Crochet and knitting may seem alike, but in 1867 only one got a matron investigated for insubordination at work. A Victorian case study in the double standard.
I found it easier to take a small Turkish spindle and spin at work. Knitting would get interrupted by a phone call and was more complicated to put down.
I agree, I would listen better in work meetings if I could knit or crochet. I work remotely so meetings are video conferences. If I could leave the camera off it wouldn't be an issue, but we're usually asked to have our cameras on.
I hadn't thought about crochet being "fancy work," since I've used it for scarves, hats and blankets. But my grandmother crocheted many tablecloths and added decorative edges to linens, and as far as I know she only made one item of clothing (a baby sweater). She was born about 30 years after the events you write about.
That’s a shame you don’t get to craft in your meetings. Remote meeting are especially difficult for me, since the browser is right there to grab my attention away.
Thanks for sharing about your Grandmother. I would love to do a bit more digging into crochet vs. knitting patterns around that time, and see if there was much “plain work” crochet.
Deb, during lockdowns I knitted through many a video call at work. I just held the knitting where the camera couldn't see it, which is a surprisingly large area, including on the desk in front of my keyboard.
I've not felt able to do it in in-person meetings, though, and only do it at church if my parents aren't coming and I can sit at the back. In both cases there, my main concern is distracting others. But I am probably quite distracting in meetings anyway! I can't easily sit still for more than about an hour, struggle to focus, and often have fidget toys in my lap - they are smaller than knitting, and silent, but I'm still visibly fidgeting, I think.
On one occasion I had a pregnant colleague and was asked to knit a cardigan for the baby as a gift - in that case I did knit at work, so long as she couldn't see me. It was well-known what I was doing and though it wasn't "work" it was at least work-related.
This is terrific! As a lifelong crocheter who learned how to knit in mid-life, I stick a bit to the American assumption (I think) that crochet is for the working class. And knitting for those who can afford the fancy material to work with. Thanks for this—just love it!
Thank you - it’s great to have your perspective.I don't think crochet carries a strong class association either way, at least not for me. It would be fascinating to find out what kind of stereotypes modern crafters have of each other, and how that changes depending on age and location.
There on the right is my tiny “working yarn” (ha!) for when I can. It's interesting what you said, about creating space in your mind, because i know it can center me and helps my focus. I only do small projects now, but before I was promoted, I'd do several scarves or mitts a year, always had a stash in my desk. Helped with keeping a calm tone working with upset callers. As long as it was kept to a basic pattern with no more than a four row repeat, I never had to look down. Thank you for the fascinating read!
Thanks! I hadn't thought about it helping keep you calm in stressful situations, but that's a great perspective. Before a big talk, a few rows always help settle my nerves. Crafting really is a wonder-drug.
Thank you for this wonderful story! My grades in college all went up when I started knitting and crocheting in class -- taking notes and participating in class discussion all the while! Dr. Nancy Rodman, sometimes called "Mother of the Hubble Space Telescope" was famous for knitting during NASA meetings to help her pay attention (my mother, who also worked on the Hubble, told me she witnessed this firsthand!) But I think the distinction between useful knitting and fancy crochet is telling. I still struggle to have respect for my own crochet lace work.
Wow, that's an amazing story! I find that complex information settles into place while I'm knitting, and I know colleagues in physics who feel the same.
I hadn't thought about how crafters feel about their own "fancy" work, but that's an important part of it, and one that still holds true today. It's strange how we sometimes don't allow ourselves to enjoy things.
I think I'm susceptible to other people's energies, and I grew up in an environment where art was very much a hobby one did on the side after serious work was completed. Still working on changing that mindset for my own art… thank you for your encouragement.
Great article! Makes me appreciate how far we’ve come with respecting women and craft (even tho sometimes it’s feeling backward lately as an American and we have a long way to go). Though I don’t crochet, I also feel slight judgement when I’m knitting in a work meeting or even among my family when we’re hanging out. I’ve recently decided that I just need to do it. The more often I knit at meetings, the more normalized it is. People can judge but over time, I’m trusting that they’ll eventually not even bat an eye and realize I’m more engaged.
