Wednesday, February 10, 2016

thoughts on slow crafting


This post has been floating around in my brain for some time now, as I've found myself and my crafting priorities slowly shifting and morphing, as my focus has moved unmistakably to the process of crafting and not just the finished object. 

When I first started knitting, I used the wool & needles I inherited from various family members. I bought cheap, chunky yarn from my local craft store and gravitated towards projects that I could finish quite quickly- hello cowls! Seriously, I made so many cowls when I first started out. I used to feel quite overwhelmed by the desire to make all the things, to learn all the crafts. I wanted to try my hand at everything, only problem was, of course, time.

I stayed in this place with my knitting for several years. My first sweater was knit with big needles and chunky yarn, not because that was what I particularly wanted to have in my wardrobe but because it was just the place I was at in my journey. And I just want to state, for the record that in my opinion there is nothing wrong with this. I still love to make cowls and I'm sure I'm not alone in dreaming about all the chunky wool knitting kits from We Are Knitters popping up on Instagram these days. Sometimes what we need is a good quick project.

But slowly, my priorities began to change. I started making socks- something that no matter how you approach it just takes time. I learned about swatching and blocking and surprised myself with the extreme desire to embrace them as a part of my process, regardless of the extra time involved. I stopped worrying about how many FO's I could get off my needles and just settled in to enjoy the long stretches of knitting required for fingering weight sweaters, socks, and baby blankets. 

And I've found that as my focus has shifted, so have my knitting goals and the projects I pick. I'm no longer afraid to invest the time into a challenging project, and I'm not concerned by how long it takes me to finish something. After all, this is my hobby. And I don't owe anybody anything.

One side effect to this slower approach to my knitting life, has been that I've felt less pressure to try my hand at every craft. I used to be of the mindset that if I wanted new pillows for the couch, I should sew them myself. Or if I wanted some sort of wall hanging for my apartment, I should learn to weave and make it myself. As I've grown more comfortable in my craft, I find that I want to spend my time making things that I love to make. And I don't hesitate to accept the handmade gifts of others, or to buy handmade from other makers, crafters and artists. Of course, there is still the occasional impulse to start a weaving, or pick up a sewing project or two, but the pressure is gone. I feel much more free to spend my precious crafting time doing what I love, not what is trendy or what I think I should be doing. 

I've found this mindset slowly seeping into other aspects of my life as well. I've reduced the amount of posts I share here on the blog, and though I love sharing monthly quotes or the occasional recipe, I'm finding that the posts that really resonate with me, the ones I gravitate towards writing more and more, are the ones that take a little more time and words to put together. It's interesting to me that I feel like this, in a time when many people seem to be giving up blogging and turning to outlets like Instagram or Pinterest that are an even quicker way of sharing scrollable information. I don't know, I guess I just hope that there is still space somewhere for small humble blogs filled with the small humble words of genuine individuals sharing their lives and thoughts and creative processes. 

Anyways, this is basically a long ramble. If you have any thoughts at all on this topic I'd love to hear them! 

18 comments:

  1. Hello! This is my first time on you blog though I've been following you on instagram for a little while, and I had to comment because this post really resonates with me. I started a blog of my own just over a year ago that I loved and was really invested in, but as time went on I posted less and less. I've been giving it a lot of thought lately as to why. My blog is based on my hobby, knitting, something I love and am very passionate about and like you over the past couple of years has really shifted from churning out quick projects to slow, mindful pieces. After reading your post I've realised my blog was left behind because I was too concerned with keeping it's content 'up to speed' with what I thought fellow crafters might want to read. I bought a mini loom to do a post about weaving when I've never weaved in my life! Needless to say that post never happened. I started my blog to be about my knitting, and now I realised by moving away from this I stopped my blog altogether. Your post made me realise that if it's something I want to carry on with I need to approach it the same way as my hobby, slow and mindful. Sorry for the rambling, but thank you for unsticking my brain! Best wishes, Claire xxx

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    1. Oh I'm so glad the post was encouraging to you! I can relate to that feeling of making in order to share for sure- it's such a fine line between feeling inspired to share what we are making and feeling pressured to share... something I'm sure many makers & creatives struggle with. I absolutely think there's room for slow and mindful blogging in this community, and there will be other individuals who will appreciate this approach as well!

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  2. I totally get what you said about always thinking about making all the things by yourself you add to your place. Whenever I'm at a market or a store and think about buying something, my first thought is always: "I could make this and shouldn't buy it". I'm happy to hear that your view is shifting and that you can embrace handmade goods other people make. I'm not that far yet. I guess it needs time. Maybe it's because I can't say set, what my main passion is. I still love to make and do so many different things...

    I do love Instagram but I always prefer the blog. I don't like to read longer stories on IG and I just think that blog posts live longer than just those instant photos on IG. I like to take the time to read a good blog post. And this is one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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    1. oh thank you! I'm glad some of my thoughts resonated with you. I agree- blogging is much better for sharing longer stories. Sometimes it's the story behind what we are making that is the most important part, and I'm glad there are other bloggers (such as yourself) who see it this way.

