11 Reasons You May be the Odd Crafter Out
Why you might be the odd crafter out…..Thanks /r/knitting for the fun.
We’ve all had those moments….you know, the ones where you just want to shrink away because you have a contrary opinion? Apply this to the world of knit and crochet, though, and things can get even more interesting.
I recently stumbled upon an awesome thread about “Unpopular Knitting Opinions” over on Reddit. Some of the answers had me laughing pretty hard, and I just had to share them with you.
Here’s 11 reasons why you may be the odd crafter out….
1. “You can pry my acrylic afghans out of my cold, dead hands. They take a lifetime of abuse, wash up easily, and keep me toasty warm.”
2. “I hate knitted dishcloths.Don’t like to make them or use them. They aren’t absorbent, they end up a gross color and they stink.”
3. “I dislike most novelty yarns. Eyelash and fun fur especially. Uuuuugh! Fun fur is a faux pas.”
4. “Everything I’ve ever seen made with Noro yarn looks like something my elementary school music teacher would have worn in the early 90s.”
5. “I hate entrelac. It’s hideous. Why would you put that much effort into something so ugly? I’ll never get it. I also hate obviously variegated yarn. It just distorts the look of everything and makes it look very cheap. Especially with lace or cables. That should NEVER happen.”
6. “I don’t care what anyone says, I’m knotting up my ends as I go. I will never believe that simply weaving an end into the project will keep it from unraveling. Nope. Expecting that bit of yarn to just sit tight defies the physics of my imagination. I’d far rather have a bump than a hole.”
7. “Fingerless mitts.About once a decade, I find myself in a situation where I’d like warm hands and free fingers. It can happen, yes, but usually if it’s cold enough for that I’ll want my fingers warm too. I put conductive thread in my gloves so I can still use my phone.I have a feeling that the number of fingerless mitts produced is grossly out of proportion with the number of fingerless mitts that get used. I have a feeling that this is because most knitters are too lazy to knit fingers.”
8. “I think Stephen West is trolling us all. I mean, wtf is this? And this?What is he wearing? And what’s on his face all the time? And WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE BUY THESE RIDICULOUS PATTERNS?”
9. “I don’t like lace. It has holes in it.”
10. “I really hate bulky yarns. They are extremely hard to work to me, are really hard to keep the same tension throughout, and I really dislike the look of the finished work….”
11. “I hate stitch markers. Maybe it’s laziness, maybe it’s frustration of them disappearing, but if I’m working on something where I can see what I did on the last row clearly, I just go without.”
Got another reason you’re the odd crafter out!? Make me smile by commenting on this post to tell me why.
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92 Comments On “11 Reasons You May be the Odd Crafter Out”
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These are great!! For myself, I don’t get why huge tacky crocheted flowers always seem to be added to some perfectly lovely crocheted piece. This is especially true of hats — why would you want this big flower flopping around on the side of your head? I just don’t get it!!
Hehehe! I love big flowers in some cases, but I’ve definitely seen an oddly placed flower or two over the years 😉 Thanks for the smile!
I figured out a solution for the gawdy flowers. I go to dollar store or second hand shops and get clip on earrings. And use them for center of flower. That way if you dont like flower you can detach it without damage to what ever its on.
Great idea!
Oh Melody this cracked me up.Although I love it when my best friend agrees with my opinion a world where every opinion was the same would be a very boring bland world. The dollar store clip on earring flower centers…love that idea. 🙂 Number 6 is me for sure I try to resist the impulse to knot it up but then I find myself thinking the whole foot long tail needs to be woven in from one end of the project to the next. 🙂 I totally made an Elsa hat for my curly brunette 5 yr old she freaking loves it 😉 and I lost count of all the compliments while trick or treating.I love fingerless mitts.I hate the coffee cozies I just don’t get that one. Thanks for the laughs.
I usually turn them into pins. That way the hats can be washed without destroying the ‘focal’ bead/flower and they can wear it with or without.
