Sometimes, we need to unravel our knitting projects. I’ve discovered that . . . sometimes I need to unravel entire craft “genres.” Which is how I’ve come to think about this Not Knitting phase I seem to be finding myself in.
I mean, sure. I love to knit. I find it soothing and relaxing and meditative (most always). And I have – for decades now – always found time to sit down with a project and knit . . . every day. Without fail. I usually have a bunch of “next projects” simmering in my head as I was working on my “current project.”
But lately, there’ve been gaps. Gaps I’ve been filling with . . . embroidery and painting and other types of making altogether. Craft “genres” which hit the same “buttons” for me as knitting. And (for whatever reason), I tend to be choosing these other craft “genres” instead of my knitting . . . more and more often these days. Which is why there is very little “knitting content” of late.
I’m going to switch gears now. (And maybe I’ll make a smooth jump here, but maybe I won’t.)
So.
I have a denim shirt I’ve been wearing for years and years. It’s the perfect length. It’s the perfect weight. I can throw it on with anything. Or layer it under anything. (You’ve seen it in countless photos on this blog over the years, but probably never noticed.) It is, simply, The Perfect Shirt. And . . . it’s wearing out. It was made of a thinner denim-ish fabric to begin with, but with near-constant wear over the years, the shirt has become more worn and more thin. (Which, for me, has made it Even More Perfect.)
Late last summer, I finally went right through the elbows . . . in rather impressive ways. My Perfect Shirt is now . . . unwearable. So I decided to revive it and give it more life with some visible mending.
I didn’t just plow into the mending, though. I did my research and decided what I might like to do with my (beloved) shirt. Along the way, realized I needed to learn/try Sashiko stitching before shoring up (and risking) my already-fragile shirt sleeves.
So I bought a kit and tried out/learned/practiced Sashiko. (Which meant I needed to put my knitting down for a time.)
Sashiko is not hard, although – like anything, doing Sashiko WELL is hard. I made the rookie mistake of pulling my threads taut, like in embroidery, but you really need a more loose tension for “give” in Sashiko. (Live and learn.) (And see? Good thing I tried a sampler before learning the hard way with my shirt.)
I also learned that . . . although I love the look of Sashiko stitching, I don’t actually like doing it much. It’s . . . kinda boring. But I do like the look of visible mending with Sashiko, so I’ll be doing more of it for sure.
I haven’t started mending my shirt yet. But I know I can do what I want to do with it now. My plan is to have it ready for action . . . come spring.
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How about you? What have you been working on lately? And do you ever take “time outs” from your knitting to do/try something else?
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If you want more photos and details (such as they are) about my Sashiko kit, you can check out my field notes here.
I like this little sashiko sampler… beautiful stitching as well! I have recently jumped in the Japanese mending rabbit hole… it is delightful and so fascinating! I love the idea of wearing things well… and repairing them well so they can be worn longer! I am eager to see how your beloved shirt gets new life through stitching! (and my love for stitching has almost surpassed my love for knitting!)
It’s funny how different “crafts” (for lack of a better word) come and go in our lives, isn’t it? I used to do a lot of crewel embroidery (decades ago) and have started thinking about that again. And, as much as I love and enjoy cross-stitch, I’ve been thinking of regular embroidery. Sashiko has been on my mind for a number of years. Perhaps I should just get a kit (thanks for the link) and give it a whirl! Your piece is lovely Kym. I love the gold paired with the navy and your stitching is just so pretty.
I know the exact shirt you are talking about! And I think some visible mending will be just the thing to give it new life. You are much more meticulous and methodical about this sort of thing than I am – I did some visible mending on some jeans a few years back and just sort of went all willy nilly with a patch of paisley blue fabric and white embroidery thread. I was very pleased with the result but I also wouldn’t have been devastated if I had ruined them like you might feel about your shirt and the outcome! Good luck!
Dear Dancing,
I’m like you – I enjoy working on multiple crafts. As I rotate my attention from knitting to quilting to painting and back again, I call it the nexus of art and craft.
I like the precision of your sashiko! I thought, “I might need to try that” but I am learning that I might like the idea of stitching better than I actually enjoy doing the stitching. There are two large stitching pieces languishing in my back bedroom and someday I’ll have to decide what to actually do with them. But for now I’ll admire your sashiko and check out your Field Notes.
Beautiful stitching! That particular piece can be arranged in so many ways if you ever get tired of it (maybe years from now) where it is. I am taking a knitting “pause” as well, too. My mother who was “afraid” of her new sewing machine (my mother was not much afraid of anything) decided to hand sew me a dress instead. It was beautiful and I’m beginning to think of trying a small project (like a doll dress) too! My regret is that I was not living near her at the time of her sewing machine “crisis” so I could not coach her through it. One of those intergenerational opportunities that crafts of all kinds affords. After all, she taught me how to knit!
The only time in my life I really didn’t feel like knitting was right before my appendectomy — and since then I’ve realized that if I don’t feel like knitting, something is very wrong. But yeah, sometimes it’s not as exciting and I’m more jazzed about something else — spinning, crochet, reading, whatever. I like all of these pastimes that are easy to pick up and put down as the mood strikes (can’t say that about pottery or glassblowing).
So true, paknitwit! It’s the portability that is key for me – although I am sure working with soft, smooth clay can be just as soothing, although not on the bus.
Great idea! I love the thought of sashiko but I don’t think I’d do well at the getting into the zone aspect.
I’m a knitter, but I’m not ONLY a knitter. 😉
I feel like I spend more time staring into space than knitting or reading. I’m working on a Musselburgh hat out of Gauge Dyeworks yarn. I started on size 4 needles, hated it so ordered 3’s and now am slowly working on it, mostly on weekends. I’m supposed to be doing a knit a long but I just stink with keeping up with those.
What a sweet sampler. Crafts come and go in my life. I put quilting on hold for years but in the last few years I have quilted some pieces. I used to alternate between sewing, quilting, and knitting but I never let knitting go for long.
I love the practice of visible mending and have a pair of jeans in progress. It’s a little hard on my hands as jeans fabric is tough stuff (except where it wears out). I’m nearly done and hope I will be out of winter leggings soon. I enjoy sashiko and have made a few things. I love your piece as a centerpiece for your table. I’m thinking I could make placemats! Nice work, Kym.