Popular Mechanics ask and answers the question: is it valuable to tinker with things?
But this begs the question, are the modern day DIYers’ wild projects as worthwhile as “serious” projects such as car restoration or tiling a bathroom? Should we care what the “it” in DIY stands for?
Here at Popular Mechanics, self-sufficiency is a virtue. The abilities to change your oil, build a shed, paint your house, fix a leaky toilet and construct an Adirondack chair, in our opinion, all lead to a better life. Of course, none of these projects is necessary for survival, or even all that frugal.
…Because a project doesn’t save money or time, however, doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable.
One of my hobbies is knitting / crocheting. While this is sort of a practical thing to do, it's not as practical as growing food, fixing cars, etc. Nevertheless, it is so satisfying to finish something I started, to make something by myself. It gives me the confidence to pursue and follow through with other projects. —Lauren
Perhaps it's not as practical, but it's not impractical either. I still love and wear to this day the sweaters my wife and sister knitted for me. My mother can knit amazing things–while watching a movie!
I can't help but wonder if we'll regret it some day if we forget the "old arts" like knitting, sewing, etc.