The Problem with Experts...

The Problem with Experts...is that they are often expected to answer complex nuanced questions with simple short answers. We drive this by our insistence on listening and responding to sound bites. Where it fails us is when it limits discussion and closes the door to further learning opportunities and potential solutions. The answer to the question why does stocking stitch roll, is often "it's just the nature of the fabric".

Last week in my interview with Nathalie Vasilieva she spoke about this indirectly. It was such an interesting response to the question below that I wanted to draw your attention to it again.



Where do you find inspiration?

Another source of inspiration I appreciate is allegedly “stupid” questions asked by allegedly less experienced knitters who apparently don’t know as much “don’t”s as more experienced of us have faced already. In fact that leaves less experienced knitters unsatisfied about some solid knitting axioms the more experienced ones just don’t question anymore. Like, stockinette curls, left-leaning decrease jags, last (or first) stitch of a wide ribbing or a cable is always loose, etc. I see such questions as an opportunity to maybe change something, to the good of the whole knitting community. At least, to try.

Let's all keep asking the dumb questions, they can lead to the biggest breakthroughs of understanding.