I'm working on stuff still though.
I re-did that skirt properly. Took off the waistband, resized the whole damn thing and ended up taking it in 12 cm around the waist & hips. I mean, honestly. Patterns lie. But it fits now, and I am happy. It's fairly warm, too.
It looks like this : (no me in it, too tired to change etc)
And I've been knitting on my mum's socks again. They had a brief break because I felt bad every time I looked at them. Not due to the fault of the socks themselves, no. But due to what happened while I knit part of the leg and turned the heel.
It's one of those slightly odd stories where I still feel uncomfortable and embarrassed, even though I am not entirely sure I should.It goes like this. I had to go to an all-day training course on bullying in the workplace. I took my knitting. During the course, quietly, while watching the single presenter, and actively asking questions, clarifications and so forth, I knit on my sock.
(You can see where this is going, huh?)
Several times during the day people asked what I was knitting, generally took an interest. Including the presenter, who I spoke to in at least 2 of the 3 breaks of the day. Sock knitting happened, below the level of the desk no less.
Okay, day finishes. The next day I get an email from the local learning coordinator to "just let me know" that she'd received complaints. From attendees and the presenter. When I went to speak to her about it, she increased that to state that the complaints had said I was rude and distracting. And that "everyone had the right to have a positive learning experience". I told her it helped me concentrate when sitting for long periods (true). She then suggested that if I "needed to do this, maybe you should have stood up and explained why and asked if it was OK.." (bashes head against wall) For... goodness' sake, when did knitting become a 'special needs' issue?
I felt this was massively unfair, particularly from the presenter - noone said boo to me about it, and I would have put it away if anyone had. For goodness' sake, during a table discussion I asked the guy next to me his opinion. He blinked, paused then said, "Sorry? What? I was in my happy place..." And I am the rude one. (sigh)
I told the learning coordinator that I thought the session wasn't much of a success - if someone can't complain in a session about someone knitting as bothering them, what hope will they have about making a complaint about actual harassment? I got the "oh, that's not fair, people need time.." etc. Maybe I was harsh on her, and still smarting about it. But jeez. I am cross about the person who made the complaint, but even more so about the presenter. Though the coordinator changed it later to saying the presenter "mentioned" that I had knitted - so god knows what the truth is.
Anyway, the whole thing left me feeling really uncomfortable, and still does. I don't do criticism well, particularly in a work context. So looking at the sock makes me feel bad, though that's passing thank goodness. Ah well, I have hopes it will make the wearer so pleased I forgot all about the other stuff.
Peace.
