Home Improvement vs Knitting

Let's take a moment to compare and contrast home improvement and knitting. First, how are they similar?

• Projects always take longer than you expect.
• Sometimes things don't look quite the way you imagined, so you have to start over.
• Working out the kinks can haunt your dreams at night.
• Your zeal starts to run out as you approach the finishing details.
• You can have a lot of fun with colors.
• There's sometimes a point of massive frustration (and maybe a little swearing).
• You can live inside your finished projects. (Well, sort of. You do have to remove and wash the knitted things, but you might as well call it "living" in them.)
• You eventually feel a great deal of satisfaction and pride.

Now, how are they different?

• Home improvement is a lot harder on your fingernails.
• Knitting is definitely more relaxing.
• Knitting supplies are a lot prettier and more fun to touch than home improvement supplies (think merino wool versus steel wool).
• You can knit on your own terms and aren't at the mercy of a contractor.

It looks like there are more similarities than differences. And if you think about it, if you're knitting a throw or a pillow or something like that, knitting is home improvement. Funny how knitting is related to everything (or at least in my wooly brain).