I Don't See the Problem Here

Before I begin this post, I feel the need for a disclaimer.  I am not what you call an avid sports fan.  In fact, you may describe me as the anti-avid sports fan.  I watch no sports either live or on TV.  I attend my children’s sporting events to socialize with other parents, take gratuitous pictures of my children, and occasionally keep up with the actual score.

That having been said, I absolutely cannot understand the fuss that was created over a woman in England who was caught knitting in a public place.  Big deal.  It was a sporting event.  Again, I’m not impressed; I knit at all my children’s sporting events.  (See disclaimer, above.)   The event was televised.  This merely means that, if she drops a stitch, she can watch the heated exchange on instant replay.  Yet, this knitter made international news. 

The BBC taped this knitter knitting during a heated moment in a Wimbledon match. 

Responses to this woman’s activities have been mixed.  Some people feel that she should have abandoned her seats since she clearly doesn’t care about the tennis match.  Other commentators were confused as to why she was knitting a sweater during the summer.  Knitters have vigorously defended her actions, noting that multi-tasking is possible, wondering how many people were Tweeting or otherwise engaged in cell phone activity during the match, and commenting that people are supposed to knit sweaters in the summer BEFORE they are needed in the fall. 

Personally, I do believe that this knitter hoped to attract attention to her activities.  After all, bright pink yarn does make a statement.  I’m sure she had a pair of socks or some other project with less conspicuous yarn somewhere in her stash.  Yet, she boldly chose to go with the bright pink.  I also don’t think she was that “into” the match since she was videoed doing a row of purl stitches.  I would argue that, if she were that excited about this match, she would have found a project that involves a simple garter stitch pattern. 

Regardless of her knitting selection, I give this knitter a tremendous amount of credit.  She joined her family for a spectacular sporting event without missing a stitch.  You go you knittin’ girl!