12-Step Program for Sock Knitters - Step 10

Step 10 - Learn the value of patience with the less fortunate ones who don’t knit.

Sometimes, don't you want to just rub a dirty sock in some people's  faces? If you KIP (knit in public), you need to be ready for the stupid questions. The art of patience is the only way to dealing with the non-knitting public. Look at it instead as you are educating the public.

“No, this is not crocheting, this is knitting.”

“Yes, I am making a sock.”

“No, it is not too small.”

“Yes, I know I can buy socks at the grocery store for 1.00.” (But why would I?)

"If you have always wanted to learn how to knit, go for it. There are yarn shops all over the city giving lessons."

"Yes, I believe your grandmother did that. I'm not a grandmother, and yet I am knitting."

“I'm sorry you don’t have patience for this. It is very relaxing.”

I knit in public whenever I can. I knit on the train to and from work. I knit through committee meetings at church that I thought would never end. I knit while waiting for my dentist to finish the patient in front of me before calling me in. I knit while I am waiting for the movie to start and, if it's a simple pattern, I often knit during the movie. 

It is my way of bringing the wonderful art of knitting to the world. I am not afraid of being tagged as 21^st century Madam Defarge although I am beginning to understand her. I bet the French elite asked her dumb questions too, and see what happened to them? 

Back to the needles.