My 🔥Spicy🔥 Unpopular Knitting Opinions | Knit & Chat ☕
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2024
- Getting a lil hot in here with all these opinions 🔥
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✨Timestamps✨
00:00 - Intro
02:59 - Unpopular Opinion 1
09:23 - Unpopular Opinion 2
12:54 - Unpopular Opinion 3
17:35 - Unpopular Opinion 4
19:56 - Unpopular Opinion 5
22:27 - Unpopular Opinion 6
25:05 - Unpopular Opinion 7
32:02 - Unpopular Opinion 8
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| | ABOUT BASH HARRY | |
Hey! My name is Bash Harry, a 24 year old writer and media broadcaster. Currently based in Brunei, The Harry Knit is the space where I make knitting & craft content every Monday! Have a great day!
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We have some spicy opinions today so let me know yours too!🔥
My spicy opinion is that the sweater curse is only a thing because it takes a long time to knit a sweater and relationships don't always last a long time, it has nothing to with the sweater itself.
That's probably why hahaha
Strong agree. I think it is also because you put so much love and effort into making it, and they just… don’t seem to care. Its possible that you realize they have an incompatible love language.
@@himitsutsubasa2560 YES! I think you’d learn a lot about somebody that way
I kinda feel that making a mundane thing for a long time thinking about a person really gives a time to evaluate the relationship and spot quickly that you don't want to labor a piece of art for that person.
@@AUryga-ns7pg DEFINITELY
I think my only addition is the idea that knitting for yourself is "selfish". I know some people say it jokingly (I've said it a few times), but it also feels like it reinforces the idea that everything you do should be for the enjoyment of others (especially with the nuance of the knitting community being stereotyped as women in caregiving positions).
Oohh I love this one... there is such a sexist, underlying belief that women are supposed to do everything for everyone else ALL of the time. I knit for myself and myself only. I don't have as much time as I would really like to knit because I have a teenage son and a home to care for and people want to be eating 3 times a day... lol
I may make my super-sweet husband a hat though... but we live in south Texas in the US and the weather here is not knit friendly... can't wait to move back north!!!
@@lisamiller1804 for a long time I used knitting and crochet as a way to do affordable gifts (I was gifted a free yarn stash so I didn't even have to buy yarn for a long time), and eventually I started doing less because of my joint pain. But one day a relative came over and saw a cardigan I had made for myself and spent the entire visit trying to convince me to make them one after I had already said no. The experience was an eye opener, I hadn't realized how much people just expected me to not make anything for myself and felt entitled to my own craft. I still craft for others, but if it's not a paid order I'm only making gifts for people who respect the time I put into their gifts.
I live in the South too (TN) and my husband has a drawer of hats and scarves that he only uses for like a month out of the year 😂 but he loves them and gets so excited when he sees a yarn he wants to wear 😂😂
I agree and I don’t understand the ‘selfish’ view. I spend hours knitting a garment that would cost 2 or 3 times as much to buy ready to wear. I’m saving money and enjoying the process. Does that mean that when my husband buys timber and builds bookshelves for his books, rather than buy bookshelves at 2 or 3 times the cost, he is also being selfish? I think that whole selfish claim is a creation of people who don’t/can’t/won’t knit and are envious of our hand-knitted wardrobe. I get the same attitude from non-sewists when I tell them I don’t have time to make or mend for them because I already have a huge queue of sewing for myself - I’m a selfish sewist. Blowing raspberries can be fun 😝
@@krankywitch I love the bookshelf comparison... it's perfect!
I can't even say how much I agree with this one. It is so f*cked up, and I've had similar experiences as the one you describe below where someone was really pushy and did not want to accept a no. It has the women = caregivers connotation and also the one that you do not need to take a no from a woman seriously (and in this case I mean different genders doing that).
It becomes especially obvious when you compare it to other hobbies, like playing video games, watching TV, painting or playin an instrument or whatever. For those it is accepted that you do it for your own enjoyment. Why is knitting for ourselves "selfish"?
I definitely agree with you on the mediocre patterns one. I once purchased a pattern for what came to about 7$ Canadian from a seller who basically implied that I was illiterate or too low skilled to "understand her pattern" after I tried it out and left an accurate review. Not everyone is necessarily cut out to be selling their written patterns and that's okay, but I was especially put off by their response and inability to take criticism as a businessperson.
My unpopular opinion is that not everyone can produce completed projects fast and that there are *some* podcasts/channels who seem to churn out completed works ridiculously fast, almost putting the pressure on those of us who are slower at it (whether it be slower knitter, job taking over life, health issues or accessibility)
As a process knitter, I see your point. I join KALs all the time and rarely finish more than one item. I've been in Summer Sock Camp for 3 years and have yet to finish a single pair during the time frame. Does it bother me? Not really. I still have some beautiful snuggly warm socks to wear. I'm not in it for prizes but for comradery. And if I happen to get a few items finished along the way, go me!!
YES! I watch some folks and if I'm watching Week One, then Week Two there are 2 sweaters and three hats completed and I just get so annoyed at myself. And WHY??? I knit the way I knit and there are things to take into consideration (both of my hands have had major surgery years ago, and some days...things hurt!), including a job, etc. But I try to flip that on its head and tell myself that I'm doing fine - I've done my knitting the way *I* want to. Just as we all should. By the way, my granny could whip through a double-bed sized afghan at the speed of light, so I obviously didn't get that gene! LOL But she taught me, and for that I am grateful and I will do what I can.
You're the first person I've seen talk about the paying test knitters thing whose opinion i agree with 😭 I think my thing is that it isn't really "free labor" or "exploitative labor" but more so volunteered labor. People do it because they want to (for the reasons you stated), not because they're forced too and I think thats a big difference. Testers choose to volunteer their time to help out designers and thats a really beautiful thing to me. Big brands and big designers who make more than enough money to provde materials/pay testers should, but making it the norm isolates small designers who don't have the money to do it
Yesss! We have to remember that small designers aren't big corporations and may not have the funding for it. Test knitting is usually on a voluntary basis and not forced upon anyway
I really appreciated this video. As an indie yarn dyer, this opened my eyes to think more about accessibility. I like your points about accessibility in knitting patterns in terms of language and cost. Also, the sweater you are knitting so beautiful!
Glad it was helpful! I wish I could purchase more indie yarn but it's currently not accessible yet!
It does make sense that the knitting community would largely be dominated by westerners, for historical reasons. Modern knitting as we know it did originate in Europe and it's very deeply embedded in our culture. It's always been everywhere around me. Even in the war time tales from my late grandparents.
