Shut Up & Knit!

Once Upon A Time In BlogLand...

The Norma had a contest and thanks to the random number generator, I won.  Of course, the photo is a couple of hard drives ago, so the photo is even dodgier than normal.  /sigh  Anyway, it was the first batt that I ever encountered very early on in my life as a spindler.  I wasn't totally sure what I was doing but didn't let that stop me.

I know I was spinning on a tiny little Goldling spindle that our Norma had also given me.  Her life as a spinner was ending as I was starting.  This meant I was blessed with quite a few things that she no longer had need or want of.  I have no idea why she loved me so much but I will always be grateful.

After finishing the spinning, I plied.  Again using the spindles because this was pre-wheel time.  The plying job was bad, of course, but it didn't really matter because once the plying was done, I wound the yarn into a ball, shoved it into the stash and moved on.  Never set it.  Never counted anything.  Nothing.

When I tossed the stash last week, I found that ball.  For the first time, I felt sorry for it and pulled it.  It wouldn't take long to soak etc and I've been on a roll lately.  I decided to add some twist before soaking because someone would work with that yarn sooner or later.  Right?  That's when I realized that back in the day, all those years ago, I had plied in the wrong direction.

Yeah...

Running it through the wheel to fix the ply issue took longer than I thought but whatever.  Going in, I was thinking this could be yarn that I could sent to a girlfriend who has never knit with handspun before.  Someone who loves pink and would get a kick out of the yarn.

Then I saw the change that came over the yarn while plying it properly.  Holy crap!  The yarn opened up, got softer and I knew I had to keep it.  I'll find something else for my friend.  I'm sure I can find something pink somewhere in my stash.

I was surprised and kind of impressed at how even the singles were and what a nice yarn I ended up with once it was all said and done.

335 yards of 2 ply yarn.  I'm guessing it was a merino/silk blend sort of a thing.  Pretty impressive for someone who was just starting out on a spindle, I think.

I'm so glad that I pulled that ball of weirdness out of my hand-spun stash and turned into real yarn.  It showed me how I have grown and improved as a spinner in the last 6 years, but it also reminded me that I was pretty good with a spindle back in the day.

It's Windy Here

This is not a good way to end an already rocky week.

A bright spot:

Green Dragon Apples. 

Scroll down, people!

Saw them at the grocery Wednesday and thought WTF? because who would name an apple dragon.  I smelled one like you do.  Amazing.  Slightly sweet.  Pear maybe or something else.  Couldn't quite put my finger on it.  Got two because they're apples.  How bad could they be?

Turns out, they are the best, yummiest, sexiest apples.  Ever!  Japanese with a slight pineapple flavor.  Amazing and I'm not an apple person. 

Went back Thursday and they were starting to run out.  I loaded up because who knows when I'll see them again.  Remember I have a history of falling in love limited availability produce.  Italian black plums, anyone?  The apples are currently resting in the garage where it's cold and dark.  Not sure what I'll do when they're gone but I can't worry about that right now.

Right now, I need to be worrying about what cast on numbers I should be using for that sweater I started and ripped because I was using the wrong needles.  Then cast on and ripped because I think I cast on the wrong number of stitches but I'm not totally sure because my notes didn't make as much sense as they normally do.  Yes, this is the sweater that I purchased needles for when I already had the needles for it but with cables the wrong length.  Oh, and I bought needles with the wrong cable legthn that I alreayd had. 

Btw, if you need and can't find 3mm circulars with a 40" cable, I'm sorry.  I have them all and don't really need any of them.

Yeah...

Meanwhile, have you seen what my Bev is up to?  I love this.  Go here and read.  I think it's a wonderful answer to all the greed bullshit that happens every year but seems to be reaching an epic level this year.  I've always been a vote with my dollar kind of girl and this is another way to do that.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go figure out if I have enough yarn to finish sock #2 or if I have to operate on sock #1.  How is this my life?

Happy Friday, people!

ps...  I used to belong to a message board back in the day.  Jai, you remember the one.  (/ahem)  Every August, someone semi-high profile would fake their own death... and return shortly thereafter, of course.  It was like a tradition.  There's a part of me that kind of misses that.  The wondering who and how and looking forward to the semi-drama.  I kind of miss those simpler days.  Then again, I never understood why one would fake their own death only to return.  Fake my own death and leave you bitches behind makes much more sense to me.  Then again, what do I know?