I laughed my butt off at #11. I couldn’t agree with it more! Haha! I, too, absolutely, positively HATE anything Frozen related. Hats, gloves, hair hats, dolls etc etc. The movie isn’t that great, you see the crap everywhere you turn and if I had had the money for a big bottle of rum, I would have had to partake in the Elsa drinking game on my front porch as the little look alike clones ran past my house. I would have been singing “Let the Candy Go you brats!” Haha..sorry for my obscenely grotesque humor…I just dislike that movie 1000%.
LOL! I loved the movie, and think it’s so cute that all the little girls wanted to dress up as Frozen this year….I don’t want to make the hats though 😉
I don’t want to tread on any toes, but why have a cosy for your mug? Am I the only person who is likely to knock her mug or cause a little drip of coffee to run down the outside? Is the mug cosy there to absorb that stuff? Or if the cosy is a bit tall, you risk a mouthful of yarn… Yeuk! Sorry, not for me…
I also don’t like fingerless mitts – if it’s cold enough for gloves, wear them! Why risk chilling your extremities? Unless you are a market trader… But their hands always look raw with cold, so I can’t see the mitts are doing much…
Oh dear, have I said too much?
I totally agree about the mug cosy. The only thing I can figure bis they make you coffee mug look pretty.
They are to keep your hands from getting burned by the hot cup and also to help keep the coffee hot.
OMG…it is so true ;))))))))
I agree with all you said about the cozy, adding that unless they cover the entire mug, what good are they?
Most fingerless gloves are ugly, IMHO. Now, cute little lace mitts can be a fashion statement but gloves are for warm…hmmm, same objection as the cozy.
Never understood the mug cozy trend either….I’m much too sloppy! Though maybe it keeps you from burning your hands if the cup is too hot??
I always thought the mug cosy was so you wouldn’t burn your hands. I never thought that it might be to catch drips. I wouldn’t think it would catch drips.
It would only catch drips because I’m a mess and would definitely accidentally spill my coffee on it, LOL. I think I need to make one for the cups you get at coffee shops…the ones that have lids so I can’t spill as easy. Then I wouldn’t have to use the cardboard one!
I think fingerless mitts were more designed for smokers IMO. Being an ex-smoker myself (smoke free for over 2 years now YAY!) I know how pesky it is to try and light a cigarette and puff on a smoke with fingered gloves on. But I do not like wristers either…not practical and when you wear a jacket, what’s the purpose of wearing them when the coat covers your arms and wrists anyway? Just a nagging negative nancy aren’t I? LOL I swear I am a friendly person…just a lot of faux pas in crocheting for me lol
I made myself a pair of fingerless mitts last year to use at work. Sometimes our office gets cold but unfortunately I need to be able to type on the computer at all times. Keeping the palms and wrists warm helped tremendously!
I agree with number #7. I have no use for fingerless gloves, but I am more than happy to make them for whoever wants them.
Agreed!
I work in an office that can be cold. The fingerless gloves come in handy.
Too funny ;)))))) still in tears hahahahaha !!!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t knit. Everywhere you go, most yarn shops, community groups, etc., are all about the knit. OK, not so much now but in previous years.
I’ve nothing against knitting, I’m dyslexic and find the two needles cumbersome. Creating should be fun and, for me, that’s not knitting.
I’m so glad there are people like Melody who make patterns for both knitting and crocheting so I don’t feel left out.
Thanks!
I also am not a knitter; have attempted it several times but still end up with the same result…frustration. Even loom knitting only gives me so many options. Crochet, on the other hand, I can have fun with.
As for the fingerless gloves, personally I like them. I have a pair made from handspun alpaca and they are cozy. If I want mitts, I switch. Both have their place – besides, it’s easier to type with fingerless gloves than with mitts or gloves. 😉
Hehehe! The funny thing is that I think there are far more crocheters than knitters these days…..but there’s still very few crochet groups at the shops. Weird!
Not to mention, most knitters I run into are way envious that others can crochet and WANT so badly to LEARN it!
Sock monkey hats………..I make them when people ask me to, but I still think they are hideous and a tad bit creepy looking. But, who am I to judge, if they are willing to pay me to make them, then I will continue making them.
