Competitive vs. Normal Knitting

We have a lot of first-time competitive knitters in HAT ATTACK! 2, and the difference between competitive and normal knitting is hitting many of them much harder than I thought. Thus, I felt it merited a blog entry.

For those of you not familiar with such things, there are a slew of competitions that are one part swap, one part race, and one part knit-a-long. I believe Sock Wars was the first, and it is definitely the best-known in my circle, but there are many spinoffs and inspired-bys, and some of those have their own spinoffs. There are also quite a few for crocheters, and most of this would apply to them as well, I just don't feel like being PC and writing "or crochet" all through this entry. Sorry, hookers- much love, though! {waves}

Please note that this entry does not really address the many reasons why people do enjoy competitive knitting, just some of the potential downsides that seem to hide until someone is already hip-deep in a competition. Competitive knitting can be fun, diverting, and generally pleasant, and I feel that as long as people are aware that it is not quite the same as knitting on one's own terms, those aspects will keep knitters coming back time and time again.

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In my opinion, competitive knitting of any type is to normal knitting what a Fun Run is to your morning jog. Some people are in it for the fun, and don't care how they place, others are in it to win, and both are valid ways to approach the endeavor. There are some aspects that apply to everyone, however:

1. You might actually have to follow the pattern.

   Many knitters have a somewhat relaxed attitude towards following patterns. If we do not like some aspect of the pattern, we change it. If we inadvertently do something differently than is indicated in the instructions, it's not a mistake, it's a "design modification". If the gauge we get with the yarn is different than that intended by the designer, but we like the effect, we adjust for it by changing the number of rows or stitches.

   As most competitive knitting events require that the FO be made to a certain set of specifications so that it can be checked for compliance, none of this really works in most competitive knitting, and many knitters find this to be the most frustrating aspect of the experience. (This frustration has inspired the creation of several competitions that do not require participants to use a particular pattern.) If you make a mistake or your gauge is off, you need to fix the problem, and you will need to discipline yourself to follow the pattern as written, not as you wish it was written. Think of it as boot camp for knitters- if you can manage competitive knitting, your "civilian" knitting will be the better for it!
   

2. Someone will be checking your work.

   Again, most knitters work under the assumption that no one will be scrutinizing the finished object, and that any fellow knitters they encounter will tend to be generous about any design modifications they do notice. In competitive knitting, I have found that while the competitors are sympathetic to one another, they will still call foul if your FO is not within the specifications of the particular competition.

   Think about the Fun Run comparison- the same person who would not give you grief for taking a shortcut if you decide your usual morning jog route is a bit too long for you today is likely call foul if you do the same thing during a competitive event. It's not a judgment on you for wanting to take a shortcut, it's just that everyone needs to be following the same rules for it to be a race.

   This seems to be the aspect that stresses people out the most in HA, and one of the most misunderstood, especially combined with point number 1. No, your target isn't likely to be scrutinizing every millimeter of your work, looking for yarn slubs and minutely larger stitches- he or she is a knitter, too, and generally inclined to take into account how much effort went into your weapon. As long as your hat is worked to pattern and wearable, your target will in all likelihood cheer you on in the remainder of the game! However, he or she is also playing a game, and to some extent, probably wants to do well in said game. If someone overcharged you in Monopoly in a way that would cause you to lose the game, wouldn't you say something?

3. Competitive knitting is not relaxing.

   One of the main attractions to competitive knitting is that it is exciting. You have a moving deadline, in most cases your overall longevity in the game depends on factors over which you have little control, and at least one person is keeping an eye on your progress. For many knitters, this urgency and uncertainty is the entire point of the experience, but those who knit primarily for relaxation might not find it so much to their taste. If you don't want knitting that can get your blood pumping, that's fine; competitive knitting just might not be your thing.

   One corollary to this is that competitive knitting can cause what Hat Assassins have dubbed "Package Paranoia". People tend to have a sense of anticipation about swap packages, and this does carry over somewhat to competitive knitting. However, receiving your competitive knitting item means you are no longer in the game, which can make mail time a bit more stressful as well, especially if you are trying for a particular goal you have not reached yet.

4. Competitive knitting is not swapping.

   While the underlying structure of most competitive knitting events is much like a daisy-chain swap, there are several aspects that are very different, largely related to how personalized the packages received are likely to be.

   While most competitors will do their best to make something their recipient will like, it's not guaranteed. You might not like the FO that you eventually receive, as many of the parameters are set by the rules of the game, rather than by careful selection on the part of the person making it. You're not required to keep it; as long as it was made to competition specifications, it should still be a well-made piece of knitwear suitable for re-gifting. Many people keep items they can't even wear, simply because they like being reminded of the experience, much like the shirt you get for completing a Fun Run race.

   You might not get much of a personal touch. Many swappers customarily send extras with their swap items. In competitive knitting, a note is customary, but extra items are completely optional, and if they are included, are usually less than the same person might send in a swap.
   

   On the bright side, the fact that it is a competition means that there is usually a much smaller proportion of "flakes" than there would be in a similarly-sized swap.

5. Competitive knitting patterns are meant to be challenging.

   As a designer, this is the one that bothers me the most when people don't understand it, probably because it translates into comments about the pattern being bad when it achieved exactly what it was meant to. The design specifications for competitive knitting patterns are very different than those for patterns in general. For HA, my design specs are:

• Easy enough that Advanced Beginner knitters can use the pattern
• Unusual enough that even advanced knitters can't make it on "auto pilot"
• Time-consuming enough that few if any knitters can make it in a single sitting
• Able to fit reasonably well on most heads with no modifications to the pattern
• Nice enough of a FO that I don't get several hundred knitters angry at me for wasting their time
  

I try to balance the need to keep construction simple for the beginners and the need to keep the advanced knitters on their toes by doing things that turn common design conventions on their head. In the first HA, I did a rib pattern that was close to a standard one, but not quite. In the second, I used a standard rib pattern, but offset it so that you can't just repeat the same row over and over. New knitters will likely be following the pattern closely, and are unlikely to be bothered, as they are still thinking in terms of each stitch, while advanced knitters will have to stifle the urge to go on automatic. That's not bad design, it's intentionally leveling the playing field, but a lot of more experienced knitters don't seem to be expecting it.

Each game has its own parameters, but as long as the goal is to provide a challenge to everyone who participates, expect there to be some twists to the pattern- part of the designer's job is to keep competitors on their toes, just as part of a race route designer's job is to make sure the entire route isn't downhill. :-J

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For those of you anxiously awaiting the list of increases and decreases, please be patient- I am currently bumming internet from a friend, and will need resources on my own computer to do that job properly. I didn't forget, it just got pushed back a little.