Subway Knitting
It is time to discuss subway knitting. My main activities on the subway are sleeping and reading the newspaper–though I have never mastered the newspaper fold necessary to read the Times without stabbing everyone in the face–but I do sometimes knit on the subway. Considering the five worst subway stories I have ever heard*, I would think that knitting on the subway would be considered a really boring activity. But it is not! People are always talking to me about it.
On one hand, I understand. I have been known to strike up conversations with complete strangers on the subway, including asking people for help with crossword puzzle clues. On the other hand, I generally am not interested in talking to people about my knitting. Sometimes, the people who ask ARE knitters, and want to know what kind of stitch I am making or something, but mostly, they are not. No one has ever been mean about it (unlike the horrible experience this knitter had, ugh) but they always want to know if it’s hard, how they should pick it up, and my, doesn’t it take patience? Then they stare intently at my needles and yarn. (Once again, I am somewhat sympathetic, since I always always read people’s celebrity magazines over their shoulders.) And then talk with their friends about my knitting. The whole experience is kind of uncomfortable. **
*I will not go into detail about these horrible stories, but they are horrible. The least horrible involves vomiting on a stranger.
** Though one of the more amusing interactions was with two teenagers. The boyfriend said, “How come she has four sticks? I thought knitting took two.” And the girlfriend said, “She’s knitting socks.” [Calls out to me, “Hey! You’re knitting socks, aren’t you?” I say yes.] Girlfriend continues, “I saw someone else yesterday with those little sticks and yarn, and she said she was knitting socks, that’s how I knew.” [Calls out to me, “Hers weren’t pretty like yours though!”]
In other news, I have finished Harry Potter 7, but I will keep the ending quiet. I did randomly find this Etsy seller with yarn named after Harry Potter characters, in case you are interested.
July 23rd, 2007 at 8:35 am #colleen
Yes, I am still working on finding the ideal project for NYC subway knitting.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:20 pm #jenny
Aww, that story about the teenagers is cute. And since I really detest anything that has to do with teenagers, it takes a lot for me to say that.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:47 pm #Grace
I get all kinds of questions and looks when I knit on the subway. It doesn’t bother me much… it would annoy me more if someone interupted me while reading, or read over my shoulder. The only thing that is not pleasant about the subway is when I make a complicated mistake that requires tedious tinking. Tonight for example, on the way home from happy hour I had to frog around 8 rows x 115 stitches with decreases… Alcohol and knitting on the subway DO NOT mix well.