Hahaha! I can see where you’re coming from on that. I dressed my son up as one for Halloween a couple years back, but that’s really the first time I’ve loved them too…and I was probably bias 😉
I agree that fingerless gloves are so stupid we had a foot of snow yesterday and I want my fingers warm.What could be more usless than a wooly mug rug around here they are supposed to look like a monkey. What nezt ? guess i am just too practical.
lol in the email you said about braids on hats?? THAT IS MINE! I hate them. I hate making those or Cabbage Patch Hats. I make gorgeous bonnets and all I sell are those darn Cabbage Patch hats. I keep wanting to tell customers “Sorry…I loved my Cabbage Patch as an 80’s kid myself, but they make your baby look creepy” 😀
Haha! At least you’re making money from them….I’ll never understand it though!
Daily I am with a group of women of anywhere between 10-16 friends ages 60/90. You ask why I am the odd crafter out? I am the only crafter amongst them. I started crafting when my own children were very young. I never really stopped even up to now. Grandchildren…………and still was the only crafter. Even though my crafting was very good and I could teach, no one wanted to try anything new. Friends just wanted to see the things I made.
At least they enjoy seeing the things you make! None of my closest friends are crafters either.
I really dislike most crocheted clothing. (IE shirts, pants, socks…) Can be cute on small children, but…
Haha. That’s a good one! I’ve seen some things that I REALLY love, but lots of others that I REALLY don’t!
I have to agree with you, Ashley. I dislike most crochet clothing- it’s just too bulky. I do like crocheted accessories, hats, photo props, and some children’s clothing. I actually have crocheted a lot for my granddaughter. I don’t knit. 🙁 I did make her one of the dreaded crocheted hats with hair (Elsa) for her halloween costume. Didn’t see any other Elsa’s with one though. She loved it and it reminded me of when my daughters were little and they would wear their nightgowns on their heads pretending they had long hair.
The most important thing is that the recipient LOVE whatever you make! Good job Lori!
Totally agree with most of these…..Gloves without fingers? really my fingers are what get cold first! Also not into the animal hats but to each their own. And to Katy M’s comment about crocheters being the underdog….Just found a yarn shop in my area but they don’t have a crochet group just knitting…felt like the ugly stepchild while shopping in the store. Thank goodness I have found great crochet groups and networks like this!! Thanks to all of you guys!!
I agree with the mug cozy crowd but will make them if asked. Fingerless gloves come in very handy for the kids in marching band. (Big market). I found a convertible fingerless glove pattern, in crochet finally, that makes it a mitten and my teenager and her friends are pillaging my stash of colors. I’m bi-craftual as I knit and crochet and it gets annoying when someone asks why I can’t stick to one or the other.
Oh wow! Would have never thought of that, but you’re right! That’s the perfect opportunity for fingerless gloves.
I had a pair of those fingerless gloves with the button down flap. It took awhile for me to get used to them but once I did, I found that I loved them.
I want to try a pair like that….that way you can use them as mittens or fingerless. I’m always cold, so having something more practical for inside might be nice 🙂
Fingerless mittS What for ?? heavy bulky for personal items?? tacky acrylic chevron scrap afghans. Knitting is beautiful, however not easily done in bed. Coffee mug warmers … and tiny crochet animals?? I do not have time for yarn and projects now, what would make me do tiny things with no apparent purpose, and holiday crochet (easter eggs, christmas anything) see note re: time. Thanks for the idea, it is great!!
I agree! I like more purpose driven items the most too 🙂
I for one love fingerless gloves! I think they’re cute and useful. My job requires a lot of typing, and I live in the ever so moderate California. It doesn’t ever get cold enough here for full on mittens, and I find normal gloves too cumbersome to type with!
That would definitely be a good reason for them then! I thought about making some when I had a photography studio (so I could still use my camera easily, but my hands wouldn’t be as cold on babies) but unfortunately, my fingers are the first thing to turn to ice.
I personally don’t like fingerless (or any other kind of gloves). Living in Arizona means no need for gloves. However……..I have 5 granddaughters who live in cold climates and they all love fingerless mitts. They’re teenagers and spend a good deal of their time “texting”, so their fingers are free to do so.
