I've been sewing for about a year and a half but recently picked up knitting. As I'm looking ahead to planning my winter/spring sewing, the question is to knit or to sew. Realistically, both will occur but it has really gotten me thinking about what I like/dislike about sewing and knitting.
I'm much better and more experienced at sewing. I have a good feel for what fabrics and patterns go together and what kinds of adjustments to make. I'm experienced enough that I know things will usually come out correctly and if it's not working I know how to fix it. Sewing is also fast. I can get going and moving especially on some of my tried and true patterns if I need a quick FO fix.
Knitting is a new and new things are fun. I also have this really fab book full of vintage knitting patterns that have been multisized and translated into modern knitting lingo. It's also winter and in my brain knit = warm. But knitting is sloooooooow and I knit really sloooooooow. That's partly because I like to knit and watch tv so I'm not exactly paying 100% attention like I do when I sew. Knitting also tends to be quieter, which my husband appreciates! (Although my new machine is much quieter than my old one.)
Lately, I've been noticing that I feel more motivated to sew during the day and knit at night. I think this has two causes. During the day, I'm in my get up and go mode. I'm up and down a lot during sewing, especially since my sewing space is kind of spread through all three rooms of my apartment. (Really, the only place there's not sewing stuff is the bathroom.) Knitting is much quieter and more relaxed which I like when I'm winding down in the evening. Also, the lighting in my apartment is really crappy so I like to sew during the day and take advantage of natural light. At night, I can sit under my lap and have plenty of light to knit by.
Do you have hobbies that you have to split your time between? How do you handle your divided loyalties?
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ReplyDeleteUh, you are talking to the queen of multitasking hobbies here... I even have an online organizer to help me keep track of which project I am working on when!!
As for handling them ~ well, besides my organizer {it's a trello.com board btw} I tend to just go with what I feel like doing. Sewing is more of a day thing for sure, and knitting or crochet for the evening. It tends to work well that way. :3 Hope that helps Stephanie.
xox,
bonita of Depict This!
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I have bursts when I really like to knit. I don't do it when it's too hot and so on, so fall and winter are definitely my knitting season peaks. As for all the other various crafts I do, I do them when I a. have time and b. feel like it. Lately I've been embroidering because I have to make examples for a class I'm teaching and I'm really getting into it. I'm all over the place!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat as you. I really want to sew but I really want to knit and I only have two hands! :( Some days, I sew, some days I knit and some days, I do both. I often knit until I'm sick of staring at that same color and then I move on to something else. When I return, my eyes are ready to stare at mustard again. It is incredibly slow but I feel like knitting is one of those delightful luxuries like hand embroidery or beading. It's taken me a week and half but I'm finally finished with the back section of the Date Maker cardigan. I've been watching movies and shows that I've seen a billion times, so that helps to keep background noise without too much of a distraction. After you knit for a long time, you will knit faster too. I recently discovered how helpful stitch markers and row counters can be and that when it comes to toddlers, knitting should be put way up high. Earlier this week, I almost had to kill my daughter after she slipped my needles out and ran off with them! It's a slow project but when it's this cold outside, at least I can spend my indoor time having fun! :)What are you knitting?
ReplyDeleteI love sewing! Sewing is my life :) But I knitting is lovely too...but I'm able to make only scarfs! hahhaha XD
ReplyDeleteMaybe, one day ----> sewing
one day ----> knitting
P.S. I'm a fan of Dowton Abbey too! I wrote a post on my blog:
http://alicecloset-sewing.blogspot.com/
I sew and knit too and love that knitting is portable, and also that I can do it while watching TV! I agree that sewing is great during the day, when light is better, and light doesn't affect knitting so much.
