I've just started bringing my knitting to the day job, the better to bring you good folks new patterns regularly. I feel a little guilty about it--even though I only do it during lunch--as if knitting at work is a sure sign I don't have enough work to do (completely untrue).
On the other hand, knitting is a great stress reliever and I think it should be encouraged for people to have knitting breaks in the middle of the day. The whole afternoon seems to go more smoothly that way.
So I want to know: do you knit at work? If you do, do you feel guilty about it? Have you had a great or an embarrassing moment surrounding knitting at work? If so, please share in the comments.
Poll: Do you knit at work?
On the other hand, knitting is a great stress reliever and I think it should be encouraged for people to have knitting breaks in the middle of the day. The whole afternoon seems to go more smoothly that way.
So I want to know: do you knit at work? If you do, do you feel guilty about it? Have you had a great or an embarrassing moment surrounding knitting at work? If so, please share in the comments.
Poll: Do you knit at work?
- Yes.
- No.
- I don't work outside the home, but if I did, I would knit at work.
- I don't work outside the home, but if I did, I wouldn't knit at work.
Comments
Hi Sarah,
Heck yes, I knit at work! (Only on lunch breaks though.) I’m a writer at my company and sometimes it helps break through the writer’s block. I knit with another woman–we’re doing charity knitting–and people always think it’s really cool.
I don’t knit at work, but I often arrive early, and knit in my car before I go in. I also occasionally knit for my lunch break.
I knit on the bus to work, at work, and on the way home from work. My job calls for a lot of time waiting and during these waiting periods I knit. As soon as the work comes in I do it, but when its done I start knitting again. Plus there is always lunch knitting.
Laurie,
I’m an editor in my other life, so I don’t use it to break writer’s block, exactly, but it is nice to get away from words every now and then!
I knit on my lunch hour. It’s great to get that break away from the computer and work on something else. I find myself relaxing, forgetting the stresses of the morning, and feeling refreshed as I return to my desk.
Not only do I knit at work, but an informal poll reveals about 10 of my co-workers also knit, either during lunch or breaks. I’ve even wandered across informal knitting lessons.
I would love to get a lunch break, never mind knit on it, but we don’t have a break area, and it wouldn’t be right for me to knit at my desk, especially as everyone in the office usually works late, and I’m the manager
It’ll be on the wish list if I ever move jobs though.
Yo bet, I knit during my lunch time most days, and as everyone else has said, it really does releive the stress. I’ve gotten lots of oohs and ahs, and a few people have said they want to learn. Trying to set up a work SnB group, one day a week.
I bring my knitting to work everyday. I don’t always have a chance to do any knitting, but when the computer system is down, or when I need to cover the front desk (not a busy one) for a little while, I do knit. Others are always interested in what I am knitting. One of my co-workers also brings her knitting in sometimes, and another staff member knits during some of the departmental meetings. As others have said, it is a good stress reliever.
I knit more at work than I do at home. I work in a hotel and I just knit away (that is when I’m not surfing the net for new patterns, yarns and such. I made all of my Xmas gifts last year at work. People find it rather facsinating to watch and ask questions.
Several years ago I was in a day-long meeting in which I and three others were reviewing written materials. Boring and took much longer than it needed to! Good thing I had my knitting. I got a lot done on my afghan, and thew work never suffered!
You bet I take my knitting to work! I work as an office temp, and at one place there’s almost nothing to do. I’d much rather knit than read a book, and it’s easier on the eyes than my beloved cross-stitch.
If I’m busy at the office, I snatch every opportunity to knit: In the car when I get in early and at lunchtime, during breaks, etc.
I also find time to knit at home, especially during TV commercials and programs my husband has chosen that I don’t really like.
I close my office door and knit during conference calls…..Something to keep my hands busy and not go stircrazy!
We have a knitting group that meets each week at lunch. From this point, I migrated to being comfortable knitting at large (mandatory) meetings.
I would love to knit at work, however even though I get an hour for lunch, I work in a busy downtown area with a lot of “riff raff” around so there really isn’t a place that is safe enough to sit and enjoy. In fact I rarely even take the full hour due to the fact that there really is no place to sit/stand/relax and my office is so busy from 8-5 that there is no way I could knit at my desk. So, alas, no knitting at work, but if conditions were more preferable, I definitely would. Thanks for the great emails/information on everything knitting, and have a great day!!
I do knit at work, on the bus to and from work. I have an hour for lunch and a nice lunch room so I have time to craft everyday (knitting, beading, sewing.
I bring my knitting everywhere, including my work. I knit on lunch breaks if I happpen to be lunching by self. It is my stress reliever and a great way to pass the time. I have heard that its even as good a yoga in that department.
I can’t say that I would knit during a conference call because my office is open to other areas.
I’ve had a cashier (man) ask me about it. He even remembered what I was working on the next few times I came in and asked about if I brought my knitting with me.
Everyone has comments, but sadly I don’t know anyone else in my office who knits so no lunch group.
I knit at work by running a Knitting Club for the kids in my school!
Yes, like others I knit everywhere. My favourite job (only because of the opportunity it gave me to knit!) was 1½ hours tram journey to work and I used to knit prolifically. As it was shift work we were given a taxi home and too dark to knit anyway! Sniff! As it was a call centre back in the early days you could knit or craft in between calls but centres are all performance based now and would frown upon this! Now I have a busy job, 5 mins from home by car but I do knit at lunchtime. I like the fact that I can still chat with everyone in the lunch area but sadly they do not knit.
I also knit at work; on lunch break at my desk or in the lunch room. Also manage to get in a row or two on my 15min breaks. Sometimes I knit on the bus coming home but I find I can get a little “car-sick”.
I take my knitting everywhere, even when there’s not even a smidgen of a chance that there will be time to knit! I’ve made a lot of scarves & prayer shawls over lunch & break and always have a lot of interested co-workers!
Yes is a somewhat misleading answer. I am a school teacher and I never knit during the school day UNLESS I am helping someone work out a problem. I have a knitting club which meets during activity period and after school and I do knit at those times.
Once was told to put my knitting away in a teacher meeting because “it was rude” while other people were doodling and talking.The supervisor ended up asleep-snoring as well.I’m not working there now.
Yes, I knit at work and I also teach my co-workers to knit. Since my group was getting so big, I wrote a proposal to our HR Dept. to let us knit as a stress reduction activity. My proposal got approved, and 30 people joined up, including men. We started 9 months ago and we are still going strong! Now we are going to knit to fund raise to help our company continue its services -provide literacy services throughout New York City. I love knitting and what we have accomplished!
Interesting to read that knitting can be considered rude in meetings. It’s so far from anyone’s business what I do with my hands while listening to others (quietly, unobtrusively), that I am outraged when people object. I see knitting as a consciousness-raising activity. I knit to help those who think they can outlaw it become more tolerant. Somehow doodling and Blackberry-play is okay, but not simple knitting. Power to the knitters!