I guess I’m really the odd duck, because I don’t feel like the odd man out. I like what I like and dislike what I think is stupid, whether all the rest do or not and I’m comfortable with that, but it is a cute list and I have heard several of the comments before, some I sgree with, others not-I rarely make afghans, but love the crochet dishclothes and make them occassionally, entrelac isn’t a friend, as isn’t most novelty yarns, give me the regular everyday yarn, this I hear and dear, lol. hugs, Mary in NY
Hehe…the difference between crafters is one of the best parts of crafting. How boring would it be if we all had the exact same opinions!?
1. Toilet seat covers. Why, why, why?!?! Not even if you pay me.
2. Cheap yarn.
LOL! I hope nobody ever asks me to make a toiler seat cover….that’s never gonna happen!
Oh I totally agree with the toilet seat covers! Ewwww
I don’t like crocheted socks! They’re great to wear as slippers, but I find them too bulky to wear with shoes. Of course, I don’t like wearing socks as a rule anyway! I don’t like the hats that look like the Cabbage Patch Kids or the hats with braids. I did see a cute hat that was made in lavender and looked like curls on a little girls head who was going through chemo though.
I loved your remarks about the dishcloths. I made some because everyone was raving about them, but you need to change them every day or they do start to smell! LOL One that I made changed color so badly that I didn’t know if it was dirty or the color!!
#2 is me. I hate knitted dishcloths. And I barely trust my knotted ends will stay let alone just weaving ends in.
It’s starting to seem that liking fingerless gloves is the odd crafter out here lol. I love them for comfort and for when I’m taking photos or typing because I can’t stand not being able to feel the keys or my camera. And I was that kid that always had sleeves pulled down over my hands.
I also can’t stand granny squares. I hate making them and I don’t really like how many of the more intricately designed ones feel. I’m all about crocheting in lines lol.
Fingerless gloves – I want a pair for photography in colder weather. Better than bare hands. Anyone that might have to do something that requires dexterity while outside in the cold would find use of them.
Mug cozy (not the same thing as a mug rug, at all) – It’s the same thing as the cardboard sleeve you get on your cup at Starbucks, it keeps you from burning your hand/fingers. If you’ve ever had anything from Tim Horton’s you will understand why this is a necessary thing to have. 😉 I have a sewn one and I admit I never used it until my dad was in the hospital and I would get hot chocolate from Tim’s who like to make their drinks so hot that you can’t possibly drink it for a half an hour after buying it. Anyway, I started using my mug cozy then and it worked well. No burned off fingers for me!
Thought I’d offer an explanation as to why someone might want one of those things.
I don’t understand the fruit cozy! Why would I spend x amount of time making the thing, put my fruit in it, then have to take it out to eat it. I think they’re just weird.
Ok, so I’m reading along, just not getting some of these, then SCREEH!!! #8…Yep, that’s me. I. Just. Do. Not. Get. The. Fascination. To each his/her own. Isn’t that what makes the world so great, though?! Enjoying the blog. 🙂
My office shares the computer’s heating/cooling. It is pretty cool in winter. My co workers wear jackets. I wear fingerless gloves. Need to use my tuping skill. My pet peeve? Owls! They are cute…but why?
I loved your list, too funny. I guess my pet peeve is not about knitting or crochet but the fact that non crafters seem to think that if you knit or crochet you don’t have enough to do and want to “help” by filling some of that excess time with making something for them. Lately I had a friend ask me to make an American girl outfit for her grand daughter since it was small could I have it by the next day? Same woman plays bridge and Bunnco twice a week but she’s too busy to learn to craft anything. I just like knowing how things are done be it knitting,crochet, quilting,basket making or any other craft. Keeps me thinking.
Joye in TN
Haha, the knotted ends got me. Not that I tie a knot – but I weave the ends in so criss cross and all, that the whole fabric gets stiff and and a little bulky there ^.^
Aand- Variagated yarns lie, those color combinations look so pretty and you want them – and when you start working with it, it just looks odd. No interesting pattern, no lace works with those yarns, you can just make plain stitches – and the result will look like stripey batik. Not again. Ok, those with real long colourchanges – selfstriping yarns are a little different, you can do great stuff with them. But still: no interesting patterns, no lace works with it well.
