Major props to my good buddy Meryl for publishing her book this month.
We all have a book in us. It's about a technical issue or a fictional world or our past life.
The hard part is getting the book out of us and on to the page. From current experience, I know that it takes amazing commitment and focus, a willingness to give up some control of your baby to an editor or collaborator, and time. So much time.
Even if your book is awful when it is complete, it is still an awesome accomplishment. Any book that is published is a merit badge for the author(s).
Thankfully, Meryl's book is great and shows off her big flashy brain. She gets a whole sash of badges for this one!
I'm looking forward to reading Meryl's murder mysteries in the future, which I am confident she will write in her spare time.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Yarnia - Saturday
And then on Saturday, I headed up to Blaine and worked my way back down to the city. Marcella volunteered to be my sidekick.
BEACH BASKET YARNS, near Blaine (Birch Bay) - What could be better than a yarn shop with an ocean view (just one block away) and a great cafe next door? This is a fiber art destination to die for. The staff was great. The owner brought out coupons to the cafe next door to all of us waiting for her to open. Lots of amazing yarn, there was that great ocean smell all around, and just a ton of fun. Looking forward to reserving a long weekend in a little spot along the main strip and knitting/crocheting to my heart's content. Super cute bobble stitch hats for both crochet and knit, and I had to buy yarn for both!
APPLE YARNS, Bellingham - Without a doubt, my favorite shop I visited. They immediately won points for giving away a cute pen that fits in my notions pouch, and incorporates a measuring tape in to the top! The owner was just great. You could tell she really loves what she does. I bought yarn for both the felted knit bag pattern and the crochet WIP bag, AND for the shawl the owner was wearing. I cannot wait to come back to this shop. If it was a little closer, it would definitely become my LYS.
NW HANDSPUN YARN, Bellingham - Lovely staff and great yarn. Also a large collecting of spinning and weaving supplies. Had a great time chatting with these gals. Bought this great chunky multi-color yarn for the hat/fingerless gloves patterns they had. Even better, the skein is big enough to do the hat and gloves. Really classy people. I can't wait to go back. This tour may start a little yarn tourism hobby for me.
KNOT JUST YARN, Burlington - Seattle metro area shops can take a note from the shops I visited, including this one, regarding customer service. This shop was rather small and didn't have a lot of yarn I loved, but they were warm, inviting, and pleasant. Got some (more) Mountain Colors hand-dyed yarn to make the chunky crochet hat pattern. This shop likes carrying Mountain Colors because they love supporting this small business from Montana run by two women. I like that sort of principle!
WILD FIBERS, Mount Vernon - This shop was just ok. A lot of amazing yarn, and also a lot of great project samples. But, the service was lacking. I evidently value great service in a yarn shop. I guess I have an expectation that while I'm paying more for the yarn, I'm supporting a small business and expect them to have higher prices, higher quality, and better customer service than a large chain store. But, they had Spud & Chloe yarn for the WIP bag patterns in crochet and knit. I bought some for each pattern. You won't appreciate the saturated color of Spud & Chloe until you see it in person. A must have yarn.
GREAT YARNS, Everett - Great shop, fun yarns. The pattern included a new crochet technique and ribbon yarn, so very unusual to the patterns we had seen so far. Bought the yarn and a new crochet hook thingy. Looking forward to practicing this technique. Definitely a recommended shop.
MAINSTREET YARN, Mill Creek - I was ready to hate this shop. I was biased against it because it's in Mill Creek, and in an upscale shopping area in Mill Creek. Instead, I found the staff warm and friendly, the yarns great, and the free pattern gorgeous. Got the yarn, again. I also found a great circular needle organizer that I had to have. The shopping area had great spots to eat as well, so this should be a return spot for a little shopping and dinner.
VILLAGE YARN & TEA, Lake Forest Park - And finally, we were back closer to Seattle. The staff in this shop were very nice. I had wanted to check out this shop for some time. Unfortunately, it just fell flat for me. I wasn't nuts about the patterns. I didn't buy any yarn. The shop had a strange vibe for me that I couldn't figure out. I might try it again sometime since it was the last shop in a long day of shops and at that point I had full on yarn overload.
