Needlelace and the art of computer programming

A friend asked me last night how I could have a hobby like needlelace and a business like computer programming. I started pondering. How could she see it as unrelated? In needlelace you take your design and plot out where your sections should be, what stitches should be used and how they should be put together. The art of computer programming is to find out what the output should be, what functions the program needs, the programming language most suitable and how to tie it all together.

Now from this perspective they don't seem very different to me. You have a process you go through in each case:

• Rough out design concept (appearance, function)
• Processes required (stitches, functions)
• Materials required (threads, program compiler)
• Create the pieces (pattern pieces, modules)
• Connect the pieces together
• View the finished article
  

Now I realise this is a very simplistic view but it is a way of seeing that needlelace and the art of computer programming are not so far apart.