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Perfectionist or Artist?

Recently in the Knitting Paradise chat room someone posted a survey asking three simple questions.

1) Do you knit your item perfectly, starting over and correcting absolutely every error?
2) Do you allow small errors that will not be noticeable to "stay as they are" and feel a little guilty about it, maybe even calling attention to it to the wearer?
3) Do you allow small errors that will not be noticeable to "stay as they are", with the thought that nothing is perfect anyway, and this makes my piece "artistic"?

See the mistake 2/3 of the way  on the left
The big hole in the middle is a problem












Respondents were asked to select either 1, 2 or 3.  With a total of 178 participants, the raw data broke down like this:
48 -#1
25 -# 2
78 - #3
27 -  It Depends

There were some fascinating comments added to the votes.  The 27%  #1 types, often stated they regretted their perfectionism.  It was as if they expected being a person who is displeased by anything that does not meet very high standards would garner criticism, and I'm not sure why. I'll share my type later, but I'm not a #1 and yet really admire their persistence for perfection and envy their tenacity and quality of the work.

Only 14% admitted they do allow for small errors, feeling guilty enough about it that they tell the wearer about the mistake (#2).  Lex, my son, talked to me some time ago about his attitude regarding #2.  He wondered why anyone who made a handmade gift would tell the person receiving it about mistakes in that gift.  He was much more articulate than this brief explanation, but his point was sharing this information sends mixed messages.  Lex stated from his POV either the creator should care enough to make it right in the first place or care enough to avoid mentioning "invisible" errors.  This perspective has stuck with me and changed my conversation about the gifts I give because I think his assessment is right.

The #3 option captured the most votes with a whopping 44%.  These knitters admit they will allow for small mistakes and keep that information to themselves.  Again the enthusiasm regarding those who voted #3 about their creative, artistic nature was interesting.  Many of those who voted for this option added something like: Yup, and proud of it. The artistic nature or wabi-sabi (beauty in imperfection) is important to these voters.

Although #3 was not my selected vote, I have been known to alter patterns allowing a mistake to look like it was planned.  For example in the lap robe knit for Dack and Nicole I changed the instructions because of a  mistake made right after the middle crisscross diamond design was knit.  The instructions had the design to the left and right of the crisscross running in the same direction; my version has the diagonals moving in opposite directions.   Dack and Nicole don't know about this because in the end it really didn't make a difference to the final product.  (Or at least they didn't know until now.)  Was it artistic license or covering one's own tracks, or both?  You can be the judge.  You can  also judge for yourself if I should have shared this information with the receivers by studying the photo below.  

See the mistake?  Probably not unless you see how it was supposed to look.   
Finally 15% stated it depends meaning what they decided to do about mistakes is situational. This was my own vote as well.  Those who knit professionally said they would fix all mistakes for a client, but when knitting for themselves or others might not be so fastidious.  Others stated if they were knitting for family members the work would have to be perfect, but those outside their realm of caring might get a finished item with a slight flaw.

When I'm knitting fun projects like toys or food, a small error might not be fixed, but when I'm making an article of clothing I can be quite particular.  Check out the tenacity (or was it stupidity) I exhibited in my first attempt at the Sunnyside sweater, here.  Anyone who knows me would hardly consider me a perfectionist, but at times this quality is something I can exhibit.

So which way would you vote about your style when doing a project?  That project can be cooking, sewing, writing, woodworking and so on.  They are creative ventures where creative allowances are an option.




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