Also- very curious about your work conference with a structural phylogenetics talk - I work in microbial genomics. What is your field?? (Also omg how is homoplasy dealt with??)
Thank you! And I know that feeling. I've definitely felt like I need to prove myself a bit when I'm crafting in professional spaces, but over time it's actually made me less self-conscious rather than more. I know I stand out, I've just stopped caring.
The conference was on bioenergetics. I'm a computational biophysicist, so I'm working with structures every day, and I've always been curious about how structural features can be so well conserved when the sequences look completely different. It was genuinely the first time phylogenetic trees clicked for me.
Homoplasy is a very good question but a bit out of my scope, so I'd love to hear how it's handled on your side of things.
Glad to hear it’s gotten better for you crafting in the workplace! I’ll keep stitching on!
And biophysics sounds very cool! My corner of microbiology still uses genetic sequences to make trees since homoplasy (when something looks morphologically similar but is not genetically related - like a bat and a seagull) complicates using structures potentially giving a different picture of evolution than comparing things genetically. But using structures is so powerful since so many genes have unknown functions! Hope the conference was fun!
Puts me in mind of our form tutor, advising how to complete university entrance forms in the 70s; we could say we enjoyed dressmaking, but not knitting...my dressmaking friend got into Oxford, keen knitter me to Liverpool Poly...(tho our A level results may have had something to do with it!)
So many new threads to pull on (all puns intended)! This article reminded me viscerally of when I worked as the only non-cis man on a small gov trades crew: we started at 6:30 am and most mornings, but would sit talking about, inevitably, trucks and guns and whatnot for a half hour or so. Finding this incredibly boring, I started bringing my little embroidery projects, which my supervisor immediately took issue with. It was unacceptable that I was doing "crafts" on the clock, but took no issue with the crew getting paid to chat or stare at their phone. It's... A comfort? Or perhaps more fuel for my fury that this is not a new issue.
I found it easier to take a small Turkish spindle and spin at work. Knitting would get interrupted by a phone call and was more complicated to put down.
Nice! I am usually quite concious about visually distracting people, so I like simple knitting projects I can keep low in my lap.
This is a great article. I enjoyed it a lot! 🧶♥️
Thank you!
I agree, I would listen better in work meetings if I could knit or crochet. I work remotely so meetings are video conferences. If I could leave the camera off it wouldn't be an issue, but we're usually asked to have our cameras on.
I hadn't thought about crochet being "fancy work," since I've used it for scarves, hats and blankets. But my grandmother crocheted many tablecloths and added decorative edges to linens, and as far as I know she only made one item of clothing (a baby sweater). She was born about 30 years after the events you write about.
That’s a shame you don’t get to craft in your meetings. Remote meeting are especially difficult for me, since the browser is right there to grab my attention away.
Thanks for sharing about your Grandmother. I would love to do a bit more digging into crochet vs. knitting patterns around that time, and see if there was much “plain work” crochet.
Deb, during lockdowns I knitted through many a video call at work. I just held the knitting where the camera couldn't see it, which is a surprisingly large area, including on the desk in front of my keyboard.
I've not felt able to do it in in-person meetings, though, and only do it at church if my parents aren't coming and I can sit at the back. In both cases there, my main concern is distracting others. But I am probably quite distracting in meetings anyway! I can't easily sit still for more than about an hour, struggle to focus, and often have fidget toys in my lap - they are smaller than knitting, and silent, but I'm still visibly fidgeting, I think.
On one occasion I had a pregnant colleague and was asked to knit a cardigan for the baby as a gift - in that case I did knit at work, so long as she couldn't see me. It was well-known what I was doing and though it wasn't "work" it was at least work-related.
This is terrific! As a lifelong crocheter who learned how to knit in mid-life, I stick a bit to the American assumption (I think) that crochet is for the working class. And knitting for those who can afford the fancy material to work with. Thanks for this—just love it!
Thank you - it’s great to have your perspective.I don't think crochet carries a strong class association either way, at least not for me. It would be fascinating to find out what kind of stereotypes modern crafters have of each other, and how that changes depending on age and location.
