Knitting in Public

[RoseFairy]

I absolutely love the idea. I want to make some for myself. I am a Wood Badger (it's a scouting thing) and want to find some beads in my critter to make some of these. They are awesome! Any suggestions on what size findings to use and what other equipment is needed?

Here is the Custom Stitch Markers Topic. And then here is the actual post in the topic specifically on making the stitch markers. If you read through that one it gives you a lot of useful information.

[GeeBee29]

I like to knit at the beach, but it was very windy today and I was working with a fine yarn, so it was a bit challenging.

[mspwrz]

I knit just about everywhere I go that I have a moment of down time. Yesterday, I took the Oddball Pet Snuggle I am working on to Freedom Fest out at Sheppard AFB. I knit during the concerts until it got too dark to continue..but then there were fireworks!!!!

[hyperactive]

I knit in a lot of places. In trains a lot. In stations, obviously.

I do not knit in job situations... don't want contract partners etc. to watch me there. Plain business decission. But everywhere else: fine.

[Woodi]

I once had a really interesting conversation with a woman who watched me knitting in a Canadian Tire store (like a home hardware, but with lots of stuff for cars, including tires and a car service depot).
She took a knitted bear out of her purse, said she had just finished it....tallked about her grandkids and what she loves to knit for them.....etc.

I was waiting for our car to be serviced and they have a nice, clean,comfy little waiting area.

Whenever I take out my knitting, someone invariably wants to talk to me about it! or at least just watch, or sneak peeks. I think it makes their fingers itchy to do something productive too!

[AH1OZ]

i knit wherever i can sit down and knit!

i can't knit standing... so it has to be somewhere i can sit! haha

[Dari]

I take my knitting along with me wherever I go, just in case I come to a place where I'll be sitting a while. I rocked out with my sock out at a recent dentist's appointment, and the hygienist who did my teeth commented... Turns out she's a knitter too, and just finished a lovely lace shawl. We had a very nice conversation (which was rather one-sided due to the fact that she was cleaning my teeth, but...) about knitting and what our favorite FOs were so far and such.

I've also knitted

At rehearsal
Backstage during performances
In the control booth during intermission
On top of the control booth during a show (lighted knitting needles FTW!)
In doctors' and dentists' offices
At restaurants with fellow knitters
On the dell (my college's version of the quad) on a warm sunny day
In the car

I'm addicted!

[hyperactive]

I've had a lot of conversation about knitting and the like, too, when I whip out my needles. It really gets people interested.

When I was knitting on a train lately, a woman swore a holy oath to start knitting again after 30 years of absence, looked trough my magazines and noted their names for purchase.

I have also "taught lessons" on the train - got people to learn cables, cast on and so on.... it is fun - and random.

my grandmother just died last week, (both actually) and she was the one I learned knitting from. So I will carry on the tradition, keep adding skills and feel like it is a mission to pass this on to anyone who is interested.

if people don't knit they usually either think about us as wizards (so true :D :D ) or they talk of something else they do: crochet, macramé, bead-objects and so on... you always have a good conversation.

When I am working with a pattern, I often make a photocopy (if it isn't a print anyways) to not wreck the magazine, be able to make notes on it, carry less stuff around.... I have started to also copy the picture of the finished object - because everyone wants to know what it will be and sometimes it is too elaborate to explain. Does the trick.

[UruzPhoenix]

i knit in the bookstore, at my kids sports practices while waiting, at their games (only on circulars though, much easier to find in the grass for the one playing football and don't roll across the hardwood flooring for my other's basketball games!), while waiting in line at the grocery store (it's AMAZING how much faster people seem to move when you have 5 sharp pointy metal things going and the person in front of you has a child in the cart having a meltdown and frazzled adult doesn't have the standard juicebox/ baggie of crackers/ book to distract child having meltdown with).

Generally though, i prefer to knit while we're at the playground or park... much more relaxing and I can really get into the meditative part of knitting when the surroundings are so relaxing. (my kids don't require much supervision, they're 10 and 12 and play together)

[UruzPhoenix]

Thanks everyone!!!

@farmgirl - LOL!!! My partner totally thinks I'm some sort of wizard... able to make cool things with pointy sticks and animal hair lol.

I think I'll try the starbucks in the borders near my work next time. They have lots of comfy couches... looks like the perfect spot to set up my knitting and laptop :o)

i used to belong to a knitting group (whiners r' us) that met at the nearest barnes and noble... so long as everyone had something from the starbucks cafe (since that's where we all sat) none of the other customers or employees could say anything because we were just knitting while consuming our items (there were less than half a dozen people that showed up).

The knitting group i belong to now is at the local library, much more relaxed and 2 of the members are librarians who are still on the clock, but the knitting group is one of their ways to draw people in. I get to take my kids (who pick out their books for the week and sit quietly reading, leaving us alone to knit... the librarian gave them each the metal harry potter bookmarks because she likes how well behaved and respectful they are LOL) unless dh is home for whatever reason or MIL has taken them to go play with their cousins (whom she babysits, they're too much for her since they're 5 and 6 year old highly active boys, having my 2 older kids there makes it easier for her she says because the older 2 can keep up with the younger two) then I go by myself.