8.31.2006

MY FIRST RANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOPEFULLY MY LAST!

The title is a warning for all willing to enter:
I am so frustrated and angry right now. It all started with wanting to join a knit-along that's starting in october. It's for the Beadwork pattern by Jade Starmore. Knitter's who do not have the pattern, have been going crazy trying to find it. therefore, I've have about as much chance of getting it as I have that "snowball in hell" or stealing Brad Pitt away from Angelina Jolie!!!!!!! Don't even think to ask, "Did you try...? I used every search engine available to man, contacted every library available and speaking of that...WHY DO YOU NOT CARRY KNITTING PERIODICALS,EXCEPT FOR SCATTERINGS OF KNITTING MAGAZINES AND THE ONES YOU DO CARRY WTF?!! FOR ANY LIBRARIAN'S READING THIS, KNITTING IS HERE TO STAY GET WITH THE PROGRAM. I do understand about money and fiscal constraints. Knitters tend to be generous people and we read. I would donate a subscription to get the ball rolling. (Sorry librarians, didn't mean to put all on you and community libraries!).

Rant part Deux!
The beadwork pattern is in the Interweave Knits winter 99/00 magazine (hence the library search and mini rant!!!!) On e-bay the bids have been outrageous and if you win...might as well fashion the issue into a sweater and wear it, because it ends up costing the "winner" as much as the sweater!!! As soon as the KAL officially starts , the price will drop back to the usual Ik e-bay price!

Well, I think I can't find it using the usual ways so "What to do? What to do?" Why of course, GO TO THE SOURCE! I found Alice and Jade Starmores website and lo and behold...Adult Beadwork in all it's glory. I think I'll by the book, save myself the the trouble of a continued frustrated search and start swatching! But,no that's not to be.

RANT PART TROIS
I get the book in the mail, open and excitedly look through the book...child's beadwork. WHERE THE HELL IS THE ADULT BEADWORK. NOT IN THE BOOK...WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I try to look at the positive side. I can e-mail and nicely ask why there's no adult beadwork becuase after all it states on the website page "The Collector's Item" (name of the book) is needed to complete all sweaters shown" The adult beadwork was one of the patterns shown. I got a lovely (ggggggggrrrrrrrrrr) return e-mail informing me that the "beadwork situation" was well know and Jade felt obliged to write a supplement to the child's pattern for adults. NOW GET THIS! THE SUPPLEMENT IS FREE IF ONE BUYS THEIR YARN, OTHERWISE NO CAN DO!!! AGAIN, WTF. I PAID GOOD MONEY FOR A BOOK IN WHICH I EXPECTED TO SEE THE PATTERN AS LISTED ON THE WEBSITE AND NOW AM SOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what THE BEADWORK situation IS, but I do know I will not be buying anthing else Starmore related!

This is the first time I've encountered such frustration over one pattern. Most designers I know of or heard about who offer patterns for sale, actually sell them to the public without drama. I really want to make that damned sweater!!!!

END OF RANT.

8.23.2006

It's not rocket science...Maybe it is!!!

No, I'm not talking about knitting. I'm talking about this $#%*!!blog. How hard can it be to put titles, buttons, links etc. On the sidebar? Hard I tell you! HARD!!! I know, just shut-up and read the directions provided by blogger or make use of the internet and find websites that explain it in simple terms... or buy "blogging for real dummies". I finally got something on the sidebar. It's the logo for the Boston knitout and crochet 2006 that will be happening on the Boston Commons the last weekend in September. I can't wait to go! I've never been to one before. I discovered it last year on the Lionbrand website of events, but couldn't go. Now that I was able to get one thing on the sidebar. Nothing will keep me from getting your buttons and links listed!!!

Let's move on to something I do know something about! The local yarn store near the hospital, where I work had her annual anniversary sale. When I say sale, I mean SALE! All items including yarn, needles, and books were 30% off. Some yarns were anywhere from 40% to 75% off. I'm not talking about yarn no one would want, but the brands all us knitter's covet! Now, I told myself at the beginning of the summer that I would not buy yarn until I worked projects I already have or used up the "stash" yarn. However, with a sale like that can you blame? Before I walked in the store I had vision my head of Addi's, Inox, Bliss,Rowan, sock yarn. I could go on and on...

Once I entered the store, I was able to keep myself in check and shout "CHARGE IT" "I want it all, every last skein, hank, ball!!! Instead, when Karen (the owner) said: "Can I help you?" I said: "No thanks, I'm just looking" (yah,rat's ass, I'm just looking!). I ended up buying some beautiful bamboo yarn to make a clapotis. I would imagine by now I am the last knitter in the world to make one. Most people have at least half-a-dozen by now, am I right? Isn't this yarn beautiful?

beautiful!
The other item I'd like to make that puts me in the category of "last person in the world to knit_________" is a pair of jaywalkers. I even have the sock yarn I want to use, in my stash.
Lately, I've been seeing stars. Not the clunk on the head, in the sky or celebritieskind of stars...More later!
Get knitting!

8.14.2006

It's a vanilla day, week...


I heard an expression a few years ago, while I was a part of an internet group. The moderator of the group would talk about his family's day as being a vanilla day. Initially, people had some fun trying to figure out what a vanilla day was. was it about icecream ?(doesn't take much to trigger thoughts of icecream!) color? Mood? Turns out a vanilla day a normal (whatever that is)day with no surprises and life's rhythms are maintained. That's the kind of week I had. I've been enjoying my vanilla days, because one never knows when life will get crazy! I've been knitting, but feel as if everything is taking forever to finish. I have 3/4 of my second sixth sense sock done (yeah!) and am catching up on my M sampler. I have 3 patterns to knit. Two of them have only a small number of rows to complete the pattern and the third one has only about 20 rows. I will have a more complete entry in a few days. I need to take some pics of knitting progress and stash enhancement! Enjoy the beautiful flower and hope your days are pleasantly vanilla (unless you want wild and crazy!!!).

8.01.2006

My SP is amazing,cool,...The shizknitz!

yah, I took license with the spelling of shiznitz. I couldn't help it. My secret pal is making my first Secret pal experience the best! I came home yesterday to find a postal notice. Oh no, it's too late to get to the post office! Like the postman's motto through wind, storm... I was going to get that package. I'm like a kid in that way! I could not believe my eyes when I opened the package.

I think she has ESP or a crystal ball, because I was just talking to a knitting obsessed co-worker about socks and how I loved to get the book "Socks,Socks,Socks" and here it is!!! It has some awesome patterns. How did my secret pal know I journal??? This journal looks good enough to eat. The pictures of chocolate look so real, I swear I could smell chocolate! Now here's the clincher on the ESP/crystal ball theory.

Ever since, I saw a pair of socks made with trekking XXL, I've had it on my list of yarns to try. LO and Behold, this beautifully colored trekking yarn was in my hot little hands. The picture doesn't do this yarn color justice. Thank goodness, she included some aquatanica spa, cuz I need to calm down from all this secret pal goodness! Included with all this was a great card. Secret pal, I hope your pal is being as good to you as you've been to me. You deserve it!!!