I'm really happy to see people from all around the world embracing this noble craft and it's amazing to see how everybody puts their own culture and artistic sensibilities on it, and make the community even richer and more vibrant than ever before. I just love this so much.
Much love from France!
I enjoy test-knitting, and I agree, it would be difficult for most designers to pay for testing. I do like when they offer a nice copy of the completed pattern, and possibly a free pattern from their catalogue. I think the first 2 tests I did, I was promised this and they didn't deliver, and I thought that was a bit disrespectful. Otherwise, I don't know why, but I really enjoy it 😁
I enjoy helping designers and it's more altruistic I think!
My unpopular opinion is.. that knitting is a very hard and exhausting physical job. 😌
I think many who have never knitted in their lives, assume that its a very easy time passing, just sitting n chillin.. basically doing nothin 🤣 when in reality knitting can take a massive toll on hands, arms, back, neck and even heart. 😶
That's why it's so important to advice fellow knitters who just starting out, that it's important to take their breaks regularly, to avoid possible more serious health issues. 😌
That is true too! I haven't thought of it like that, even eye strain is a common problem!
Kitchen timer! Even though if you have the tech, you can set an alarm on your phone or watch, sometimes a good old-fashioned kitchen timer is the best thing. I learned that the hard way, after a strong bout of knitting knocked me off my needles for about 2 months!
This was such an important topic. I agree with you 100%. Knitting is not very accessible. I am fortunate to have access to the tools and yarn I want, but I also realize it's not the same for everyone.If you live in certain countries, it's just a simple matter of ordering from Amazon or going to your LYS. Even those who have access to LYS end up paying a ridiculous amount for some yarns that should be half the price.
You bring up an excellent point I had not thought about. You may consider providing translated patterns to your local community.
My spicy opinion... most hand dyed yarns are ugly when knitted up. They only look good skeined. In order to make this already expensive yarn wearable, you have to pair it with mohair to tone down the colors.
Oooh I've never even thought about that!
"Oh you knit/crochet, make me something" "can you make this thing for me?"
Sure, once I finish the 7 other projects I've started/casted on.
& if they offer to pay you they get upset when you ask for a fair price based on labor & materials or ask for a friends & family discount. Some people find it hard to knit/crochet/sew something they aren’t interested in.
i hate it when people say I should sell my crochet/ knitting garments. I mean, the price for the material is kind of expensive at my place and the amount of time i spent for the craft will not be worth the price that they are willing to pay for it. I crochet and knit for me, and myself only! >:)
Yes. & you have to stay motivated to complete the project by the deadline you give the person buying it, or to make multiples of small things to have an inventory to sell from. Forcing yourself to work on a project you don’t like, or just aren’t feeling at the time can kill your love for the craft. It’s why I like have 2-3 WIPs at the same time, so when I’m not feeling one project, or just want to procrastinate on, I can work on a different one.
People are often shocked by how long it takes to crochet or knit something.
Absolutely!! "Will you make a pair of socks for me?" Yeah, if you pay me the $20(ish) for the yarn you like, and then for my time... I mean, I'm prone to giving my things as gifts, so I'm not saying that I don't ever do that. But I do also dislike when someone says "You could do this as a business." No. No, I couldn't really. First, I'm a slow knitter. Second, I enjoy knitting, so why ruin it? Third, nobody could afford it if I actually had to put a price on my labor + the materials.
Love your spicy opinions! As a new knitter in Korea, I can agree. Many feel the language barrier at the beginning but we see more Korean translated patterns on Ravelry. We also have many Korean designers who publish in Korean and English. So getting better. Indie yarns from Europe or America are hard to get here too, but here we have local producers who dye yarns or produce bobbin cones (we have a history of fabric industry).
What I really want to point out, is the problem of just directly infringing copyrights and selling the same patterns from Ravelry with yarn package. I heard there are many on Pinterest, many illegal Chinese, Russian websites and even Korean sellers in some online communities. As a knitter, I think we should really not sell or purchase illegal patterns!!
I went to South Korea just before COVID in November and I wish I could've gone to some fabric and craft stores cause it looks absolutely amazing!!
I have learned so much from Korean youtube channel - even though I do not speak Korean. I learned about coned yarns, learned how to create your own unique color by holding multiple yarns together, and learned many useful techniques.
As far as patterns and copying them, it's a sad but an unfortunate reality.
@The Harry Knit I hope you get to go to Korea soon. If you do, I'm sure you will enjoy visiting Banul. Their wall of coned yarn is so amazing.
Very nice video with very good points! I'm a Norwegian knitter with below average income. I value that a lot of yarn and equipment are cheaper here than most places. Wool that is. I prefer cotton or bamboo (or other viscose fibers) mixed with acrylic and to try out new fibers. Those can be hard to find and not so cheap here. I get quite annoyed at the yarn snobbs (all natural, all hand dyed, extremely expensive etc.). I'm very happy to have found your channel!
You are so lucky to have access to so many beautiful yarn. Rauma and Hillesvag are 2 brands I'd like to try, but they are so expensive outside Norway.
I'm just getting into creating patterns for knit or crochet garments. I used to design and create garments to sell, but society has become cheap and does not recognize the work and effort necessary for creating these artistic pieces. So now my focus has moved to putting my design into readable format so those who love and appreciate can have something for themselves...
I too have been looking for test knitters once I have the pattern in PDF format, but as an individual with not much to offer, I wouldn't have anything more than the pattern to offer.... It is a challenge with all the various hurdles to get recognized, particularly starting from the bottom up
I think creating patterns is a skill in and of itself! Designing & making garments is tricky because of how fast fashion has warped are brains to thinking clothes are actually easy to make lol - in the end, someone may want a piece for $30 when it's real cost is way more than that!
"knitting is not also always assessable" oh my gosh amen!! I live in Canada but a small town and even here I struggle to find certain things. not to mention its expensive.
don't even get me started on the exchange rate! 😭 i know it's not the designers fault our dollar is so pitiful, but the amount of patterns i won't ever be able to purchase because of the exchange rate... it's disappointing, to say the least.
@@anishinaabae i know then you look at the labels that have US and CAD dollars on it and US is so much cheaper 😭
& the cost of yarn has been going up quickly over the last few years. So even if you have craft stores near you, the cost of yarn can be a barrier. & the Micheal’s near me barely has a yarn section anymore. I have to drive further to go to one with a good size yarn section.
Such a good point about accessibility! I live in the US and a lot of people don't have reliable internet access or access to a local yarn store. Where I grew up, the closest yarn store was about an hour drive away.
