And I'm Bringing My Yarn With Me

My husband calls it an addiction. I call it my hands get bored and my mind wanders.  Folks have seen me at sorority conferences, PTA meetings, family gatherings, swim meets, basketball games, school plays, on an airplane and train, waiting for a kid somewhere.  I bring my yarn and will crochet or knit during those hours of sitting still.

Have yarn, will travel. What shall I make next?

I take small on-the-go projects, a pair of gloves, a hat, a scarf, that have a simple pattern so I don't have to keep referring to patterns for meetings or an activity where I need to be paying attention and possibly taking notes.  I save my bigger or more complicated projects, a blanket or a sweater, for sporting events and hanging out with the family, activities that do not require my undivided, undistracted attention.

And I know I'm not the only one.  I've watched one woman work on a beautiful afghan at our PTA meetings.  There's scarves being made in sorority meetings.  At the swim meets, the moms are working on blankets while the kids are in the pool.  And surely, any yarn-y worth their skeins packs up their hooks and needles for an evening or weekend hanging out with the family for the holidays.

On Ravelry (if you crochet or knit, you are on Ravelry, right? Find me as "love2crochet"), there are discussions where folks have noted that their family members actually get upset when they stitch "in public." Really? They say it's distracting and/or rude.

But what about the guy playing Angry Birds or whatever's the newest phone game app or her over there clicking through Facebook?  Or the kids lined up in a row with the headphones on and texting other kids, presumably with headphones on also not talking to the people in their room?  Nobody's bothered by that, but my yarn bothers you? I can still carry on a conversation and make eye contact with you while I'm stitching.  The guys are transfixed watching the game and I'm supposed to what, sit and watch them?

I've got a stash of yarn, a list of projects to do, and my to-go kit for my hooks and needles.  I'm always ready for sitting around somewhere for hours. AND I will have a new pair of gloves by the time the evening's over.

Do you stitch while at family gatherings? Or some other crafty activity?

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