DIY more expensive?

Originally posted 1/25/2009, transferred from other blog

What is the world coming to when it is actually more, rather than less, expensive to make something yourself instead of purchasing it? I learned this a couple of weeks ago when I made an inquiry about spinning on Ravelry. My specific question was as follows:

I really like the idea of spinning. Not only does it seem like a quaint and appealing practice that brings you closer to the earth, but I also like the idea of being able to make the kinda yarn I want, instead of settling for what someone else has already thought of.

However, this leaves me with one question: Is spinning economical? That is, would it save me money to make my yarn myself, or am I better off buying $4-6 skeins online or at craft stores? Should I consider seriously spinning my own darn yarn (lol) on a regular basis, or should I just buy my yarn most of the time and treat spinning as a hobby or occasional diversion?

Thank you for your time!

If you, too, are on Ravelry, then click here for the whole thread. Basically, the responses were varied, sometimes suggesting that it could be economical but mostly that it would be more expensive than buying mass-produced, millspun yarn. One poster specifically indicated that she could buy things for much less than making it herself, that she did it only for the enjoyment of it.

Later, I mentioned this to my very left-wing roommate, who pointed out the role of cheap labor. Workers are not paid decently for the amount of work they do, and this translates into cheap, mass-produced goods. Moreover, raw and unprocessed materials are so difficult to come by, it becomes easier to just go to the store and buy something.

This just goes to show how pernicious capitalism is, that it would be able to take away from us the joy of do-it-yourself and that special connection to the items you use. It has made us a society dependent on big business and hard-pressed to create lives outside of its influence.

It's not just yarn and knitting, either. It's more expensive to buy organic and fresh foods than it is to get some unhealthy processed foods. It's more expensive to get fair trade goods than it is to buy something mass-produced with unfair labor practices. This is how we get trapped in an unjust and dehumanizing system.

Personally, I do make some efforts to avoid this. I knit and crochet, and may start spinning soon. I try to use fresh and organic foods when I can. I also try to buy "fair trade" whenever it's available. Of course, even that requires dough. I am lucky enough to be able to afford to do these things, to some extent. Others do not have the means and are stuck with mass-produced even more so.

I can help but hope that there may one day be some way to promote sustainable lifestyles where do-it-yourself, organic food, fair trade, and other such things can be more than a hobby or luxury. That's what deliberate and sustainable lifestyles are for...