My obsession with knitting ebbs and flows with the seasons. During high season (October-April), when I am insanely busy rehearsing and concertizing with the Sarasota Orchestra, I need to knit as an escape. Because I am a performer, many people automatically assume I am a “people person”. Far from it! I have many friends who find groups and crowds of people energizing; they seem to feed off of the collective energy. I, on the other hand, find it draining to be around people – especially big groups of people – for any length of time over about 20 minutes.
So during season, if I’m not on stage in a rehearsal or concert, I’ll be backstage at Van Wezel or Neel or Symphony Center knitting something. It gives my mind the space I need to recharge while allowing me to socialize one-on-one when a colleague stops by to see what my latest project is. (It also keeps my fingers warmed up while on break!) If I’m home, chances are that I’m on my stationary bike, pedaling away while knitting. (I’ve learned that long scarves are dangerous on the bike – they tend to get caught and wrapped around the pedals if I’m not careful.) My current goal is to “virtually” ride old Route 66 on my bike while knitting – I’m about halfway to the Santa Monica Pier that marks the end of the journey.
Outside of high season, my time belongs much more to me and I sometimes go days without knitting. Then I miss it and end up back at Picasso’s Moon, hanging out and knitting and spinning with whoever else drops by. It is funny, though, how the more I have to do, the more I get done. Somehow, when I feel like I have all the time in the world, I don’t do anything because I know there’s time. That’s why I’m really glad I volunteered to lead some KAL’s and write this blog for the store this summer.
Tell me – where do you knit?
-Anne
Knitting helps me in groups of people. It seems to ground me, remind me not to get waves, and gives me something to look at if I run out of things to say. 😀
I tend to knit in front of my computer. Knit a few, refresh the forum. Knit a few, turn the page. Knit a few, turn around and stare blankly out of the window. But I have to have something to look at. Never happy with just the one thing to hold my attention!
Your comment reminds me of the “news” I saw – a controversy about a woman knitting at Wimbledon … I’m just glad I didn’t knit in college, because I can see where I might have gotten into trouble for knitting through classes (on the other hand, maybe I would have actually gone to that boring calculus class I usually skipped if I could have passed the time knitting!) I might have to try knitting in front of the computer, though. While my connection is faster than dial-up, it still leaves plenty of time to do something else, especially when downloading.
Wow, I love that you’re riding Route 66 on your bike, what an amazing idea! I guess if you’re a musician than it’s a different type of performance, it’s kind of more internal and focused, the relationship is between you and your instrument not necessarily with an audience (or I’d imagine, having no musical ability whatsoever!) rather than that type of over extroverted, in your face, working a crowd performer type that we stereotypically imagine. I knit anywhere I’m sitting, although I can wander around the house with two needles and basic stitches bagpipe style if I need to. 🙂
Thanks! The idea for riding Route 66 came up because I realized that everything I have a passion for doing (reading, knitting, spinning, designing, writing, playing the violin, etc) involves sitting still … and I am really good at spending hours doing something and thinking it’s only been like 30 minutes. Having been diagnosed with diabetes and knowing from personal experience just how much exercise/movement helps with keeping the insulin requirements down, I decided I needed to figure out a way to combine at least one of my passions with movement. I tried reading on the bike, but I got motion-sickness! Haven’t figured out spinning yet, but I’m betting that when I seriously put my mind to it, I’ll figure something out. For now, knitting along Route 66 in my imagination and following my journey on Google maps is doing the trick.