knitting snobbery in a publication

[snugsmontreal]

the current issue of vogue knitting has a very blatant display of knitting snobbery by introducing an article for a crochet technique (hair-pin lace) with this "We know, dear knitter, that many of you have little use for that other needlecraft."

i am a knitter AND crocheter and i am just appauled by how little people give respect to people of fellow fiber arts. i fired off an email on their website and we'll see what i hear back from them, personally i wouldnt be giving them my respect back with anything short of a formal restraction of that comment in their next issue, and placed somewhere prominent not hidden in some tiny type on the second to last page.

[secretstasher]

I do both too I really don`t understand the snobbery sometimes involved with knitting. I mean if you only do knitting fair enough or only crochet. But as someone who is a knitter as well as a crocheter I really don`t get it. I hope you get somewhere. It`s like these wool shops that are really geared up for knitters and go "oh" when you mention you crochet. like they are saying "you poor thing" don`t they realise we all need wool and a crocheter`s money is just as good. I buy simply Knitting in the UK and they even have a section about crochet. I wouldn`t buy it again dont give them your money. good luck getting your point across to these people. let us know how you get on love Sian x

[jleinhauser]

Really, I think Vogue just meant that as a tongue-in-cheek comment.

 

Jean Leinhauser

[grinning chook]

Really, I think Vogue just meant that as a tongue-in-cheek comment.

 

Jean Leinhauser

 

 

I was thinking the same

[JCB]

Really, I think Vogue just meant that as a tongue-in-cheek comment.

 

Jean Leinhauser

 

The same has been said about jokes that have an ethnic or racial slur... oh.. he was just kidding! It's not funny, and just perpetuates myths.

 

Radio personalities have been know to get fired for 'just kidding'.

 

Joan

[Empress Busy Bee]

The same has been said about jokes that have an ethnic or racial slur... oh.. he was just kidding! It's not funny, and just perpetuates myths.

 

Radio personalities have been know to get fired for 'just kidding'.

You're comparing knitting snobs to racisim? Seriously?

While the one is rude and can be upsetting at times, it is no where damaging and hurtful like the other.

 

I can't comment on the remark until I read it word for word. Even then I might be hard pressed as I don't know the mind of the writer. I am betting tongue-in-cheek though as Vogue Knitting often includes crochet in their issues, very nice crochet.

[hooked2]

Even if the comment was meant to be "tongue-in-cheek", aren't the folks at Vogue Knitting paid enough to know that that type of comment only works if your audience can see your tongue planted firmly in your cheek. As a crocheter who worked for more years than I care to say (smile) as a technical writer and editor, I learned that it was usually better to omit 'humor' if there was any doubt about its value in the document.

[PBLKNP]

I get so tired of knitting snobbery, too. I do both, and frankly both crafts have their pluses and minuses, and both require much skill (ask anyone who's done the 63 Squares afghan). If anything, LYS owners should WORSHIP us, seeing as our projects tend to use more yarn...

[snugsmontreal]

Even if the comment was meant to be "tongue-in-cheek", aren't the folks at Vogue Knitting paid enough to know that that type of comment only works if your audience can see your tongue planted firmly in your cheek. As a crocheter who worked for more years than I care to say (smile) as a technical writer and editor, I learned that it was usually better to omit 'humor' if there was any doubt about its value in the document.

i have to agree, if they didnt end the sentence the way they did or use italics over the word other i could see how it could be, but they way they emphasise it was unneccesary because people will read it the way i did and find it mildly insulting to another craft. i sew but i dont go walking around saying quilters are worthless...know what i mean

[paperflowers]

It does sound tongue-in-cheek, as if they're poking fun at knitting's arrogance. I'd prefer to see some more neutral attitudes out there, though.

 

When they had the hairpin lace show on Knitty Gritty, Jennifer Hansen made a good point about the two having their own strengths. Normally, Vickie Howell is going KNIT KNIT KNIT like it's the only craft on earth.

[shelly_bean]

I would be upset too.. that seems like a rude comment to make tongue in cheek or not.. just like adding a smiley to a rude comment doesn't make it right. or saying ha ha just kidding. rudeness is rudeness no matter how many smiley's or just kiddings you add at the end of it.

[Knit Happens]

a. the magazine is geared towards knitters; b. the comment sounds like it was a humourous knock on the head of knitters, not the other way around. Harmless nonsense.