Unpopular opinion:
Socks are not worth it. Personally I think that knitted socks are beautiful BUT I ALWAYS END UP WITH HOLES…and its truly heartbreaking. I cannot spend that much time knitting something just for it to break.
Ooof that is so true! I have a pair of house socks and even though they haven't broken yet, they collect so much debris and hard to clean!
I just wore a hole through a pair of socks my grandma knit me and I wanted to cry, I’ve barely worn them 😢 time to darn them I guess
When you say you end up with holes, do you mean the socks wear out? Or the teeny tiny holes in the gusset where you picked up stitches? If it's the latter and it really makes you crazy, stitch it up. If you mean you wear holes in your socks, perhaps a more heavy duty yarn would help. I have some socks I made 6 years ago and they wash up like they are brand new. You don't get that with commercial socks.
That's such a throwaway attitude. With that attitude, don't learn to knit. Just sit in bed all day
@@Stettafire Hey have you noticed that this is an unpopular opinion…meaning that you don’t have to agree with it and that I’ve written this KNOWING that it’s unpopular and that most people won’t agree with. So next time you see an unpopular opinion you don’t agree with… maybe move on with your day instead of being condescending.
On that I wish you a wonderful life and I hope you get to knit many many pairs of socks! Now, I will go unlearn my knitting knowledge and sit in my bed for eternity 😂🙄
If designers were expected to pay their Test Knitters, they should also be able to raise the price of their patterns. Which, many designers have noted is not really feasible and goes against your notes on accessibility. I think that it would be great, in an ideal world, that designers could afford to pay test knitters, but we don't pay designers enough in their patterns to be worth. And what would the rates be? Per hour? That's multiple hundreds of dollars.
I do think the test knitters should get a final copy of the pattern, which is a 'cost' but a lost potential sale is much less $$$ than actually paying the test knitters.
This is all utter nonscence when you realise most companies actually DO pay their test knitters. It's only the cheap designers who don't
Loved the video. So many good points a lot of people don’t want to see or talk about. Indie dyed yarn is expensive and most times inaccessible to me too but it’s so lovely to work with. I also don’t think the sweater curse is a thing, I think it’s more of trying to make a piece of art someone doesn’t want or understand the meaning and time that went into making this wearable piece of art. I also don’t believe in selfish knitting as knitting is my hobby and it’s totally fair to make things I want to make for me not for other people.
Totally agree about accessibility!! I was floored when I realised how much non acrylic wool costs! and living in Australia like every yarn easily available is DK weight and usually entirely plastic lol. and it's all labeled '8ply' and our $ conversion rate sucks too so I feel ya! and I feel like people only ship to australia because of western/white centric politics/trade agreements etc... since there's not any other reason because we're so far south and our dollar sucks haha
and I think your opinions are all very sound and I agree with them!
We have some 8ply yarn here too and I get so confused if it's Aran or DK cause they're so thick lol
If thats of any interest, bendigo woolen mills is an australian mill and they offer wool&cotton. If you didnt know about them already, you might want to check it out!
@@NukeNukedEarth Thanks, will do!! :)
Yes, do try Bendigo Woollen Mills. Also look at Wool Warehouse in the UK - when on sale, lots of theirs are cheaper than acrylic, especially drops, and the postage is the same you pay within Australia - I’ve never waited more than 7 days for my parcel so that quicker than Australia Post 🤔☺️ If you are OK buying in bulk, the 500g cones from Holst Garn in Denmark are very cost effective, even with postage charges. Holst is an entirely difference type of yarn - it’s not been washed after spinning, you do that after knitting your garment. Plenty of videos on TH-cam about it - the Crimson Stitchery has good ones about using Holst. It’s Australian and NZ wool! Hold it single for fingering/sport weight (4ply) or double for dk. Held double, I can get 2 pullovers from cone - that’s 2 pure wool garments for $40 - and lots leftover. My last order I got a 500g cone of supersoft plus 5 balls of titicaca (alpaca) for the lowest postage charge - I’ll get a fingering weight pullover, a dk pullover, and a dk + alpaca cardigan for $90 incl p&p. Well worth a look
Oh my god yes! I’m Aussie and it’s sooo frustrating. Everything is blah blah blah PLY. Like… stop. Just label it DK or sport or worsted omfg and it’s all acrylic. I have found some decent acrylic yarn and made some lovely things but when I have a really special project I want to work on I have to order yarn from some random place and it costs a bomb.
Im 16, and a digital artist, crocheter and knitter, and all I can say is that i do consider this as an artform! Art is of course being able to create anything from a few mqterials that could even be considered mundane. Making art from a pen, or making art from a needle and yarn, its the same thing for me. Both need skill and passion and love.
My unpopular opinion; continental knitting isnt fast. I can’t manipulate the needles and yarn with my left hand. I can do the knit stitch with my left hand.
Neither are fast unless you are competent at that particular knitting style. You are fast in whichever you are most comfortable in. For some that means continental for others that means throwing. Neither is better or worse. The internet's hatred of throwing is dumb.
Thank you for sharing a bit about your experiences and struggles as a knitter in a non-Western country. I'd love to hear more about them in future videos!
I love love love the fact that you brought up how conversion rates play into the expense of yarn. I crochet and want to knit but there's no yarn stores in my country. The exchange makes a little yarn equal my groceries bill. There's also the high custom duties once the yarn enters the country. For now, I only buy when there's big sales.
I felt that hot take on the exchange rate. There are so much patterns that I want to get but can't, unless I saved up money for them. Other factors too such as our living wage is much smaller compared to western societies that buying a skein of yarn or buying one pattern felt like a splurge already.
+The weather too - I live in the Philippines. There are so many cute sweaters patterns and yarns I want to try but I will never buy because the garment will never be accessible and wearable in my humid-in-some-days-hot country.
Yeah exactly! Thank you for sharing!!
I know exactly what you're talking about with mediocre patterns. I'm currently knitting a top that I think looks great and I'm sure I'll get a lot of wear out of but the formatting of the pattern and the written instructions are horrible and I'm mad I spent money on it when I'm doing a lot of work editing and recalculating. Especially since I found a pattern that was very similar for free on Purl Soho but ended up choosing the paid pattern because I liked the shaping better. I feel like if I pay for a pattern, I should not have to do any work other than following the instructions. I wouldn't have minded doing the extra work if I had used the free pattern.
