Monday, February 25, 2008

NOT what I had planned for today.

There were a ton of kits I had wanted to get mailed out today. A ton.

For some reason, I couldn't seem to get anything finished today. I didn't waste time knitting, I didn't watch tv, or read a book, or sleep in, or watch a movie....

But I DID take a walk through the pasture this morning. I'm not completely certain, but I think this is what caused my problems today. Yes, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that the pasture walk was definately the root of my lack of completed and mailed kits today.

First, I found these:


Then, when I went back out to bring them in the space in the barn I'd made for them, I found THIS:

Frankly, I'm afraid to go out again.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Out the Door.

Both Roxie and myself, actually.

Roxie in all her infamous glory went out the door Thursday, along with goodies, as the last official 2007 FlockSock Sock Club.

I followed shortly after, for a brief visit to 'the city', staying on Lisa's proverbial couch as it were. I am here officially, to deliver awesome grassfed meats to equally awesome customers in the city. I brought the snow with me from upstate, and with about 3 inches of snow on everything here, at 8am Friday morning I was brought back to consciousness by the sound of a snowmobile. They are a bit desperate for snow here I guess, cause his tracks cleared what little of it there was off the road in his wake. By noon, the plow truck came by actually plowing water. Interesting. Oh well.


Friday marks the first day since the Yarn Harlot did this where I did not dye any yarn at all. Not for lack of trying mind you. As I added bin after container after bucket of stuff for the husband to load in the car, he began to have suspicions that I was not, as stated, 'done' putting stuff by the door when he was not looking. When he noticed the bags of undyed yarn and the bin with dye and spoon (rabbitch, please not the singular of this word).... well, he drew the line. After much discussion and debate about the remaining and pending orders, customers waiting, lives hanging in the balance (ok, maybe that was a bit extreme), he finally won the argument with this one:
"You know what will happen. You'll start dyeing yarn, the 2 of you will start yakking and giggling, you'll FORGET about the yarn and completely RUIN the color you were aiming for and you don't have time for mistakes... blah blah blah."

For the record? Lisa and I do NOT giggle. Cackle maybe, but NOT giggle.
Sniff.

I consoled myself with instead bringing all of the yarn that IS dyed and ready to mail out, which is going out today. So while I'm not actually dyeing any yarn for more consecutive hours than I can even think about (I get a little anxious when I think about it - kind of a precursor to withdrawal I think)... please note that I am being productive on ya'll's behalf. (Yes it's a word. Go visit Texas if you have any doubts.)

My daughter helped me pack, and she reminded me to bring my camera (what a good little blogger), and gave me this so that I would not be lonely and so I would have something to protect my suitcase and clothes from bad guys. (Don't let the pansy colors or the strawberry tattoo fool you. This is really one wicked guard-pony.)

She also gave me a picture of her from the fridge collection, so I would "not forget what she looks like" she says.

The forced moratorium on dyeing any yarn is giving me the time to update the info on club members for the 2008 FlockSock Sock Club, and some other paperwork-ish duties I've been neglecting.

I DID bring knitting, but for some reason, can't bring myself to do more than look at it. I like the project (scarf in a simple wave stitch), I like the yarn (undyed bulky aran-style wool), I am PLANNING the color (it's undyed as I plan to dye it after it's knit), but I think that I feel like it's for 'when everything else is caught up' and so I keep leaving it upstairs. Of course, with this bizarre thought process it will never be finished... oh well. Off to pack up kits to take over to Lisa's post office, which also seems rather bizarre to me. (She mailed me the patterns from this post office, I drove them back here and assembled kits, and mailed them AGAIN from the same post office... weird.)

Monday, February 11, 2008

We interrupt this broadcast....

"...for a critical 'where's waldo' type scenario - especially if you live in Augusta Georga:"

Florie R. in Augusta GA - - Please call me back!!

Florie is a wonderful knitter in Augusta GA who meets with other wondeful knitters at the local library. They told her all about us over here at chez Vintage and we had a wonderful phone chat when she called me. Now, she says she's not online and so I'm looking for other knitters in Augusta to help me find her. If you'd please have her give me a call ASAP, that would be WONDERFUL. Otherwise, you'll find me calling every library in Augusta, and I don't even know when they meet.




"And now, back to your regularly scheduled broadcast"

It's almost to late!
... to get in on the club, that is.
Here's a hint:

If you haven't heard from me yet regarding your club membership and you've paid for a spot - your in like Flynn. (Bet you didn't know Flynn was a knitter, eh?) I'll have a welcome note out to you in a couple of days.

If you mailed in payment via check/money order, please email me to make sure I have a way to contact you other than just dropping kits out of the blue on you, via the USPS. There are contests & stuff and I'd hate to see you miss them! If your PLANNING to mail me payment via check/money order, let me know asap so I can pin a name to the board for you here.

Yes, I'm still mailing out kits that you wonderful knitters have ordered. Yes (Colleen) I'm still spinning 'the yarn' as it's known by around here.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Talk about your black hole...

Stephanie mentioned a time loop phenomenon happening with her totally AWESOME Vintage socks. Most knitters have experienced the Black Hole of Knitting during a project where you knit forever and accomplish NOTHING. And then there's that hidey spot in the universe, where the dpns and tape measures go, and sometimes they show up in interesting places giving rise to many theories like elves, gnomes, fairies, and (my favorite) matter-transport as seen in Star Trek (oh I'm waitin' for the day).

A similar thing is going on here, having to do with packages. I dye the yarn, I skein the yarn, I address envelopes and pack the kits, I stuff the envelopes, I take BAGS of packages to the post office (hi Dave the postmaster!), and I deliver them into the waiting hands of the Post Office, U.S. style. I mail between 15 and 25 packages a day on most days. The phenomenon? You still don't have your kit/yarn/package!

If your still waiting, I'm still packing/shipping packages. I appreciate your patience. Yarn for the 101Kits and the Fiber Festival came in, and I've been catching up those.

Some Updates:

  • Roxie, the last kit of the 2007 FlockSock Sock Club (please refrain from looking at your datebook) is getting ready to ship, along with goodies.
  • The first kit of the 2008 club is in the works.
  • Cleopatra is on the horizon as the first kit released this year from last year's club kits.
  • I think the new-for-Valentine's Day colorway is going to have to wait until March :-)
  • As soon as they get that matter-transport thing working, your packages will arrive WAY faster. Tell your congressman to get crackin on funding that one, eh?
  • On March 10th, after all the kits are gone, and I've dyed a whack of that new Valentine-in-March colorway... I'm planning on taking a nap. I'm a little tired so mark your calendars cause I'm taking the phone off the hook for an hour or so.