Fellow knitters, I am taking a non-fiction writing class and need your help with my writing assignment. My topic is: The impact of the Internet on the knitting culture. I'm conducting a poll on how knitters think the Internet has influenced their hobby.
Please take a minute to answer a few simple questions, most of them multiple-choice. You can answer them here in the comments or send the answers to me via email. Either way, you rock! And to show my appreciation I'm going to put your name in a drawing to win either some sock yarn from my stash or a $25 gift certificate to Elann. (note: this poll is also on Knitters Review; if you answer there, no need to respond here)
Here goes:
1. How long have you been knitting?
A. Less than a year
B. 1 to 5 years
C. 6 to 10 years
D. 11 to 15 years
E. 16 to 20 years
F. 21+ years
2. Do you have a knitting blog?
A. Yes
B. No
3. Have you purchased yarn and/or knitting accessories from an online source?
A. Yes
B. No
4. Do you listen to knitting podcasts?
A. Yes
B. No
5. How often do you visit knitting-related message boards and discussion forums (reading or posting)?
A. Once or twice a week
B. 3 to 5 times a week
C. At least once every day
6. Do you read knitting e-Zines (Knitty, The Daily Knitter, MagKnits, Knitnet)?
A. Yes
B. No
7. How often do you turn to an online source for knitting help versus looking it up in a book?
A. Rarely
B. Most of the time
C. Just as often
D. Sometimes
8. Have you met any knitters face-to-face whom you had previously known only online?A. Yes
B. No
9. Have you attended a knitting related event (Stitches, a retreat, fiber festival, etc.) because you found out about it online?
A. Yes
B. No
10. Has the Internet had a negative impact on your knitting? How?
11. What kind of positive impact has the Internet made on your knitting?
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27 comments:
1.F
2.b
3.a
4.a
5.b
6.a
7.d
8.b
9.b
10. no
11. Access to ideas, free patterns, information about new yarns, new techniques, online stores for supplies not available here.
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. C
6. A
7. C
8. B
10. No
11. Opened my eyes to all kinds of new techniques and styles of knitting I never would have found otherwise.
1. A
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. B (it's more like not yet because i live in hawaii and that would take major planning)
10. yes, in that internet blogging cuts into my knitting time.
11. the internet has validated this hobby for me. being able to see the variety of knitters and projects made transcending the general stereotype regarding knitters a lot easier. i find myself inspired, and appreciate that there are other people with the same zeal for the craft. also, this hobby is highly unorthodox for someone in my location and demographic (hawaii, mid-twenties). i didn't even know how to use a spinning wheel, and now i own one. i like to think of the internet as a key to revealing the possibilities of this appealing hobby to someone like myself and i'm a lot more motivated and knowledgeable because of it.
1. B. 1 to 5 years
2. A. Yes
3. A. Yes
4. A. Yes
5. B. 3 to 5 times a week
6. A. Yes
7. B. Most of the time
8. A. Yes
9. A. Yes
10. only because it's made me want to make so many other things and i can barely finish what i already have started! :)
11. it makes me feel normal to love to knit this much, helps me feel like i'm part of a community and that i have 'knitting' friends even though i don't have time to go to a knitting group every week in real life.
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. A
10. Hmmm. Not sure if this is negative, but seeing all the cool stuff everyone else is knitting gives me knitter's ADD - I want to make all the pretty things too!
11. It is nice to have support from the knitting community, and often it is easier to find answers to technical questions online than in reference books.
1. B
2. A
3. A.
4. B
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. Perhaps, in the sense that I spend time online that I would otherwise spend actually knitting.
11. What kind of positive impact has the Internet made on your knitting? There is such a vast resource of patterns, yarns, and inspiration! Most of the projects I do are related to stuff online somehow. Even if it is a pattern from a book, I will look up what other people have already done with it. Above all it is great for support, because other knitters always have something nice, or at least encouraging to say.
1. B
2. I have a blog that I put knitting content on occasionally that was orginally started for knitting but changed to more of a family communication tool when I moved.
3. A
4. Sometimes
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. No
11. Encouraged me to do harder patterns.
1. D
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. A
10. No
11. I have made many friends, learned alot, found out about many many projects, had great inspiration....i think knitting and the internet go hand in hand now
1: B
2: A
3: A
4: B
5: A
6: A
7: B
8: A
9: A
10: No
11: It's helped me find a network of friends that I can go to for knitting advice (since initially I didn't have any real-life knitting friends).
1. C 6 to 10 years
2. A Yes
3. A Yes
4. B No
5. A Once or twice a week
6. A Yes
7. D sometimes
8. A Yes
9. A Yes
10. No
11. I have met many new people through the internet knitting community. We share many things on line that we would not be able to do living so far apart. Not just patterns and tips but friendsip and laughter across cyberspace!
1.F
2.A
3.A
4.B
5.C
6.A
7.C
8.A
9.A
10.Maybe a little, in that it takes some of my leisure time that might otherwise be spent knitting.
11. I have found so many like-minded people that share the same passion for knitting; we can cross-fertilize, share knowledge and give encouragement and problem-solving assistance. A very positive influence.
1. D or A, depending on whether you're interested in when I first learned a bit of knitting or when I started knitting on a regular basis. My grandma taught me a bit when I was a kid, but it didn't stick, and I've just recently been re-learning it.
2. B
3. B
4. A (but only a few, and only online - I don't have an mp3 player).
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. I don't think so.
11. The internet has inspired me to try knitting again after thinking it was boring when I first learned it, and given me lots of helpful instructions, encouragement, and advice.
