Shawls and Giving Enough
An experiment in AI writing and thoughts about the missing human element
I asked the ‘magic write’ feature in Canva to write a blogpost about enoughness, knitting, making things, and here is what it came up with:
Knitting is one of the oldest and most beloved crafts, and it has been passed down through generations. It has the power to bring people together, creating a sense of community, and it is a wonderful way to express yourself. But have you ever found yourself making more things than you can wear?
If that sounds like you, then you’re not alone. Many knitters find that they enjoy the process of creating so much that they often make more than they can possibly wear. It’s something to be celebrated, not something to feel guilty about! After all, when you create something, you are tapping into your own sense of enoughness.
Enoughness is the feeling that you have enough of something—enough skill, enough resources, or enough of an idea to create something beautiful. Knitting gives you a way to express that feeling, to make something that not only adds to your wardrobe but also to your life.
And when you make beautiful things to give away, you can make a real impact. Not only are you creating something special for someone else, but you are also providing a sense of community and connection. Knitters have the power to make something special for someone else, and that’s a powerful feeling.
And then I asked it to write something that links these things to a sales pitch - for shawls. This is its response:
But what should you do with all of these extra creations? That’s why we’re here to help! We’ve got you covered with our selection of handknit shawls. Whether you’re looking for something to keep you cozy or something to give as a gift, we’ve got you covered. Our shawls are unique, hand-crafted, and made with the highest quality materials.
Our selection of shawl scarves come in a variety of colors and styles, so you’re sure to find something to fit your style. They’re perfect for adding a touch of warmth to any outfit or for giving as a special gift. Plus, they’re a great way to show off your knitting skills and share the feeling of enoughness with others.
So if you’re looking for a way to express your sense of enoughness and make a real impact, our selection of handknit shawl scarves is a great option. With our selection, you can create something special for yourself or someone else, and you’ll be creating a sense of community and connection in the process.
I’m super intrigued by the whole AI writing thing, and I’ve been enjoying feeding random prompts into ChatGPT. The more ridiculous the prompt, the more I like the outcome - ‘write a children’s play about Marx and David Cameron’ produced some excellent results, and I’m not even kidding. But the kind of writing I think of as ‘thoughtful writing’ - when you share your ideas and feelings and a glimpse into your life - is inevitably naff when AI has a go at it, because it’s missing a vital ingredient: you. That Canva-generated post? Might as well be the opening to a first-year essay: ‘Knitting is one of the oldest and most beloved crafts, and it has been passed down through generations’ is kind of the equivalent of ‘Reading has always been something humans are drawn towards’. This kind of writing irks me to no end - the bland sales pitches of consumerism that even when they are written by a person might as well be written by a robot.
So, let me tell you about the shawls!
The first one, the Landscape Shawl in brown, green, light blue, yellow and red, is based on one I made for myself last year, and that I’ve been wearing continuously since. In fact, I’ve pretty much stopped wearing all other kinds of scarves because this one is just the right kind of warm and weatherproof for my needs. The colours remind me of the landscape I see around me in late winter and early spring - brown trees and paths; green fields and hedges; a pale blue sky; yellow gorse just poking through; red for the extraordinary sunsets.
The second one, the Seascape Shawl, is inspired by the sea, which I visit whenever I can. Blues, from dark to pale, with a hint of grey on an overcast day - my favourite kind of palette. Like the Landscape Shawl, this is a medium-sized shawl - big enough to wear as a scarf but not quite big enough to wrap around yourself in lieu of a jumper. It is made from 100% wool (as is the Landscape Shawl), warm and thick and pleasingly ‘woolly’.
The third, the Springtime Shawl, is massive, and inspired by the pops of colour that you get from daffodils, tulips and other early spring flowers. When I say ‘massive’, I really mean it - it’s about 1.8m wide and big enough to wear instead of a jumper, as I’m doing in the pictures above. I often wear shawls like that on days that are warm enough, when I need my arms free to work in the garden and don’t want to be encumbered with a bulky jumper. It is made from 65% wool, 35% acrylic, and is soft and light.
You can find the shawls, as well as a few other things, in my shop. I get restless when I’m not making things, but there are only so many items of clothing I need, and my own Landscape Shawl is quite enough for my needs. Each shawl takes me a good 10-12 hours to make - that’s the majority of my ‘work time’ that I have available for making each week. I saw a thing on instagram the other day - someone had shared a screenshot of a twitter post, and I didn’t think much about it at the time and didn’t save it, so I’m afraid I can’t give credit, but it said something like this: ‘If you only have 40% and you give 40%, you’re actually giving 100%’. And that’s really, really stuck with me. No matter how much time or energy I have available, if I give what I reasonably can, then I’m giving enough.
And perhaps you are, too.
Thank you for writing and sharing this. I found you on Instagram and subscribed here...
I'm thinking of starting a sub stack but haven't yet taken the plunge still trying to find a 'theme' thought I suspect that I never will..😁. I'm a knitter as well as a spinner and weaver, I don't have a garden but am lucky in that I have an allotment so grow looks of dye plants as well as lots of fruit too...
Your shawls look lovely and cosy. Your experiment with AI made me smile... Thank you...