And so the days are filled...

24 February 2006

heard at the water cooler

It's not often that one finds one's co-workers discussing knitting techniques round the water cooler (at least at my workplace) so I had to tell you about this funny exchange.

It all came about because Ashley my professional photographer enquired as to the progress of Fiver's Leo. Another co-worker came up to inspect the knitting, which is in the round. The exchange ran something as follows:

Professional Photographer Ashley: So, are you just knitting a tube and then cutting armholes in it or what?
Meg: No, but that's very perceptive Ashley. That is a knitting technique called steeking.
Ashley [skeptical]: Sounds like a copout!
Meg: Oh no, it looks very difficult and I have heard that in order to get close to the knitting with the scissors, one needs a very stiff drink at hand.
Other coworker: When I was a kid I cut up a jumper my mum made for me, just to see what would happen. [Note to reader: this is very believable from this particular coworker. He is very enquiring.] My mum took me to a psychologist about it! But I could have told her I was steeking!!

I find the funniest thing about this story to be the trip to the psychologist to explain the deep meaning behind a kid cutting up his jumper!

Incidentally, the mum ended up teaching the Other Coworker how to knit, saying "It's ok for boys to knit because lighthouse keepers do it."