May Stitching Bloggers’ Question

I thought I would jump on the meme bandwagon and answer the first of Lake Stitcher‘s new Stitching Bloggers’ Questions, a monthly meme.

Suppose we say that there are two types of stitchers.

There are those who enjoy the “process” of stitching.  They stitch for stitching’s sake and if something gets finished, so much the better, but it’s not necessarily the end goal.   Primarily, it’s the application of needle and thread to cloth that makes them happiest.

Then there are those who are “project” stitchers.  They move steadily through their projects, certainly enjoying their stitching time, but finding their greatest joy in the completed stitching.

If you had to pick one to describe yourself, which type of stitcher would you be?  I imagine that we could all say that we fall somewhere in between, but really think hard about this and try to pick just one.  And once you’ve decided whether you’re a Process or Project stitcher, tell us if your recognize that approach in other parts of your life.

This is a debate that surfaces amongst the knitters and crocheters of Ravelry occasionally, and has been touched on by several knitting authors.  Since I first came across this idea in the knitting world, I thought I would answer this question looking at that craft first.  Since I am a new knitter, my knitting is partly about the process: learning new stitches, working with new yarns, that sort of thing.  But also because I am a new knitter, it is mainly about the products or projects.  I love having a finished pair of socks that I can wear, or a lovely cardigan that gets complements. So, while I do enjoy the process, it is mainly about the finished project.

Stitching is a little bit different.  I do love my finished projects, but I have so  many now that projects sit unframed or unfinished (as in turned into an ornament or what have you) for a long time.  It is more about the act of putting needle to fabric, of trying new speciality stitches, or taking a class for a new design or with a favourite teacher.  Maybe that is why I have so many half-done stitching projects, were as when it comes to my knitting I only have one large and one small project on the needles. (Oh, and the lace shawl, but that is hibernating because lace and toddlers don’t mix.)