Knitter's Review has a lovely forum, and there are some really interesting threads that get going on there from time to time. I'm in the middle of reading a thread entitled "Knitting heretics", in which people confess their real, less-than-politically-knitting-correct, opinions about what is supposedly knitting gospel. The Yarn Harlot, in her blog and in her published work, often likes to comment on what an amazing thing knitting is to bring together such widely varied people. There is no one thing that can be said about all knitters, who they are, what they like, and the fiber industry has a really hard time keeping up with us. Things everyone knows are popular are always going to draw detractors who think that holding a "nonconformist" opinion somehow improves their status or their life, but admittedly some things do not deserve to be popular sometimes.
In that spirit, I'd like to offer a list of my own "knitting heresies", which are of course only my own opinion. After weeding out "heresies" which are so common as to actually verge on orthodoxy (I hate novelty yarn, I actually like cuff-down socks with heel flaps on DPN's, I never swatch, etc.)
(1) I felt like the show Knitty Gritty talked down to me, and frankly to all knitters of some experience. Except for knowing how to physically make the knit stitch and perhaps the purl, there seemed to be absolutely no brain cells required of the viewer. Vicky Howell seemed very nice, but the kind of knitting celeb who would only be appreciated by those not too far on their journey into our craft.
(2) I absolutely hated every single project in the original Stitch and Bitch book and I'm not quite sure I'd recommend it as a beginner book even for the learning section. The recent "Superstar Knitting" followup, however has redeemed Debbie Stoller in my eyes, if only for the descriptions of some more advanced-ish techniques.
(3) I cannot stand garter stitch. Think it's ugly as sin and frankly looks cheap. Must have been the garter stitch Red Heart rectangles I was forced into as "beginner projects." Thank gawd I love my grandparents-in-law enough to make a giant garter-stitch log cabin acrylic-in-massive-numbers-of-colors afghan. It would not exist if I wasn't using my great-grandmother-in-law's 1970's dime store acrylic stash, in memoriam.
(4) I love the members of my knitting group and adore talking to them, but I'm often ambivalent about the act of getting in my car for twenty minutes to do what I was about to do on my couch.
(5) I'm currently making my first sweater in pieces. Don't think the top-down-raglan crowd is going to make any headway with me.
(6) I'm generally unaware of what "everyone" is knitting. It's not that I actively avoid things like Clapotis, I am purely clueless.
(7) I sometimes intentionally choose projects to bring to my knitting group purely for show. I hate this about myself, but I just soak up comments like "I'd never have the patience for that".
(8) Crocheted fabric strikes me as weird looking and one-note.
(9) I would love to knit in church if I could - I swear I'd actually pay more attention - but there's always my mother's voice in the back of my head saying "Are you crazy?"
(10) I love pooling and flashing in my sock yarns. Think it looks awesome.
Aaaand...there you go.
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