#1-3 are me to a tee XD
I loved reading all he reasons & what everyone has said. I agree with about 99% of all. My pet peeve is this big todo about BOOT CUFFS!! Give me a break wear socks & fold them over. I don’t understand them & I can’t bring myself to make them. It seems a waste of yarn & energy. I also don’t like cozies or fingerless mitts. The last thing I want in my coffee is a mouth full of fuzz!! Can anyone explain Stephen West?! I saw his patterns for the first time yesterday & for the first time in 44 years of crafting I am at a loss for words… LMO! I laughed so hard & Melody your right should not have had a mouth full of icetea at the time. WOW! HA!HA!HA! still giggling. Thanks for sharing these I needed a good laugh today
Okay, I am a wierdo. I am a yarn snob, but I believe all yarns have their place. Just some yarns – and their corresponding projects will never be made by me. If the yarn isn’t soft, I wont touch it. I don’t use cheap yarn. I catch a lot of grief because I don’t want to work with cheap yarn. I would rather quit knitting and crocheting than work with yarn that is stiff and scratchy.
I love grannysquare afghans, I hate specialty yarns. And I despise stitchnbitch sessions- seriously if you can’t say anything nice about your partner, why are you with them?
Well I live outside a small town and I go to a crafting group at least once a week and needless to say they are all old grandmother’s were at a square table so they’re all talking about town politics (like a little dog who terrorizes everyone to some businesses changing their hours and of course all town gossip….) it gets interesting so most times I just listen yo them and knit or quilt away until they all stop talking aand want to see 2 hat 8 doing! But they are neat and I learn a lot from them! Go granny squares!
Awesome! Sounds like a super fun group Tj.
Well… I dont really have a problem with any of these.. so i guess that does make me the odd crafter.. I have tons of acrylic yarns, I do both crochet and knit and I get so frustrated with patterns that I can’t understand even tho they seem to be in english.. I love my stitch markers esp for some patterns they are needed.. as for the fingerless mitts, my mom loves them as she is ALWAYS cold, even indoors..lol
I have seen some really creepy or just plain ugly patterns that I would NEVER make.. I have problems understanding the patterns for sweaters, even the supposedly easy ones.. just never get it..oh well..
Hehehe! Being more open is awesome! I really only have or two crafty pet peeves, but it sure is fun to read about everyone else’s 😉
Cowls. I can’t figure out a way to convince myself that they’re attractive in any way, shape or form. Sorry.I try to understand, honest I do! Cowls made from bulky or super bulky are awful. Please, someone explain the allure of arm-knitting. I’m at a loss.
I do enjoy crocheting animals and dolls, especially if I can customize them.
Haha! I’m making a cowl right now…..LOL
Haha, had a few giggles. I can certainly agree with many. Personally, granny squares are my least favorite. Don’t like all the ends and then having to join everything together. Tried to make a child-sized blanket once. Ended up with a pile of granny squares (I think they were animal themed). Finally, the squares just ‘drifted’ away, lol!
I LOVE the look of them, but HATE the work involved, lol. I don’t have the patience for something requiring that much effort….maybe someday!
Hairy hats, granny squares,stinky dischcloths oh my! And whose idea was it to create a Cabbage Patch Doll Hair Hat?! I will happily pawn that off to another crafter if I’m asked to make one!
LOL! I would too Beth.
When I hear the word “crochet” the first image that comes to mind is a plastic doll standing in a toilet paper roll with a Gone With the Wind skirt crocheted around the toilet paper :/ I KNOW there is so much more to crochet but that’s my mental image.
I can actually EXPLAIN fingerless mitts…lol. With the wool wrapped around the nearest pulse point, your wrists, your hands will stay warm and you can still use your fingers. They aren’t meant to be worn outside in bitter cold weather but are really quite useful when it’s just chilly inside or out. I work on a farm and wear them a lot! I can manage buckles and clips, lead animals, open and close gates with them on and still stay warm. The lacy, beaded or fancy ones are pretty but also work well if you have a cold office. My sister keeps a couple pair in her desk at work in the winter. 🙂
I think I might have to try some fingerless gloves Jo 😉
What is with yarn food, donuts, cookies pies, even veg. I think it is so stupid and it makes me hungry.Along with the fruit cozies and animal hats . Well the animal hats some are cute but I just can’t seem to make myself make one. They are weird.But hey if someone asked me to make something like any of these things and paid me well ya I’d do it just wouldn’t like it lol
Haha….the customer always come first, right!?
