Politics
‘Her Needles Pulled a Single String of Yarn From a Bag on the Floor’
A knitter’s practiced hands draw attention, a solo on a windy day and more reader tales of New York City in this week’s Metropolitan Diary.
Practiced Hands
Dear Diary:
After a long, glorious walk in the summer New York sun, I took the Q train home. As I stood in the car with the train rattling on, I noticed a petite woman sitting nearby who was knitting intently.
Her needles pulled a single string of yarn from a bag on the floor while the square she was working on grew ever larger. These were practiced hands, I thought, and they were drawing the attention of other riders as well.
I put away my reading and gazed at her fingers as they moved with a speed and dexterity that I was surprised still existed in this world of mechanical perfection.
When the train got to my stop, I moved toward the door, and she looked up to see where we were. I gave her a broad smile and two thumbs up.
She smiled back shyly, and then cast her eyes back down to her work.
— George Donovan