So that's where you've been Lynette! :) Here are my answers:
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. C
6. A
7. D
8. A
9. B
10. No, it hasn't. It's only enabled me to knit more and buy more!
11. I've made a lot of friends who also knit. I've also made friends with people who spin and dye fibers, which has only furthered my interest in the craft. It's helped widen my horizons in finding new yarns and patterns.
:)
Hope all is well!
1-B
2-A
3-A
4-B
5-B
6-A
7-C
8-A
9-A
10-No
11-Has opened my knitting world up, I find so many new ideas, and that I am not alone when I encounter difficulties.
1 - a
2 - a
3 - a
4 - b
5 - a
6 - a
7 - c
8 - b
9 - b
10 - No
11 - Tutorials for knitting techniques, fast answers to knitting questions, free patterns, access to yarns and patterns that I do not have locally, encouragement from other knitters, formed new friendships and gained exposure to people from other cultures with whom I share a love of knitting.
1. A, but very close to B I think, I can't remember exactly when I learned to knit
2. a
3. a
4. a, when I remember to download them.
5. less than a.
6. a
7. c
8. a
9. a
10. I think sometimes I spend more time surfing through knitting blogs and reading about knitting/fiber or composing a blog entry than I do actually working on my own stuff. ;)
11. I wouldn't ever have earned without the internet, I wouldn't have met a lot of my favorite people, I wouldn't have been able to get hooked up with so many people to pass the love on.
learned! not earned! d'oh!
Wheeee...
1. D.
2. A.
3. C. Not yet but I'm planning on it.
4. C. Not yet but I'm planning on it.
5. C.
6. A.
7. B.
8. B.
9. C. Not yet but I'm planning on it.
10. I sometimes find myself reading blogs more than knitting, but it does inspire me!
11. It totally inspires me! Several years ago there wasn't this much stuff online about knitting. Now there is access to the grand world of all kinds of knitters, and patterns and reading about what inspires those knitters, and which yarns they love, and see what patterns they are using - it's fantastic!
1.B
2.A
3.A
4.B
5.C
6.A
7.C
8.B
9.B
10.Yes and No. I've found some wonderful patterns and I love to knit them up but now I probably spend almost as much time browsing patterns and yarn as I do actually knitting. Kinda pathetic.
11.I've been driven to try new techniques and patterns that I otherwise would never have seen or heard about.
1.c 6 years
2.a
3.a yes, almost exclusively
4.a
5.a
6.a
7.c
8.b
9.b...not yet!
10.not in the least
11.Very positive. I live in the boondocks with no yarn store and about 3 other knitters. I use the internet for product, patterns, community, ideas, inspiration, news, KAL's: Everything!
1. F
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. A
10. yes - eats some of my knitting time. :)
11. Expanded my knowledge, challenged me to try things I would not have otherwise.
1.B
2.A
3.A
4.A
5.A
6.A
7.B
8.A
9.B only because none have been local
10. No
11. Knitting on the internet has allowed me too meet other knitters, to try yarns not available locally, to learn new techniques and not to be scared of mistakes, it can all be fixed. It has increased my knowledge and improved my skills. It has also built confidence in other areas of my life especially when dealing with challenges I previously would have avoided. Mastering new techniques makes you feel incredibly brave :)
1.F
2.B
3.A
4.A
5.D (rarely)
6.A
7.D
8.B
9.A
10.Not at all, except if you count the time that reading knitting blogs eats into my knitting time!
11.I'm knitting much more now and completing my projects sooner. I'm inspired, especially by the prolific amount that people are knitting. That, and all those links to special yarns and patterns is inspiring.
Hope this helps!
Chris
Chris@mediaonfire.com
1 - f
2 - a
3 - a
4 - a
5 - c
6 - a
7 - c
8 - a
9 - a
10 - no
11 - even though i knit for many years before the internet, my knitting has improved exponentially since i've been online.
and i have made many many friends through yahoogroups and blogs, many of whom i have met in person.
i live in a small town in central florida, and can't imagine what my life would be like without my virtual friends.
1.B
2.A
3.A (as a matter of fact, that's the only place I buy yarn nowadays.)
4.B
5.C
6.A
7.B
8.B
9.A (knit out 2007)
10.Actually no, beyond cutting out knitting time it hasn't had any negative impacts.
12.Yes, I've taught myself how to knit socks, different stitches, met other knitters, bought yarn, and even found great patterns from independent designers.
1 - b
2 - a
3 - a
4 - a
5 - a
6 - a
7 - b
8 - a
9 - a
10 - no, aside from getting distracted from my current projects when someone posts a really great FO.
11 - it's given me access to all sorts of techniques and information that i could never gather on my own via book-buying.
1. How long have you been knitting?
F. 21+ years
2. Do you have a knitting blog?
A. Yes
3. Have you purchased yarn and/or knitting accessories from an online source?
A. Yes
4. Do you listen to knitting podcasts?
A. Yes
5. How often do you visit knitting-related message boards and discussion forums (reading or posting)?
C. At least once every day
6. Do you read knitting e-Zines (Knitty, The Daily Knitter, MagKnits, Knitnet)?
A. Yes
7. How often do you turn to an online source for knitting help versus looking it up in a book?
B. Most of the time
8. Have you met any knitters face-to-face whom you had previously known only online?B. No
9. Have you attended a knitting related event (Stitches, a retreat, fiber festival, etc.) because you found out about it online?
B. No
10. Has the Internet had a negative impact on your knitting? How?no
11. What kind of positive impact has the Internet made on your knitting?more patterns, courage to try different and harder things, yarn sources, friends, SOCKS
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