Thank you, Mele! To add to what I said, I think consumerism has been there ever since the word 'hobby' was invented. What's bad for me about it is not 'consumerism means big corporations making profit', but 'making profit' (still) comes before caring for our planet.
Kits exist as long as I can remember. To be honest when I was a kid I loved embroidery kits. They couldn't make me happier! When I learnt to knit they gave me a knitting kit once, with mini skeins of yarn and supposedly easy to follow patterns for doll's clothing. After failing to succeed the first project I used the yarn for my own 'designs' (sort of like you, boheme-anne!). At the time I thought I was too stupid to understand the patterns, now I know my own creativity was in the way. I've learnt to read (knitting and crochet) patterns, but I still can't follow them. I only use them to find out how something works, then use them for my own designs. But to this day, I can still totally copy an embroidery pattern and enjoy it. I'd even be happy if someone gave me a kit...
But that's aside. It's not the kits that worry me (I do believe they can be good for kids or starters to discover or develop their creativity). It's people who think they are artists (and maybe they are truely talented!) that are not yet concerned about where they get their materials from or only think in terms of quality. Yeah, that's fine in a world that's not being threatened. As it is for me being an artist (or just a crafter) is equal to being conscious and if you don't or can't recylcle (it's not possible for all art forms) then you should try to get sustainable resources. In the textile area there's enough to find already. There are complete sustainable clothing lines already, so you should be able to buy the fabrics and yarns they use as well. And if the companies who sell those make profit, good for them! I can only hope they become bigger than traditional producers or the latter will change!
Sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings, BUT IT'S REALLY FIVE TO TWELVE, and handmade alone is NOT THE SOLUTION.
