Triumph of Dexterity over String

I love knitting because it’s something that can be accomplished no matter how poorly it’s going at any given moment.  It’s a triumph of dexterity over string.  I can’t make my kids turn out the way I want; I have no control over my editor; world peace remains elusive despite my very best efforts; but all of that be damned — I can put a heel in a sock and it will go exactly the way I want it to go.  Eventually, at least.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Yarn Harlot:  The Secret Life of a Knitter, p. xiii

Knitting, a Miracle Worker

What non-knitters are missing is the personality-enhancing qualities of knitting.  Knitting is a miracle worker.  With knitting, people can suddenly do things they couldn’t do before.  They can wait in line without becoming impatient.  They can sit through a grade-school concert with a smile.  They can handle long meetings and lectures, all without bothering other people or pacing around like lunatics.

— Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Knitting Rules, p. 11

Knitting Isn’t Clutter

Knitting and yarn appeal to the senses.  A project in the works smells good, feels good, looks good.  Never feel bad about wanting it hanging around.  Knitting is too beautiful to be clutter.  A half-finished shawl left on the coffee table isn’t a mess:  It’s an objet d’art.

— Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Knitting Rules, p. 11