Monday, October 6, 2008
Giveaway
I am super excited about my Yarn Exhibitionist and I want you to be as well! So, to help you all do it in public easier, I will be giving away 5 kits to randomly picked commenters! Leave a comment about when/why/where you do it in public. Please limit yourself to G rated, knitting or crocheting experiences, so you don't make me blush. Leave your email address to be contacted! Winners will be picked at Midnight on Halloween. Yeah free stuff!!
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84 comments:
I do it in bars, in coffeeshops, on public transportation, on airplanes and I do not mean in the bathroom, on the couch, and on the front porch of my house. I've also been known to fall asleep whilst doing it, although that's usually with crochet - I avoid knitting when I'm tired or drunk.
Why? Well, easy way out is "because I can." Another reason is the same reason I'd do any craft in public: it encourages other people to do it too.
Fun contest idea! (I found you on ravelry.)
I KIP every day on my commute to work. I always have at least one pair of socks in my commuting bag, sometimes two. I get asked what I'm knitting at least once a week, and keep on handing out notes with ravelry's address on them!
I Love to knit anywhere, anytime, anyplace.
Wherever I go I have something to knit, My car has numerous small projects ready to go, I have 2 works of art progressing in my work bag, I work in a hosptial and am been known to be working on something walking around the place...lol.
There is also some socks Im working on while out with my spunk on the bike. Im hoping one day to knit on the bike as I watch the scenery go past. Too windy most of the time, but I have learnt to video while on the back, so I havent given up hope yet
Shazzy
It never occurred to me not to knit in public, my mum knitted on trains, boats, anywhere. My dad knitted at work (at a silica sand Quarry in Nigeria ) and they and most of my aunts and uncles knitted at the beach in the summer (east coast of Scotland ...needed woolly things to keep warm especially at the beach in summer!)
I knit at cafes, on trains,and sometimes when I've had a noisy class at school I knit until they settle down, usually fascination as to what the object on my circulars or dpns was quietens the children quickly. My other place to knit is at hospital waiting for treatment (I have Renal problems) it helps me stay calm, keeps my BP down and usually engenders conversation other than "what are you in here with" type.
xtiand at btinternet dot com
(xtiand on ravelry)
I came over from ravelry and I love knitting in public! Your exhibitionist kit is so adorable! I have knit in many places, at work, at the airport, at the doctor's office, at school...Pretty much where ever the urge hits and I have a project that is portable. Recently, I was knitting at my work (a hospital) when we had a hurricane lockdown and I would have killed to have the exhibitionist kit... I felt dirty having no place to put my yarn (we had a lack of space) but the floor and then I had to wash everything a ton. Anyways, I would love to be entered for your drawing and if not, perhaps I can convince someone in my family to buy the kit for me since I'm not allowing myself to buy anymore fiber related stuff for a year (stupid budget XD). Thanks for the opportunity!
Kimothyjones (that's my ravelry name)
I knit on long train journeys because I find it relaxing.
Dr. appointments! I know when I have an appointment it's a minimum of 1 1/2 hour wait so I bring my knitting, most often socks.
This is a very clever idea! For now most of my KIP is done on my daily train commute, but my husband is an amateur photographer and I like to take some knitting along on our photo-walks so I have something to do while he's twiddling the settings or waiting for the "right light" to happen. Hmmm, I wonder how the Yarn Exhibitionist would work on the back seat of our tandem bicycle...
Hee! I like to do it on my lunchbreak, at work. Sometimes I'll find an empty conference room, but sometimes I'll just do it right there at my desk!
What a very cool creation of yours! I knit 'everywhere' in public, the most recent being Talladega Motor Speedway before the Nascar race last Sunday. It makes for good knit time when they're down for cautions also! I knit in public "because I CAN!" and also because it soothes and calms me like nothing else I know of. I have knitting in my bag no matter where I am, even if knitting is unlikely.