What a lot of fun! I'm planning to continue trying to get to all 25 shops, hitting a few each weekend here and there. In two days, I got to 13, so not bad. All 25 in four days would be quite a feat, especially if one plans to take a look at the shops while there and not just grab a stamp and run.
BEACH BASKET YARNS, near Blaine (Birch Bay) - What could be better than a yarn shop with an ocean view (just one block away) and a great cafe next door? This is a fiber art destination to die for. The staff was great. The owner brought out coupons to the cafe next door to all of us waiting for her to open. Lots of amazing yarn, there was that great ocean smell all around, and just a ton of fun. Looking forward to reserving a long weekend in a little spot along the main strip and knitting/crocheting to my heart's content. Super cute bobble stitch hats for both crochet and knit, and I had to buy yarn for both!
APPLE YARNS, Bellingham - Without a doubt, my favorite shop I visited. They immediately won points for giving away a cute pen that fits in my notions pouch, and incorporates a measuring tape in to the top! The owner was just great. You could tell she really loves what she does. I bought yarn for both the felted knit bag pattern and the crochet WIP bag, AND for the shawl the owner was wearing. I cannot wait to come back to this shop. If it was a little closer, it would definitely become my LYS.
NW HANDSPUN YARN, Bellingham - Lovely staff and great yarn. Also a large collecting of spinning and weaving supplies. Had a great time chatting with these gals. Bought this great chunky multi-color yarn for the hat/fingerless gloves patterns they had. Even better, the skein is big enough to do the hat and gloves. Really classy people. I can't wait to go back. This tour may start a little yarn tourism hobby for me.
KNOT JUST YARN, Burlington - Seattle metro area shops can take a note from the shops I visited, including this one, regarding customer service. This shop was rather small and didn't have a lot of yarn I loved, but they were warm, inviting, and pleasant. Got some (more) Mountain Colors hand-dyed yarn to make the chunky crochet hat pattern. This shop likes carrying Mountain Colors because they love supporting this small business from Montana run by two women. I like that sort of principle!
WILD FIBERS, Mount Vernon - This shop was just ok. A lot of amazing yarn, and also a lot of great project samples. But, the service was lacking. I evidently value great service in a yarn shop. I guess I have an expectation that while I'm paying more for the yarn, I'm supporting a small business and expect them to have higher prices, higher quality, and better customer service than a large chain store. But, they had Spud & Chloe yarn for the WIP bag patterns in crochet and knit. I bought some for each pattern. You won't appreciate the saturated color of Spud & Chloe until you see it in person. A must have yarn.
GREAT YARNS, Everett - Great shop, fun yarns. The pattern included a new crochet technique and ribbon yarn, so very unusual to the patterns we had seen so far. Bought the yarn and a new crochet hook thingy. Looking forward to practicing this technique. Definitely a recommended shop.
MAINSTREET YARN, Mill Creek - I was ready to hate this shop. I was biased against it because it's in Mill Creek, and in an upscale shopping area in Mill Creek. Instead, I found the staff warm and friendly, the yarns great, and the free pattern gorgeous. Got the yarn, again. I also found a great circular needle organizer that I had to have. The shopping area had great spots to eat as well, so this should be a return spot for a little shopping and dinner.
VILLAGE YARN & TEA, Lake Forest Park - And finally, we were back closer to Seattle. The staff in this shop were very nice. I had wanted to check out this shop for some time. Unfortunately, it just fell flat for me. I wasn't nuts about the patterns. I didn't buy any yarn. The shop had a strange vibe for me that I couldn't figure out. I might try it again sometime since it was the last shop in a long day of shops and at that point I had full on yarn overload.
What a lot of fun! I'm planning to continue trying to get to all 25 shops, hitting a few each weekend here and there. In two days, I got to 13, so not bad. All 25 in four days would be quite a feat, especially if one plans to take a look at the shops while there and not just grab a stamp and run.
Yarnia - Friday
Wow! I finally took part in the LYS (Local Yarn Shop) Tour, and had a ball.
