The Public Knitting Bag

While work slowly progresses on the sleeves of the GA Cardigan, and I wait for the copper Lopi yarn to arrive in the mail (my first yarn purchase by mail), I thought I would talk about my public knitting bag. I have carried this thing around with me since I was 15 years old, and I'm not saying how many years ago that was! No, not the same old red knitting bag that I first had, that I miss, but a public knitting bag. Sometimes I have used gym bags, dufel bags, canvas tote bags, a large summer purse, and once even the plastic bag from the yarn store (I didn't like that one). Right now I have a cool one, it's a large canvas tote that I picked up on a trip to England last summer. It has a British flag and "Portobello Road" is embroidered in large print. It is a great reminder of a great trip..... the family trip where I wasn't able to get inside even ONE stinkin yarn store. But, my DH won't let me complain about that anymore, something about statute of limitations.
Back to the bag. Everywhere I go, the bag goes with me, but I don't always knit. I would love to have knit during my daughter's choir dress rehearsal last night, and eventually did sneak in a few stitches, and I would love to knit when I go to conferences, but there are so many people that don't understand. They don't get it that I listen better and enjoy things so much more when I can knit at the same time. I have had too many bad experiences where the seminar presenter commented that, "it must be nice that someone could come today to work on their needlework projects". I love showing off my projects to people near me and talking to them about knitting. I love to hear that their grandma taught them how to knit when they were 7, but they never got past making the Barbie doll blankets. But why do other people have to glare while I knit during "innapropriate" times? I guess it would be better if I doodled on my paper or balanced my checkbook like so many of the glarers end up doing. What's up with them? So, although I knit proudly in public (at soccer games, in dentist's offices, at the library, and at swim meets), why does it sometimes feel so wrong to pull out my knitting at other places?

Now go knit your socks off..... at a seminar or some other "inappropriate" place!