I'm first! squee
I am a nanny so I knit in public all the time! I knit in the carpool line. I knit in the library during story time. I knit at the playground. I knit at the Children's Museum and the zoo and the aquarium... Basically any time that the kids are occupied I bust out a project.
I knit and crochet in public whenever I have time. Mainly in the library while my kids enjoy some educational computer games or at McDonalds while they play!
knitsandknots at gmail dot com
I knit in public almost everyday!! I take the bus to and from work, and I mainly make socks, but have branched out to pi shawls, and I love the 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th looks that people give me when I am knitting... best one was when I was working on a sock for my 2 year old niece, and had 2 men totally fascinated with the process!
auntie_pita@yahoo.com
I m a knitting instructor, and folks around here expect me to be knitting in public, ask me if I'm ok if no yarn is around!! Even had pix in newspaper. I feel my job is to promote knitting!I have to do the anon thing below, so I am nosewiggle on ravelry where I found you!
I knit at the cafe, out at dinner when I'm waiting for meals, public transportation, when my someone else is drivig, at the movie theatre (only mindless projects though), at the bar (before I really start drinking), parties... anywhere I can, really.
I have trouble focusing on things- keeping my mind from wandering- knitting helps me focus on what's going on around me because my hands are constantly moving and that seems to calm the wander-y part of my brain. It helps me relax and I swear it keeps me sane.
Knitting is much easier to do in public or while waiting because you can still carry a conversation... I knit while waiting with my hubby (so I can entertain him to hehe) and I love to knit on my lunch breaks from work... in the car, on the beach... it's kind of fun to have people ooohhh and ahhh over your work too...(blushes hehe)
Such a good idea. This would be very helpful for me and I will order the pattern. I knit in the car (while someone else is driving); on airplanes (I hope someone else is driving); at baseball games; in the yard at the retirement rv park; waiting at the doctor's office; currently I am knitting a lot while taking shifts at the hospital sitting with a terminally ill relative.
I did it at a rock concert. 3 Doors Down w/ Stain and Finger Eleven. And there I was working on Muir from Knitty.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2734754807_d392598723_o.jpg
I knit in public everytime i'm given the chance to... Waiting for the bus, in the tube, waiting for the doctor with my kids, in pubs, at work (Yeah, I know I shouldn't ;)), talking with friends, and even in my car...
Here in France, knitting is not that popular so when I take my knitting out of my bag, people just stare at me.
The other day, an old woman saw me in the street and waved at me: she'd recognized me as the "lady who knits at the bus stop" :D
Caro211@free.fr
I realize I'm way past 5 but my favorite is to knit in bars as already mentioned by hybrid hopes. I get looked at funny but there you have it. I'm multitasking! Talking with friends, making gifts and beer drinking. Plus, once you can't do a knit stitch anymore you know you've had enough.
I do it at my inlaws' house, at movie theatres, on planes and buses and trains, and sometimes at Starbucks.
I do it because I get bored if my hands aren't doing something and taking up smoking seems like not such a great plan. :)
Heather (AKA SapphireNinja on ravelry)
Oh, my! Where I don't knit would be a shorter list. At places that I am frequently at, everyone always comes around to see what the new/current project is. Public transportation, planes, restaurants, dr's visits, all the "normal" places! Since kip is so ordinary to me, I can't think of an "unusual" place that I've knit.
I do it everywhere. I can't stop. It's like an addiction I don't want to quit. I do it at work, while I wait for the phone to ring (I take pictures, too!); I do it on the green on the college campus, 'cause seriously, who doesn't like to do it in the sunshine? I do it while I tutor, while I wait for food, wait in line, wait for anything at all.
People stare sometimes, of course, and I always try to get them to join in. Sometimes it works and I have a partner, but more often than not I go solo.
I'd do it in the car, but I'm always driving. :(
I do it 'cause it keeps me warm, 'cause it's fun AND productive, and 'cause it's a heck of a lot more entertaining than doing nothing at all!
