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StrawberryAnne
New Pal
United Kingdom
11 Posts |
 Posted - 09/14/2006 : 08:17:41 AM
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I was "caught" knitting at my desk on my lunch hour and got reprimanded. It didn't look "professional" to knit at my desk and people who spotted me wouldn't know I was on my lunch hour. I later realised my boss was a total knit-o-phobe. I shared my office with a (secret) male knitter and sometimes I'd share my VK and Rowan books with him. If the boss walked in whilst I was looking at knitting mags, his eyes would roll around in his head, but one day he walked in and my my male coworker reading them, and you could see the blood drain from his face! *rolls eyes*
Once, the boss and I had to go to a meeting and the trip involved two hours on the train. ...So I took out my knitting. He was clearly very embarrassed and said, "You're... you're not going knit, are you?"
I don't know what his problem was, but he just couldn't handle the fact that I knit! |
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era253
New Pal
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 08:21:27 AM
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| I've never had the opportunity to knit at work until this year, when I retired. I am working part time at home and can knit whenever I want. But, many, many years ago I worked as a mental health counselor at a residential center for emotionally disturbed kids. My supervisor was always knitting. She would sit in meetings and knit. She would knit while doing supervision with us in her office. It was very cool. But, she was eventually asked by the administration to stop because they thought it didn't look professional. |
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ClaudiaRN
New Pal
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 08:52:14 AM
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Recently Ms. Manners in the Boston Globe answered a query about the appropriateness of knitting at meetings with a how rude etc., response (obviously she is not a knitter!). Needless to say, the hordes of knitters on a knitting related list were not too pleased and a shortlived, lively discussion ensued, until it was halted by moderators and the passionate purlers resumed sharing tips and queries.
The following response says it all. I agree,except for I never bother to ask. When I am at monthly meetings at work, after my presentation “part”(which is first) is over (unless I am the minute taker which occurs sometimes), I find knitting has always helped me to listen attentively. I also often have to escort disabled persons to the ER and medical appts and the waiting is very soothing now !!!!.I am known as the Knitting Nurse.<G> One MD jokingly calls me Madame Lafarge. For the most part, my work involves lots of assessments, teaching and paperwork, so I readily take advantage of the more appropriate settings/times.
One caveat: On these occasions I do not handle complex patterning that would require looking at any guides. Knitting has definitely helped me endure er a ...integrate into my brain... 3 day workshops, much better than daydreaming ever could have!
Anyway, here it is:
Quote:
Subject: Re: knitting at meetings
Fellow knitters,
I am a psychologist, and have brought my knitting to many workshops
and training sessions. I always ask the presenter whether I can
knit, and so far not only has no one said no, but all have commented
on the benefits of knitting in terms of focus and concentration while
listening. One presenter, a nationally renowned expert in the use of
the body in psychotherapy, said that anyone who thinks that a knitter
cannot be paying full attention "obviously doesn't understand
sensorimotor integration." So there.
Unquote..
Happy Knitting!
Claudia
http://nurseknit.blogspot.com/
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materavis
New Pal
39 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 09:20:52 AM
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I learned this rhyme as a child:
Crosspatch draw the latch
Sit by the fire and spin
Take a cup and drink it up
And then let your neighbors in.
And I heartily recommend following the instructions. There are rare days when I have to shut my office door, drink a cup of coffee and knit a few rows before I'm fit to talk to anyone. I usually make up the time by working during lunch break. I often knit during lunch break--that is, if I get a lunchbreak. |
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fnlah1@uaf.edu
New Pal
1 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 09:45:47 AM
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I taught my 11 year old niece to knit and she loves it. However when she got caught knitting during silent reading time at school, she was put on "knitting restriction" by her teacher!
She can knit at school again, but not during work time.
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Knitty_Prof
New Pal
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 10:02:02 AM
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No problem knitting on the job for me most of the time. I am a professor. I can't knit while I lecture or conduct a class, but IN MY OFFICE I am a knit-a-holic. I pause for any reason at all to knit and I could care less WHO sees it. It is what gets me through the day sometimes. I just take time out to knit most every day. In between all the other stuff we do every day.I also knit at faculty meetings and department meetings. Nobody seems to take notice. If they do, they don't even ask.
We can make art of of anything! |
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libraryt00ts
New Pal
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 10:02:41 AM
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| I also work in a public library and I tend to have a lot of co-workers coming in with knitting questions, so I sometimes do a bit of knitting. I'm currently teaching a kids knitting program, so I can always use that as an excuse! |
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calmmom
Gabber Extraordinaire
533 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 10:40:22 AM
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Oh, How timely!
I was motified a few days ago when my boss caught me knitting in my "cube." I fretted about it into the next day, so thank you for allowing to share my shame and guilt, and good info on the need for verbal warnings before putting it in the evaluation.
It was my only time to knit at my desk. I'd hit a snag in my report and was a little blue about the chemo my mom was receving that day. The boss didn't say anything, but it did occur to me that in the old days, I could have been enjoying a drag off my cigarette.
Of course, after reading so many posts, it also reminds me of the response one receives when breastfeeding in public.
Where can I get in line for absolution?
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maldacht
Warming Up
66 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 10:48:11 AM
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I too am a librarian but I rarely have time to knit at work. Well truely never at work but when traveling or at conferences the kneedles come out. I have learned more from fellow librarians than from my LYS. ( that is probaly more about me than my LYS!)
