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Are You a Patient Crafter?

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Are you a patient crafter or does knitting make you patient?If you’ve been a knitter, or done any kind of crafting in front of other people, for any length of time, you’ve probably had someone say something to you along the lines of “I wish I had the patience for that.”

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has written and spoken a lot on this topic, and today I found this from her book Knitting Rules!:

I have the attention span of a three-year-old full of chocolate bars at a birthday party…Knitting grants patience to those who do it. Ask around. Most knitters will tell you they’re at their most patient with needles in their hands, and that this practice maker them more tolerant of ordinary setbacks.

Felicia from the Craft Sessions recently wrote about patience in crafting, too, saying that knitting is about the process more than the product (for her, anyway, I know some knitters are not like that), so patience doesn’t really play into it in the sense that we’re antsy to finish a project so we can wear or use it.

Indeed, we tend to be knitters because we need something to do in order to make us more patient in situations in which we would rather not be.

But the thing is I’m not patient. I need knitting because I’m not patient. I can’t sit through a school concert, or hours of book reading to small people, or a two hour trip to the park, without knitting.

Can. Not. Do. It.

Without knitting all I can think is run away run away. Because I lack patience.

I definitely feel that way. I need to knit when I have to go to a meeting, or hang out at the library with my daughter, or, yes, at the park or waiting for an appointment.

I do like having the products of my knitting to use and to give to others, but it really is more about the process, having something to do, to fill space that would otherwise be spent waiting most impatiently.

What do you think? Are you “patient” as a crafter or does knitting make you more patient? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo via the Craft Sessions.]

Comments

  1. I am definitely more patient when I am knitting. It is funny; I can walk up and down the hall wondering what to do next. Then I pick up my knitting, and, two hours later, I realize that I have just been sitting, patiently, seeing the rows grow on my project. Yay! Knitting; my favorite hobby.

  2. I fidget. Which makes me antsy and easily distracted. When I knit, that smooth repetitive action uses up the urge to fidget, and that allows me to relax and pay fuller attention to everything. Plus, I end up with cool things.

  3. I’m not a knitter…but I’ve quilted and done other crafts and I’ve started sketching… and it has the same effect – and people all still say that line about patience! Or they talk about talent….no, really, it’s just sitting down and doing…finding the thing that works for you and doing it.

  4. I think we are all patient in certain ways and in other ways not so patient. I could sit and knit a sweater from start to finish, but to me, that has nothing to do with patience. I just like doing it. At the same time, I can be SO impatient when my computer doesn’t do something fast enough. Patience can be said in many ways, I guess!

  5. I am known as the impatient cajun. So knitting and crocheting is totally against everything I am. Recently I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Knitting has been my answer to a mind that goes to worry mode.

  6. I’ve always thought of knitting and crocheting as my personal Zen experience. I can knit while I talk and in the dark. Ive been doing it so long that it’s in my muscle memory. I mention this because you asked about reactions when people see me knitting I took my knitting with me when my husband and I went to the movies. Everything was fine until there was a very quiet scene and the only sound heard in the theater was “click, click, click …” The man behind me stood up and yelled, “YOU’RE KNITTING IN THE DARK?” I turned around, smiled and VERY quietly whispered “Yes.” It was an easy question to answrr! Lol.

  7. I am absolutely more patient because I knit . I find that knitting is hypnotic to me . It calms me , takes away my physical pain ,and gives me something in common with some really great people.

  9. I knit because I need something to do while watching TV with my husband. I love the beautiful things I can make with all the energy. I would say nervous energy not patience.

Have you read?

Book Review: Knitted Safari Friends – 20 Adorable Animals to Make

If you have a weakness for knitted animals wearing tiny clothes, Knitted Safari Friends by Sarah Keen is going to be very difficult to resist.

This colourful collection includes 20 safari and savannah animals to knit, including a lion, tiger, elephant, flamingo, hippo, crocodile, rhinoceros, zebra and giraffe.

And yes, many of them have their own little outfits.

The lion in purple overalls is probably enough to sell me on the whole book.

Cute Animals With Plenty of Personality

What I like about this collection is that the animals are clearly designed as characters rather than realistic wildlife models.

They are bright, friendly and a little quirky, which makes them particularly appealing as handmade gifts for children or animal-loving adults.

Looking at the sample pages, the hippo and flamingo patterns have a cheerful illustrated layout, with the finished animals shown in little safari scenes alongside the practical pattern information.

There is also plenty of variety in the shapes, which means you aren’t simply knitting the same basic body 20 times and changing the ears.

If knitted animals with interchangeable clothes are already your thing, have a look at our Knitted Wild Animal Friends book review. That collection includes elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, zebras and other animals with an entire wardrobe of tiny knitted clothing.

Is Knitted Safari Friends Beginner Friendly?

The publisher describes the patterns as easy to follow, and the book includes a techniques section, abbreviations and knitting conversions to help you through the projects.

I would still put this more in the confident beginner to intermediate category rather than recommending it as someone’s very first knitting project.

Toy knitting usually involves shaping, joining pieces, stuffing and finishing neatly, and that finishing stage can sometimes take almost as long as the knitting itself.

Ask anyone who has ever had a finished knitted animal sitting in pieces on the craft table for three weeks waiting for its legs to be sewn on.

For knitters who are still learning the basics of toy making, our Knitted Amigurumi Animal Friends review is another useful option, with smaller animals and simple clothing pieces.

A Great Gift Knitting Book

These would make lovely handmade gifts for children, particularly if you matched the animal to their favourite safari creature.

You could also knit several of them together as a nursery display or create your own little safari collection.

The clothes and accessories add another level of fun, too. Once you’ve knitted an elephant, there is something wonderfully satisfying about then deciding what that elephant ought to wear.

Apparently this is where my crafting priorities are now.

My Take

I think Knitted Safari Friends is one of those books that you buy intending to make one project and then immediately start planning an entire knitted zoo.

The bright colours, cute facial expressions and tiny outfits give the animals loads of personality, while the variety of creatures should keep the knitting interesting.

Sarah Keen has been designing knitted toys for years, and that experience shows in the way these animals have been turned into characters rather than simply miniature versions of real wildlife.

If you enjoy toy knitting, handmade gifts or anything involving animals in overalls, this one is definitely worth a look.

Knitted Safari Friends: 20 Adorable Animals to Make is written by Sarah Keen and published by GMC Publications. It was released on April 21, 2026, with a listed RRP of $26.99.