Knitting In Public Trials

So, there have been a few things that happened in my knitting life, but this one is kind of sad.

I do volunteer work, and I often knit something brainless through the meetings.  They can get quite long, and while I do totally appreciate making sure that everyone is heard, it does mean that the meetings can drag sometimes.

So, I knit.  It helps me pay attention, and it keeps me from fidgeting or going stir-crazy during the long meetings.

Apparently someone took objection to that.  It's probably the assumption that I'm being disrespectful to the speakers, or that I'm not paying attention (despite the fact that I tend to be pretty vocal during these meetings).   I can understand that, it's a common assumption, and I can totally see why someone who doesn't knit could think that my attention is not on the speakers or the meeting.

The sad part of it is, they didn't come to me.  They wrote a note to the person running the meeting, who then had to talk to me.  Now, the person running the meeting doesn't mind my knitting at all, (and hadn't even noticed until it was pointed out) so as long as I am still actually paying attention, and am not distracting the people next to me, it's not a problem in their mind.

Fair enough.

I just wish that whoever felt that my knitting was disruptive for some reason could have come to me directly.   I would have happily explained.   I'd have to find the links again, (and if someone is curious, I can go digging for them) but there are actual studies showing that knitting actually increases your absorption of information.

Anyway, I did agree to bring a smaller project (I was working on my scarf, and it's getting kind of long), in case it was just the size that was distracting -- if it's a much smaller 'in hand' kind of project, maybe it won't bug others as much. I don't mind compromising at all, I really just wish I could have had this sort of discussion with whoever it is that is bothered by my knitting.