Friday -
FIBER GALLERY, Phinney Ridge - My LYS, so it was great. Cute little shawl with Malabrigo lace.
FULL CIRCLE YARN, Ballard - I wasn’t nuts about the vibe. The yarns were just, odd. If you’re looking for unusual yarn, this is the spot. The store was very musty, which made me wonder about whether the yarn would be musty too. Had a knit hat and a crochet toddler hat. NICE STAFF.
BAD WOMEN YARN, Wallingford - So disappointing! I loved the shop itself. Lots of yummy yarn that I want to go back for, but wasn’t nuts about the service. The patterns (knit cowl, crochet scarf) were behind the counter so you had to wait in line for it.
While it’s supposedly free, the point was that you wouldn’t get it unless you bought something. I asked to see them because I was thinking of buying other yarn than the sale yarn (more Malabrigo lace) and wanted to see the yardage. (They have Manos, which I love!!) The guy behind the counter was very reluctant to hand them over and after some sparring gave me just the knit pattern and I had to ask again for the crochet. He was definitely not happy to give me both of them without a yarn sale. I did end up purchasing some yarn, but not as much as I would have.
Shouldn’t have been this hard to get a free pattern, the point of which was to get people in to the store that haven’t been there before. And, this is a shop I had really been looking forward to. I’m going to give them another try during a less busy time, but I’m rather skeptical. Such a bummer.
ACORN STREET SHOP, View Ridge - Loved it! I think you (Leilani) like it too. They had the yarn I need for the scribble lace project I want to do. Kind of a cute cowl pattern, but I didn’t get that yarn. Got two other skeins though, and I’ll be back. Great vibe, amazing selection of yarn, and the biggest selection of needles I have ever seen.
WEAVING WORKS, U District - I don’t go to WW because I had previously found the staff to be rather rude, and rather anti-crochet. So, I go in here really just for a stamp and I’m on my way to the chiropractor around the corner. LOVED the pattern, long gauntlets in beautiful hand-painted yarn. Got the yarn, couldn’t find the pattern. Asked for it twice while I was checking out and was ignored. Finally was checked out and they were looking at me to leave and I had to ask very pointedly for the pattern, and the response was rather rude!
And, they don’t punch their card for “sale” yarn, so the project yarn - just 10% off - didn’t get me a punch, but did get me a snotty rejection of my card. A little silly. Again, I won’t be back. The shop just has the wrong vibe for me. I have never had a good shopping experience there.
I’m headed up to Blaine in the morning to work my way back down from there. Don’t know how many I’ll hit, but I’m not planning to go to Anacortes, the islands, or the east side. Unsure if I’ll go south. The Ren Yarn pattern is calling me though!
Friday -
FIBER GALLERY, Phinney Ridge - My LYS, so it was great. Cute little shawl with Malabrigo lace.
FULL CIRCLE YARN, Ballard - I wasn’t nuts about the vibe. The yarns were just, odd. If you’re looking for unusual yarn, this is the spot. The store was very musty, which made me wonder about whether the yarn would be musty too. Had a knit hat and a crochet toddler hat. NICE STAFF.
BAD WOMEN YARN, Wallingford - So disappointing! I loved the shop itself. Lots of yummy yarn that I want to go back for, but wasn’t nuts about the service. The patterns (knit cowl, crochet scarf) were behind the counter so you had to wait in line for it.
While it’s supposedly free, the point was that you wouldn’t get it unless you bought something. I asked to see them because I was thinking of buying other yarn than the sale yarn (more Malabrigo lace) and wanted to see the yardage. (They have Manos, which I love!!) The guy behind the counter was very reluctant to hand them over and after some sparring gave me just the knit pattern and I had to ask again for the crochet. He was definitely not happy to give me both of them without a yarn sale. I did end up purchasing some yarn, but not as much as I would have.
Shouldn’t have been this hard to get a free pattern, the point of which was to get people in to the store that haven’t been there before. And, this is a shop I had really been looking forward to. I’m going to give them another try during a less busy time, but I’m rather skeptical. Such a bummer.
