knitting in public day

My Knitting in Public is different than most. It's definitely not one day. It's not a week. It's all year round, every airport, long car ride, movie, social engagement where it won't be rude--every day is a knitting in public day for me. Sometimes, I'm not actually knitting though.

What? You say? Well, I mean that I'm wearing my knitting in public, or I've invited people to my house, where knitting is prominently displayed. I'm writing about knitting, talking about it, or reading about it. Knitting is made public, but I'm not actively knitting to do it. Yesterday, the actual KIP day for this year, was one of those "made public" days.

For a variety of reasons, the professor needs to create a portfolio to show he's good at taking pictures of knitting. That he's a--(hmmm, ahem, clearing my throat) knitting photographer-- if you know what I mean. Now, the poor guy has been looking at my work in the house, in magazines, yarn catalogs, you name it, for years. He hears my tirades when the photographs stink. He knows how grouchy I am when a bad photo kills a pattern's appeal. So, no pressure or anything, dude.

So, while I freak out about this portfolio thing, the professor is calm. He has an inexhaustible supply of gorgeous models, because let's face it--most college students, grad students and college professionals between 18-28 are at the height of beauty AND happy to try on sweaters, drink lemonade and play with dogs in exchange for a free sushi lunch.

I got out some sweaters, hats, vests, socks, scarves, shawls, ponchos, etc. That would be: 2 laundry baskets, one other basket, and a huge cardboard box full of handknitted stuff. I knit about 3/4 of it, perhaps more. I also have two sweaters my mother made for my grandmother, roughly 55 and 46 years ago, respectively. There's a handknit Icelandic sweater, a couple sweaters made by friends, some sweaters my mom made for me...you get the picture. --Oh, also, this isn't all my knitted stuff. No way. I ran out of baskets!The models were wowed by what I'd collected. They looked great in my clothes. They did sexy, happy, pouty, vampy, happy, hip and hot. They sported hats, socks, bags. They primped in front of the mirrors, exclaimed over 20+ years of my creations, and looked good.

We shot photos inside and outside. Neighbors watched. We positioned and posed. Definitely showing off knitting in public. The most public part about it--the intimate, fascinating, and well, let's face it, proud thing?

Everyone admired, coveted, and celebrated the knitting. They loved hearing the stories about why I made that mohair sweater at 15, or the counterpane cardigan, handknit on the bus during grad. school after I handspun the yarn from a fleece we got on our honeymoon.

They looked stunning in my knitting, better than I look. Oh, and the last bit? One of the models, on his way to graduate school in Biology, said, "You know, I'm going to join the grad students Stitch n'Bitch and learn to knit."

Score one for Knitting. (If you live in Madison, Wisconsin, be on the look out for Tim in the fall. Good cook, great guy, and---future knitter.)