Recently, someone on the knitlist posted to ask Has Knitting Been Dumbed Down?
Although the subject might imply the post contained a question, it read a bit more like an answer which might be edited down to:
“Beginners are taught to knit on easy projects using novelty yarn. This is dumbed down. It’s a horrifying thing!”
Numerous knitlisters posted to contradict the premise that knitting has been dumbed down. Some suggested that if it has been dumbed down, that’s perfectly ok.
I felt the need to blog so I can cast my vote with the first poster. Dumbing down of knitting has happened and it’s horrifying,
I want to go further and show it’s not just knitting. It’s also happened to cooking.
I was married in 1984, which, I am sure we can all agree, predates the “dumbing down” era. When I was married, brides were routinely given copies of “The Joy Of Cooking”. The 1975 version of that very popular cookbook included “smartened up” skills like making your own maple syrup, skinning a rabbit, and skinning a squirrel. Why, they even gave tips on handling possum; young brides were expected to understand it should be kept live and fed milk for 10 days.
Are today’s modern brides expected to learn such skills? No!
Newbies are started on pre-butchered meat, given simple recipes, some herbs and spices, and “Voila! A tasty meal is prepared and presented to their family.”
To borrow a phrase from the knitlist post: “Complete & total idiocy!” Truly, we should return to the days of yore, when knitters used nothing but plain yarn and cooks caught, butchered and cooked their own squirrels and knew enough to milk feed their own possums!
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Lucia Liljegren: Copyright 2005-2007 Rights to all site content including knitting patterns, generators and haikus reserved.
OMG! That is so funny! I love your post! And I agree completely!! Thank god I dont have to hunt any squirrels for tonights dinner!! Hooray for the “dumbing down” of cooking!!!
Comment by Rebecca — 8/12/2005 @ 1:34 pm
I’ve trapped squirrels– but to eat for dinner. We had a little roof problem when we first bought this house and needed to evict the squirrels. I cannot imagine hunting squirrel, skinning it and preparing it for dinner under current circumstances!
Still, the section on “Game” is my favorite part of my copy of “The Joy Of Cooking”. Can you believe they have a recipe for Boar’s Head?
I understand they cut that section and many of the silly stories out of the more recent versions of the book and sales are down.
Comment by lucia — 8/12/2005 @ 1:41 pm
Good golly I need me a Joy of Skinnin’ Squirrel T-shirt.
I love that middle: step and peeeeeeeeel.
Next thing you’ll see is pattern requests all over the Knitlist for mini-ponchos for skinned squirrels and little skinned squirrel cozies. The outrage over Simple Knit Squirrel Covers will sweep the knitting world.
Comment by spaazlicious — 8/14/2005 @ 3:49 pm
Mini ponchos for squirrels? Hmmmm…that would require trapping a squirrel, taking measurements and adding pull down menus to either the doll poncho or the machine knit ponchos.
I think a squirrel poncho should be knit in fun fur, don’t you?
Comment by lucia — 8/14/2005 @ 4:58 pm
This really cracked me up!
Comment by Amy — 8/17/2005 @ 10:19 am