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It's a little conflicting to consider crafting these days. Individuals and families are cutting back on expenses, but the creative outlets of crafting can help relieve the stresses from other parts of Life.
What are the choices that the crafter might be making? One obvious choice is to spend time with the supplies and materials we've already acquired using our stash to feed our need to create? Many have materials we purchased because we love them. Getting to know them again and see the original visions we had develop is a great thing.
Deb at Fearless Fiber decided to consider a somewhat different track. In Knitting in Rough Waters, she discusses that a culture of instant gratification contributed to our economic problems and also led to a crafting trend of "quick and dirty" projects. How many books are written with "EZ", "Quick" or "Fast" in their titles?
She predicted that the knitting trend toward lace might be a move away from instant gratification and toward complex challenges.
we are a culture of instant gratification. We want it all and we want it now. The American Dream of home ownership has morphed into a dream of home ownership now. No time to amass a significant down payment. No starter home in a questionable neighborhood will suffice. We will stretch to the max and take great risks to reach the dream.
...I'm keying in on (instant gratification) now only because this minor factor interests me when thinking about knitting trends.
I think this little seed about the dangers of instant gratification that are planted somewhere deep in the recesses of our minds will continue to sprout and grow. We as a group will move further toward projects such as lace work as I mentioned previously. I think we'll see more larger projects, such as afghans and sweaters. Intricate cables. Challenging construction. Generally, more complexity and a slower pace of achieving results, but a greater pride and satisfaction in the end. We'll always have the occasional need to whip out a quick and simple hat or scarf, of course, but I think generally we'll see larger and more complex projects take center stage.
How much do we really need to consider this?
Claire Cain Miller, writing for the NY Times, discovered For Craft Sales, the Recession Is a Help. During the past holiday season, it seems that many chose to cope with the economy by purchasing supplies and making their own presents or by purchasing the goods of small independant makers.
Craft stores, from giant chains like Michaels Stores to small scrapbook supply shops, are reporting that sales are higher compared with the last holiday season, and online marketplaces for handmade goods, like Etsy, are seeing a boom in listings and transactions.
In Knitting Through the Downturn by Glenn Collins emphasizes the optimism of one craft-based manufacturer with Lion Brand's opening of a Manhattan bricks-and-mortar store:
A time of looming recession might seem a bizarre moment to open a high-end Manhattan store that sells a low-tech product: yarn. “But I see this as a perfect time,” said David Blumenthal, president of Lion Brand Yarn Company, which on Tuesday is opening the first retail store in its 130-year-old history as a wholesaler.
“Knitting has always been recession-proof,” he explained. “In a recession, people are cocooning. So for $5 or $10 in yarn, you can have a great weekend and come away with a scarf that would cost $60 in a store.”
David Keeps, reported in the LA Times how Craft-making grows among artisans.
But clearly consumers' belt-tightening and environmental consciousness also have set the stage for a new form of home economics. As young, cash-strapped shoppers get turned off by over consumption and disenchanted with homogenized, mass-marketed retail, more are shopping for one-of-a-kind pieces -- or are crafting their own.
"They may not make an afghan like their grandmothers did," said Tina Barseghian, editor of Craft magazine, "but they will take the technique and apply it to their own home."
Clearly there is no crystal ball that can accurately predict the future success or failure of crafting. For myself, I've created during good times and bad and I expect to continue doing so. I see a blending of purchasing decisions, too. While I'll continue to draw down the amount of materials I keep in my stash, I also believe that several great projects will warrant spending some of my cash. New interests and techniques are calling to me. How about you?
Debra Roby blogs