There on the right is my tiny “working yarn” (ha!) for when I can. It's interesting what you said, about creating space in your mind, because i know it can center me and helps my focus. I only do small projects now, but before I was promoted, I'd do several scarves or mitts a year, always had a stash in my desk. Helped with keeping a calm tone working with upset callers. As long as it was kept to a basic pattern with no more than a four row repeat, I never had to look down. Thank you for the fascinating read!
Thanks! I hadn't thought about it helping keep you calm in stressful situations, but that's a great perspective. Before a big talk, a few rows always help settle my nerves. Crafting really is a wonder-drug.
Thank you for this wonderful story! My grades in college all went up when I started knitting and crocheting in class -- taking notes and participating in class discussion all the while! Dr. Nancy Rodman, sometimes called "Mother of the Hubble Space Telescope" was famous for knitting during NASA meetings to help her pay attention (my mother, who also worked on the Hubble, told me she witnessed this firsthand!) But I think the distinction between useful knitting and fancy crochet is telling. I still struggle to have respect for my own crochet lace work.
Wow, that's an amazing story! I find that complex information settles into place while I'm knitting, and I know colleagues in physics who feel the same.
I hadn't thought about how crafters feel about their own "fancy" work, but that's an important part of it, and one that still holds true today. It's strange how we sometimes don't allow ourselves to enjoy things.
I think I'm susceptible to other people's energies, and I grew up in an environment where art was very much a hobby one did on the side after serious work was completed. Still working on changing that mindset for my own art… thank you for your encouragement.
Great article! Makes me appreciate how far we’ve come with respecting women and craft (even tho sometimes it’s feeling backward lately as an American and we have a long way to go). Though I don’t crochet, I also feel slight judgement when I’m knitting in a work meeting or even among my family when we’re hanging out. I’ve recently decided that I just need to do it. The more often I knit at meetings, the more normalized it is. People can judge but over time, I’m trusting that they’ll eventually not even bat an eye and realize I’m more engaged.
Also- very curious about your work conference with a structural phylogenetics talk - I work in microbial genomics. What is your field?? (Also omg how is homoplasy dealt with??)
Thank you! And I know that feeling. I've definitely felt like I need to prove myself a bit when I'm crafting in professional spaces, but over time it's actually made me less self-conscious rather than more. I know I stand out, I've just stopped caring.
The conference was on bioenergetics. I'm a computational biophysicist, so I'm working with structures every day, and I've always been curious about how structural features can be so well conserved when the sequences look completely different. It was genuinely the first time phylogenetic trees clicked for me.
Homoplasy is a very good question but a bit out of my scope, so I'd love to hear how it's handled on your side of things.
Glad to hear it’s gotten better for you crafting in the workplace! I’ll keep stitching on!
And biophysics sounds very cool! My corner of microbiology still uses genetic sequences to make trees since homoplasy (when something looks morphologically similar but is not genetically related - like a bat and a seagull) complicates using structures potentially giving a different picture of evolution than comparing things genetically. But using structures is so powerful since so many genes have unknown functions! Hope the conference was fun!
What a fascinating insight into attitudes to women’s work! Thanks
Puts me in mind of our form tutor, advising how to complete university entrance forms in the 70s; we could say we enjoyed dressmaking, but not knitting...my dressmaking friend got into Oxford, keen knitter me to Liverpool Poly...(tho our A level results may have had something to do with it!)
That’s fascinating! Who knows where I’d be if I’d taken up dressmaking…
Great story
So many new threads to pull on (all puns intended)! This article reminded me viscerally of when I worked as the only non-cis man on a small gov trades crew: we started at 6:30 am and most mornings, but would sit talking about, inevitably, trucks and guns and whatnot for a half hour or so. Finding this incredibly boring, I started bringing my little embroidery projects, which my supervisor immediately took issue with. It was unacceptable that I was doing "crafts" on the clock, but took no issue with the crew getting paid to chat or stare at their phone. It's... A comfort? Or perhaps more fuel for my fury that this is not a new issue.