Wednesday, February 11, 2015

share your knits (or what I love about Instagram)





It's no secret that I love Instagram. It has become such a life-giving creative outlet for me and I am quite honestly blown away by the positivity, encouragement and beauty that I find there every single day. Part of my rediscovery of knitting had to do with the inspiration I found on Instagram and through blogs. I was so blown away by how beautiful knitting could be and I dove into it with a passion that I didn't have previously. And I basically learned to crochet after seeing photos of granny squares on various Instagram feeds. I'm not sure if this is embarrassing or not. But I do know it's true. Being a part of this community has challenged me and inspired me and encouraged me to push myself, to learn and grow and make. 

It's funny but sometimes I'll get a comment from a friend or relative who doesn't knit. Usually something along the lines of "you sure do post a lot about knitting..." or, "what's the deal with all the photos of yarn?" 

Yes, I post often about the things that matter to me. Yes, what matters to me are often the small moments at home with my projects. And yes, I try to make my photos beautiful- not perfect, but positive and inspiring and representative of me and my life.

But somehow, for me, it's bigger than that. I really feel that there is value in sharing these small moments, in documenting the process we go through to make something. The fact of the matter is that knitting (or crocheting, or needlework, or weaving, or whatever craft you've chosen..) takes time. There is no shame in sharing this fact. I use Instagram to celebrate the things I make, the small everyday moments, the beauty I find in the ordinary. I am participating in and contributing to a community that inspires me daily. And I am proud of this.

So to all you makers out there- please keep documenting your work. Don't let the questions or negativity of those who don't understand get to you! 

I am so grateful for this community, and for each and every creative who takes the risk and puts in the time and energy to share their work. And I believe with all my heart that this has value. 

9 comments:

  1. Yes to all the yarn! You should look up the hashtag #strikkedilla (knitting madness in norwegian) or #strikk and you'll find hundreds and hundres of inspirational photos!

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    1. oh, thank you for sharing! I'll be checking out those tags for sure.

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  2. Yes, yes, yes. I looove Instagram, and my family doesn't understand why, but I love the community that is there, and I enjoy scrolling through my feed much more than I enjoy looking on Facebook.

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    1. I like Instagram SO much better than Facebook too ;)

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  3. I love yarn and knitting related project photos too! Being like the only person of 100 or even more people in my proximity that has a yarn or knitting fetish like me, I do not tend to share those photos with my friends, colleagues...That's what I like so much about blogging, there's this whole different yarn-loving world on the internet that I can share my passion with and those people don't act weird when they see my photos! Keep on sharing!

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    1. yes, you're so right. There's something so beautiful about this yarn-loving community. And it's especially great for those of us who don't have a lot of friends who knit and live nearby!

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  4. I couldn't agree more! Sometimes, when I don't feel like knitting, I visit Instagram and I immediately fill with nice, cozy and inspirational images!

    xo xo

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  5. Yes to celebrating the little moments - they are the ones that make up our days and get forgotten too quickly. Appreciating them by taking a photo and sharing it is a great way be more grateful for what we have I think :)

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  6. Instagram is wonderful. It has brought many amazing women into my life who are so longing and simply want to aid in my growth as a person and a knitter. Becka taught me to make hats for my homeless donation and is sending hats to add to it. Nicky sent me a huge box of yarn and is sending me more and some hats for my upcoming donation. These women have shared with me out of the beauty of their hearts. The knitting Instagram community is so fantastic.

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