Knitting as Reward or Necessity?

I had a most interesting chat with a knitting friend the other day about how knitting functions for us beyond the obvious process/product benefit. Do we knit after all else is done to reward ourselves or knit to generate the mental/emotional "nutrition" that fuels productivity in other areas of our lives?

For me, knitting feels like it used to be exclusively reward but its morphed in recent years to often reside in my "fuel" category.

Of course whats being knit contributes to what it "does" for me. In light of that, what's Deco's current contribution?

Its quite satisfying on many fronts with bits of instructions to attend to producing satisfying little details like waist shaping...

That's broken up with working expanses of mindless stockinette knit a bit on the tight side. Right up my alley so row and stitch gauge is bang on!

But a bit of angst is creeping in, as ever, around the question of fit. While I'm happy with the additional inch and a half of added length and I have to remember I did add an inch and a half of width at the arm hole the upper body still seems so meager! I have to remember the generous neck and button bands are still to be added and the thing is rolling like crazy which assembly and blocking will put to rights and the finished neckline is low and wide...

Gah!

Knitting as "Reward", "Necessity" or "Punishment"?

More like just "Enthusiasm" coloured with "Blind Optimism".

I bet if I read my own blog I'd see whatever I chat about with other knitters, the latter is what knitting gives me all the time?! 'Way to hold me accountable Deco!

Thanks for dropping by!