Great video! I especially love your opinion on accessibility. I watch European and American knitters walk into their local yarn store and buy needles and yarn that I either have to order online for a huge markup, or simply can't get because overseas shipping to where I live (South Africa) is prohibitively expensive. Popular yarn brands, which are often the only yarn recommendations given for a pattern, are simply not available here. This makes more complex knitting patterns, or patterns that require a very specific gauge and/or fibre type, intimidating because how on earth am I supposed to even begin finding a yarn substitute that I can actually get my hands on?
Great points. Yes, I love watching people visit their LYS and I am lucky to have a few LYS close to me, but I don't shop there because they are far more expensive. Granted you're in SA and knitting tools are very expensive, but LYS prices can also be rather overpriced. A lot of times, I get the best deals shopping online and many times I order from other countries for a better price than local. Of course, you have to factor in shipping which means larger orders are more economical. We need local knitting guilds or co-ops.
This is my current struggle. I just found an online yarn store in Cape Town that stocks 10mm bamboo needles for R24. I almost got duped by takealot spending R350 for bamboo needles. I looked and looked for these needles all over Joburg yarn shops but it was either too expensive or they didn’t have the right size I was looking for.
I’m two years late but your comment really hits home for me😭 living in South Africa has so many challenges: first off the exchange rate will BURN a hole in your pocket if you want to get higher quality yarn, secondly even if you want to buy online they possibly don’t even ship to SA, and thirdly this economy is so crippling to have a hobby as expensive as knitting. I hate it here goodness gracious💀
@ariellab2557 take those frustrations to the polls! Less than 2 weeks until voting day 💪
@@talyabeyers I most definitely will direct the energy of my sad yarn collection to polls. FIX THE ECONOMY!!!😭
Honestly your 1st opinion is sooooo true. I live in South Africa, and although we have some sort of assessability, well mostly in big cities, wool/yarn is expensive so we just use what is available. Nevermind how so many patterns what you to use chuncky wool😶 like my bank account can't do that. The wool we get also comes from all over the world so working out the needle sizes can be a nightmare and finding the right type of wool because we don't have a singular standard. I am lucky enough to be a first language English speaker but the South African Rand isn't strong which makes buying knitting patterns a nightmare, because 1 knitting pattern can cost almost R200 (which is a lot of money here). So it's either buying the wool or the pattern because doing both ends up being exteremly expensive 😭😭😭😭
The SA Rand is so gosh darn weak and keeps getting weaker!!!😭 helpppp
First off, I just want to say I agree with everything you said (I'm on opinion 5 atm - selfish knitting)
I didn't know selfish knitting is a thing? I didn't know it had it's own name lol!!!
Are they buying the yarn for you? Are they paying you? Are they going to go out of their way to make you comfortable whike you knit? Are they going to take the pain, aches, strain or heartache from you as you knit? Feed you?...you get the point
If the answer is no, why the expectation? 😂 WHAT???? THATS THE WILDEST THING IVE HEARD.
People expecting gifts because you knit? Lol
Watching this while currently knitting my fiance a sweater
you're a rebel, i like it
this was such a good video to knit to. you are so eloquent and the pace that you speak at is exceptionally calming
I totally agree about being a selfish knitter, you know it’s appreciated by yourself and it will be cared for. I will make socks for special people as I do like making them.
I'm new to knitting but my mum used to have knitting tools in her room. Learning more about knitting made me realised how big it is in Japan. Like we have Clover and Tulip and it kind of surprised me. Not sure why it boomed over here but it definitely doesn't feel cheap to begin
We have Clover & Tulip here too and while they are really good quality, it's also super expensive!
@@TheHarryKnit Well that they are based in Japan. Also I think where you live is much cheaper than Japan...everything is expensive back home so when I see the prices, it doesn't feel expensive to me
Doesn't change the fact that I'm still poor either way
There’s some really interest history about diplomats’ wives learning knitting while they were in Europe and bringing European techniques back to Asia where they became a craze among upper class housewives. It shows how cultural exchange is so valuable. Hitomi Shida is one of the biggest influences in western knitting. Her design work is unparalleled in my opinion.
@@himitsutsubasa2560 I don't know much about the history of knitting, just that I've found lots of different cultures have cultivated different styles and design of knitting. That's really cool and thanks for sharing!
I live in Colombia and even though i speak english and i can read patterns but i can't buy the yarn that is usually mentioned there, so i alrays have to find alternatives to the ones i can find here. Also the indie dyers, i would love to buy from them, or those crochet hooks that people make, or even fancy knitting needles but the conversion would be crazy! One dollar is 4.300 colombian pesos, and literally it cost me 4+ times than to people in the US. I totally agree is only an affordable for people in north america.
Really enjoyed this video. The whole paying testers discussion has been at the back of my mind for a while now and your take on it is super interesting. As for my unpopular knitting opinion... I really don't like seeing designers who are publishing multiple patterns a month especially if all the pieces are really 'trendy' and resemble fast fashion. I find it super impressive if people can finish a lot and write patterns on all of it, but for me personally it gives me stress to finish more projects and makes me forget that the real reason I started knitting was because I wanted to be more in the moment and have fun making things.
This was a really great video and I'm glad you made it! You definitely called attention to accessibility in regards to language which is something I hadn't ever really thought about. I also agree with your take on the whole paying test knitters thing. Like I don't ever apply to a test knit with the intention of getting paid, I apply because I like the pattern and I like to knit and I want to help the designer out. Of course if a designer was ever able to pay their test knitters then that would be great but I don't think that's why most people apply and I also think it gets kind of complicated. Like do the plus sized testers get paid more? they have to knit more than the other sizes so? Idk, it's a complicated topic I think.
I think my spiciest & most unpopular knitting opinion is that I don't do swatches, I simply refuse to waste time & effort that way 😅And thus I'm regarded as a "bad knitter" somehow.... ("Rogue knitter" I could go for, or even claim, but not bad ;)) I also don't like to pay for patterns, I think that (paid patterns) is a very US centred thing anyway; earlier (times that I still remember) there were no paid patterns on sale like this (well, no internet either), there were just knitting mags & books etc, which were often recycled among folks, so basically the patterns were free. Also, I *never* follow a pattern to the letter, I always modify *a lot* (when I don't design my own), so it doesn't make sense to pay for a pattern if it's not a very special one; I have paid for some very specific ones though, like collections of Jane Austen Knits. :) I'm unsure about knitting being Western centric though; I'm myself in Northern Europe, Nordic country (and whether it's seen as part of "West" or not is kind of matter of opinion), and here knitting is very prevalent, even if we're not in core "West". I do get it's much more rare in Asia etc, but that only makes it more interesting, IMO, for people in those parts of the world :)
Regarding accessibility, I think you are spot-on. I'm in the US. And there are costs involved, even without an exchange rate, that can make this art form hard to sustain. And - for me, if I want indie yarn or something other than generic, my nearest "local" yarn shop is a 4-hour drive away. I do a lot of my yarn shopping online, and shipping fees are up as well. So you are absolutely correct, even if it's something I can teach someone, they look at the needles and perhaps a project they like and see that it's nearly $200 for a sweater's worth of good yarn and that really turns them off. This is an honest assessment, and it needs to be said. So often we hear "anyone can do it - kids knitted in Victorian times." Well, yes, but that was (a) child labor; and (b) not considering the prices of things now.
