I’m quite shameless about knitting in public. I have no compunction about whipping out my yarn and needles on the subway, on the train, in the doctor’s office, on Chinatown streetcorners, and even in sports bars. Last night, however, I found myself sorely tempted to pluck my second Charlotte sleeve from my bag and knit a few rows at a rock concert. A few points in my defense:

1. It was only the opening band. No one pays much attention to opening bands.

2. I’m half done with this sleeve, and visions of seaming over the weekend were dancing in my head.

3. It’s straight stockinette with an increase now and then – I could have done it surreptitiously.

4. I didn’t actually do it.

I realized in time that there are a few public places in which the knitting act would not be viewed as eccentric, but merely very lame. The urge passed when Glen Phillips came on, anyway. He can easily command my undivided attention. It was a great show. And it’s going to be a slow morning at the office today. So you know what I’ll be doing while I read manuscripts.

I’ve been knitting in fits and starts this weekend, and quite naughtily working on new projects while there are old ones languishing:

On the left is the beginning of Clapotis, so you can see how prettily the Foxy Lady stripes. And on the right is the first six inches or so of my nifty little Kauai tank top. This is the Phil Ruban cotton tape in action, and it’s intriguing. It creates a very textural fabric with optical streaks and stripes, due to the twist of the flat yarn on the knit and purl sides. It’s light and airy and ought to be perfect for a tropical honeymoon. And of course I’ve been working on the wedding stole. It seems to deserve a prettier background than what my back porch has to offer right now, though, so I’ll see if I can’t set up a better photo shoot to document its progress in the next week or so. It’s nearly three feet long!

In other news, note the new intuitive domain name! Clever Future Husband has outdone himself this time. He’s even enabling other people’s blogging yen now. Look for a link to my beloved friend and bridesmaid Mia’s new blog, Minicia, in the next few days.

I’m pioneering a new finishing technique: cat blocking.

Materials:

One completed Charlotte sleeve, with selvages like Hasidic ringlets.

One enthusiastic cat. (Note: if your cat is not laboring under the delusion that everything you knit is for his exclusive and immediate use, you may not feel that he qualifies as "enthusiastic." No matter. Perhaps you have an emergency backup cat on hand. As long as he is mellow and pliable, he’ll do nicely.)

Directions:

Drape cat over piece to be blocked. He may drape himself if he is properly enthusiastic. Self-draping may be encouraged by placing the knit piece in a sunbeam.

Press lightly but firmly to flatten. Misting is not recommended. You may wish to wear thick leather gloves to guard against perforation during this stage if your cat is the churlish type.

When cat is nice and relaxed, he will remain in position for quite some time, flattening the curled edges admirably. Leave him there until you’re ready to block the second sleeve, at which time I guarantee he’ll desert the old one in favor of the opportunity to get his fur all over something new.

Note the importance of selecting a cat in a complementary color. Do not attempt this technique with delicate fibers to which the cat may easily and deleteriously adhere, such as mohair or silk, no matter how eagerly the cat may present himself for use.

Most people seem to have a favorite time to knit. I’ll knit at any time of the day or night, but it occurred to me that my knitting time is quite neatly ordered by project and opportunity. Here are my categories:

Subway knitting: Anything portable knit on circular needles or short straights for which I can memorize the pattern. It’s important not to poke your neighbors when the train lurches or to let the ends of your needles wave about in their personal space, so 12" needles are out. Likewise, subway knitting must be sturdy enough to withstand dropped stitches or sudden tugs – subway conductors are not exactly smooth operators, and once in a while you get a real yahoo who runs the express train so fast that you’re thrown about even if you’re lucky enough to get a seat. My current subway knitting is one of Charlotte’s sleeves. This morning I bound off the armpit and now I’m on to the shoulder shaping. Subway knitting can also be done surreptitiously at work on occasion, particularly if I have to slog through an especially boring manuscript.

Elegant evening knitting: This is knitting that requires more space, patience, and attention. After dinner, I sit on the couch and work on the wedding stole. I’ve gotten comfortable enough with the pattern and the motions that I can now watch movies as I knit. Really, my messy little apartment is hardly suitable for elegant evening knitting. In a perfect world, I’d be making this stole on a bench under the lemon tree in my conservatory, or perhaps in the drawing room with tea and scones.

Boudoir knitting: What would I knit between the sheets but my silky, sultry Clapotis?

Weekend knitting: As long as I’ve dutifully set aside time to reach my quota of rows on the wedding stole, Saturday mornings are for other projects. This means Lightning right now – I’ve completed the back and one side of the front, and I’m up to the ribs on the other side. Sadly, although it is sturdy and knit on circs, Lightning cannot be subway knitting and therefore gets less attention. I just don’t quite trust myself not to botch the pattern doing it from memory.

How do you schedule your knitting?