Knitting: My Ideal Pursuit

Knitting is not my only interest but I’ve come to realize that it is the one that suits me best. My craft closet holds more than yarn and knitting needles. A quick glimpse will reveal that there is also a good assortment of material and tools for scrapbook and jewelry making as well as sewing. Step into the kitchen and behind some cabinet doors sit an assortment of baking supplies such as cake pans and cookie cutters plus cake decorating tools. Knitting, cake decorating, jewelry making, sewing and scrapbook creating are my five creative outlets but the time I spend knitting beats them all by a long shot. Here are some reasons why:

1. Knitting is not messy. I don’t have to worry about washing pans, icing tips or mixing bowls after baking and decorating cakes or cookies. Sewing and scrapbooks produce scraps that need to be disposed of as well. Sorry, but I don’t like to spend my time cleaning.
2. Knitting is portable and doable just about anywhere. Grab your needles, a ball of yarn and you are set to conquer the world without extra baggage in tow. Cake decorating, sewing, scrapbook and jewelry making lock you into one place plus these crafts require too many tools to produce a finished product. Sorry, but I don’t want to lug 100 lbs. of materials and tools behind me.
3. Knitting is fixable and salvageable. I’d rather frog and re-knit and entire piece than rip and re-sew a small section of garment that has an error in it. Sewing is less forgiving if you cut the pattern the wrong way and you risk ending up with wasted material. With knitting at least you can frog and start over without yarn being wasted (unless it’s mohair). Sorry, but I hate wasted or ruined materials.
4. Knitting gives me more options. I can choose to knit accessories or garments; or I can try new techniques and stitch patterns. Knitting offers more choices and challenges plus keeps my mind occupied. Someday I’ll knit a sweater. Someday I’ll try color work. For now I’m having fun testing different stitch patterns and different yarns. Sorry, but I don’t like to be bored.
5. Knitting is relaxing. Unlike my other interests, my brain finds the rhythmic pace of mindless knitting relaxing and I find that certain patterns require little concentration. There is also less risk of cutting, poking or stabbing myself if I want to do something and watch TV at the same time. Sorry, but the less stress I have, the saner I will be.

There are a number of other reasons why I prefer knitting to other crafts but these five explain it the best.