Oh!  Remember how my debit card was compromised?  Turns out millions of debit cards may have been compromised.  The things you learn when you spend all your free time at the local bank branch.

A Colorful Ten

Rhinebeck weekend, our Natalie blogged some of the goodies she had purchased and I admired a color change batt from Into The Whirled.  Imagine my shock surprise when a couple weeks later, I receive a package from Canada containing a batt in that very same colorway.  For the record, I know nothing about the alleged candy that may or may not have been in that package as well...

Slightly dodgy pre-soak photo

Slightly dodgy post-soak hank

661 yards of chain plied yarn.  Loved the spinning.  Loved watching the colors change.  Loved the plying progress.  Loved!

I may even have a plan for it.  We'll see...

First things first.

Closing In...

On 1600 blog posts.

On 30,000 comments.

And on a real change of season.

Happy Saturday, everyone.

Since it's Tuesday...

And I'm a take no prisoners kinda girl...

There are some interesting trends happening right now in blog commenting that I just can't stand anymore.  So we're talking about them today.

It's All About Me!
These are the people who read your blog post about having been riding and leave a comment about how much they hate horses.  It has nothing to do with what you have posted.  It has nothing to do with you the blogger.  It has everything to do with the person who left the comment.

They are the center of their universe and seem to think that they are the center of yours, too.  Why comment on the blog post they have just read* when they can leave a comment that has very little to nothing to do with it and everything to do with them? 

If their goal is to tell everyone reading something about themselves, they are.  I just don't think it's what they wanted to tell us.

As a blogger, I have no idea how to respond to these comments.  As a blog reader, I feel for the person getting left such comments because I know how they're going to feel when they see the comment.  Something along the lines of WTF?! is typical from my experience.

Taking The First Shot!
Then there are the people who leave comments that are veiled insults.  Or not so veiled insults.  I love it when I get these from people who claim to be my friends.  Reminds me of that saying about who one should keep close...

These comments can be someone questioning your life choices, insulting a sock or being condescending.  Btw, two of those from the same person WILL get you banned from commenting on my blog.  Normally, that happens after an actual friend has emailed me to question the comments.  Yes, this has happened.  More than once.  Along the lines of 'did so-and-so really say that?'  Followed by both of us being confused by the comment or the recent commenting history.

My favorite condescending comment in all my years of blogging was from the little girl who thought it was quaint that all the knitters were taking up sewing.  Yeah.  I've known how to sew longer than she's been alive.  I love it when the young ones are so clueless.**

I'm The Next Woody Allen!
Then there are the people who think they're funny and aren't.  They are from the land of Trying Too Hard and Just Don't Get It in my experience.  We've all seen it.  Not only in blogs but on the Tweet, Faceyspace and anywhere else that actual cool funny people gather.

As someone who is actually funny, I have to tone it down because I know that I'm too hip for my own blog.  I've come to a place of peace with it for the most part.  It's a knitting blog.  If I'm too hip or edgy, I'll start getting people asking questions and/or telling me they don't understand because they don't want to fucking google it. Whatever...

Knowing your audience is a must.  If you don't, and you're trying too hard AND trying to be funny, it's going to fall flat.  If you're lucky, that's all.  If you're not lucky, people will notice and start talking.  Too much of that and folks will start looking into ways to avoid you because it's all about you not being funny and no one has time for that because we're all tired and busy.

Later, we'll talk about people who have no empathy, have no common sense and why I seem to attract them.  If there's time, we may even address how as we get older, our worlds get smaller and we become the center of our own personal universe and how one can deal with all of that without setting their elders on fire.  No matter how much that may seem like an idea.

Thank you if you've gotten this far.  I know it was a bit boring to read but I think there was a little something for everyone in there if you're paying attention.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got spinning to do...

 

*  This is assuming they actually read the blog post in questions.  There is some talk of perhaps these people are skimmers who are Trying Too Hard.  That would make sense but still...

** No, not really.