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?

I've started doing this on zoom meetings too! It stops me opening a new browser window and googling things when the meeting inevitably gets boring

I have autism/am autistic (don't care about terminology but whichever I choose will lead to a 5 page detour over terminology so I'll use both) - I have as my reasonable adjustments negotiated with my employer that I apologise in advance but I'm a doodler, a quiet fiddle toy-er and similar in meetings, but that without it - I'm so busy running my mental "do I look sufficiently attentive" script (to please arseholes like some on here) that I won't take in any of the content of the meeting. Prior to negotiating all of that I was a terrible pen clicker and most of the meeting would be me trying to stop myself doing it, doing it once, feeling satisfied then self-loathing about annoying people, then I'd end up dismantling the pen, rebuilding it and eventually losing the little springy thing and trying to round it up off the floor with my feet... I didn't take in much of the meetings but came out of them feeling like shite!

Likewise I have negotiated that on Teams I can tend to focus better with camera off and I might be doodling or crocheting there - I pop my camera on for the hello and goodbye bits of the meeting but if I'm not involved in the discussion actively and it's one of those meetings where it's more imparting information than discussing (translation: meeting that should be a fucking email) - I can't take the content in if I'm worrying continuously about masking and how I appear.

The change those adjustments have given me in my work life is absolutely fucking amazing - it's reduced the levels of social burnout I experienced previously where I'd be needing a darkened room after about 6pm at night to recover and remain functional to a level where I actually can HAVE a work-life balance.

Thankfully I work with colleagues who are very understanding about neurodiversity to the point that one puts a bowl of fiddle toys out when delivering training alongside the biscuits to keep people focused and we work with a client group who usually have collections of stims, sensory aids and quirks!

I have a selection of fiddle toys I love and use freely, and then I have some that I use in meetings and the like which are silent and you probably wouldn't even notice my hand turning an infinity cube through its phases under the table... well unless you're a MN faux-horrified one who will be revolted at smelling day old towels from 3 miles away, that someone doesn't get 2 months out of one chicken, and having your ears scraped out by knitting needles.

Yes, but the person I was quoting was talking about knitting in the pub, so presumably they weren't at work.

It's really sad that even today there's such dismissal of other people's needs. I don't knit, as I can't, but I do other things to occupy my hands and help focus my attention. I'm neurodiverse and have found over the years that it helps me tremendously, and means I can be effective both in the meeting and in delivering actions after which have certainly done my career no harm.
I explain to people I haven't met before that I fidget to help me concentrate, and I have a variety of toys and puzzles so hope I'm not massively inconveniencing other people.

As an aside, I went on a training course many years ago now. There was no PowerPoint or anything, and every table had an array of toys, silly putty and things to touch like pipecleaners, because it was recognised even back then that this aided concentration for lots of people.

I sell knitting needles, and there are so many different kinds, made of everything from rosewood to carbon fibre, bamboo or steel, that it isn't at all certain that knitting =noisy.

My favourite sock needles are made from carbon fibre with brass tips and they make a small amount of noise, but less so with the thinner ones. If I was concerned about noise then I would switch to bamboo. Although to be fair, if I was knitting in a meeting then it's likely that the meeting would be with someone trying to sell me significant quantities of either knitting needles or yarn!

In a wider sense, I think there is a tendency for people without ND or other conditions, to see inclusion as enabling other people (with protected characteristics) to behave exactly like them. I would prefer to see everyone able to participate in a way that enables them to contribute and feel at ease. Of course, there will be times when concessions have to be made because of competing needs, but I don't think it matters at all if someone knits in a meeting, or fidgets, or even colours.

Using more than one sense helps you remember things more.

Thats why we always remember songs. Music and language together.

Knitting isn't loud but it's noisy, as in irritating click click. Grooming my cat wouldnt be noisy, but a faint purr, whoosh, whoosh of the brush and rhythmic arm moves....no thanks

but a faint purr, whoosh, whoosh of the brush and rhythmic arm moves.
You know people pay good money to watch that stuff on Youtube?

Your last paragraph really hits the nail on the head!

Inclusion is about helping people participate, not "fixing" them.

@BigglyBee thank you for this post. 💖

I do knit in virtual meetings under my desk where people can't see. I don't have to look.
Otherwise I fiddle or get distracted. Face to face I'm fine

Thank you. That does make a lot of sense.
From the various threads I have seen on MN about the symptoms of ADHD in women, I do wonder if I have it. I have always struggled enormously with every day things. I was in the MH system for years though, and I would have thought it would have been picked up then.

The county council neighbouring our council were having a councillors zoom meeting, someone's screen switched on to a man pleasuring himself. Knitting seems tame in comparison 😂

It surprises me that wooden needles have suddenly become silent since my mother used to drive me insane of an evening with the constant scratchy sounds of wool and needle. Are they fitted with foam buffers these days? Or is it just that your ADHD outweighs mine?

That's really concerning not just in itself but because he could be using women on the zoom meeting as visual aids. Appalling.

It depends on your knitting style, that's all.

Seriously? Wtf were those women doing?

Whilst it may seem rude, given that most meetings are such that 90% is just listening, I don't blame anyone. One of the great advantages of wfh and Teams/Zoom meetings is that you can be doing something else whilst listening, generally being more productive.

No one ever said on their retirement day that they did not spend enough time in meetings.

I’m an academic, and the former colleague who used to do this was a maddening person, who liked to perform a wacky toddlerishness, and knitting cutesy toys in meetings was part of her ‘I’m mad, me’ schtik. When she did it at Academic Council the VC asked her to stop.

You’d hate my workplace. We put pipe cleaners on tables for meetings and trainings because we recognise that allowing people to fidget with them helps them concentrate better. We’ve had some amazing creations over the years!

I love knitting, am a quiet knitter, and can knit while watching tv or talking to people (as long as I'm knitting something simple). I rarely have meetings long enough to bother knitting in, but I wouldn't anyway - it would feel very unprofessional.

I'm perfectly familiar and fine with the idea of fidget items to aid concentration (I'm a teacher), but I think knitting is a bit much when you could do something a bit less noticeable and potentially distracting for others. Using a fidget item is one thing. Getting on with your hobby in a work meeting is something else entirely.

I've taken mine with me when going for meetings in London because I have a couple of hours on the train to kill so use that to catch up on my knitting. I'd never actually knit in a meeting though, it's rude and would look like I'm not paying attention

I crochet, it’s quiet and I’d love to bring it to meetings but not sure my bosses would be impressed!

It would definitely make the meetings more interesting but very distracting for others.

What’s wrong with a little doodle. Or checking emails and writing to do lists!

I love Skype meetings as I just get on and work whilst the meetings on but my workplace has made a move back to face to face which makes it more tricky to multitask!

My sister takes her k Utting absolutely everywhere! Not sure if she'd take it into a meeting though!

Many hardcore knitters use circular needles now and I think they are less prone to clicking than straight needles. The style of knitting has changed a lot in recent years.