ACORN STREET SHOP, View Ridge - Loved it! I think you (Leilani) like it too. They had the yarn I need for the scribble lace project I want to do. Kind of a cute cowl pattern, but I didn’t get that yarn. Got two other skeins though, and I’ll be back. Great vibe, amazing selection of yarn, and the biggest selection of needles I have ever seen.
WEAVING WORKS, U District - I don’t go to WW because I had previously found the staff to be rather rude, and rather anti-crochet. So, I go in here really just for a stamp and I’m on my way to the chiropractor around the corner. LOVED the pattern, long gauntlets in beautiful hand-painted yarn. Got the yarn, couldn’t find the pattern. Asked for it twice while I was checking out and was ignored. Finally was checked out and they were looking at me to leave and I had to ask very pointedly for the pattern, and the response was rather rude!
And, they don’t punch their card for “sale” yarn, so the project yarn - just 10% off - didn’t get me a punch, but did get me a snotty rejection of my card. A little silly. Again, I won’t be back. The shop just has the wrong vibe for me. I have never had a good shopping experience there.
I’m headed up to Blaine in the morning to work my way back down from there. Don’t know how many I’ll hit, but I’m not planning to go to Anacortes, the islands, or the east side. Unsure if I’ll go south. The Ren Yarn pattern is calling me though!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Unplug and Recharge
My friends at the Huff Post agree! It's time to pull ourselves off the grid.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-unplug-and-recharge-c_b_562781.html
Take the challenge and change your life. If you're already devoting a good portion of your day to ungridded activities, add another 30 minutes!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-unplug-and-recharge-c_b_562781.html
Take the challenge and change your life. If you're already devoting a good portion of your day to ungridded activities, add another 30 minutes!
Why I Am Leaving Facebook Behind
In my opinion, our culture has jumped a community shark. Facebook, and its little sister Twitter, have ultra-condensed our interactions with one another, allowing us to squeeze them in between other important activities in our lives, like driving too far to work, getting our kids to too many activities, and our required exercise, meditation, and hobbies.
Facebook is a symptom of our cultural disease - over consumption.
Just like the slow food movement, we need to start a slow social movement. Write a friend an email. Better yet, write a letter with pretty paper and a pen with actual ink and a stamp . Call your mom for a long Sunday afternoon chat. Drop-in at a friend's house with a casserole and bottle of wine and whittle away an evening on the porch.
These activities shouldn't be luxuries. They are necessities. We have become a nation of social hoarders that must clear out our mental attics and garages, to-do lists and should-do lists.
In our quest to consume more, know more people, connect more, do more, we have lost the essence of community. Community is not quantity, it is quality.
Think of what was important in a friendship as a child; it applies today as well. Know your best friend's middle name and favorite color. Revel in a delightful shared past-time. Stay up too late giggling.
That is what makes a relationship rich - not knowing that someone just made a peanut butter sandwich.
Edited to add: My firm commitment melted in the face of a plea from my best friend to continue on FB because we don't see each other often enough. Evidently, family over principles for me.
Facebook is a symptom of our cultural disease - over consumption.
Just like the slow food movement, we need to start a slow social movement. Write a friend an email. Better yet, write a letter with pretty paper and a pen with actual ink and a stamp . Call your mom for a long Sunday afternoon chat. Drop-in at a friend's house with a casserole and bottle of wine and whittle away an evening on the porch.
These activities shouldn't be luxuries. They are necessities. We have become a nation of social hoarders that must clear out our mental attics and garages, to-do lists and should-do lists.
In our quest to consume more, know more people, connect more, do more, we have lost the essence of community. Community is not quantity, it is quality.
Think of what was important in a friendship as a child; it applies today as well. Know your best friend's middle name and favorite color. Revel in a delightful shared past-time. Stay up too late giggling.
That is what makes a relationship rich - not knowing that someone just made a peanut butter sandwich.
Edited to add: My firm commitment melted in the face of a plea from my best friend to continue on FB because we don't see each other often enough. Evidently, family over principles for me.
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