The Dragon Scrolls is the blog of White Dragon Designs, a knitting and craft website run by Ruth Hilton-Robinson. Please visit for knitting patterns, tuition, handmade gifts and more!

Sunday 1 June 2014

Fun in the Sun at The Green Backyard

So today The White Dragon and The Crafty Wench took a last minute stall at The Green Backyard's Pitch in Picnic, where we sold our various shinies and offered learn-to-knit/crochet taster sessions. It was a bit impromptu for us but it turned into a very fun, sociable, relaxing and successful day! We colonised a shelter on a crossroads in the paths which weave through the veg and flower gardens, laid out our blankets and sat in a circle with our needles and hooks...and like bees to honey, people came to see, ask, try, laugh!

If only all our sessions could be here!

 
You're never too old...
...or too young!

You should give it a go; in a day and age when people don't even make eye contact with strangers, if you whip out your knitting everyone wants to talk to you about it - what are you knitting, when did you start, I remember my nan knitting, I used to knit when I was little...everyone has a knitting 'story' and as social creatures with a strong societal tradition of oral history we want to share and tell our story, something we often don't feel able to do these days. Knitting or crochet seems to act as a sort of icebreaker, it makes people feel like you're safe to talk to (although given that you're wielding two long sharpened sticks in a time when a teenager can't buy a Stanley knife, that could be debatable), it gives them a peg to hang their conversation on. 
I think the very fact that it is such an effective conversation-starter (as is pretty much any craft you do in public) demonstrates just how desperate people are to make that connection with others. It's just a shame that people feel they 'need' a starter-for-ten, an excuse to interact. We're just so cautious of others now and with smartphones, iPods, Kindles and all the accoutrements of the digital age our focus is so narrow and insular to the exclusion of the rest of the world it's easy to go the whole day without interacting with anyone outside our own social circle. That's one of the many reasons I love knitting - it's so comfortingly un-digital and for a technophobe - I use technology because I have to, not because I want to - it's a refuge from the digital necessities of modern life (and a welcome one!) I'm not suggesting that we all start an in-depth conversation with every person we meet; just that it would be nice if people would make eye contact with each other, smile, pass the time of day without needing a reason or an excuse to shoot the breeze. Until then, I'm happy to knit in public and to let it serve that purpose - to allow me to speak to people, make friends and just generally make the world a better, happier, friendlier place. Which is why I feel it's not an option to let Knit In Public week pass unmarked.
Wow, that got deep! Anyway, please visit The Green Backyard's website and if you live in Peterborough visit The Green Backyard itself - it's a beautiful place run by wonderful people who made The Independent's Happy List this year because of their overwhelming awesomeness. The Happy List is "100 people who, without thought of personal gain, give back and help others, rather than themselves."  We had beautiful weather, great company and delicious food, made some new friends and, most importantly, had fun. So come and join us next time!

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