As the busy mom of a toddler, my knitting time is at a premium; I've got to grab a few minutes here and there when I can, or I'd never touch needles to yarn. Most people these days are pretty busy, and it can be tough to find the time to sit down and knit. I find that knitting on my way into work in the morning, while I commute by subway or bus (definitely don't do this if you drive!) is an excellent way to get some knitting into my day. Here are some tips to make knitting on public transit a little easier.
Choose your needles wisely
Now is not the time to use your long straight needles. Circular needles will be much friendlier to your neighbors on a crowded bus or train, and you won't be nearly as likely to poke people. If you're working on something circular that has a small circumference, think about becoming familiar with the magic loop technique, which can save you from bringing along double-pointed needles.
I find double-pointed needles tend to get dropped when I'm commuting, and they have a nasty habit of then rolling to the other end of the bus or train car. Magic loop helps keep everything tidy and contained. Likewise, if you can get the hang of cabling without a needle, that can cut down on the number of drop-able things you'll have to manage on a moving vehicle.
Size Matters
A sock, hat, or mitten is a great project to work on on public transit. The queen-sized lace bedspread is not such a good choice. Choose a project that fits easily on your lap so you won't take up more space than you need to, and a project that is small enough to shove into your bag when you leap up realizing you've almost missed your stop isn't a bad idea either (of course, I've never almost missed my stop because I was too involved in my knitting. Never ever. Especially not this morning on both the bus and train).
Embrace your odd schedule!
Do you have a non-standard work schedule? Maybe you've been dreading that 5am wake-up. I know when my schedule shifted after my maternity leave last year, I was dreading having to get to the office at 7:30am every morning, an hour earlier than I had been scheduled for previously. Within a day or two though, I noticed how empty the bus and subway were at that hour. Just by shifting my schedule slightly, I was able to always get a seat, and usually even have the seat next to me empty as well, which gave me plenty of elbow room, even when everyone wore bulky winter coats.
On the commute home, because my day was shifted earlier than the standard 9-5, I had the same experience of encountering a much less crowded vehicle. It's probably not worth changing your work schedule to suit your knitting (although only you can make that call -- maybe it is!) but it's definitely something that can make a previously unwanted schedule seem like a bonus.
Be prepared to chat
If you want to spend your commute being antisocial, it becomes a little harder when you break out the yarn and needles. For some reason, there will pretty much always be someone who wants to tell you about how his grandmother crocheted, or how she loved knitting but just doesn't have the time anymore, or how much he loves the mittens you're making (some people do not notice that the "mitten" might be sweater-sized and have a long sleeve done already; you can then politely correct them by just saying "oh, it's a sweater actually." Try hard not to laugh).
Putting in earbuds can sometimes help keep the chatty Cathys away, but instead of trying to avoid all human interaction, think about embracing this chance to connect with another person.
Mira Whiting - Mira Whiting is a knitter and mom living in the Boston area. She blogs about knitting at Mira's Knits and motherhood at Mamas and Milk.
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