Posted on 04/28/2006 1:38:33 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Mathiak: I can knit and think at same time By Susan Troller
WTDY/AM 1670 radio personalities Tim Morrissey and John "Sly" Sylvester got their knickers in knots this week over knitting.
Morrissey reported that he was "stunned" when he tuned in Monday night's Madison School Board meeting on television and saw brand new board member Lucy Mathiak knitting.
Morrissey said in a telephone interview that he considers it rude, and mentioned it on air Tuesday. Sly then continued to needle Mathiak about her knitting habit for several hours, and it has been a running thread on the station's programs this week.
Calls to a listeners' poll at the station are running 3-1 against knitting at meetings, according to the station's Web site.
For the record: Mathiak wasn't wool-gathering during the meeting; her comments on School Board business, including the administration's proposed $333 million budget, were on point and appropriate.
Mathiak said in an interview with The Capital Times Thursday: "I'm a proud member of the Knit-Wits, a group that is intelligent enough to knit and think at the same time."
She also said that if she gave up her knitting at board meetings, she'd likely enter some kind of 12-step recovery program, knowing she had the full support of Madison's knitting community.
A "knitting scandal" for you to share if you see fit. :)
Certainly, if it's a paid position—our school board is all-volunteer so, I have to ask—she should do her knitting on her own time.
A knitting scandal!
My goodness, I agree. Very rude. How in the world can someone take notes and knit at the same time?
I *do* expect a councilmember to take notes of their own at meetings. Secretary's minutes don't count, as they address general topics and not the specific items I've elected *my* councilmember to address with their own input.
I actually think better and pay attention to conversations and talking better when I'm knitting.
This is a truth that almost has to be taught one-by-one, though. Nonknitters can't fathom the focusing power of knitting. :-/
It's about time knitters got apolitacal scandal of our own!!!
Pinz
I'm an avid knitter, but I do not knit on paid time. You will see me knitting in the lobby, though, or the cafeteria, during my breaks during the cooler months.
Places that I knit or crochet include professional seminars, meetings, settlement conferences when I don't have to take notes, while I'm watching TV, while I'm listening to my audio books (my favorite). I have a friend who used to knit and do cross stitch while she sat on the bench (the judicial kind) She still would be she's retired.
LOL! I can think better and more calmly when I'm knitting or crocheting (since I just do simple stitches) than when I'm not.
You and me both. If I can't knit, I will doodle...and I might be able to repeat what you said verbatim if I do...but not if I don't have anything else to do with my hands.
With me it's needlework of any kind and/or crochet since I can't knit to save my life :)
That's with the proviso, though, that soneone else is keeping the minutes of the meeting. And if anyone said anything I wanted to make a special not of/about, I could always put my handwork down and jot some notes.
"It's about time knitters got a politacal scandal of our own!"
That's how I was looking at it, too. The two DJs that are giving her cr@p are two of the most worthless fools on the face of the Earth. "Sly" has been in some really serious scandals of his own with drinking and hookers. He used to regularily call the Ex-Mayor (a Republican, of course) a B*tch on the air. She finally sued him, and they fired him for a while. He must be back on another station now. He's a total Howard Stern wanna-be, but lacks the talent, LOL! (Not that I consider Stern "talented" but he makes money for people. Sly doesn't.)
They dislike Lucy (who I know) because she's on the opposite political side from them and she beat out the woman she was running against in the election a few weeks ago...by 84 votes! This is truly all it is. Lucy could out-think either of them with a knitting needle sticking out of the side of her head, LOL!
Knitting at a meeting has nothing to do with it. They would've found some way to disparage her.
Bet they couldn't rub their bellies and pat their heads at the same time, either :)
I know people that knit at meetings. It's a way of staying still with nervous energy type of thing, I think. It doesn't bother me in the least.
I crocheted two dishcloths between customers today while I was selling trees for MIL while she went to the doctor and to the grocery. I was on her dime, so when she paid me, I gave her a dishcloth, LOL!
Lucy should knit a scarf for Sly (the DJ making a mountain out of this molehill.) ;)
I'm on her side. I have to keep my hands busy. Knitting, needlepoint etc. are auto-moves which allow me to focus the mind. Otherwise, I'd be fidgeting.
Well, the first rule of Knitting Club is you do *not* talk about knitting club...
Can you imagine how scarey an actual Knitters Fight Club would be? *Shiver* ;)
LOL! Can't WAIT to see her outta here. :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.