ReplyDeleteOh sweetie, I can't even think about knitting, I know I would be a lost cause to my family if I did one more thing. I have been so tempted to try it, but I am getting hardly any sleep thinking about sewing projects. LOL I woke up today wanting to sew, but darn it, we have to go shopping, do school and make dinner, double darn. You are young and have the energy so go for it and have a lot of fun!! I think knowing when to stop is key, I personally need a timer, a whole day can go by with me in the sewing room if I don't watch it. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI have recently taken up knitting as well. I really love it. More so than I ever did with crocheting. But sewing...well, I guess I agree with you. Sewing IS faster and knitting just isn't. I too like to knit and watch TV, though I also write in the evening (I'm an aspiring novelist).
ReplyDeleteI also agree with "Krestel" knitting is easy to take with you. Where with sewing, it's hard to lug around a machine and such everywhere. :)
I knit and sew. I love sewing, but I can't sew when I'm too tired (I ALWAYS make mistakes and/or injure myself..) so I knit at night. I also knit when I'm at school. Sewing is quicker and more satisfying, but knitting is great for those periods of time that would otherwise be wasted (such as while watching tv). I like to feel like I'm "accomplishing" things :)
ReplyDeleteI do both, with varying intensities.
ReplyDeleteI have a young family (I have a mr3yo and a miss5yo) which means that, in the lack of my own sewing space, I have to completely set up and completely pack away things when I do any sewing/overlocking.
So yes, the actual sewing is faster than knitting, but I love that knitting is pick up, put down. Take it outside if the kids are playing. Take it in the car on a long drive.
Ah, to have a sewing room!
I randomly will take up knitting or crochet but seldom ever finish a project! I think if I could just make a mock up first of my knitting or crochet so I could make sure it would end up all right before investing countless hours/months to the process that I would be a much more avid knitter :)
ReplyDeleteI have trouble balancing them, honestly! I have found that I tend to sew more during days and knit more at night. And I knit when I'm around other people more, since it's quieter than sewing. (I mainly picked it up so I'd stop scrounging for a project every time my crafty friends and I hang out.)
ReplyDeleteI also make jewelry sometimes, but that's easier to cram in because I only do that when the mood strikes, and that's only every couple months or so. And I used to scrapbook a lot, but kind of drifted away from that in the last couple of years. This year, I'm in the mood to pick that up again...just need to figure out how to fit it in, since my creative life is entirely consumed by sewing a raincoat at the moment.
Heh, I also prefer to sew during the day and knit at night (and during my commute). I think it has to do with daylight and the fact that my sewing space isn't that well lit...
ReplyDeleteGood question! I too recently took up knitting & crochet (after dabbling in them very half-heartedly years ago) and I'm addicted! I made a lot of small things for Christmas presents (washcloths and mug cozies) and then a pair of wristwarmers for myself. All were easy makes and so satisfying. Now I am working on a hat for me, a longer term afghan project and a little vest for my son. I am also drooling over vintage knitting patterns, but I have no idea how to size them up for someone my shape (today's RTW 16/18), so tackling one of those will have to wait until I'm more skilled. One of the things I find so great about knitting is that you can it anywhere - I knit in the car, on the train, at meetings (church or volunteering, not work, LOL), while waiting for a movie to start, etc. And like others above, I like to knit when friends and family are around, as sewing (machine sewing at any rate) is noisy and takes up space and can't really be done while sipping tea and chatting. Finally, have you checked out Ravelry? It is amazing!!
ReplyDeleteI also want to try hand quilting because I imagine that you can do the same - one you have the piecing done, you can just take the square in progress with you wherever you are.
Wait, just saw this in your post: "I also have this really fab book full of vintage knitting patterns that have been multisized and translated into modern knitting lingo." Which book, do tell!!
ReplyDelete@Mommy en France- The book I have is A Stitch in Time Vol 2. by Susan Crawford and Jane Waller. I just flipped through to look at the sizes it offered and most were sized up to 46-50 inch bust with a few offered in size 54 inch bust, which is awesome for all of us who are not size 32-34! It's kind of pricey but it's huge!
DeleteThanks!!! I'll have to see if I can get my husband to give this to me as an early birthday present. I checked out the authors' website and the book looks awesome.
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