Because of health issues I am at home most of the days. When I do get outdoors, I always take a knitting project with me.
I know, Knit In Public Day (K.I.P. Day) is on June 8 this year, but for me every day can be a day to knit outdoors.
This frequently results in men joking about the need of a new pair of socks or a sweater, and they ask if I would knit it. Or ladies are telling me about what they made in their early days, wondering out loud if they could still knit.
The most recent visit to my G.P. was different. No one was asking about or commenting on my knitting, which was fine by me. If I really needed small talk, I would take some T shirt yarn with me. This yarn made of cotton strips is on a skein that is usually so big, it won’t fit my bag. And I would need a trolley to take it with me, because it weighs that much. Not to mention the size of the needles of at least 12 mm. I am sure that anyone would notice, and that a remark would easily be made.
The G.P. was late – as always – but I was already knitting my way through time. Apparently more patients were waiting for a while, because an old lady was moaning that ‘the practitioners were clearly having their tea. All of them at the same time. And they were probably having one more cuppa.’ She tried to make it sound cheerful, but she was most definitely agitated.
And I got agitated for her miserable impatience. I wanted her to stuff it. Literally, because I imagined myself walking up to her and putting my skein of yarn in her mouth. Then I would give her the needles (yes, give her these, instead of attacking her with my beloved tools), and make her work on the stitches. It would be anger management – for the both of us.
No worries, I just kept on knitting. No old ladies were harmed, at least not by me in the waiting room that afternoon.
So knit in peace and harmony, my fellow knitters. Whether you will be knitting in public on K.I.P. Day on June 8 or just at home while you are enjoying a cup of tea.
If you do happen to take your knitting project with you when you leave the house: make sure it is something with bamboo or plastic needles. Just in case you stumble upon a moaning, old lady and you both loose your patience.
Another T-shirt yarn story: Talking to my Zpagetti.
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This post is also available in: Dutch