While researching a previous post I came across this thesis.
http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Pace%20Lisa%20A.pdf?acc_num=akron1185293527
I've had contact with a number of academics who have been studying us and our subculture in the past on a few occasions, usually in the form of questionnaires. I find myself feeling a little "creeped out" by this examination but I'm not fully able to articulate exactly why.
This particular thesis breaks Knitters out into three separate groups Charity Knitters, DIY types and Political Activist Knitters. We talked about this a few nights ago in my regular knitting group. I think some of my discomfort comes from feeling unrepresented by any of these categories. I know that the line between craft and art is hotly debated and most often the line falls between functional versus non-functional items. I'm generally producing functional things but my feeling for what I do is that it's an artistic endeavour. I'm also very involved with making garments fit well and flatter a women's body so I lean towards couturier type techniques and fine finishing details. What do you think? Let me Know.
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This is indeed hotly debate. Where is the line between craft and art? And why is it necessary to classify knitters? It is very sad that craft generally is no longer teached officialy in school f.e. or elsewhere. Nowadays despite of hipe around knitting this is still a small niche for few of us totaly devoted to it (making bussines, art, charity or DIY). The problem is that most of us devoted are self tought. Long time ago it was a binding power of womanship - as they come together to craft, chat and share experience. Now, it is certainly a hipe to knit/craft, but it takes much longer for self-tought kniter to reach a level of craft experience to produce art. But what is this? Making items/cloths which nobody can whear, or just making them in that way, that they preserve timeles beauty? I guess this is an answer that everybody must define for itself. And live it that way.
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