..also, I *have* skipped going out once or twice because I didn't have any simple knitting to take with me. x_x
I do it on commuter trains, I do it standing on the NYC subway, I do it in coffee shops and even when I visit good friends who understand that I can knit and converse at the same time.
Why? Because I can, and because knitting is consummately portable.
I would lose my mind if I couldn't knit everywhere I go. I knit at the airport while waiting for my niece to get home from visiting her boyfriend in England; at the dentist office (the only place I'm willing to wait more than 10 minutes past my appointment time); anywhere I go with my husband as I find I am ALWAYS waiting for him no matter where we go; and just about anywhere that involves more than a few minutes of sitting.
Lynne Evans
levans@tds.net
I knit in public because it keeps me calm, sometimes keeps me from responding inappropriately to rude people. Knitting soothes me, its like taking a best friend everywhere. I knit in movies, restaurants, planes, trains and cars, park benches. I knit when waiting for people who promised to meet on time, in waiting rooms, hospital rooms and offices. Without knitting, I wouldn't be the same person. It keeps me balanced so, of course, I knit in public!
I do Everywhere. My kids are very active in sports so For football I work on large warm items like long sweaters or blankets. For swimming (indoor pool) I work on small items like scarves, wraps, Swim suits. At the place I used to work they would allow me to do some yarn work so I would bring in super small stuff like Doll clothes or hats. My projects usually fit the scene. Now I will be learning how to do socks YAY so I work while standing in line, drives hubby insane. Mostly because he is getting tired of waiting and I am happily humming along one stitch two stitches three stitches mwaahhahhahha. My favorite time though is while I am working out. Yup you heard me I knit/crochet while working out. I use a giant exercise ball and roll my hips around or do squats and such while I am sitting straight and working stitches. It's actually a pretty good workout nice and relaxing and not overly taxing on the body.
i usually do it in the merchant booth........while tending the shop!! usually, i'm knitting (or spinning!!) because it keeps my hands busy and keeps me from going insane in dead times.......also, it generates interest (which then generates sales!) and makes people think or look again.
I crochet in public at the doctors office, and at my childrens school everyday while picking them up, I like to crochet on my front porch during nice weather and have had quite a few people stop and ask what I'm doing or making. I get so excited to see results that I never want to put it down so I take it all with me. I take it and work on it and friends houses and the library and coffee shop, just everywhere!!
aimster500@yahoo.com
I am not only a knitting exhibitionist in public, I drop spindle in public - OFTEN! And (gasp) I knit the handspun.
I KIP and SIP everywhere - restaurants, in lines, on public transport (can you hold this for a second, I dropped a double-point), etc.
My VERY favorite spot to KIP/SIP is in waiting areas (doctor, car repair, restaurant seating...). Everyone there is on edge or annoyed and definitely bored. I give them something to watch and ask questions about. They love it and so do I.
The Zen of knitting and spinning strikes again!
I knit any time I have to wait. Doctor's office and so on. But where knitting in public really saves me is at the local bars. Baltimore enacted a smoking ban this year and without knitting I'd be running outside half the night just to have something to do with my hands.
jmarie0315 on Ravelry
Everywhere I have to wait longer than 5 minutes. I always have some socks to knit on with me.
Lately I KIPed during
- numerous soccer matches (My DH is the assistant coach and I am not that much into soccer)
- in Guitar/ Music Stores again the DH who spends hours there.
- at the Airport in the Airplane
- during a conference
etc. ...
I do it a lot on planes and especially in waiting rooms. I am learning to do it at red lights, but you have to be careful there! I do it outside and in, day and night, sunrise to sunset!
I've been knitting a long time (45+ years) and i have been knitting in public since the beginning..
I got yarn and needles for one of my early projects at a NYC park (program) and would sit, with other childhood friends and knit in the park..
(a few feet away, my mother, and other mothers would also be knitting)
On my honeymoon (an extended tour of europe) I knit.. and found knitting transended language..
