Saturday, April 22, 2006
hypothetically speaking
Say you are getting together for a nice, impromptu, evening with friends. They are making lovely drinks and you are all sitting around chatting away. Is it inappropriate for one of the people to, say, pull out her knitting and knit away while chatting? Her full attention is being given to the conversation because the knitting she is doing is not a labor intensive pattern that requires counting and such. Just knit a row, purl a row...easy basics. Is it offensive? Just wondering...
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6 comments:
Some will say it is insensitive. You give the appearance that the knitting is more important than giving full attention to the personal interaction. Probably not a good plan, unless it is a knitting get together.
You need to let your friend know it is probably a good idea for her/him to leave the knitting at home. After all, you are too important to be ignored that way.
See. I don't agree that it is insensitive. I mean, we're sitting around and we're all just chatting and not carrying on deep conversations. The game goes on the television. Now, it's not my house, I don't enjoy watching basketball all the time. Isn't that insensitive of the host to put on a game that one of their "guests" doesn't really want to watch? I'm not really a guest in their house either...we're like family. I don't ignore people when I knit, other knitters know what I mean (I hope).
If I had people over at my house for a friendly get together, I would normally know whether or not they're someone who likes to knit. One of my best friends brought her knitting stuff everywhere with her, and I never minded because it didn't interfere with us having a good time or good conversations.
If it were someone new who I didn't know that well, and they whipped out something to start knitting, I might be a little put off. If I didn't know it was something they always did, I'd assume they were bored with the conversation/me.
I agree with yer pop *and* with Bekah. At first it seemed like a rude thing to do--as if the knitter was not 100% invested in the conversation. However, as you point out, and as Bekah also mentions, it really seems to depend on the company at hand.
If they are people that you know very well, then they know you love to knit *and* that you are capable of carrying on a conversation whilst doing it. If it was strangers, or new people that you were still getting to know, then I would say leave the knitting in the bag for a while.
Well, since I DO this, I think it's ok - and of course, it's always dependent on the situation, and what friends I'm around. I also usually explain or talk or make sure nobody minds. If we're going to be watching a movie or show, then yeah, bring out the knitting. If it means you're going to be sitting with your face downwards, while everyone else is looking at each other & engaging in conversation, then maybe not.
If you were doing elaborate colorwork or cables or something with charts, that would send the message you're not paying attention, but that's not what you're describing.
Sorry about Ahmed's dog, too. That's never easy, and like you, I hope he gets another dog & reminds himself love is infinite, even in sorrow.
location location location.
it's all about the location and where it's being done. A bunch of knitters? that scene it's a given. Close friends out to a dinner? maybe okay if you're all close enough and the knitee doesn't seem to be up in the clouds...
This past Saturday I spent the entire day at a Toastmasters Conference. Countless thousands of dollars spent on the event/guest speakers from across the country/ food/facilities/effort and more... and a lady was a across the table, concentrating on knitting some kind of doily-looking thing.
THAT peeved me off. She looked up all of 3 times, never clapped and seemed oblivious to all...
So, location location location. Your situation seems tolerable in my humpble opinion!
:)
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