      I totally think it's great to make and do many different things and as long as you're enjoying doing so, you should keep going! Sometimes our passions shift and change with time, and we'll never know what's out there if we don't keep trying and learning new things!

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  3. oh and I'd love to know the "pattern" or what stitches you make for that blanket in the photo :)

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  4. I understand this so much. As I knit I learn patience and the true cost of many things: yarn, respect for handmade items and more. I just learn to love and respect each stitch and craft for my homeless donations. Recently I have gotten sick of scarfs, hats and cowls so I have learned some new skills I hope soon to purchase a few patterns and begin to craft my handmade wardrobe. I'll be sure to share on IG using your hashtag

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    1. I'm so excited to see your handmade wardrobe progress! Isn't it so wonderful how many new things there are to learn in this craft?

      and I think that's one of my favorite things about knitting- the mindfulness and care that goes into each individual stitch that we make for ourselves or for someone else :)

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  5. I love your thoughts about this. This is my struggle with my Etsy shop right now. While I love to knit and love knitting for others, I want to be able to enjoy the process and not be locked in to creating certain items or having deadlines. I used to want to hurry through projects, and sometimes that is necessary, but I have been learning to enjoy the creating itself rather than just being obsessed with having the finished object.
    Oh, and everyone else might be moving to Instagram and Pinterest, but I absolutely love reading your posts.

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    1. Oh thank you! I'm glad to know that my ramblings seem to resonate with people and it's lovely to connect through writing with other like minded people!

      I went through a similar experience with my Etsy shop, and custom orders (which I used to do quite extensively) a few years ago and ultimately decided last spring that it wasn't for me. It's been one of the most freeing decisions I've made and I've never looked back. Of course everyone is different and I know some people who have had amazing experiences with Etsy and selling what they knit. I wish you luck as you discover your path.

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  6. There is no substitute for a well written post (or print article) when discussing real life, I think! Unless it's conversation. I really enjoy your take on things, and I'm happy say I had a realization about clothes and sewing recently - I have enough clothing, and I don't need to make everything, or anything, really, RIGHT NOW! And I think I'm about to rediscover the joy of making without the pressure (from myself) to produce tangible results from my spare time. Whew!

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    1. Oh, thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I agree, there's just something special about the written word that can really help us connect and dive into a discussion.

      I love that realization and hope that you're able to relax and enjoy making in your spare time just for the sake of making :)

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  7. As a reader and not a writer of blogs i've not thought of it like that before, but i understand what you are saying. I still prefer a blog to other forms of social media and love that you write about a range of things, books and walks and travels and family and babies, as well as knitting. You will have other priorities soon enough but i hope you still keep popping into this space.

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    1. oh thank you, I hope so too :)

      I too love blogs and secretly hope they won't dye out like many people seem to be predicting!

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  8. I'm not sure where these trends come from...slow stitching...slow crafting...slow food. I seem to be doing thing things the way I've always done it; if I need a quick, thick cowl, I make one. If I need mitts, I make them. The large, cozy cardigan on 3.5 mm needles took the better part of a year. Why? Because I'm pretty sure I made a quilt that year too. Hand quilted top, not because I'm going for the whole "slow stitching" thing, but because that's how my mother-in-law taught me. I really do love giving extra thought to projects to personalize them, and sometimes that's why the project goes so slowly. It's still telling me what I wants to end up being.

    That's why I blog, too. Just a regular account, for my memories and thoughts. Sometimes the crafting doesn't even get mentioned. The jars of pickles didn't get a picture. Sometimes my brain is far, far away from the blog. But I like it all, because it is me.

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    1. Yes, I know what you mean- it certainly trendy to stick the word "slow" in front of things these days. For me, it's just a way to express what I've been feeling that others can relate to and understand where I'm coming from. I guess for me, the most important thing is to make free from pressure. I agree- if I'm in the mood for chunky yarn and quick projects then that's great. And I want to be free to explore more challenging and time consuming projects that, like your's, may take the better part of a year.

      and I love that approach to blogging- share what you feel like and if something doesn't get photographed or shared, it doesn't make it any less a part of your life or who you are.

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  9. Yes to that! I am constantly reminding myself to pause and take the time to really consider a project before embarking on something too quickly that I won't love afterwards. You are right, just because we CAN make something doesn't mean we HAVE to. We shouldn't feel guilty about buying it instead.
    In the end a well thought out project that took a long time to make will be more precious than ten quick fixes we don't really love.
    And I confess I love reading blog posts but I just can't keep up with all my favourite blogs at the speed everyone is posting so fewer posts isn't a bad thing in my eyes as it gives me time to catch up :)

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    1. Yes! You're so right- that extra time can sometimes be the difference between a well loved FO and something that gathers dust in the back of the closet.

      And yay for fewer posts! This was something I struggled with at first, as I needed to let go of my (self imposed) ideas about consistency and frequency of posting. But ultimately, if we're blogging about life (not living to blog...) those posts are going to come slower during certain seasons and I'm learning to enjoy and embrace this.

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