--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some knitters say that they buy yarn with…" description: "\"Some knitters say that they buy yarn with no project in mind and wait patiently for the yarn to \"speak\" to them. This reminds me of Michelangelo, who b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/stephanie-pearl-mcphee-8527_block_some-knitters-say-that-they-buy-yarn-wit_834343.jpg" --- # Some knitters say that they buy yarn with no project in… ![“Some knitters say that they buy yarn with no project in mind and wait patiently for the yarn to "speak" to them. This reminds me of Michelangelo, who believed that every block of stone he carved had the statue waiting inside and that all he did was reveal it. I think I've had yarn speak to me…” quote by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/stephanie-pearl-mcphee-8527_block_some-knitters-say-that-they-buy-yarn-wit_834343.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/stephanie-pearl-mcphee-8527_block_some-knitters-say-that-they-buy-yarn-wit_834343.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/stephanie-pearl-mcphee-8527_block_some-knitters-say-that-they-buy-yarn-wit_834343.jpg) > “Some knitters say that they buy yarn with no project in mind and wait patiently for the yarn to "speak" to them. This reminds me of Michelangelo, who believed that every block of stone he carved had the statue waiting inside and that all he did was reveal it. I think I've had yarn speak to me during the knitting process, and I've definitely spoken to it. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong, or maybe my yarn and I aren't on such good terms, but it really seems to me that all I say is "please" and all it ever says is "no".” [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker likens knitting to sculpting, believing material can communicate, and sees the creative process as a dialogue where material may resist. **In simple terms:** Knitting is a conversation with yarn, like a sculptor revealing a statue inside stone. Key Takeaway Listen to the material’s response and let it guide your creative process. Themes creativity material dialogue patience artist‑craft relationship inspiration Mood contemplative inspired thoughtful Type artistic practical When to use this quote - knitting - crafting - artistic practice - design development Key Concepts embodied cognition dialogue with material creative flow Questions to Reflect On - In what ways does your material guide your decisions? - How do you balance intuition with technical limits? A Different Perspective Assuming material “speaks” may lead to over‑interpretation; sometimes practical constraints dominate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knitting/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“I am a writer who does not enjoy writing. I can find innumerable ways to avoid it. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/if-you-were-ever-dumped-after-knitting-a-guy-a-sweater-consider-the/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [The chances of running out of yarn on a project are directly related to the difficulty that you will have getting more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/the-chances-of-running-out-of-yarn-on-a-project-are-directly-related/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [It is a peculiarity of knitters that they chronically underestimate the amount of time it takes to knit something. Birthday on Saturday? No problem.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/it-is-a-peculiarity-of-knitters-that-they-chronically-underestimate/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [I will always buy extra yarn. I will not try to tempt fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/i-will-always-buy-extra-yarn-i-will-not-try-to-tempt-fate/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [“It turns out that I will buy any yarn, even yarn I will never use, if the store discounts it by more than 50%.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/it-turns-out-that-i-will-buy-any-yarn-even-yarn-i-will-never-use-if/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [A plain sock by itself is terribly boring, but it could score points by having a clever stitch pattern, or maybe by being made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/a-plain-sock-by-itself-is-terribly-boring-but-it-could-score-points/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [It turns out I will buy any yarn, even yarn I will never use, if the store discounts it by more than 50 percent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/it-turns-out-i-will-buy-any-yarn-even-yarn-i-will-never-use-if-the/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [“it is pure potential. Every ball or skein of yarn holds something inside it, and the great mystery of what that might be can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/it-is-pure-potential-every-ball-or-skein-of-yarn-holds-something/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [I was in 'Seussical,' and I was in a cage onstage in a purple yarn suit singing backup, and I was like: 'I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-nicholaw/i-was-in-seussical-and-i-was-in-a-cage-onstage-in-a-purple-yarn-suit/) [Casey Nicholaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-nicholaw/) ## More by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee > [I explain at the parties that I believe knitting is a transformative and intriguing act that can change the life and brain of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/i-explain-at-the-parties-that-i-believe-knitting-is-a-transformative/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [Knitters use knitting to value-add to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/knitters-use-knitting-to-value-add-to-the-world/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [In the nineteeth century, knitting was prescribed to women as a cure for nervousness and hysteria. 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Most of my life, I'm wildly unrecognized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/the-people-who-think-i-m-famous-are-knitters-most-of-my-life-i-m/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [“I make a habit of setting aside some time each evening to take out my knitting and work quietly on it, happily relaxing. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/i-make-a-habit-of-setting-aside-some-time-each-evening-to-take-out-my/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [You know you knit too much when ... You will check out a book from the library just because you heard that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/you-know-you-knit-too-much-when-you-will-check-out-a-book-from-the/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [There are twice as many knitters as golfers in North America. 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Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) Browse all 1,755 Block quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some knitters say that they buy yarn with no project in mind and wait patiently for the yarn to \"speak\" to them. This reminds me of Michelangelo, who believed that every block of stone he carved had the statue waiting inside and that all he did was reveal it. I think I've had yarn speak to me during the knitting process, and I've definitely spoken to it. 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