As the mother of a toddler/pre-K’er, I have to say the food stuff is wonderful. My mother made her a whole set of them last year for her birthday and she loves playing with them in her little kitchen.
Among the group of ladies I knit and crochet with on a Monday I am the only one who only knits in the round/on circular needles ALL THE TIME. I go out of my way to find seamless patterns and most of them totally don’t get this. When they’re sat talking about how complicated it is to knit in the round I’m there thinking ‘but those seams, those seams, save me from those seams!!’
I feel the same way! I would much rather work in the round than seam something up!
Ok, for me it is adults wearing things that look like they should be on children. Unicorn hats and Cabbage patch hats! I mean we all have things that we love from our childhood but we all have to grow up, a little at least.
Melody,
I seriously laughed out loud on this post. I don’t like the look of the knitted/crotchet hair or granny square blankets. too funny.
I LOVED this thread and it made me laugh. Here are my additions:
1)Knitted socks – I don’t get it. I hear that once you wear them you love them, but I don’t get the knitted socks thing.
2)APPLE COZIES?!?!? – what the heck purpose do these serve?
3)I’m also very purpose driven as someone posted in the comments. I see things on ravelry/facebook/pinterest and I ask myself “why? just because you can?” I want to make things people will actually use.
4) #8 – AMEN!
Hate granny square blankets but I can see why they are so popular, gotta find ways to use up that left over yarn. Something not one here. I can’t stand the magic crochet ring. There are several ways to do without, I always take the way out!
I commented a couple other replies as to why you might want fingerless mitts and crocheted food. I’m a wimp when it comes to hot things on my fingers so I can see mug cozies. Here’s my list:
Crocheted mittens. I can’t figure out how you could possibly make these, unless it was all with slip stitches so they wouldn’t have holes! Not good for children (or adults) that like to play in the snow and cold.
I personally like granny afghans and will even make them out of acrylic – because who wants all that work felted when your recipient forgets that wool can’t be washed?! But … granny square clothing? *shudder* Makes me gag. And I think it gives crochet a bad name because then people think that’s all crochet is good for! I’d rather spend my crocheting time working on things like Patricia Kristofferson’s amazing doilies.
OMG, This had me cracking up, and fits me to almost to a T, accept I like using some designer and bulky yarns for free-form projects that do not require me to be precise, lol I like doing my own thing most days, LOL
I detest “yarn snobs”! You know the type. The ones who roll their eyes when you point out that the gorgeous afghan you are creating is made with an inexpensive acrylic…
I dislike character hats. I think they are adorable but a pain in the rear to make/sew everything on or together. I also despise pom poms. I can’t seem to get them on securely and they look sad and floppy lol. I make coffee cozies but i use mine for my frappes bc they are so cold and during summer they sweat like crazy and the cozies help keep my hands dry and warm. I wear fingerless gloves when crocheting during winter bc hubby is always hot lol. I agree they don’t help much when it’s cold outside but they serve some purposes.
I agree with most of what is said. As for the fingerless gloves why not make them as gloves with no finger tips. That way they will keep your fingers warm and you’ll still be able to type and text or whatever you want to do.
ok, I’ll admit it. I’m with the #8 “crowd” (oxymoron, since it’s about ‘unpopular’ thoughts and opinions? lol). I really, really, really don’t get the Stephen West stuff. There are 1 or 2 really pretty (early on in his designing days before he got even more odd n ‘artsy-fartsy(?)’ designs where I Can see how people liked his stuff, but then it just got stranger and stranger and became more of a …”Well, will you just lookit that piece? What is it? Why? People actually make and wear this? Really?? HOW?” and then, “Wth is that on his face? Did he tattoo it? Wth??????” I guess I’m just too old to ‘appreciate’ it? Maybe I’m just not educated enough in the art world to? Who knows. Still, every time a new one is posted of his, something pulls me in and I just GOTTA look. lol. It’s not for me, so I’ll just stick to other ways of creativity, but I still gotta stare at it for a while first. (I know. I’m odd – all the way around.)