Process vs. Product

I'm not sure if I have talked about it before, but here is a whole post about the type of knitter I am.  The Yarn Harlot describes two different types of knitters in her books, process knitters and product knitters. Process knitters knit to knit. They enjoy knitting, they like the feel of knitting, they like to keep their hands busy, and will knit and knit and knit. Product knitters knit because they like FOs. They want to knit a sweater, a pair of socks, a hat, etc.

I am a process knitter.

I love to knit. It is weird when I go a day without knitting, even stranger when I go more than a day. I constantly have multiple projects going, strewn about the house (much to W's dismay), and yarn is a way of life for me. I typically don't care what I'm knitting. Sure, I like FOs, but I don't always pick up my knitting with the goal of finishing it in mind. I knit things that are fun, interesting, challenging, pretty, and catch my eye. I mostly do not knit for myself. I think I have one hat that I knit for myself out of some handspun that is stuffed in the back of my trunk by the front door (which is kind of sad, because it is beautiful...). I did keep the lace shawl that I knit, but it has a specific purpose in mind, I plan on using it as a nursing cover when in public... Oh, and one pair of socks, but one is on display at Quilt Tree, so I can't really wear them. So three things. One of which is useful. All of my other knitting is given away to other people. Or in a box for Baby.

I enjoy giving my knitting away because other people enjoy it. Only a few of my friends are knitters, but everyone always admires my knitting and ogles my projects. So I knit for them. I pick something that I think will be fun to knit, grab some yarn that they would like, and go. It's a win-win. I get to knit, which is what I enjoy, and they get a FO, which they enjoy.

I think the other reason that I don't knit for myself that much is that when I start things for myself, they rarely get finished. Even smaller things. This goes back to why I knit. I love to knit, and I love to see others get enjoyment out of my knitting. When I knit for myself, I miss out on that second half of the equation. So, things get pushed to the side that are for me and projects for others move to the top of the rotation. I guess one could argue that knitting for Baby is kind of knitting for me, because the baby won't really know or care that it is wrapped in handknits... but when it is older and looks back at pictures I think my hard work will be appreciated.

So what kind of knitter are you??