Process VS Production

I recently had a discussion with a new knitter about process knitting versus production knitting. If you have never heard of these terms, do not feel bad - neither had I until recently. Oh, we both know what they are in practice, but the terms are new.

Production knitting/crocheting is where a crafter feels best when they are completing items. The yarn does not matter, the pattern does not matter. It is the overall number of items produced that makes them feel good. Just his week, I had someone tell me "I have made about 300 scarves so far". That is classic production.

Process knitting/crocheting is where it doesn't matter if a crafter completes anything - ever. It is the process that calms and make a person feel good. So the yarn choice and the pattern choice are usually chosen with more care. The item may never get completed, but it is nice to work at a leasurly pace on something to calm the mind. Sometimes a process crafter will have 4 or 5 items OTN (on the needles), different yarns and patterns for different moods.

Most crafters fall somewhere in between the two extremes. They want to complete items, but they choose yarns and patterns that will mean make them feel good while being completed.

Personally, I am a process knitter and a production crocheter. When I knit, I have yarns that are nice to touch, easier patterns that I can work on while listening to a book or watching tv. I rarely make ane one item twice. It doesn't mattern when I complete the item, it is just there to knit on when needed.

When I crochet, it is usually because I need something or am trying a new pattern. I need to complete the pattern to see if it all works out right or I am obligated to make a new item for a class. I like crochet, but I do not enjoy it the way I enjoy knitting. I mostly crochet with threads, not yarns. Thread just do not have the same feel and sensuality that a good alpaca or silk blend yarn has. While this is my own preference, it does lessen my enjoyment of crochet.