I’ve never made a penny from knitting, and I sincerely doubt I ever will. Our society is constantly challenging us to do what we love, but we do not have to turn our hobbies into jobs.

I’ve had my knitting admired by others and even had someone ask if I would be willing to make something for them. But I don’t knit to make money. I don’t even knit to make myself warm clothes. For me, the process of knitting, not just the product, brings me joy.

There’s the activity of knitting, which I can find soothing, consoling, even renewing. The colors and textures and just handling the yarn make me smile.

There’s the challenge of knitting, when a new pattern or a new technique gives me an opportunity to struggle through something difficult. When I succeed, I can feel triumphant. Even when I feel like a knitting project is a failure, I’ve always learned something important from it, even if it’s just “I never want to do that again!”

And there’s the community of knitting, sharing my ideas and questions with like-minded creators who appreciate the many joys knitting can bring.

It’s okay to do things for fun, for love, and to forget completely about making money. Money is one way to show that something has value, but it’s not the only way. As Arthur Miller so wisely said:

Don’t be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value.

Arthur Miller

What do you love about knitting?