Knitting is Not the New Yoga

Posted by
Kelly Gilliam
Apr 28, 2006

I'm sure by now you've heard the phrase "knitting is the new yoga", I've heard and read it everywhere, and it never ends to infuriate me. The more I think about it, the more I believe that somebody who had never seen a knitting needle, let alone knit, thought up the phrase, and then somehow it spread like a disease (much like the word "addicting" instead of its correct "addictive").

In fact, I'm more and more positive it's only been given that trite byline because yoga has great selling power with the yuppie 30-somethings that like to read about and pat themselves on the back about how broad-ranging and sophisticated their interests are. What does that have to do with knitting? Taking something originally thought of as a woman's craft, something only done by old ladies, and doing it themselves gives them that much needed sense of, "look at me, I'm different!" Yoga was in fact that thing at one point, but now that it's so entrenched within western culture, it's not new anymore. Everybody does it, so it doesn't set the yuppies apart from anybody that goes to yoga night at the corner studio.

So it may sound as though I'm being a little harsh, and by no means do I have any problems with yoga itself, but I do have my reasons. I don't believe in doing anything half-assed. If you want to learn to knit (or do yoga properly for that matter), learn it, live it, and don't do it because you'll look trendy sitting on the morning bus on your way to work (that's the worst reason to ever learn anything). Knit because you like the rhythmic pattern, or you enjoy handcrafting your own goods. Knit because you love the craft, don't knit just so you can tell people that you do.