I do a lot of kintting in public... and am up in San Francisco this weekend for the Dickens Faire... and was sitting in our tea shop at the show, and knitting when I had a youngish woman (in her late teens, or early 20's) ask me
a) if she could do some knitting on a project I am working on, (I am working on several pairs of socks, on 4 needles) and

b) how to finish off the project so that when she was done with it, it wouldn't unravel!

Being a semi-brave soul... (and knowing I could undo any mistakes she made...) I handed her one of the socks I am working on, (as she had never done multi-needle knitting) and explained that all you are really doing is working from one needle to another, and that the other needles were just place holders, which was an 'ahha' for her..., and then showed her how to cast off...

maybe another knitter in the round has been born?