Some Problems With Knitting In Public

Hello Again,

I have discovered the very great pleasure of meeting in public with a group of knitters. What fun! The group is ChesCoSnB and evenings we gather at a Barnes & Noble bookstore, but daytimes we are likely to show up, believe it or not at a local grocers. This place has a living room area with enough seating that 4 or 5 knitters can settle in for a couple hours nice chat and knitting.

The problem with knitting in public. . .
well, as a knitter, we are often quite happy to start and work our way through a project. Knitting in public lets us bring that project out to be seen by "the ones who understand" this is great fun. . .
until . ..
well, until you see that they have discreetly set aside, their own very advanced level of the same type of project on which you were satisfied with your progress and skill development. I had taken my second felted tote bag to show. IT did look nice. The fabric had felted down nice and thick there were no krinkles or odd folds from it's trip through the washing machine and the colors muted just the way we all thought they would, it will suit my husband very well. Then as she was leaving another knitter picked up her felted, fair isle ! !!, multi color, multi textured purse. Wow! !! I didn't know you could do stuff like that! Can't decide whether to feel like an underachiever or to move into high energy, "Now I've seen that I know what I want to try next! !! Insane Creative mode."

The other problem with Knitting in Public. . .
drop ins. . .
you go out with your work bag and it's a plain and simple invitation for every sticky fingered kid in the neighborhood to stop by and see what you are doing (note to self, might be time to knit up some little give away bears again). . . and it's an invitation to folks who haven't been brave enough to try this yet (one of our group tries to carry extra learner yarn and needles). . . and then you get the lovely senior citizen who identifies the fiber you are using and offers to GIVE you her entire stash of mohair as she is no longer knitting . . . and you get folks who like to talk and need somebody to listen.

It was a great day. And I am very glad that I had no pressing need to rush home and could spend the time to share my work with others and to receive from them the encouragement and pleasure we all get from working with our hands.