With your first opinion, I definitely agree! When i was young i had a hard time getting into fiber arts because i couldnt get the supplies, so there was also a money issue here! And im Indonesian American, and while I can speak English, I think it would be really cool to translate patterns into Indonesian. Whether that be my own patterns, or other people's I think thats something that would be a worthwhile use of my time! (ps it is so lovely to see south east asian knitters like you online ❤)
I think the issue about paying the test knitters is worth having continuously and I personally hope that it would gradually move towards the direction of some kind of payment/compensation (because it is a time consuming work with a set of responsibility, however loose, at the end of the day?) BUT I really didn't like the way the arguments from the for-payment side were quite poorly thought out, flat and black-and-white, whereas arguments from the not-so-sure-about-payment side were much more nuanced, carefully laid out and based on actual reality rather than on some principles far detached from the real world. Like, many people were basically establishing this really rigid, faulty 'exploiting designers - exploited test knitters' frame, and some of the designers were also jumping onto the wagon to appeal that they are not like those exploiting designers and blabla. it was just like a typical shallow social media activism circus where people were trying to assert moral superiority in the easiest, fastest way possible without really thinking things through 🤷♀️ It's not like I have any hope to be able to have a proper 'discussion' on social media at this point, but the level of the test knitting discussion was another low I hadn't yet seen in knitting community until that point.
Designers aren't making that much money. If they have to start paying testers then we can expect to pay considerably more for patterns. Can you afford to pay more?
@@RJ-qv8ku That's why I started my comment with the tentative 'gradually move towards', because I know that the reality wouldn't allow things to change any time soon. As a woman in art & craft field, I know the reality enough.
As much as I feel empathetic towards the independent designers and absolutely hated the TikTok 'discussion' accusing designers for ~exploiting~ test knitters, I still feel not completely comfortable about test knitters doing the time/yarn-consuming work 100% for free. While I think the strict pay-by-hour kind of payment is neither suitable nor feasible, I still think relatively small compensation like getting reimbursement for the yarn cost used for the test knitting or gift card for a yarn store of test knitters' choice can be a realistic option at some point in the future.
If the cost of knitting pattern needs to be increased to accommodate this kind of condition, I would accept that. I've actually thought for some time that the price of knitting pattern is too low for the time and professionalism going into producing one. Again, I'm saying this as a woman working in the similar industry and not earning that much myself & not even being able to afford to buy yarn and pattern every month like many knitters seem to do.
Hello ! i discover your channel with this video. I felt lonely knitting on my own so I was looking for some knittings virtuals folks to knit with :) love the way you think. I completely agree for the first point, a lot of time people are western centered because it's where the majority lives. I'm living France but I'm visiting my family a lot in Mauritius, clearly there is very littles stores for yarn. Everything is really expensives, and not only for yarn artists. Art supplies, everything that is hobbies related is 10 times expensives than in western countries. It was nice having this little knitting time with you ! Have a really nice day !
Totally agree with you on point number 2!! I just finished knitting from a really bad pattern. The design is cute but the pattern itself was really poorly written, there was not enough information and explanations about the techniques and not to mention the sizing was off. I ended up frogging this pattern maybe 10 times all in different places.. totally not an enjoyable knitting experience. I'm going to be checking the reviews more thoroughly from now on 😅
Exactly!! Don't get me wrong, I love a good design but if the pattern is hard to read, then maybe not for me 😂
Hi! I find your opinions not so spicy, neither unpopular, but rather sensible. Its true that, because of the industrial revolution garment prices are very low, this craft isnt saving us money, but at least we get some use out of it , not just the enjoyment of the making but practical things. And then all this has got me thinking about how all cultures around the world (lets say most, just to be safe) have produced some kind of textiles and whether we could find in our own region the resources to go on knitting without being dependent on western commercially available yarns, etc. On the topic of test knitters, i dont have any experience, but i like Andrea Mowry's take on the matter. And what's art? Walter Benjamin also thought about it in relation with the print and photography, I guess knitting can be an art form, but not every knitter is an artist (says a forty something spanish queer guy). It's been nice listening to your thoughts/point of view!
For test knitting I think the best way to do it is that if you can you have two categories paid which are expected to give certain things and free that just give as much or little as they want
Thank you for this video! As a designer I always worry that my testers aren't really okay with me not being able to compensate for their time by actually paying them. We're open about it, have talked about it and they always reassure me that they are really enjoying themselves and are happy to help, but still some part of it is nagging my brain. Hearing more perspectives on it is definitely helpful 😊
Hi, I just found you and I'm so glad to be here! I completely agree with your opinions - especially that knitting is not accessible! It is expensive and can gatekeep people from being able to access and enjoy what we can take for granted.
I think selfish knitting should be the norm!!! Most people don’t appreciate the amount of work that goes into a knitted object.
I think the sweater curse was also thought of as a warning,,,if a woman was willing to put "that much" time and effort into a garment for a partner, and they were not engaged to be married at that time, a man may feel like that sweater may feel like either the woman is seeing the relationship as more serious, pressure to propose, or an assumption that an engagement was coming soon. The idea was that the "sweater" would scare a man away, thus "cursing" the relationship, and causing a break up.
I've heard that before yeah but if a man is scared of a sweater, then maybe good riddance 😂
im fairly new the the online fiber arts space but youre the fiest person ive heard talk about the accessibility difference in countries other than the US, that feels like a very important topic id love to see explored more
I'm new to your channel, watched one video and completely fell in love with your channel. I couldn't agree more with you, I live in India and here the main fibers for knitting we get is mostly acrylic, cotton and one or two types of wool but it's mostly acrylic. Now there are some really good acrylic yarns I've worked with but still I want to go forward and explore more yarns but the only accessible way for me is by purchasing online from brands who ship internationally, and omg they are too pricey, so I stick to the yarns available in India.
Throughout history, when a community of people have valued something they have put effort into making it easier for themselves to access it. Where are your local pattern writers, yarn sellers, knitting groups? If they don't exist, make them happen.
