knitting in NYC

No pictures yet–still a little too shy–but I knit on public transit in New York for the very first time. I took the bus from work to my new apartment, though I’m not moved in yet. I got the keys on Tuesday, so I met a friend there and we looked at it to make sure everything was in order. I’m happy to say that my memory of it was pretty much dead-on (I’d feared that my mental image, small though it was, would be bigger than the reality). Anyway, my first lesson in knitting on public transit?

Do not try to cable without a cable needle on a moving bus.

I managed it, but it wasn’t pleasant, and it involved some scrunching of the face and a tongue sticking out of my mouth (anyone else do this when concentrating very hard?). Plus it was a little nervewracking–would I lose all the stitches? Happily, I didn’t lose any stitches, and I knit 4 rows of the world’s slowest-moving socks. (so this was cabling w/o a cable needle on size 1 dpns!) I will try to take a shot of what little I have done soon so that people can see what I’ve been slaving away on!

In case you’re interested, I’m on day 3 of the new job, and it’s going well. I’m completely overwhelmed and more than a bit clueless, but things are starting to fall into place, a little, and everyone is so nice and understanding.

11 Responses to knitting in NYC

  1. Ashley says:

    You’re braver (and apparently steadier-handed) than I am. I always carry a toothpick in my knitting bag for just this situation.

    Glad you’re settling in in NYC!

  2. Jen says:

    I haven’t even tried cabling without a cable needle on my stationary couch, much less on a moving bus. :) At least it came out well, even if it was a pain.

  3. Lavender says:

    Congrats on the cable without cable needles! I’ve never tried cabling without needles. I’ve cabled on transit before and it was nerve wracking trying not to drop my needle and have it roll off somewhere so I tucked it behind my ear when I’m not using it. I walked around all day at work like that. No one said anything.

  4. LoveStrong says:

    Okay, so I’m still at the stage of using massively large needles while *knitting* on my sofa (I say it like that because it still doesn’t look like much…), let alone working in a moving vehicle. I looked up at the TV last night during Project Runway and lost what I was doing. That’s what I get for trying to knit during PR!!

  5. Veronique says:

    Size 1 dpns on a bus? You’re brave! Were people afraid of getting poked? :) I usually use magic loop on the subway (well, and in general).
    So, was it a defining moment? A “you know you’re a New Yorker when” moment?!

  6. Opal says:

    I’m so glad you like your apartment and that your new job is going well. I could sympathize with your plight on the bus! I’ve tried to do various knitting acrobatics on the bus and things didn’t always go so well.

  7. Rachel says:

    Glad the new job is going well! Look at it this way: If you weren’t overwhelmed in the first week, you’d be bored to death by the third. That’s what I try to tell myself about my (still) overwhelming job after 4 months.

    When I concentrate, I make a fish face. You know, sucking in my cheeks on both sides. Apparently I do this in public all the time, though I’m never aware of it. So you’re not the weirdest concentrator out there.

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