I've always knit in public.
Nowdays, you're likely to find me knitting socks on the subway.. (socks are such a great portable project)
But i still like to sit in the sun (on a cool day like to day,)or in the shade of tree (on a hot summers day) in a park and knit
I knit wherever I can - lately its been at the pool while son takes his swimming lessons.
I knit on the bus to and from work most days. it's about 30-40 minutes of time I'd otherwise spend looking out the window (which is nice too, but I like to keep my hands busy). I have been knitting socks because they are small and easy to take along in my purse. :)
oooh! what a neat idea! i crochet on my husband's golf course (he's an assistant pro) because there is nothing like crocheting in the beautiful outdoors! i just learned how to crochet this year, and hope that someone will see me and want to learn too! then i can pass on the joy of making something that wasn't there before! what a great feeling.
Great contest. The world needs more exhibitionists! I have "done" it in concerts waiting for the show to start, in hospital waiting rooms and patient rooms, on the metro, on flights, including my flight to France and back, Paris to Lourdes to Arles to Paris in a rented car, on buses, in the passenger seat. On escalators, in lines, in the office, in the cafeteria. Oh dear, sounds like I have a problem...
(SYJackson@aol.com, GlobalWarmer on Ravelry)
I love to knit and crochet in public. I'll do it in the coffee shop, movie theater, and at the park. I'll take a small project into doctor offices and restaurants, and anywhere else if I think there will be a long wait. I love having people ask about what I'm doing, and I keep cheap yarn and needles/hooks with me just in case they want to learn how.
I knit everywhere...I knit as I walk, I knit as I talk, I knit at the movies, in the coffee shop, at work (lol, I'm a yarn wench at my LYS), I knit at church (nope, it doesn't offend anyone in my liberal congregation... they come check it out every Sunday to see what I have this week), I knit at the Farmer's Market, at knitting groups, in the car (hubby driving, natch!), in waiting rooms, in gaming groups...In short, I knit. Oh yeah, and I knit at home, too.
gwennian at gmail dot com
when/why/where you do it in public.
I knit while watching an improv troupe rehearse. (The best ones rehearse-- not the scenes, mind you, but basic stage stuff and how to play the games.) I knit there because there is so much downtime between the interesting bits I have to have something to keep me busy!
I knit in the park near the senior center on my lunch breaks when the weather is nice. I knit there because it's a beautiful park (even has a gazebo!) and sometimes the seniors are out strolling. They'll sit a spell with me sometimes and tell me stories!
effika@gmail.com
I knit on the bus ride to and from campus every day. I've even recruited two other crafters and now we have our own kip club on the 7:00 204 and the 7:54 route 13 :)
loudgrrl4ever on ravelry :)
I am always knitting or spinning in public- I have an 11 yr old son who is always in some sort of sport so I am either knitting or spinning while I am at his games (well- for as long as the younger ones let me get away with it!)
Sorry I don't have any weird places that I like to knit, but I do take my small projects along with me to Dr.'s appointments, Boy Scout Meetings, Bible Study, etc...
hedgeapplefarm@iowatelecom.net
I have to be doing something every minute. So when I go to church I sit on the back row and knit mittens or socks. My husband is the preacher and he doesn't care. I think I listen better when it do knit. I've also knitted in the Dr.'s office or waiting room and ALL meetings I go to. I would be lost without my ball of yarn and needles when I leave the house. Luann p.s. We also have lots of fiber animals so I spin as well and process all my fiber.
toyfox at embarqmail dot com
Hi Emilybug,
I do it
WHEN EVER- I can...
WHERE EVER- I want to; it is still a free country... and
WHY NOT DO IT- I am an adult and I can do it in public if I want to! It relaxes me and people don't have to look if they don't like it.
