Dear Ann,
This post is for my brother and sister commute-knitters. Commute-knitting is perilous, especially if you are prone to startitis. Here are Kay’s Rules of Commute-Knitting (clip n’ save).
1. ABC: Always Be Casting (On). You must always have something to knit that can be worked on in Adverse Conditions, because, even if you embark at a spot where you can get a seat, the subway is full of distractions. You must keep an eye out for your fellow passengers, especially your fellow passengers who are heavily pregnant and standing in front of you clutching a pole and rubbing the small of their back while you knit. (You don’t want to be That Guy.) You must also keep an ear out for the garbled announcement of your stop, or you will end up on High Street, which is only one stop past your stop, but in a borough where you don’t work. So the knitting has to be easy. You have to be able to stop whenever, for whatever reason, and not mess it up very much. Circular needles are the way to go, so you don’t drop a needle. My top commute-knitting pattern picks: either a Honey Cowl, or the body of a lopapeysa. When the Honey Cowl is finished, or the yoke of the lopapeysa is reached, see Rule #1 and cast on another Honey Cowl or lopapeysa. Right now my train knitting is Jon, a lopapeysa in Size Large (writing that here in case I forget before I get the yoke on it), for my nephew Jon or if it doesn’t fit him, other male family member TBA. Lopapeysas are the Honey Cowl of pullovers; everybody wants one.
2. Knit By Night. By lamplight, propped in front of Unchallenging TV, you can work on projects that require shaping and/or a chart. The light may not be the best, you may be tired, but if you don’t put down your Honey Cowl or lopapeysa straightaway at night, you will never get anywhere on spicier projects. Your bedroom will be strewn with lopapeysa body parts and unblocked Honey Cowls. Right now, my Evening Knitting is Adara, a gorgeous Brooklyn Tweed sweater that is my side of a knit-for-crochet swap from last winter. I’m on the first sleeve. Racing toward Rhinebeck, when I will see my swap partner. I’m loving Adara, which I’m doing in Purl Soho Worsted Twist.
And here, a bonus photo of an antique Whitby in black Rowan Denim. Years ago, Belinda gave this to 8 year old Carrie. It was an Artwork production sweater that had a big body and short sleeves and therefore couldn’t be sold. We just found out it fits someone else in the extended family.
Black denim is dead; long live black denim!
Love,
Kay
I love the pattern on the lopapeysa for Jon. I found what looks like the pattern on Ravelry, but it is in Swedish. Is that the pattern you are using? I figured I could use the chart and an online translation and just wing it.
Glad you’re back!!!!
Judy W
I realised that most of my stalled projects are those that have passed their subway moments. I have to measure something or follow a pattern for an edge or do something weird, so they languish. Clearly I have to move to step 2 of your clip&save.
I have enough black denim for one sweater and keep changing my mind which it will be. Your picture has moved that project up my queue, indeed!
Y’all may be interested to know that black denim and cabled sweaters are both big in UK this year. This “old” sweater is right on the money.
Righteous rules, Kay. I knew them well in my days of commuting daily by train, 45 minutes each way. On the train, however, you can at least look out the window to see where you are, so less risk of missing one’s station. Plus, you can sit in one of the single seats at the end of the upper (or “loft”) rows, so fewer distractions from other passengers.
Black denim is always The Best.
Love the Whitby. I’ve still never been much of a subway knitter as I always miss my stop, but Amtrak and airplanes are great for me!
You didn’t cover the commute from the kitchen table to the couch.
Liz, to me that’s a special “commute” that I can put to use as exercise time. You see, if I divide my evening snack into 10 or 11 pieces, and leave it in the kitchen, I can get quite a lot of exercise going back and forth from the couch to retrieve each piece. I’m telling you, a person can work up a nice tiny little sweat doing this. It works especially well with Snicker bars…..
LoveDiane
Commute-knitting has kept me sane for years: mitered squares, the beginning of log cabin blankets and a ton of Honey Cowls (on the needles now). Rush hour in Miami is such a nightmare that I knit when the highways and bi-ways turn into parking lots. Which is often. I pop in a recorded book and it’s very Zen. Helps me deal with that “sitting in traffic is such a waste of time” feeling.
And you’re so right about nighttime knitting – currently mine is Chateau (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chateau), which I hope to finish in time for my college reunion in western PA in October. Bring on the fall leaves!
I am a public transit knitter myself — nearly two hours a day on Light Rail. Totally agree with you about circular needles. I have knit all manner of things, including beaded shawls (Aeolian and Sweet Dreams) during my commutes. No one bothers this crazy knitting lady with the sharp sticks!
Definitely rules to live by, and another I try to follow is to always have a ball of dishcloth cotton and round needles in every bag – small, light to carry and a possible giveaway if you happen to finish whilst enjoying a friend’s company or just to surprise a fellow commuter.
And Black Denim definitely rules……
I <3 that Black Denim. It shore is purty.
My commute knitting is being shaken up this fall as my bus was just cut. From a one-bus, peaceful 40-60 minute ride to a jarring triple-play with transfers and a much earlier day! Imma make it work, tho, Tim Gunn says I should.
Kay, I must confess that I did not know that black denim was even a thing so thank you for the cultural and fashion education! It is a wonderful sweater.
I’m not a mass transit commuter but get your point about easy and interesting knitting even when sitting still in a knitting group having a juicy convo about something crazy the kids have done. Distracting, I tell ya.
All the best.
All three of these sweaters are so lovely that I wish I could make all of them for myself!
LoveDiane
Still very excited to see another blog, not yet a bit blasé
and love the black denim.
I carry knitting with me where ever I go. I find that I often leave in in mybag out of some kind of perversity.
My only mishap with knitting on a city bus in Winnipeg happened in the middle of winter when there was a thaw. The floor of the bus was pretty slushy and the ball of wool I was using fell out of my bag and rolled down to the front of bus. Someone did kindly pick it up and give it back. When I got home I cut the wool and gave the rest of it a good soak.