Easier said than done…👀 this is pretty tone deaf if you don’t understand the difference in societies and the “availability and accessibility” we keep on amplifying here. I don’t know which part of the world you are from but where I’m from, the costs are crazy. Even if you wanted to buy local yarn sellers it’s expensive. You’ll end up spending the price of groceries for a week on a sweater yarn quantity. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but hey…
I’m so glad you came out the gate running with knitting isn’t exactly accessible.
Hi! I come from Italy and here we are some little shops that sells yarn but they have definitely a little and often limited selection of different fibers and colours, personally I often end up buying my yarn online or at the market, but when it comes to market I have to be careful because they do have some good yarn and they also have some no-quality yarn that might be extremely cheap, but it looks also definitely not so good when you knit or crochet with it, so you have to pay attention🤣... my spicy opinion is that when I knit the english style, I prefer purling😅 but I actually usually work the continental style and I like both knitting and purling😊🥰
I'm okay with purling but I get so annoyed with doing a 1x1 ribb hahaha
@@TheHarryKnit you're right! It's pretty boring😆
100% agree with your first opinion on accessability of knitting to all.
I live in New Zealand where there are more sheep than people.
Wool is very very expensive here. it costs almost a weeks wages to purchase enough wool to make a sweater. If you want a fibre that is not wool it is cheaper but not by much. The cheapest I have seen is $6NZD for 50grams of fibre. A medium sized sweater requires approxemately 12 to 16 (50gram) balls depending on the style.
Also a kiwi! just in case you are looking for reccomendations, Woolly (Crucci) Red Hut is an 8ply 100% NZ wool/spun in China. It is around $4 a 50g ball depending on the shop in my experience (in person and online). I haven't yet knitted a garment out of it but it's been nice for playing around with. In my area 8ply wool usually starts at about $6/50g and merino about $10 4ply slightly pricier per 50g.
Last year spent ~$130 and several months on a cute little short sleeved sweater in 100% NZ grown/spun merino and it pilled the worst I have ever seen!! After months of combing the pilling has slowed down but it was pretty heartbreaking.
omg as a knitter who lives in the philippines, good yarn and materials are so expensive here 😭😭 i often have to plan out projects extensively to fit my budget and as a beginner knitter, i can't just go to a local yarn store and be around a community because there are none near me D:
Ramadan Mubarak. Have you thought about opening your own yarn store, or dying yarn for sale, teaching the fiber arts, etc? It seems like there would be opportunity in your country and very little competition.
Ramadan Mubarak to you too! Maybe I will one day, it's definitely something I've been thinking of haha
@@TheHarryKnit ---What kind of work do you do now?
@@TheHarryKnit I think translating patterns would be a great way to making patterns more accessible to your local community. Imagine having a yarn shop or even a knitting group where you provide Flax sweater(free pattern) in your local language. The beauty of that pattern is there are so many sizes so from baby to adult man.
Do you have a PO box? I’m not an indie dyer, but I spin yarn sometimes & would love to send you some!
I totally agree on the accessibility front in terms of money. I won't say that like me, as a white Australian who lives close-ish to one of the largest cities in the country is in such dire straits. But access to yarn/knitting stores is really hard in terms of money and access. There's not a lot of dedicated yarn stores near me, I wouldn't say they're obsolete but there isn't a huge pool of them. And buying yarn is expensive too. I wish I could afford the natural fibre-based yarn, but unfortunately, the big box craft store near me has acrylic yarn for 200grams at $9.50AUD (used to be cheaper but cost of living), whereas, for $10AUD at some places all I'll get is 50grams. Same thickness too. I'm glad there are people out there who are supportive of those of us who can only afford acrylic yarn, but there are still some people who judge.
I refuse to knit for anyone one besides myself. I just won’t do it. I always tell people it’s better for them to learn to knit and they can make whatever they want. They don’t want to hear it. And that’s fine. I’m just no longer waisting my valuable time when I have a list a mile long of items I would like to knit for myself.❤
I’ve knitted for everyone else ever since I started knitting, and that’s been about 30 years. Now, I am finally knitting for myself 😬… As far as accessiblity is concerned, being a leftie knitter (self-taught), it’s difficult to learn new techniques; I don’t know any knitters, let alone leftie knitters 😞
i realize this video is a year old, but it came up after i let youtube continue playing "related" videos because youtube doesn't know that knitting is not crochet.... that being said, if you need a string tying buddy, id be glad to video chat a person across the world while you knit and i crochet. it's my therapy, honestly. and if you do it in a group while chitty chatting, it's referred to here (texas) as a "stitch and b!tch."
on another note, have you thought of trying to translate a knit pattern into [the language you said people in your country speak]? then maybe, i dont know if people in other parts of the world have community/senior centers, but if you do, you could teach others how to knit. create a demand, and it will become more accessible... in theory..
and my degree is in art, so i would absolutely love to hear more about art law.. do you have other videos rambling about the subject?
**unpopular yarncrafts opinion because i cant knit, but crochet is life**
my art is not too expensive. you are too cheap.
though that is specifically unpopular with customers rather than other fiber artists..
I've always had an inclibg that knitting beeing accessible depend on where you live. I don't hear a lot if people outside my homecountry saying the learnd knitting in school.
I agree with your spicy opinion about knitting accessibility, but I would add TIME into the equation... so many people simply do not have the time to enjoy crafting, and by people I mean women. I live in San Antonio, TX, USA, but am not from Texas. I see SO many posts on the many mom-centric FB groups and such that I am on where women talk about how they are simply drowning... they have less than zero time to fill their own cups with anything, let alone a costly craft. Because #sexism and the unequal division of unpaid labor and the 'mental load' of simply being a woman.
This is a great video! I really appreciated all the points you brought up, but I think my spicy opinion would be that...these opinions aren't really spicy? I usually think of spicy knitting opinions as like (and these aren't my thoughts, necessarily, just things I've seen elsewhere on social media/the internet) "I think hand-dyed yarn isn't worth the money" or "I hate the mohair + another yarn trend".
I felt that your topics of discussion weren't so spicy and controversial, but more important points of discussion in the knitting world that maybe we haven't been discussing. There wasn't anything you brought up where I thought, "Oh wow, people are going to really be riled up about that one!". Haha, but just my spicy thoughts.
The particular points you brought up that stuck out to me were about accessibility and test knitting. I am in a place where I am fortunate to have easy access and can afford "fancier" yarns, but I never really thought knitting was that accessible. It costs a lot of money - even "cheap" yarns cost a lot if you want to make, say, a blanket, which needs a lot of yardage. Not to mention the needles, the patterns, etc. I also don't know that I've heard people call it accessible that much.
