[munificent]

> - It’s an excellent way to keep busy without totally disengaging during slower paced social events.

This is a really good point. I like knitting when I'm with family because it gives me something to do instead of just, you know, staring off into space, while still making me available for conversation.

I find that if you have your face in a phone, it send sends a "don't interrupt me" signal. Even if you're just playing a dumb game, people don't know that you aren't reading or otherwise absorbed, so tend not to engage with you. But you can easily talk and knit, so I think it works well as an idle-but-available activity.