Knitting Evangelism

Almost on a daily basis, I encounter somebody who is curious about my knitting. Like today, I'm sitting in a Doctor's waiting room with my friend, explaining to her how cables work. After a while the girl sitting next to us tells me my scarf is pretty and asks if knitting is hard. I say not really, but that initially it feels clumsy--it takes getting over a hump to get comfortable with the motions. I always think of it as learning to trust your yarn and needles. She asks where she can learn how to knit. I stop myself from offering to teach her (while I'm usually happy to teach random strangers, they usually don't know how exactly to respond to a street knit-evangelist like myself, so I try to restrain myself in public places). Rather than go out to the car and grab some spare yarn and needles, I tell her that several local stores like Rosie's have good teachers. But I also tell her that old ladies who are looking for some youthful companionship are wonderful teachers for beginners, and I urge her to look for one. I hope she does.

Rabbitch had this great post a few days ago about how her brother asked her for yarn and needles. After all these years of watching her knit, he has decided to try it out for himself. And in addition, Rabbitch reports that her daughter wants a spinning wheel and her husband wants a drop spindle. I have so much respect for the way she has brought her family over to the dark side! (In our family, Mom and I have only managed to bring over my brother's wife Kari--who needs to start a knitting blog!--) Rabbitch states that she is pretty much finished corrupting her family and threatens to come after our families next. I'd like to see her try! She'd have a tough time with my husband.

Do any of you ladies out there have a husband who is frustrated with your knitting? Mine teases me so frequently and rolls his eyes so often that I have to wonder whether knitting is good for our marriage. (Did anybody out there read that Psychology Today article about how the amount of eye-rolling people do about their spouses is a very reliable indicator about whether they will stay together in the long-term? Eye-rolling=divorce.) In our house, the occasional knitted gift item does not produce enough goodwill to compensate for the incredible lack of attention I pay to my husband because of all the time I spend knitting (at home, on the couch, out at the coffee shop, with my friends, more time with my friends, over at Interim House, etc...)

What's more, every time I suggest that he would have more fun while I am knitting if he were knitting too he doesn't respond very well. He calls me a knitting evangelist in the same tone he uses to say "you're always trying to get me to do yoga," (horror or horrors!), God forbid I should try to get him to do anything so distasteful. I am a horrible, manipulative, scheming, yoga- and knitting-pushing wife.

I have given up trying to get Bill to do yoga with me. Likewise, I am no longer hoping that Bill will ever take up knitting. I can't take having my hopes crushed yet again.

However, perhaps I could get him to try crochet.