The Unintentional Diss

My mother asked me to go to the eye doctor with her yesterday because she knew she’d need some help picking out new frames. She assured me it would be quick and we’d be in and out of there in no time, but I brought my knitting just in case. Ninety minutes later (which was 60 minutes longer than expected) she was done and I got a considerable amount of knitting finished.

I decided to go back to the Streamside cardigan. I knew I did something wrong with the increases because the neckline was all wonky. I also decided to replace the Noro Retro yarn with Ella Rae Bamboo Silk. I almost don’t want to tell you how wonderful this yarn is for fear you will buy it all up. I’m already convinced that it must be discontinued because it’s so hard to find online. Anyhoo, I figured out what I was doing wrong with the increases and it’s been a breeze ever since. I’m past the arm holes and will be working on the rib pattern shaping soon. 

As I was sitting there in the doctor’s office knitting, a woman and her daughter came up to me and the mother said to the daughter, “Look, she’s knitting in the round.” Then the mother said to me, “Oh, she’s been working on a hat in the round in a knit one purl one pattern but is having a hard time with the purls because it’s like knitting backwards.” I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to offer up advice or ask questions. I never know what to do in those situations. So I asked the girl which way she knits, Continental or English, and she replied English. To be honest, I’m not even sure why I asked that. I then told her that there are some great videos online to help her perfect the techniques. Then there was an awkward silence. The mother told her daughter that she just needed to practice and then they left. As I was sitting there knitting, I started to think that maybe she wanted me to demonstrate how to purl, like maybe I should have just offered to do that for her. I think I dissed a fellow knitter without realizing it. Oh well. I can’t go back in time, and I’m sure by now she’s looked up purling online to watch a video or something.

I don’t knit in public often. I do it in airports to pass the time or on the plane while I’m listening to my music, but no matter where I do it people seem to find it fascinating. Inevitably their watchful eyes slow me down. It’s like stage fright. I made the mistake once of trying to use my knitting to get someone to stop talking to me on an airplane. Unfortunately, it backfired and seemed to make him even more interested. He tried to convince me to be wife number four, but he had to get rid of wife number three first. What a slime. I couldn’t wait to land. Men. Pff.