:)
We raise alpacas. I alway have fiber around and a project in the truck to work on when I get a spare minute. I also drop spin, needle felt, crochet and knit loom in public. My 13 year old also does crafty things in public. I am a nurse and also started to sell at craft shows. So, I also do it to make money.
I too spend more time explaining my book reader than I do reading it! I was talking it up this morning at my daughters dentist appt. Do you think we can get referral fees? I am always amazed more people don't know what it is. They sure know IPODS and PSP's though. Sony needs to market it better- or pay us to do it!
Have a great day. I have to go do it some more to get ready for the holidays!
Heather
I'm a new knitter but a veteran crocheter and spinner. I do any of those during my Spinning & Weaving guild meetings, while passengering in the car, on trips, and whenever else I can fit it in. Since knitting is new for me, I need to concentrate on it, but can easily converse if I'm crocheting or spinning.
I KIP everywhere I go. The one sort of unusual place I do it is in Sunday School at church. I just seem to listen better while I knit. The two most unusual places I have knit was in lines at an amusement park, and in the ER on a gurney while waiting for x-rays. Yes, I was the patient. It's just so calming that even in times of stress, I knit. Probably more so when I am stressed. LOL
MaddieMcEwan on Ravelry
My most frequent KIP is at parks while my guy swings or slides at the playground... and in waiting rooms for the doctor/dentist/etc. I actually complained to my dentist the other day that they don't leave me enough knitting time as they ALWAYS call me back minutes after I arrive. Just too efficient and I want more knitting time - LOL!
I KIP on the bus to and from work every day. Mostly small things like socks but right now it's a simple garter stitch shawl. I also knit through an all day work conference on Saturday, a great way to keep alert during lots of listening. Other people yawned, but not me!
Duh, forgot my email addy: malin dot hillevi at gmail dot com
I'm Malin at Ravelry as well.
I do it everywhere, in the pub, at lunchtimes at school, while waiting for meetings, on camping holidays, while driving a minibus (ok while not actually driving it, but while I'm one of the drivers on a weekend trip away and am sat in the passenger seat)
Why, well why not... I knit, I'm under 30 and I really don't care what people think!
Most of my knitting in public occurs at work (in a hospital) since that is where I seem to always be! I've never got a negative reaction from it; I get more suprised reactions than anything. I did bring knitting to a Poison concert once...didn't seem to phase anyone, to my suprise!
I knit in the cinema, at the library, on the bus, in the middle of Newcastle (at the bus stop, beside the monument and at the gate), and in once instance during a lecture (man, that guy was boring!)
The main reason I do is that I spend so long waiting for people. Seriously, no one is on time any more! I have to have something to keep me occupied, and, let's face it, the Complete Shakespeare is not exactly portable reader. Well, unless you have an ereader but they're a bit out of my budget at the moment. But knitting is so portable. My friend arrived last christmas to find me seaming a sweater. She couldn't believe I had dragged it all the way in, but I pointed out that she was always late, and that knitting bags have hidden depths :D She is now spending many hours at the yarn shop lol, as is the little boy who sat and watched me for almost twenty minutes before asking what I was doing!
So the answer, after all that rambling, is to kill time and to draw others into our beautifully cabled web :D
I don't even think of it as knitting in public! I just think of it as knitting! I always have something with me to fill idle moments wherever I am, travelling, relaxing, waiting. Some times I get wierd looks, sometimes people come up to see what I'm doing. Usually I get the comment "I don't have the patience" I reply, I don't have the patience to NOT knit!
drpj
drpj@drizzle.com
I knit anywhere I can! But I usually do it in restaurants or in the car-- since my son can't grab my yarn when he's in a high chair/car seat!
ps- great idea!
pps- I'm knitteresq on ravelry!
I don't drive so when I go to the superWalmart to do all my shopping in one place. I take my knitting and stand outside with my cart and knit while I wait for the taxi cab. I also take my knitting when I have to ride the bus and especially for doctor appointments. It is amazing how much gets done in short stretches of waiting time and the time flies by while my hands are busy.
