Did you KIP yesterday?

In case you hadn't heard of 'Knit in Public Day', follow the link at the title to learn more about it. Personally, I love to KIP, but have not had the opportunity to participate in an organized KIP event. The second weekend in June, when most of us in the northern hemisphere have the potential for pleasant weather, would seem ideal for a knit-in at the park, on the town square, at a sidewalk cafe ... but the second weekend in June also comes at the end of our first week of summer vacation. In our family, we have a very hectic schedule from the middle of April through and beyond the last day of school. We found that we need at least one week to really wind down and recover from the busy-ness, so I am not ready to schedule another activity.

On the other hand, I do KIP frequently, as I accompany the kids to extra dance rehearsals and competition, bowling tournaments, class day in the park, etc. My closest LYS had a KIP event, but the only notice for its event was a hand-written note taped to the front door, which I didn't find until after the store closed.

Quite by accident, our family stumbled into a local "Summer Fest" featuring arts and crafts sales, so I did run into a few crafters selling handmade goods; one vendor was even actually knitting between customers. So I did have an opportunity to honor the spirit of KIP, even if I didn't participate.

This year, there is an additional date for KIP, namely, next weekend; in the future, world wide KIP Day will be the third weekend in June, because of conflict with the original second weekend in June. I like this date; it more closely jives with the way our family slowly immerses itself in summer.

In the meantime, I'll continue to KIP through the summer ... during kids' playtimes at the park, waiting for the girls at dance class, on the beach during vacation, any other chance I get. If you have a craft that is portable (knit, crochet, various needle arts of any sort, whittling, caligraphy, macrame, weaving or spinning), I encourage you to do it in public, also. Public crafting is a great ice breaker and conversation starter, your craft might be the one to inspire a would-be artist to learn a new skill and the satisfaction that comes with creating something useful or something beautiful.