How do people react to you knitting in public? Interest? Scorn? Do you think it confirms or confounds any particular gender/age/whatever stereotyping? How do you think your knitting affects people’s opinion of you, if at all? For that matter, how does it affect how you see yourself?

I came across an old Yarn Harlot post on the subject (scroll down to 6 May, I don’t seem to find a permalink) in which commenters note that knitting makes them seem more approachable. This doesn’t appear to be the case in London, though, where the Do Not Talk To Strangers taboo is stronger than any friendly knitting mojo.

I have noticed the following reactions in people who see me (30) knitting in London:

Looks of mild, vaguely disapproving curiosity, suggesting the thought process, “Why would anyone do that? Why?”
Looks of slightly friendlier curiosity, suggesting, “I wonder if I could do that?”
Looks of scandalised hostility, suggesting, “How DARE she do that here! This is LONDON! She is SULLYING THE COOLNESS OF THIS LONDON EXPERIENCE!”*
Looks of gentle, polite amusement.

The first two generally come from women of (roughly) 25-45. The third generally comes from younger women. The last from men.

Oh, and in the office (when not running this fine establishment, I have a part-time editing job), the knitting is something of a standing joke. The Boss in particular seems to find it delightfully bizarre and can barely contain his mirth when the subject comes up. One or two younger colleagues have dabbled in the fibre arts, but generally it’s still a thing of inexplicable mystery (the why, more than the how). But a couple of men I have worked with absolutely love it when I whip out my needles. They say they find it comforting. Which rather supports the “knitting = grandmother” idea.

Personally, I’m fine with that. I have made my peace with my inner granny. Right about the time I realised I can get at least as excited about staying in with the cats, the knitting and a pile of DVDs as I can about going out for drinks. Developing a mild interest in gardening didn’t help either. The lovely Ana (happy belated birthday, Ana!) mentioned a while ago that she felt like “a born spinster who'd somehow accidentally got married”, and baby, I relate. I relate.

________
* I’m not kidding about that, as bizarre as it seems. I got a lot of those at an outdoor film festival recently.

Posted by Robynn at 03:26 PM | Permalink | 4 cups of tea on the table

All right, so apparently the John Lewis situation is only temporary. Sort of. It'll still be on the fourth floor next to all the kiddie stuff [shudder], and well, still on the fourth floor [groan], but there will be more space. Okay.

There is still one huge problem. It is, and will remain, right next to the fabric department.

I can see how this would be considered an advantage, for most. There is an undeniable logic to it. I really wouldn't mind so much... if only I could sew.

I've often tried. I own a sewing machine (admittedly it's 20 years old, but still a game old thing). Periodically I vow a vow of earnest determination, that I will Quell the Sewing Beast. After all, it would be so very useful to be able to make the clothes I want, rather than what the shops decree I may have. And... it can't be that hard, surely? Plenty of people tell me how easy it is. Everyone in my family can do it. (Even my dad.) But it always ends in tears.

The sewing machines, they hates me. The patterns, they mock. It starts to go wrong at about the time I pick up the scissors, and the thing is, once you've cut, you're committed. It's not like knitting — lovely, forgiving knitting — where you can commit a hundred errors, rip it out, start again and have a gentlewoman's agreement with the yarn never to speak of it again. It's all hard. And there's the machine thing (I don't dig knitting machines much either). I like handwork. The key point being "hand". Gentle, friendly, pleasing. None of this aggressive whirrrrr and snarrrrrrl. (The snarrrrrrl part may not be familiar to you, but that's probably because the sewing machines don't hates you. Only me.)

So over the years, I should have learned my lesson, yes? But I'm a stubborn wench. I keep thinking I can beat this thing. The only way to avoid the heartache (okay, it's more like "rabid screaming frustration" than "heartache", but let's continue to pretend I'm a lady) is to avoid all temptation and look not upon anything that could revive those foolish seamstress ambitions.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

John Lewis has such lovely fabrics...

Posted by Robynn at 02:28 PM | Permalink

After a week in the glorious Highlands*, I can say one thing for sure: Scotland is just made for knitting.

We’d barely arrived when my fingers started to itch. It might have been the weather – excessively cold, wet and blowy; I wasn’t prepared to be quite so rudely treated in August! – it might have been the ancient associations of Aran fishermen and Fair Isle patterns. Or it might have been the colours.

Whatever the reason, I was overcome with the urge to make all kinds of things I’ve never turned my hand to before: hats, socks, scarves. (Can you believe I’ve never made a scarf?) To dive into a big pile of lambswool in subtle shades of heather, olive and rust.

To churn out big, chunky, WARM pullovers in the most traditional of patterning.

Okay, it probably was the weather.