The thing with test knitting is also an interesting discussion. I think part of it that makes me feel weird about paying test knitters, aside from the fact that most new designers can't really afford to pay all those testers, is also that at the end of the day it isn't sample knitting being mailed to the designer. The person who pays for the yarn gets to keep and use the sweater, and I would say most of the time the person knitting it is excited about the design and that's why they signed up. I've always seen it kind of as volunteering to preview the design and get early access, though I know from the times I've tested how painful it can be when you have to rip back due to mistakes in the design...
Anyways, I really enjoyed this video and thanks for putting it out there! It didn't need to be super spicy for me to thoroughly enjoy it ;)
Just discovered your channel through this video and am so happy to see a knitter from SE Asia! I'm just another white woman from Europe but I lived in Myanmar for a while some years ago, and there were people knitting there and in other southeast Asian countries! People in Western countries have this very reductive view "the tropics = hot, so no knitting". Yes, but mountains exist, and so do ACs, and you can knit so many different things... sorry, but that one really annoys me XD So thank you for being here on TH-cam :)
Regarding your opinions: I agree so much!! Knitting is definitely not very accessible in regards to language, tools, ability, sizes, costs and others. I don't get why there even is the "universal" language option on Ravelry, that does not exist IMO. And where I live you easily pay more than USD 100 for an adult sweater's amount of natural fibre yarn which is just crazy.
About the "selfishness", Cozy with Raven put it very well, it reinforces the idea that esp. women should dedicate their time to other people and nurture and be caregiving. A while ago I heard another knitter say "Yeah, why don't you knit me one first?" when someone asked him for a sweater, and I shamelessly stole that because it is such a great response to people feeling entitled to something. I like knitting for other people as well,
Rewarding test knitters somehow seems fair, like a free pattern or a discount. If it's a bigger company I would say they should provide the yarn (which would be difficult depending on where you are, I know) because yarn can be very expensive. Esp. if the company also produces yarn. Also agree about the other things but won't go into everything.
My own very opinionated additions:
The community can be very judgemental. One the one hand it is super supportive and amazing, at the same time there is so much judging going on what is "wrong" or "right", as if there was only one way to do things. I would love it if we could celebrate the many different ways to knit, crochet, block, whatever. Someone likes knitting with a dominant colour, somewhere else it is not a thing, so what? I think it's really fascinating how diverse fibre arts are and would love if we could appreciate that more.
Please respect people for what they like doing. Years ago I taught myself to knit and started with socks. It was a really big thing for me, I loved knitting them. One time when I was in a yarn shop, the owner said "well, I hope you won't always knit just socks" in a very condescending way and I felt really hurt by that. For a long time I didn't reach out to the knitting community because I didn't want to be shamed again and I felt like I wasn't a "real knitter" because I did "just socks". Luckily, I'm over that ;)
Knitting is not the healthiest thing to do. In my perception, there is this expectation that a "good" or "dedicated" knitter knits a lot. But if you only knit while sitting and knit for long times without breaks that is just not healthy. Most of us sit too much anyways, and RSI and other problems seem very common among knitters. So I wish there would be more conversation about knitting healthily (I absolutely include myself in this, I have RSI from computer work and it is really hard to not knit for long enough to let it heal), and that you can be a knitter even if you don't have anything on the needles right now.
Charity knitting is not always a good thing. It reinforces ideas about "helpless" refugees from the Global South and while it can certainly be helpful, it is like a lot of other charity: more about making us feel good than actually helping. Also Penguin sweaters are not a good idea.
And speaking of that, knitting for animals is often not a good thing. Yes, it is cute AF but most animals don't like wearing stuff, and it might make more sense to adopt a pet suitable to the climate you live in.
Oops, this got long. I hope you don't mind!
Ramadan Mubarak!!! Sending you love and joy, hope your fasting goes faster
and THANK YOU for mentioning accessibility and convertion rates! here in Argentina the dollar is 195 pesos and the British pound 148, it's absolutely out of the question for me to buy patterns from designers in the global north. Saying that knitting is accessible really discredits the fact that plenty of people can't afford it whether that be because they don't have able bodies, the time, the capital or are familiar with English.
I agree with you on test knitting too, but I do think that being rewarded/gifted with free patterns of your choice from their library when you're done IS a big perk for me lol. Also think that big companies should make a conscientious effort to not exploit the labor of others, obviously transparency would be complicated and it would depend on the moral fiber of companies which......... yeah lmao. anyways, love your videos! wishing you a happy Eid if we don't see you before then xx
Thank you! Be gifted with a free pattern is always a surprise but a nice one lol
Ramadhan Mubarak Harry! Hope it's going well for you so far :-)
Awww thank you!!
I'm new to knitting and I've been a crocheted for a few years but haven't been on ravelry until recently but this is the 2nd video I've seen that vaguely mentioned something shady about ravelry. I'm going to dig into that after I'm done with this comment but what was the weirdness with ravelry?
I'm totally with you on your 2nd point. I don't mind simple or non complex patterns, I think they have a right to exist. But patterns that are written very badly or take a whole paragraph to awkwardly give a long-arse essay on how to do a a simple r2b. Not to mention when information that's pretty standard in commercial patterns being left out and then the response being "oh it's a guide not an instruction manual". Dude... A pattern is literally an instruction manual!
Yeah, I've see pretty jumpers etc but I've taken one look at the pattern and gone NOPE! No excuse for that. Patterns are pretty standardised as a rule. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Stick to a tried and tested format so it's clear and understandable.
I live in south africa where yarn is abundant, but yarn is so expensive that it isn't accessible to the lower income population, which includes the older generation.
I might be wrong, but isn't knitting bonded mostly within European countries? Especially "not south" part: England, France, Germany, Poland, etc? And in extend because of that it's also popular in the States? 🤔
about accessibility and patterns: as a left handed person I always have to perform some mental gymnastics to "translate" the pattern for the left handed knitting. I can't really go into the pattern and blindly follow it
I agree with Unpopular Opinion #5. Be a more selfish knitter, everyone!! One friend alone requested 1 onigiri amigurumi, 1 knit hat, 1 pair o' mittens to match hat, and two yip yip muppet hanging bags. She now wants a SILK cardigan/shrug--I'm over here, like "I don't care if you buy that $300 kit...I'm NOT knitting that for you." I knitted her granddaughter a merino fingering yarn shrug. I'm DONE. I'm RETIRED from commissions. I never got paid for any of this.
I think there are too many designs of the same thing! You can only invent the wheel once. How many patterns do we need for a plain, simple pullover or cardigan?
