Unraveling the Mysteries of Fiber Arts

Take a look at yourself right now. You’re sitting in front of your computer or holding your phone reading this, right? Think about how many hours you spend on a screen every day. Whether it’s for fun, winding down, or work, you likely spend quite a lot of time on electronics. In a world that often feels disconnected and digital, the age-old practices of crocheting and knitting have been weaving together a lively web of community and creativity. In this article, I interviewed 8th-grader Lilian A. on her experience in these fiber arts.

Q: What sparked your interest to get involved with crocheting or knitting?

A: My older sister crocheted pretty much everything from stuffed dragons to hair ties by the time she was about ten so I was definitely intrigued. I had tried learning some from my sister, but I never really got the hang of crocheting, probably because I was about eight then and had a shorter attention span than most. I really got into knitting when I got older because I thought it was amazing how my mom, who mostly knits, could start with a ball of yarn, and by the end of a week, she’d have hats for our whole family! After that I eventually got over my fear of crocheting and, with my marginally longer attention span, managed to figure it out.

Q: How long have you been doing these fiber arts for?

A: I have been knitting for about two or three years now and crocheting for about one and a half. I can’t say I do many projects, though, because I only really start a project in the unusual circumstance that I have a sudden burst of motivation and then actually decide to stick with it.

Q: What was your favorite project you worked on and why?

A: This question is hard! My favorite project so far has probably been this striped hat I made for my sister because it was the most rewarding. It only took me a few days, which is a record for me, and it’s been the only hat I’ve made so far that isn’t way too big!

Q: How do you plan out your colors, materials, string length, etc. for a new project? Or do you just go with the flow?

A: I wish I could say that I do a lot of planning but I don’t really. Usually, I don’t have much of a choice when it comes to colors because I mostly make projects from the yarn my family already has. There are a lot of special yarns like extra fluffy or stretchy ones that don’t come in many colors either. 

The one big thing I do when I’m planning projects is finding a pattern which is, honestly, way harder than it should be. My mom recently introduced me to an amazing resource for finding fiber art patterns called Ravelry and it’s actually a life changer!!! It’s basically a social media app for fiber arts, and it has a huge library of free patterns. One great feature is that you can search by the brand and color of yarn you’re planning to use and a collection of projects and patterns using that yarn will appear. This is super helpful for when I’m trying to decide what to make next!

Q: In what ways have crocheting or knitting influenced your daily life?

A: Crocheting and knitting have definitely changed how I feel about long boring drives or plane flights (or even community meetings!) because they’re mindless tasks but also portable and productive.

Q: Do you know anyone else who crochets/knits?

A: I’m surrounded by people who also do fiber arts! At home, my mom is often working on her latest sweater or pair of socks and my sister is usually sitting by the sewing machine. At school, though it’s not as obvious, I have definitely seen a lot of other people who are interested in fiber arts. It’s really cool how there’s a sort of community around knitting and crocheting that I hadn’t known about before I started!

Q: Is there a project you're working on right now?

A: Right now I’m working on knitting my first pair of socks, which I’m stoked about!

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting crocheting or knitting?

A: My main piece of advice for new fiber artists is that you don’t need to be super committed! When I had just started, I expected to be knitting whole sweaters pretty soon. Knitted sweaters and other big projects are awesome, but they definitely aren’t the only fiber art projects you can do, and they’re a BIG commitment for someone who’s new to fiber arts.

Q: How much would you recommend fiber arts to others?

A: Overall, I would highly recommend that people try fiber arts! Not everyone loves every type but I love them for their simplicity and the fun community!

Thank you Lilian for those super helpful answers!! :)

You heard it from her! So, next time you’re stuck on a long road trip or a ten-hour-long plane ride, maybe consider fiber arts as a new relaxing hobby…? ;)