I'm going to apologize upfront for there being no pictures. I genuinely am not wanting to get the camera out and do all the rigga-mah-roar it takes to get photos onto this machine.
Anywhoozles
Yesterday was the state fair parade - a psychology student's dream as far as observational studies. Granted, the majority of the folks are fine ranging from extremely well off to just normal, every day folks. There are some, though, that can surprise even me. Such as this year, for some reason there was a high adult-to-child ratio as far as people standing with bags fetching candy... yes, I said adults with bags. I have seen adults help small children before, but this was rather odd for me.
I chose to sit back in my chair, without a plastic bag, and crochet. The kids were going to do their candy thing and I was just going to relax.
Now, my experience with crochet/knitting in public is pretty restrictive to me doing it in the car or during yarn group, where we meet at Barnes & Noble. But the car - that's probably not considered public other than folks in the next car at a stop light looking over and wondering what in the hell I'm doing. The yarn group at Barnes is definitely public, but I have to admit that not many non-yarnies make their way over to chat and ask questions. It is like there is a force-field of yarny goodness around us.
But the parade was a bit different. I was sitting there before the festivities and a well-off looking lady popped her chair right down next to me. I don't mind - it's a free country, yes? (note - by right next to me I mean I had to scooch over a few inches to give myself elbow room to crochet). She looks over and says "oh - whatcha knitting." I just said "I'm making a dishcloth.
I didn't correct her on what I technique I was using to make said dishcloth with.
She went on about how she uses those all the time and loves them. I made a comment about liking that it saves me money buying sponges for dishes. She agreed and said something else I don't quite remember.
I didn't know if I was supposed to correct her or not. I didn't want to discourage her friendly, curious nature - but the more she talked, it seemed as if she was acting like she knew more about it than she obviously did (or didn't, as the case may be).
So what do you do - would you correct someone in this situation? Have you had something like this or similar happen?
I guess I kinda feel "eh" about it - sure she is walking away with an incorrect assumption of crochet, but I also didn't make her feel silly in front of the other 300 people standing around us.
4 comments:
I wouldn't have corrected her either. I have had women stand and comment on my work while in the dr's waiting room and continue to make comments about her sister doing "that sort of thing". I just smile and respond a little and continue with my work. Most of the time people will make comments about what I am doing to each other quietly and never actually say anything to me.
What I would do varies depending on my mood and the "feel" of the situation. Sometimes I correct and educate, sometimes I smile politely. :)
I think that I might have answered, "I am crocheting a dishcloth." Without emphasizing the word "crocheting," it would not sound corrective. In my mind, at least!
I usually will correct someone. I do it all the time at work. When someone comes by and says what are you knitting, when I am actually crocheting I'll tell them that I'm crocheting and explain that knitting requires two needles and crocheting requires one hook and then I will show them what I am making. As long as you do it nicely, I don't see the problem with giving them an education. Like" I'm crocheting a dish cloth." Like you didn't hear the knit part of her question. Then go on from there. The people that usually ask me are people that I work with so I don't mind correcting them.
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