Actual Knitting Content

I have suffered from years of "hey, grandma, watcha making?" and "My grandma did that too, but she used a hook" and "I have no time/patience/talent for that"

Ugh.

1. Grandmas don't all line up for knitting lessons.  Most people, men and women, learn way before that.  I learned because plain black sweaters were widely unavailable in the 80s and I was a plain black kind of girl.

2. There is knitting that uses hooks, but usually they mean grandma crocheted and they don't know the difference. They are not talking enough with their grandmas to know...remind them to call.

3. Time and patience are up to you.  And talent means nothing anyway.

Knitting is a great, productive, hobby.  There is a huge social media community surrounding knitting.  I am happy to be a part of it.  I know knitters around the world and they have been there for me during some happy times and some difficult times.  Sure we met through knitting, but we have stayed together through personal experience.

More people should be making things.  I know there has been a huge surge in pinterest and diy activities.  I also know that doesn't always translate into actual making.  It often translates into the buying of materials.  Just like all the people with gyms in their basement gathering dust. And the owners of gourmet kitchens who only use the microwave.  We are not always honest with ourselves about what we want.  

Making things makes you.

Talent is a fool's game.  I work among artists and while many of them have innate skill, that is not what makes them successful.  What makes them successful is the constant work.  This is far and away the hardest lesson for students.  Those who have always been told "you have so much talent" fail as fast as those that weren't.  The thing that art students need more than anything is drive.

When I learned to knit I couldn't see my stitches.  But man, I had drive.  I remember being given some double pointed needles and sitting down with a magazine and some yarn and those needles and teaching myself to knit in the round. No youtube.  No yarnshops.

I have subsequently tried to teach all my knitting students to see the stitches early on.  Many have, some have not.  It's not talent. It's education.  I recommend seeking out Ira Glass's discussion on Taste.   Talent doesn't get you far if you won't work.

Work.