I am glad to see all of the positive comments about libraries.
-
MY BLOG Link
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RuthE
Warming Up
59 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 11:18:23 AM
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Often I knit on my lunch break, and occasionally if I need to calm my mind during the work day I will bring out my knitting for a row or two. It really helps, and nobody seems to mind. Once I was taking one of these knit breaks and my direct supervisor and my manager stopped by my office for a chat. I was a little embarrassed, but they were both extremely interested in what I was working on and never said a word about it being inappropriate. As calmmom said, it could have been a cigarette break. This spring, when I finished my master's degree, my coworkers got me a knitting book as a graduation present. I was very touched by that.
Ruth |
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CynthiaW
New Pal
26 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 12:08:38 PM
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This is a great topic.
I knit during work meetings and have never had anyone object (they more or less expect it now). I don't usually knit at my desk unless I've had a really bad day and need to unwind for minute - then I close the door. I try not to do that too often, though. I'm a supervisor and don't want to set a bad example by overdoing break time. If my job entailed more reading and less typing I could probably knit and work at the same time.
One of the librarians at my library knits also. She told me she's not allowed to knit at her desk, but she always loves to come see what I'm working on (I knit while I study).
If you were helping a patron, then you were doing your job! Hope you don't get into trouble.
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purlgirl
Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 12:24:15 PM
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| I work at a Montessori school where my lovely boss enthusiastically encourages me to share my knitting/crocheting/spinning with the children. We walk to a nearby branch of the library every Friday for storytime and I always bring my knitting. Every year, I bring my wheel to school for a spinning exhibit and let the kids try to give it a spin. But of course on a typical day at school, I'd never have time to knit a single row! |
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arlenef@shaw.ca
New Pal
2 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 12:33:31 PM
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| I am so lucky, my job is knitting, I teach at Michael's, in my local community leagus and a few other places. I love it, best job I've had. |
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Bernadette
Warming Up
USA
61 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 12:58:30 PM
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Since I don't have an anecdote of my own to share, I'll borrow this one. :)
In the book, "No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting" by Anne MacDonald there are some great photos of groups of people knitting on the job for the war effort. In the chapter on knitting during WWI there are pictures of firemen, stenographers and even the (then) governor of Arizona knitting on the job!
From Chap.11:
-It was an eye-opener for visitors to the executive office to behold the "knitting governor" working on his socks and to hear his unashamed, "Of course, I can get more done at home in the evenings, but I find I have quite a lot of spare time that I can use on knitting in the office. No, it isn't very hard to learn, and I've already finished two mufflers and a pair of socks. My mother was a champion knitter, and she taught me how when I was a boy."
(I guess since he was the Governor, he didn't have to worry about anyone reprimanding him. :)
Bernadette |
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Pampered Punkin
New Pal
47 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 1:41:25 PM
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I am a full-time student and I don't work outside of school, but I have been "caught" knitting in class before. So far, none of my professors has gotten upset. I think most of them are amused more than anything else. I use wood or bamboo needles, so my work is never noisy or distracting.
Of course, it also doesn't hurt that I am a straight A student
**Trisha**
I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see.
http://knitsterchick.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/knitsterchick |
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Felted-Bag
Seriously Hooked
640 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 2:08:08 PM
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Once I was knitting during a meeting that the Chairman (CEO and head dude) of the company I worked for was speaking at...I was at the back of the room. When he was finished speaking, he came to the back of the room and sat down BESIDE me. Since I was totally busted, I continued knitting, nothing was said and my career didn't suffer.
Felted-Bag
www.felted-bags.com www.heritagerecipes.com
webmaster: www.glasspens.com www.the-knittery.com |
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busygirl
Permanent Resident
Australia
1672 Posts |
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MamaOKnits@gmail.com
New Pal
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 4:46:01 PM
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I taught at one of the high schools that was right next to the South Tower of the World Trade Centers.(http://www.geocities.com/aolgillian/HSLAPS_WTC.html) We were all, as you might imagine, wrecks after 9/11. Some of my students asked me to teach them knit when they saw me knitting on a break. After we got back into our own building, I started a knitting-for-charity group. THIRTY EIGHT kids, many of them boys, came to knit and crochet things for other people affected worse than we were.
I have a pic of them here, but you have to scroll down to see the boys.
http://www.geocities.com/KnittingForCharity/
After a month or so of this, a few different teachers came to me to tell me that kids were knitting in their classes. I asked, "is that a problem?" and to a number they all said, "No! S/he NEVER paid attention in my class before. Now S/he stops knitting, takes notes, starts knitting again! I think you saved that kid's education!"
I know I'm just ADD enough to fade out in meetings. Knitting absolutely keeps me focused. It takes a new person about 3 nanoseconds to see that I'm still participating in the conversation and taking notes when necessary.
The more we get the word out (like breastfeeding) the calmer the world will be!
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AuntieAnn
New Pal
11 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 4:50:27 PM
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| I telecommute, so I can knit while talking on the phone (at least those conversations when I don't have to take many notes). |
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scraffan
Permanent Resident
1844 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 5:13:49 PM
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I do not have time to knit at work. Believe me when I say that there is always things to do. They may not be the hardest jobs, or the jobs that can be done quickly, but there is always things that need to be done.
That leaves lunch time. By the time that comes around depending on what I am doing I want to eat and close my eyes for a few minutes. (So even then it is not going to happen)
scraffan
scraffan |
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ever caught knitting on the job?