Leigh
leleslie45@yahoo.com
I KIP anywhere, anytime. I have a small project with me wherever I go. I hate not having something to do with my hands!!
Hubby and I went to dinner with family for my birthday a few weeks ago. I had my project with me, but never pulled it out. The whole family agreed it was probably the only time they had seen me without my yarn and needles in a long time!!
I Do it all over the road. In cars, in the bus, in the train. I'm usually knitting socks and people tend to stare and then ask questions. A conversation usually starts up and before you know it a long ride is made shorter.
I was recently treated in hospital for ovarian cancer and spent many nights in my hospital bed knitting socks. Doctors and nurses would ask "What are you knitting on all those needles?" I would answer "Well, if you don't get me cured, I suppose it will be my shroud." Yeah, Im weird, but after the intial shock we would all laugh. Afterall, laughter, along with knitting, is the best medicine!
I tend to do it mostly in airports or on planes. Sometimes I do it at the Yacht Club during member meetings, and I've been known to do it at school during my longer breaks. I also do it quite a bit at baseball games. I hate doing it drunk, though. I always end up with a mess or passing out. :)
aidrean AT hotmail DOT com
The list of places I don't knit is probably shorter: the bathroom. (giggle) Although knitting at trivia night is harder than it sounds.
-chasingbunnies on ravelry
I knit in coffeshops and bookstores, doctor's offices, and anywhere else I might have a long wait but two free hands.
I don't knit in the bathroom. But like many others I knit on public transportation, at parties, with wine, on airplanes, at work (I work in a lab so sometimes you have some dead time while you just monitor an experiment), at bars and coffee shops.
As for why I knit in public I have a couple of reasons. It keeps me busy. I feel productive. It can be a great excuse to sit outside. I also feel Americans can be really public-phobes, where in public we can only do certain proscribed behaviors. While I agree that there should be limitations on what one can do in public, I think we need to be open to new ideas. I often get people who tell me that they didn't know "young people" knit (I'm 24). Then it's fun to tell them all the crazy things I've knit (beard hats, toy hamburgers, garters) instead of just ugly sweaters (not that all sweaters are ugly, but you know the stereotype). And because of this, I've actually gotten a few friends hooked on the idea of knitting. It's an amazing craft that can be both productive and meditative. Why wouldn't I knit anywhere that I can?
Edited: sorry, I deleted my other post because I forgot contact info: e.o.ahlers@gmail.com lizbert on ravelry
I've never given much thought to what other people thought about me knitting, so I do it anywhere I want to. I guess that makes me a brazen knitting hussy.
pstrumble AT hotmail DOT com
I'm a fairly monogamous knitter, but I always, always have 2 projects going: an at-home project and a to-go project. I am absolutely never without my knitting. I knit in restaurants, waiting in lines, at the movies, during my lunch hour. In fact, I've found that KIP at a restaurant table gets me faster service! The waitstaff thinks that I must either be getting very impatient waiting for my food or I've been waiting a very long time to have enough time to start knitting. Not a bad side effect, huh?
I knit during my kids sporting events, during meetings, while on conference calls, at the doctors, I've even let people go ahead of me in line - just so I can finish the row!
annejosh@comcast.net
I knit in a coffee shop, away from my 2 kids and husband, because that is the only way I'll be able to get through a row in a sitting!
In the car, on the front porch waiting for the school bus, in the park - my knitting is always with me.
um, katesandersondesigns at gmail dot com
Great idea for a blog. I can't wait to see how it develops. I found you on Ravelry. I do it all the time on my daily commute, during lunch, meetings, breaks at work. I carry a project with me everywhere I go. If I get antsy my sister says take out your knitting.
I do it (My thing with yarn and a hook) all over the place! I almost always have a project in my bag to whip out when I'm waiting. I get very anxious and fidgety, especially in new situations, so it really helps calm me down. At work, everyone knows that I do it and what to call it and they admire what I do. I do it sitting, I do it standing, I do it lying down. I try to get other people to do it with me. I take pictures while I do it. I do it at the beach, in the laundry, at work, in the car, in the park, on the street. I'll do it anywhere!