Still, I didn’t do any of that. If I’d actually encountered any yarn shops, things might have been different. But as it was, I stuck to my travel project: a little to-be-felted bag in that previously seen Kureyon, which happens to be quite Highlandsy after all.

I haven’t gotten over these strange urges, though. I am champing at the bit to be quit of the various things I’m working on now – red wrap top, knit tits and bag – and whirr away on proper winter warmers. (It doesn’t help that London has quite suddenly gotten over this archaic notion of “summer”.) But I’m knitting so slowly these days. And there’s that darn stash diet to think of. So I’m scheduling a nice Fair Isle mitten phase for, ooh, 2008 or so…

_____
* I have never visited Scotland before – arrived in the UK from South Africa just four years ago – and I was awed by just how gorgeous it is. And the lovely people. And delicious cooking. I can’t wait to go back.

Posted by Robynn at 05:05 PM | Permalink | 7 cups of tea on the table | TrackBacks (0)

A short while ago I met the lovely Kerrie, of Hipknits and Magknits fame, to talk about various projects we're both working on. Now this was the first time we'd ever met in person, and what did she do but hand over these:

Which is enough to confirm that knitting is exactly the right business to be in, don't you think? In what other industry would you get random gifts (and such lovely ones!) from your contacts?

(The picture, taken with my Snazzy New Phone, does not of course do justice to the amazing colours. The more I look at that green silk, the more I love it. It's a little more pastel than I would normally choose, but so full of subtlety and marine richness — utterly stunning! Incidentally this yarn, plus more Hipknits deliciousness also kindly volunteered by Kerrie, makes a star appearance in an upcoming Purlescence ad that I am rather fond of.)

The point, however, is that one of the things we talked about is Kerrie's terribly exciting new project: Yarn Forward. Now I know you agree with me that this is long overdue. The UK's existing magazines are... well... disappointing. It's great that we have them, but this is in a whole new league, and I for one can't wait. (I also can't understand how Kerrie can possibly find the time, with everything else she has going, but maybe if I stick around and spy on her a while I'll learn some Cunning Tricks, or at least find out where she gets her Expandable Time Potion. There must be some, I'm convinced. Or maybe I've just spent too many years watching Buffy and Charmed...)

We also agreed that Kerrie will be selling some Purlescence stuff from the Hipknits stall at the Knitting and Stitching shows in Birmingham and London. Good news for those of you who can make it; if you were hoping I'd have a stall all to myself... sorry. Not this time. But I do hope to be visiting Ally Pally myself, and maybe I'll be lucky enough to meet some of you there.

One last thing. You know I had planned to leave Purlescence open while I'm on holiday this week. Well, we've been having some nasty server trouble lately (if you've placed an order, you almost certainly know what I'm talking about — lots of error pages, possibly no email confirmation... very bad news), so it no longer seems like such a good idea to let people place orders without the back-up of a live person to talk to. We will be shutting down from this afternoon until Sunday (all orders placed by around 3pm will be dispatched today!), and when we're back we will continue with the, ahem, interesting process of changing servers. So the problems will all be behind us soon. I promise.

Posted by Robynn at 12:29 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A question for my customers (or anyone who might conceivably be a customer):

Our website is designed to make it impossible to order items that are out of stock. If you want a pair of 4mm needles and we're sold out, you won't find 4mm on the pull-down menu. In theory. In practice — through technical or human error, or sheer bad luck — sometimes it does happen that we are unable to fulfil an order.

When that happens, we offer the customer three options: a refund for the missing item; a replacement of their choice (eg. same size but different length or wood — considering the vast range of needles we have, there's almost always a substitute of the same size); or a back order. Brittany products can usually be sourced pretty quickly, because they have a UK distributor, but Lantern Moon can take aaaaages.

Now, as a customer in that situation, what would you prefer:

A. Email me and ask what I want to do!
B. Pick a substitute for me, I just want to get my needles and start knitting already.
C. Refund me and tell me what's happening, I'll order again if I want a substitute.

So far we have always gone with A, but not everyone checks their email frequently, so this can add quite a delay to the order. I will try to phone the customer if I don't hear from them fairly quickly, but still. We don't like delay.

I'm leaning towards B, for the sake of speedy delivery, but I am very ambivalent. I don't like online supermarkets deciding that when I ordered smoked salmon, I'd be happy with a tin instead. (Of course, we hope I have a better handle on what knitters really want, but still...) The customer may be given the option to return unwanted products, but it's a pain to take those triangular boxes to the post office!

So I'm at a bit of a loss. Your thoughts would be very welcome.

Posted by Robynn at 11:49 AM | Permalink | 4 cups of tea on the table | TrackBacks (0)