So go figure that in my early twenties I took up knitting, have produced several complex projects including actual apparel that has been worn outside the house, and am considering taking a class in, what else, sewing. So much for "I was an eighth grade home ec. failure"
Matthew Crawford has an answer for this. He argues that people's interest in making their own clothes, growing their own food, and building their own decks is because of their desire to bring things closer to home:
We want to feel that our world is intelligible, so we can be responsible for it. This seems to require that the provenance of our things be brought closer to home. Many people are trying to recover a field of vision that is basically human in scale, and extricate themselves from dependence on the global economy.But there's a big difference between enjoying completing a home improvement project like installing a deck and building a house. Likewise, a difference between knitting a sweater and making all of one's clothes. I prefer Crawford's other point which is stated in the book's subtitle: "An inquiry into the value of work." I'll have more to say after I finish the book. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your opinions about the value of trades, blue collar versus white collar work and home improvement projects, dear readers.
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