I love to knit when I take my kids to the park, the best thing that happened was when the boys could walk, and I no longer had to push the stroller, this gave me back my hands to knit while I walked. The yarn exhibitionist sure will come in handy.
I KIP in the school library, before classes (which might be in class or out in the lounge area), and sometimes in my car if traffic is bad.
I knit in the doctor's office, at baseball games, in meetings, on my porch, at the pool, and more recently in my car in traffic. Why? Why? Really, why? Because it's KNITTING! I love the end results and I love watching how steps that are so simple can lead to something so beautiful. Plus, it's my destresser and after teaching 8 year olds all day it is much needed! Plus, now I've got ravelry with so many talented designers and patterns that I just have to knit more! :)
Roma (romied29 on ravelry)
haling2002ataoldotcom
I am a pilot and I do it all the time when my company is moving me from one base to another... the passengers always ask if I do it while I fly planes... yea, that'd be a great idea!! No I don't! I also do it between flights, in the car, in the terminals... that sums it up for the most part... :) Why? Cuz I need the distraction and I always get a lot done!!
I don't knit very often in public, but I do knit on a bus or in a waiting room.
I'm in college, so it's very easy to crochet anywhere (though not very friendly on my wallet). When I'm in my room, I always have my door open so people can come in and see what I'm doing. When I'm starting new projects (and they're still small enough to carry with me), I take them in my backpack and work on them between classes or in the lobby before work. It's so easy to find other people who knit or crochet, and the best way to do it is to have something with you. I was very surprised to learn that there were at least three other knitters and/or crocheters in one of my smallest classes. I'm also starting a club at school that will knit and crochet for charities, and this is the best way to get people interested, as it usually strikes up some yarn related conversation.
oh, great contest!
i crochet on the hospital corridors while waiting for my doctor's appointment or in coffee shops, the smell of coffee is just so relaxing!
I don't bring my knitting with me everywhere I go, but I do often bring it to university with me and work in it between classes. I started because a friend of mine wanted to see what I was working on, and I guess it became a habit.
ikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca
I frequently engage in public defensive knitting. When I'm on a bus and knitting, people see pointy sticks flailing around, and as a result I am often the last person on the bus with no one sitting next to me. If someone does sit next to me and tries, as people in this "Nice" state are wont to do, to strike up a conversation, I simply say, "Sorry, counting stitches, can't talk." The same tactic works wonders if I want to stop for a drink after work or school and not have every Joe Sixpack hit on me.
But I also engage in public knitting as community-building. When someone comments thoughtfully on my knitting- often saying "Wow, I haven't seen anyone knit since (insert elderly female relative here) got arthritis/moved to AZ/etc"- I see this as an opportunity to demonstrate the simplicity of the knit stitch. After all, the more knitters there are, the more LYSs there will be, the more awesome yarn makers will stay in business, and so forth.
And sometimes I knit in public just to make myself feel awesome- "Hey, look everybody! I can turn cables while holding a conversation and drinking a martini! I am awesome!"
I do it in lecture classes, on trains, airplanes, and buses, at parties, in the computer science lab during my TA hours, and whenever I have a 15-minute break. So far, this has gotten me an invitation to join a knitting club, and lots of interested questions. It's great.
brilliant =)
I do it in lecture halls, at dinner tables, underneath trees, on grassy fields, on park benches and in public transportation.
why? it's a great conversation starter with strangers. it cures boredom. it keeps you awake. and, of course, it's fun!
I do it in doctors’ offices, in the library, on the golf course, on planes, trains and busses. I have been known to do it at work in front of co-workers. I do it pretty much anywhere I can find a moment. It's amazing how much you can accomplish with just a few stitches here and there.
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