This is the quote that really jumps out at me in this piece:
"I was approaching a hobby the only way I knew how: like a type-A workaholic with a modicum of capital eager to let it subsume my life as I pursued absolute mastery. Because as much as I attempt to deprogram myself, some part of me still says: if you can't be the best at something, or maybe not the best, but get an A+ and be The Teacher's Pet, well then, you probably shouldn't do it. Mastery makes it count."
I relate to so much in it, but what really reached out and grabbed me is how much I see of my knitting students in it.
I teach knitting classes at my local yarn shop. My classes aren't quite for beginners—people need to know the basics of casting on, knitting, purling, working in the round, and casting off—but they're not for experts either. They're for knitters who have made a couple of projects and are ready to learn some slightly more advanced skills. And, hopefully, make some friends in the process.
As the teacher, my goal more than seeing each student complete the cowl or sweater or whatever we're learning, is to see my students fall a little more in love with knitting. To enjoy the process and the pride of making something with their own hands.
And yet, I'd say I spend at least 60% of each class reassuring folks that it's OK if their work isn't perfect. It's OK if they're struggling to learn how to do an ssk or a M1L. It's OK not to be perfect. I'm not grading them, I'm not putting anything on their permanent records.
My class motto is "You are the boss of your own knitting." Meaning you get to decide what's good enough. You get to decide if you want to fix every little mistake or just keep charging ahead. If the way you hold your yarn and your needles works for you, then it's the right way to do it.
These are all concepts that are really hard for a lot of people to accept. They want to be perfect, they expect to be perfect. So many ask me how long I've been knitting and when I tell them more than 20 years, I can see that some of them are so disappointed. They want me to say 2 years, 3 years, 5 years—something short and attainable for them.
But the reality is that knitting, like any hobby, takes time to master. And if you're only in it for the mastery, then you're probably not going to be able to stick with it. Because a hobby shouldn't make you miserable, especially not in the pursuit of perfection. I always remind my students that this is supposed to be fun and that while I love having them in class, if they aren't having fun, they don't have to keep going.
A hobby is something you choose, for you, not for anyone else. If you're not having fun, hit the bricks.
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