Knitting in Public

It's common now, isn't it?  Knitters knitting in coffee shops, under trees, in bookstores and on trains and in other public spaces.  So much so that knitting is commonplace and groups of knitters sitting together are no longer regarded as intruders in these public spaces.  Discussions about scarves and yarns and cable needles are now an invitation to be joined by other knitters.

Of course it wasn't always like this.  Knitters (and stitchers) bringing out their projects in waiting rooms and on a nice spring day and in a coffee shop were often looked at askance and questioned about why they were doing such an antiquated thing.  Such interaction would turn many people off from doing their craft except in their own homes or, if they were lucky enough, at a local guild.  Sad, but true.

Then the knitting phenomena happened.  There are a lot of reasons for this phenomena that are probably now the topics of Masters' Theses and blog posts and the like.  I saw it happen when I bought a needlework shop and within 2 years had to hire a knitter because I soon became known as a knit shop.  Who knew?  Then in 2005, an idea was launched to invite knitters to begin to knit in public, and it was named the "Worldwide Knit in Public Day."  That group of 25 worldwide  events has grown to be one of the largest knitter run event in the world.  You can read more about their success here, and you can find a Knit in Public event that you can join.  The dates are today through the 17th of the month, and as soon as I finish this blog entry I will take a sweater onto the front porch and watch the world go by as it watches me knit!

It is formally called Knit in Public day, but I see no reason that stitchers couldn't join in with the knitters.  I mean, many knitters remember stitching, or remember a friend or family member stitching, and maybe, just maybe, needlework can become more visible, too.  It's a little unconventional, it's "bearing witness to" other needle arts out there, and if nothing else, it shows that these other needle arts have changed a lot from what they were in the past.  And hey - we needleworkers are creative types who can use the internet, right?  What's stopping us from starting our own Stitch in Public day?!

So I hope you'll avail yourself of the chance to go out and let your needles be heard (well, you know what I mean!) and find someplace to Knit/Stitch in Public this week!