[smokeyp81]

I agree with the comment above from Knit Happens....the magazine is called VOUGE KNITTING. Why do people let comments like that bother them.... the magazine is clearly for knitters. At least they were trying to broaden their minds by showing a crochet method. Do you think knitters that buy Crochet Today or other strictly crocheting magazines get bent out of shape because they don't have knitting patterns in them?

[snugsmontreal]

i'll bite that i didnt buy the magazine for the hair-pin lace technique, i bought it for the knitting patterns as i am a knitter but i just see it is unneccesary to put down another craft whether it is tongue-in-cheek or not. like someone else said no matter if you add a smiley or a just kidding saying something rude is still saying something rude. clearly someone at the editor of vogue never heard from their grandmother/mother that if you can't say something nice you dont say anything at all. they could have put some other funny intro to the article without first putting it down, i felt like it was a justification comment to the knitter-readers as to why they put in a crochet article.

[iamnichole]

i would like to hear what their response was to your letter.

i love that magazine. its so glam. i'm sure that they weren't trying to offend anyone.

[Karen C.]

I do knit, but prefer to crochet most of the time. I saw that article as well because I do have a subscription to Vogue Knitting. I did get a little miffed about it, but they are really addressing some knitter's true feelings about Crochet. I guess what puts me off about the way it was worded is that it appears the author hasn't helped the situation any by publishing and/or subscribing to the notion that there's no use for crochet. I would have liked to see some information about why it would be useful to learn to crochet then present the technique of hairpin lace.

[squish_52]

Maybe the article was aimed at expanding knitters horizons by introducing the hairpin lace technique. I know that I was uber confused by the concept of knitting and how the needles are to be held. Maybe knitters are utterly confused about crochet. Maybe they only see the uses of it in knitting and are rather closed minded. Maybe the article was to broaden that...I look forward to hearing what the reply to your email is

[shelbyolivia]

I don't think any one meant any harm by the comment. I'm sure that the publication meant no harm to the OTHER needlecraft. Sometimes one persons humor is another persons "rude comment".

With tons of new knitting books using crochet on knitted garments, I wouldn't be surprised to see Vogue having more crochet instructions in upcoming issues.

As for the racial slurs..........uh, totally different, IMHO.

Eileen

[chocchip]

I saw that article when I was paging through that issue at the book store. It did say in the next sentence something to the effect of "we think this technique will change your mind". Poor choice of words? - Probably. Snobbery? - I doubt it. It looked to me as if they were trying to get the knitters who do think crocheting is a useless craft to think otherwise. I have noticed several knitting magazines lately that include crochet patterns in them. Vogue Knitting being only one of them.

[NexStitch]

The whole quote is:

 

WE KNOW, DEAR KNITTER, THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE LITTLE USE FOR THAT OTHER NEEDLECRAFT. ALLOW US TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A CROCHET TECHNIQUE THAT WILL FOREVER CHANGE YOUR THINKING.

 

The article was apparently written by Jennifer Hansen, who as many of you know, is very pro-crochet. To me, it sounds like she's trying to get knitters to try something new (that has the word crochet in it!) and is doing so by playing into the status quo - that some knitters don't like crochet and have a particular attitude towards it.

 

I'm normally one at the forefront of a battle cry, but I don't see that being the case here.

[caednkat]

Actually Vickie Howell is a crocheter too and has some really cool crochet patterns on her website.

 

 

It does sound tongue-in-cheek, as if they're poking fun at knitting's arrogance. I'd prefer to see some more neutral attitudes out there, though.

 

When they had the hairpin lace show on Knitty Gritty, Jennifer Hansen made a good point about the two having their own strengths. Normally, Vickie Howell is going KNIT KNIT KNIT like it's the only craft on earth.

[caednkat]

The whole quote is:

 

WE KNOW, DEAR KNITTER, THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE LITTLE USE FOR THAT OTHER NEEDLECRAFT. ALLOW US TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A CROCHET TECHNIQUE THAT WILL FOREVER CHANGE YOUR THINKING.

 

The article was apparently written by Jennifer Hansen, who as many of you know, is very pro-crochet. To me, it sounds like she's trying to get knitters to try something new (that has the word crochet in it!) and is doing so by playing into the status quo - that some knitters don't like crochet and have a particular attitude towards it.

 

I'm normally one at the forefront of a battle cry, but I don't see that being the case here.

 

I agree completly. Most knitter it seems don't see a need to learn to crochet. That's how that sentence sounds to me. They don't think they is a use in learning how to crochet because they knit.

 

What else should she have called it then the other needlecraft? Isn't knitting the other needlecraft if you are talking to crocheters??