[SCA-BMDL] Fw: Re: courtesy

[Karen Kasper]

I do NOT think it is rude to do handwork at a meeting - as long as the person in question is not running the meeting. The person who is running things (e.g. the seneschale at Barony meeting) should *not* be doing handwork. As Dear Abby says, it sends the wrong message, of at least a small amount of inattention, when presumably the organizer will be making decisions based on the discussions..
 
I don't knit or crochet, and seldom embroider much anymore, but I have no problem with people doing so while listening to or participating in meeting discussions. And I think it is totally appropriate at a social gathering, especially in the SCA, where it provides an opportunity to pass along knowledge! 
 
All that said, in an SCA context we do a lot of other types of handwork, and some may be more appropriate than others for meetings. Making chainmail is ok. Hammering a tooling implement on leather is less so, mostly because of the noise. Dishing a helmet with a ball peen hammer is right out. :-)
 
FWIW, this issue has been around for a long time. My mother, who was a teacher, got occasional flack for bringing her knitting to Teachers' Association meetings back in the 1960s and 70s.   :-)
 
Arianna


      
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