To be puzzled at knitting in meetings

[JoanThursday1972]

I go to a few cross-organisation working groups and meetings. One woman always brings her knitting - I was really surprised. Is this a thing now to bring crafting projects to meetings?

No, of course not. It’s rude, distracting and unprofessional.

That would be really distracting for me. But I'm easily distracted. Maybe it helps her not die of boredom focus? But click click clickety click. Awful.

Knitting?! In a meeting? That’s just ridiculous!

I love knitting and can do it without really focusing but omg how unprofessional! It's something you do in front of the TV not in a meeting!

I have an colleague who isn't very good in meetings and brings her adult colouring with her as it helps her relax in social settings.
However, knitting is very noisy.

So unprofessional, why hasn’t someone higher up said umm no !!

Is it a meeting at Shreddies HQ?

Is this at in person meetings? If it was Teams I'd assume she didn't realise anyone could see it 😂 how bizarre!

Knitting isn’t noisy 🙄 and helps some people concentrate. I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

It’s the only way I can control my anxiety in (pointless) meetings. Especially if they are Teams
I also have ADHD so it is my fiddle toy, and means I can actually concentrate on the corperate bollocks we are there to hear.

Please make a reasonable adjustment for the way my brain works. I will sit at the back so no one can see me, and my needles are wooden and don’t click

I find it surprising but actually sounds like a great idea. I have ADHD and something like that would probably work wonders for helping me focus, not fidget etc.

It is life changing , it really is.

I knit during teams meetings, with carefully adjusted camera. I haven’t done it in face to face meetings but would if I could get away with it!!

It is possibly a distraction technique, allowed by management as a reasonable adjustment. I wouldn’t find it distracting at all, but I live in my own head.

It might be part of someone’s reasonable adjustment measures. Also knitting is better than talking over people or pointless PowerPoint so doesn’t sound too bad

I’ve crocheted in plenty of zoom meetings, although try to keep it off screen. I’m someone who focuses easier if my hands are moving. I also sometimes take it to more casual in person things, as I find it helps with my anxiety and is a useful ice breaker on occasion. (I should add though, none of that relates to paid employment, but things I’m involved in on a volunteer basis, if that makes a difference.)

@isthewashingdryyet
I have been wanting to learn for a while so maybe this is the push I need. Wooden needles is a good tip for quieter knitting so thanks for that.

People can use knitting/crochet to actually focus on what is being said in the meeting. It’s the same as someone doodling or fidgeting with their pen. It’s quite common for people with ADHD.

Is she contributing to the meeting when she should? Is she doing the actions assigned to her? If so, not sure what the problem is.

I loom knit on teams calls if they are over about 20 minutes long.

I just cannot sit still and listen. If I don’t have something to do with my hands I will fall into a daydream. (I deeply suspect I have innatentive type adhd). I haven’t had the guts to do this in an in person meeting yet but my colleagues may prefer this to me jogging my legs, fiddling with my hair, shifting in my seat and all my usual shenanigans. It may look unprofessional but honestly, some of us just can’t concentrate if we are still.

It's like a fidget toy. She probably has ADHD, Anxiety, or something else that means this helps her concentrate

Good point. These are F2F meetings.

I know someone that takes her knitting to meet ups, such as with other mum's get-togethers/kids parties etc, she has anxiety and it acts a distraction and grounds her. She still chats and partakes in what's going on around her but always has her eyes and hands on the knitting. Maybe it's something like that and is prior agreed with the meeting organizer?

@PurpleBananaSmoothie She does contribute yes very well.

I crochet (out of sight) on Teams. I doodle in person. I wouldn't do anything as attention- drawing as crochet in person, because I know what it's like to be easily distracted.

Brilliant 😂

I feel inspired to try knitting or crochet next time my husband is chatting golf to me, it might help me pay attention 😂