My distraction theory worked!

While we were in Canada, I had an epiphany regarding knitting in public. I realized that if there was a lot of other distraction, people were less likely to pay attention to my fiber activities. And, summer provides endless distractions. I decided to try out my theory this weekend. I took my new Aromatherapy Golding Spindle to a horse show! I've been talking about becoming comfortable with drop spindle spinning for two years!! But, I seem to knit or use my wheel at home and I've been too self-conscious of my fumbling to give it a try in public.

Well, who would pay attention to me when this sort of thing was going on?

That's my niece, Ashley, with her new horse. I had intended to make a bit more film but we had terribly hot weather. No one wanted to do anything except sit quietly under the tent awning.

I pulled out my drop spindle, poked a bit of cotton ball into the holder, dropped on a few drops of lavender oil and started spinning. The distractions of horses and riders not only kept people from noticing me but also relaxed me. Within ten minutes I was spindling as if I had been doing it for years!!! Your mind can certainly get in the way sometimes!! Give it something else to do, like watch horses, and your body and learn something new very quickly.

Comments

[Liz]

No video of you spinning? ;-) I also have a question. What do you do with the lavender oil? I use a drop spindle and have never heard of oiling it.

[Sarah Doty]

That's interesting, but I've been intending to e-mail you and tell you I went on a 7 day cruise and have taken my knitting to a 4 day conference and only 1 person (out of 100's) even looked at it - very weird.
Sarah in Houston

[Jewel]

Isn't lavender wonderful, I just went this last weekend to Lavender Days in our state(Utah). I've been listening to your podcast as I've been walking/jogging it really helps the time go by. Thanks!

[BethC]

I listened to your podcast on knitting in public yesterday and wanted to tell you how right I think you are. I knit all summer at my husband's outdoor concerts. Now, if I could just get my 5-year-old son to work on something equally quiet and still!

[Susan]

I wanted to show my husband how I discovered the Golding spindle, seeing it here on your blog - and since we have a horse farm, I thought he'd be interested in seeing this video you made. His first comment was, "Wow! You can spin while riding a horse?" ;-)

I was on such a high this weekend that I grabbed a tiny Golding to keep in my purse while Bob and I walked around Portland on Saturday. I pulled it out and spun while he was looking at shoes in Nordstrom!!

Kelley