process versus product

process or product, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

The boy just left, which is sad... but aside from being violently ill (both of us) for the first few days we had a great time and in a few short weeks (ok, close to 8) I'll be back State-side permanently and then he won't be able to get rid of me!

These socks (Stricken by Cookie A.) are ones that have been on the needles (according to ravelry) since Dec 28, 2009. Yeah, that's right, just over 5 months. And that's still the FIRST SOCK. A plain stockinette, or simply patterned pair of socks can take me less than 2 weeks to knock out... generally I can knit them while reading, watching tv, riding the metro, etc. But these are the everlasting gobstoppers of socks. Which is ok. I mean, they are GORGEOUS and fiddly and require constant chart checking, so they are almost impossible to work on in any environment that requires my concentration elsewhere.

So... I have a question. Would you consider these to be "process knitting" or "product knitting"? I picked them up again this morning and got through two rounds, all the while thinking "am I in this for the process - because the charts are complex and interesting, there is no racing to finish, etc - or the product - which will be both functional and beautiful?" And I can't decide. The process is definitely one that keeps my interest for a lot longer than a simply constructed pair of socks, but often after just a few rounds I find that my wrists start to hurt. Yet I don't want to give up on them because they will be SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL when I'm finally done.

Opinions??