I had a fascinating set of interactions on a social media site today that have undermined some of my long-held beliefs about the crochet and knitting community.
OK, I wasn't REALLY that naive, but I will admit to being surprised at the amount and level (intensity) of the vitriol.
I have been curious about the recent bumper crop of "designer" priced crochet hooks and knitting needles, and so I asked a question on one of those social media sites in a knitting group. I asked if people would share their experiences with one particular set of knitting needles because at the price point - I would expect it to be significantly better as a tool and was hoping that the folks in the group could expound upon HOW they are better.
While I did get a lot of earnest replies, I got enough ass hat replies to make me scratch my head! The milder versions suggested that I borrow one if I couldn't afford to buy one, to test it out. Others straight up suggested that I was being cheap and still others were downright nasty.
I was more than a little annoyed that people immediately assumed I was whining about the price because I couldn't afford one. The price - which I have an opinion about - would not be an issue for me if I wanted to buy them. I was simply curious to know what compelled other people to buy, and then RAVE about these particular items.
In an attempt at full disclosure, I admit to being "snippy" in a couple of my replies to the more obnoxious repliers, but mostly I ignored them and thanked/interacted with the decent human beings who responded.
Still, the experience - combined with a conversation I had yesterday with a woman who closed her (local) quilt shop after 10 years - makes me sad that the general ass hat behavior that we see all over the news of late, has permeated the fiber arts community.
I have a multitude of hooks, needles and crochet/knitting accoutrement, including several items that would qualify as "higher end". BUT,... I haven't found them to be substantively BETTER PERFORMING than the old school tools that I also have. AND, for me any purchase is at its core, an opportunity cost. In other words, how much yarn could be purchased for the price difference between the "designer" tool and the "everyday" tool.
The ergonomic crochet hooks are nice (beautiful, even!), but the hand fatigue benefits I get from a $25 - $40 crochet hook I have found are present when I affix a spongy accessory onto a $3.29 aluminum crochet hook. I also have found that other than really old and damaged knitting needles, my old school ones knit as nicely as my newer set of wooden interchangeable ones.
My own experiences and observations of the minimal differences between the pricey and regular tools have made me question if the buzz around some of these items is due to their efficacy (how well they do their intended work), or if it is more an issue of HYPE that then translates into a desire to buy a "fancy tool".
I get it. I love to buy myself things that are special, and I think anyone who can, and wants to, SHOULD! What I am suggesting is that the popularity may be - at least partially - due to aggressive marketing that has translated into a belief that a $250+ set of interchangeable knitting needles or $350+ set of crochet hooks work better than their more affordable counterparts.
Some will say that in a capitalistic society, the market will either support these goods or not; that their popularity will only be sustained if the demand continues. I find that to be especially RICH since some of the most expensive knitting needles were developed and are produced in a communist country that has no patience or even tolerance for capitalism or the free market, but I'll leave that issue alone for now.
This may be as simple as a lack of imagination on my part and as I posted on that social media site, I am willing to be wrong. I'd love to see a research study where experienced knitters and crocheters are given anonymized tools and asked to make something, and then rate their tools. I have a feeling we'd learn that there's not quite as much daylight between the very basic tools and the pricey ones as we're encouraged to believe.
Back to my initial impetus for this post. I'm saddened, although not totally surprised by the experience on that social media site. Crocheters and knitters are people, and like ANY group of people, there are the nice ones, the rational ones, the jackasses and the jerks. Would it be NICE if we could assume that anyone who crochets or knits (or quilts) is a decent human being? It certainly would, but maybe - just maybe - it would be a bit boring, too!
Today was ANYTHING but boring, even if it was also a bit disappointing.
I have thought a bit this evening about what I would say to someone from any of the companies that make the higher-end tools. I would say THANK YOU to them for investing in the communities of knitting and crochet, and for making things of beauty for crocheters and knitters to enjoy.
I have no beef with them making these and pricing them as they choose, That is how it should be in a free market (have you ever seen the $29,000 USED purses/handbags available on Amazon Luxury Goods!!??). I think what concerns (bothers?) me is the subtext that seems to suggest that one must use one of these tools to make acceptable knitted or crocheted items.
Life gives us plenty of challenges to maintaining a healthy self-image. I would like to see the "us vs. them" energy that exists for kids around clothes and shoes in middle school be something we are free from in the crocheting and knitting space. Maybe it can, but in a different way.
I'll continue to ponder this and share my thoughts as they come.
Thanks for reading, for joining me in pondering this issue and don't forget to go grab some yarn!
(C) 2024 Stitch 'n Dish
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