It’s really satisfying making something with your own hands! We all love the sense of accomplishment even when you “send” something off on a computer. The operation and end result of completion is very fulfilling. Using machines as an extension of our bodies or hands is an experience most of us do on a daily basis, but do we really get satisfaction from what we create? For me having a tangible product in my hand at the end is a definite yes. Today’s Maker Movement lends to so much creativity, outlets and available expressions it’s hard to image there isn’t an option for everyone.
Yes that’s me in the picture above faking it on the knitting machine; I actually can knit just not very well. The antique knitting I’m using has no motor. The overhead light is solar powered and I control all the switches, own all the mistakes and relish in all the completed units! It isn’t easy running hundreds of units error free, even with this antique loom mistakes are 99.9% operator caused.
Tony, Icebox MFG chief fabric guy, and I were talking the other day how practically everything for the Millennial generation has been created by just needing to flip the switches or monitor the system. I agree and disagree. Mostly I think we are living in awesome a time where the sharing of ideas, the spin and combination of different materials ,the mashup, upcycling creating and being able to advertise your wares or talents is available in so many arenas. It really seems that the Maker Movement is grabbing all kinds of people that may have felt less than satisfied with their current creative returns and spiked an interest for so many to engage in creative dialogue.
I must admit I have a habit of looking at people and ponder why they are happy or not. I believe for the most part the happiest people I know or encounter in my business are the ones that are able to create something. The Maker Movement runs the gamut: music, digital art, cooking, it’s anything and everything we create; the bottom line to our happiness is “I made that!” For me it’s nested in soft and hard goods.
As we evolve as a more informed society the more we want things that are specific to the individual versus the masses. Bespoke is a tailored tradition of making clothing to order for a specific individual. This idea is taking that skill set and being able to create a custom item that fits a smaller select group of people. At Icebox Knitting we do just that, as our mantra implies.
By Scott Baker, Icebox MFG Owner
