Clara's Window

I just got feedback from a non-knitting friend about the new Knitter's Review banner ad (which you see below). Half kidding but half serious, she said, "Well... I mean... um... the thing is, knitting is for sissies."

Yes, her comment was absurd, and I retaliated by threatening to cut off her supply of handknit socks permanently. What can I say, she's an athletic type who thinks that any stationary activity qualifies as sissy-like behavior.

But the whole conversation gave me a rather entertaining thought. What if we introduced "extreme knitting" as a new sport?

I can see it now. Skydivers casting on as they make their descent. Two snowboarders whizzing down a steep slope side by side, one holding a hank of yarn while the other winds it into a ball. And perhaps a few whitewater rapids-running kayakers whose paddles double as giant needles.

Then we could video the events and submit them to the Banff Film Festival. Or we could just stay at home, knit quietly, and poke critics with our needles.