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SPBillman's avatar

Thank you for sharing about comments regarding knitting around others. I’ve come to realize that people often don’t know how to start a conversation, so something that draws attention gives them an easy place to start. Often first comments can be awkward. I find it helpful to turn it back to the other person with a question or two — oh, do you knit too? Do you do a different kind of art? What do you do to relax your mind— gardening for example? The other thing I do is have a project that moves along easily without a lot of concentration and will say something like, this is a simple project; I like to keep my hands busy. Then I ask them a question. It doesn’t always work though - your doing something productive reminds them that they are not being productive. As odd as it sounds to us, this could feel confrontational to someone who is feeling guilty for just chatting with friends. 😧

Thank you for sharing! I enjoy your posts!

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Sandi Rosner's avatar

I completely understand your discomfort pulling out your knitting in a group of non-knitters. Just remember, you don't need to justify or explain yourself, but it is polite to answer questions.

How can you talk while you're knitting? The two activities occupy different parts of your brain, and your hands know what they are doing.

You're not bored—knitting helps focus your attention, like doodling during a meeting.

You're not annoyed—if you were annoyed, you'd make some excuse and leave. Knitting is just what you do.

We normalize knitting in public by knitting in public, without fuss or fanfare. Think of it as an educational activity, not something you need to apologize or make excuses for.

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