I would say test knitters aren't entirely unpaid in general at least where I search/find test knits you usually get that pattern plus another which can vary in value anywhere from 0 -$20. Depending on the designer/pattern however I like to look at it like a vare canvas that there's only 1 image of the outline and my brain can easily modify colors and sizing accordingly to my style without seeing many that jumble my brain... If that makes sense
my only "hot take" is that i think we should teach everyone to knit continental. The reason I think this is because the knit to crochet and crichet to knit pipelines are so common and learing one after the other is so much easier when you knit continental
I was curious where you lived...I thought Singapore at first 😆. I'm a malaysian living in the US and most definitely agree about prices in SEA vs US /western countries. I sew and knit and have always gone looking for local materials from m'sia when I'm back for a visit and the quality was either an issue or the price was just astronomical.
I live in Brunei but I go to Singapore and Malaysia pretty often! (Before pandemic at least lol)
Tutorial make a scarf?
I really liked this video. I really agree with the accessibility. I guess what bugs me is that indie dyers are making and costly. So when people use what they can afford they are looked down on. I started spinning so I can make beautiful yarns. This video made me sub to you. Thank you for your video.
Great point! I can't wait to try spinning myself hahaha
love Your thoughts. 😌💖
Glad you enjoyed it!
while test knitting the test knitter goes through the process via consent. If a tester wants to get paid but you can't pay them then don't work with that test knitter and vice versa. As you said patterns can be really expensive for people that live in a country with a high conversion rate (I live in turkey and 1 euro is 35 turkish liras and with the money to buy 2 petiteknit sweater patterns you can go to a store and buy a decent sweater.) and test knitting can be a way for those people to get a pattern of something that they like for free. If a big corporations were having test knitters I wouldn't say the same thing like you said however small businesses absolutely does not have to. Also for people like us that can not get certain yarns shipped to them giving a yarn sale is pointless and if these small businesses want to give back to test knitters in some way they can let them choose an already existing pattern and gift it or sell that with a sale. I think pattern buying is really overlooked because I can buy a yarn that is produced in my country and adjust my gauge to a pattern however it is not possible for me to find a pattern that I really love in turkey because the culture of pattern selling or creating patterns is not established here and patterns are quite expensive
Are you Bruneian? I lived in Brunei from 2010-2014 before and its hard to find someone who share the same hobby back then. And yes its hard to find yarn in Brunei. Now I lives in Qatar and I could only find either small amount wool content with lots of acrylic or cotton. For needles are also limited and not a good tools.
Yes I am! Yeah, it can be pretty difficult!!
The Sweater Curse, IMO, is fueled by newer knitters who get REALLY EXCITED to make a sweater but don't know how long it will take. And a new knitter it can take MONTHS or YEARS. And a relationship can fail in the months/years.
Hi, have you come across Michael Harrigan? He is a knitting guru and designer based in Bangkok. I’m guessing if knitting feels inaccessible in South East Asia, networking might help change things
Eid Mubarak 🌹
Eid Mubarak to you! ❤
I completely agree with you on all points. When I was in college, I was lucky. Our art department had a fiber arts program. Very few colleges actually address this art form.
I was trying to make it as a hand spinner. I couldn't compete with the prices hand dyers were getting so now I just spin for myself. The real joke was as a spinner, I also was a dyer.
How do we bring change? What do we need to discuss? I am ready to see a positive change!
I completely concur! One beautiful design I liked was the Rock It Tee. However, the pattern was awful!!! You can tell it was written in haste and no effort was made to make it easier to understand and follow. Thus I will never purchase a Tanis Fiber arts pattern again … no matter how popular it may be
Ramadan Kareeeem 🥰
Thank you!!
Nice video! as far a as I know though, clothing design and patterns can be patent protected (for example the blue jeans patent). I do agree with you that fiber art is an art, I do however think that (at least some part of) the fashion and clothing industry is already considered art. but similarly to many things, the distinction if often that big retailers clothes are not perceived as art whereas upscale designers products can be.
The title made me click 😂 the idea of knitting opinions being described as spicy made me giggle
5:09 I kinda disagree. If you can find a person who knits or chrochets they almost always have more than one hook/needle I have met a lot of ppl that have offered to give me some when I was first starting off (esp if they’re teaching you) then you can test out the hobby and if it’s not for you, you aren’t spending money on something you’ll never use again or it gives you time to save up for your own supplies
Idk why hobbies have to become side hustles in general
girl it's not even accessible to many in the west either cuz so many of us can't afford anything T-T this was such a good video.
Learning the basics can be very accessible, with a ball of yarn and a pair of needles from the dollar tree and a library book and TH-cam videos. Making what you really desire to make is when the cost of materials really becomes an issue.
Knitting has been around for centuries, long before the internet or Indie dyers. But it's directly related to culture. Your culture doesn't support this particular hobby since you live in a tropical climate. Start dying yarn. Maybe offer a service translating patterns into your native language. Make the changes yourself, don't wait on someone else.
That's a very interesting perspective, thank you for sharing!
I mean, you could always argue that test knitters are already compensated fairly for their work anyway. I mean, the point of test knitters is to check for errors in a pattern, provide feedback, and provide pictures of the finished item. So you would compensate them for, for example, filling out a form on the pattern and their photographs. You could easily say that filling out a form & taking a photo is a 1-2 hours work. Say a living wage is £10/hour, then that's £10-£20 of work... or the cost of a couple of patterns.
If designers were to pay people for test knitting (for the yarn, and an hourly rate for their knitting), then it surely works out cheaper to just get their pattern tech edited & pay a sample knitter, which I assume is what happens for all bigger yarn companies. I don't even know how it would be feasible to pay test knitters fairly for their labour.
It's definitely a slippery slope I feel and super difficult to do in practice!
Middle eastern here, point number 1 is sooo true!
in senior year of highschool, i had the same teacher for both art and sculpture, and she had an assignment for both classes where you could do whatever you want but it had to be finished in a month, i asked if i could knit 2 different things- one for art and one for sculptor. she said that while knitting was sculptor, it was not art. im still mad at her for that.
I absolutely agree with about accessibility to knitting. I used to live in South Asia and there’s no knitting shops in Bangladesh at all. My unpopular opinion is that the online knitting community focuses almost too much on indie hand dyed yarns and accessories. Those are very expensive, and unless knitting your only hobby and you spend all of your discretionary income on it, then I think it’s too prohibitively expensive. And knitting podcasts set unrealistic expectations on ourselves that we should always be buying new yarn and books and accessories.