Where process and product intersect

Makingstuff, as opposed to making stuff

The Expanding Ripples Scarf by Carol Feller from the Spring 2012 issue of knit.wear.

Often the yarn we make is secondary to the process of spinning itself. As many of us know, the same is true for most crafts. We've invited Eunny Jang, editor ofInterweave Knits andknit.wear, here to share with you her discoveries in creating the latest issue ofknit.wear, which is available now.

_Eunny: _Lately, I find myself knitting more and more for knitting’s own sake. Much as I love having the finished garment in hand (or on body, as the case may be), my own knitting goals have shifted from production to process. Making stuff, as opposed to making stuff.

In developing the Spring 2012 issue of knit.wear magazine, I thought a lot about where process and product intersect. If knitting’s a Venn diagram, what lies where those two sets meet? The intersection excludes both the too-simple (boring to make) and the too-intricate (hard to wear). So what’s left?

Ultimately, knit.wear is all about knitted products that look simple enough to wear every day, but have subtle, interesting details that make the knitting process rich, or treat knitted fabric in a way that surprises and intrigues. The garments in that sweet spot are naturally sophisticated, with an austere, clean-lined look that feels modern and fresh. From tiny-footprint patterns, to explorations of how knitted fabric can fold over on itself, to floaty experiments in gauge and openwork, to gathered and draped fabrics, to one-piece knits with drama, this issue is full of staple garments that push where knitting can go.

	The Tulip Sleeve Pullover by Coralie Meslin from the Spring 2012 issue of knit.wear.

Continuing our theme of refining knitting to its purest state, we’re exploring short-rows, exploring new approaches to color in knitting, and talking with Nikki Gabriel, an Australian knitwear designer who sees knitting as an interactive design experience. And we’ve packed in all kinds of other ideas, from a look at the ruffled yarn trend, to exclusive excerpts from two new Swedish books, to a tip from couture dressmaking to take your knits to the next level. Simple, strong ideas to inspire your own knitting.

As for me, knitting is just as rewarding for me now—in different ways. I don’t stress about cranking out projects as fast as I can. Instead, I revel in the feel of yarn in my fingers, marvel as each new interlocking loop adds to my fabric, listen to the quiet, warm clack of my needles. I'm finding a thousand little things to love about knitting in every minute that I’m doing it and more pleasure captured in the finished garment. My knitting joys have become simple, elemental, fundamental. Knit, wear.

Knit on,