It sure is nice being back in the 41017! After four days of flying, nothing beats your own bed, a washer and dryer, your familiar shower and full-size bottles of shampoo. There is no place like home!
This weekend, there was no place like Knitwits!
The Scarf It Up Brunch was a BIG success. I had to man the shop so I missed the fun, food, lively conversation and prizes. Everyone came into the shop after the event to give me the details-so I didn't miss out on the friendship. After the bustle of the Brunch crowd, the Everyway Wrap Crowd came in for the first KAL (Knit-A-Long) session. The next meeting may be BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair) as every seat in the house was taken. The star of the KAL was Laura's Jordana Paige Knitting Bag. We passed it around, ogled and awed, and picked styles and colors for our "Wish Lists". It holds an amazing amount of knitter's treasures, is well organized...and best of all...it looks like a fashionable purse! Gotta have one!
Today was a good day at the shop. It was Christmas Knitting day and with the cooler temperature outside, it really made me think about Winter. I hate that I don't enjoy the fall because I'm dreading winter so much! Our ball winder got a good workout today-lots of Malabrigo, kool-aid dyed yarn, and Misti Alpaca. The new fall yarns are going out as quickly as they came in-why do most of them need to be wound?
It's time to finish knitting those sweaters and socks. Sweater weather is here! Dust off the boots and don the handknit socks (or...sock in my case).
This week promises to be just as activity-filled as this past weekend with crochet classes, lunch at the Alpaca Farm on Thursday, Kid's Club, Sweater and Sock Club, and "Mean Girls Knitting" (that's what the Cookie A. Sock Knitters call themselves because they talk about you if you don't attend). There's something for everyone and the coffee is free!
Come Buy! The Fish has Landed!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Jordana Paige
The other day, my mother called and asked me what I wanted for Christmas. She asked if I would like a Roomba, the thing that looks like a gigantic, out of control, yoyo that aimlessly vacuums your house while your away. I said I would think about it.
My mother must have something to worry herself sick about in order to be happy. She usually worries about her dog, Ruby, or my brother and his family. Ruby must be fine. Good. And my brother, his wife, and my two nephews must be over the H1N1 virus, that was last week's Hot Topic. For her to be worrying about Christmas, is a good sign that she needs to be making stuff up to worry about!!
A roomba may be a nice thing to have but I picture coming back from a four day trip and finding that my roomba has choked to death trying to digest yarn, dust balls and some of the unfinished knitting that lays around the floor like an obstacle course. Thanks mom, but I'll stick to Ole School and let the cleaning lady (me) use the upright vacuum cleaner.
What I really want for Christmas is a Jordana Paige Knitting Bag! Laura Fant has one and I drool and covet it everytime I see it. Jordana Paige Knitting Bags are stylish, functional, hip, to die for cute PURSES that just happen to have cool knitting features and plenty of room for projects. Check out the web site! (If you click the underlined Jordana Paige, it will take you there. But finish reading the blog first.) They retail for under $90, so they're cheaper and better looking than most of my purses! Perfect! I want the Black Onyx Rio Bag.
Here's the problem. I did some research on getting them for the shop. Their minimum order is pretty big, so we can't justify bringing a bunch in just so I can have a great Christmas present for my mom to get me. Here's the solution. If enough of us want a Jordana Paige Knitting Bag for Christmas, we can place an opening order that meets our minimum and have them in time for Holiday Knitting season. If we have enough special orders, we may be able to offer a Knitwits Super Introductory Special Order Pre-Pay Offer Discount! We all win--I get my bag, you get your bag and our bag gifters get a discount! If you're interested, let us know at the shop.
Please.... don't make me get a Roomba!
http://www.jordanapaige.com
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Whew! Whoa! and Wow!
Whew! Escaped the Motherboard Meltdown with minor bumps and bruises and I'm now cruising right along on my new MacBook! The new MacBook allows you to run Windows so I can do everything I used to do on "Lappie" with the cooler, smoother, easier, faster Apple operating system. I'm really diggin' the new laptop that the staff has named "Mackie". With the important data retrieved from the brains of "Lappie", I just need to reconcile some accounts and we're back on track!
Whoa! With the cooler nights, I can really feel summer coming to a close. I will not let Fall pass me by! We're going to kick off Fall with the Scarf It Up Brunch on Saturday. The prizes are AMAZING-diamond necklaces, designer handbags, $100, good food, good friends, good cause! Please try to attend. For me, knitting is a year round sport. For many, Fall officially starts the knitting season. Most of the Fall yarns and projects are now in the shop and they are going quickly!
Please take a few minutes (or hours) to backup your important stuff on your computers (call Pandora Steve for advise) and have projects lined up and be ready should H1N1, Beechwood Stomach Flu, computer virus or some other funk hit. You'll be really glad you did.
Wow! Jill finished knitting her Malabrigo Everyday Wrap (all but putting on the buttons) and it is a work of Art. She was struck by the Beechwood Stomach flu yesterday and had to miss Sock Club last night. Elizabeth's Beaded Bracelet Class at Janet's house was a really nice event. With enough interest in doing it or something like it again, we'll set it up! Kool Aid Yarn dye-ing was really fun or all ages- in fact Aiden's (age 5) yarn might just be my favorite.
All of these shop activities and events are a great way to meet fellow yarnies and expand your yarnie worlds. The conversation is always enjoyable, the laughs are free and the end results are priceless.
I'm off on yet another 4-day trip and will return to the shop on Saturday. I'm taking Mackie, a suitcase full of paperwork, and those darn Christmas stockings. Let's hope I can get something done!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Aaaah haaah! The Conclusion
It's been a long ride but I'm going to try to wrap it all up in a tidy little summary for you.
We take our computers for granted. We assume that they'll do what we want, when we want them to. But when they don't, they become our own worst enemies. Our computers know everything about us - our social security numbers, our finances, our account numbers, our passwords, our music tastes, addresses and phone numbers of family and friends, our photo history and so much more. They are capable of so much more than I am even able to comprehend. Yet, when our trusted computer goes kaput, life still goes on- the shop still opens, the banks still bank, my friends are still my friends and pen and paper still exist!
Laura explained to me that for her husband, Chris, computers are his knitting. I guess that it is the same for Pandora Steve and "Not Steve", they get IT. I'll stick to knitting but I'll be much more diligent with computer maintenance and management.
Back up the important stuff, do it often and leave a paper trail just in case! Computers can be repaired or in my case, replaced.
What can't be replaced or repaid are the people who rallied around me during the Motherboard Meltdown. No purse-no problem, Janet to the rescue. No truck-Steve of Belinda and Steve to the rescue. No idea about what's wrong with Lappie-Laura, Aiden and Chris to the rescue. Not enough muscles-Steve and "Not Steve" to the rescue. No tools and no electrical know-how-Bill and Krista Lahner to the rescue. No food, no IT, no clue.....on and on...at every turn there were people offering an assisting hand. How am I so blessed?
A wise friend described Knitwits as a "Vortex", a place where people, places and things merge together. It is within the walls of Knitwits - the Vortex-that something magical happens. He says, "Magic is not to be explained or understood--it is just to be enjoyed."
This post is written from my new Mac book and it is a heartfelt thanks to all for getting me through a week of technical difficulty.
What can't be replaced or repaid are the people who rallied around me during the Motherboard Meltdown. No purse-no problem, Janet to the rescue. No truck-Steve of Belinda and Steve to the rescue. No idea about what's wrong with Lappie-Laura, Aiden and Chris to the rescue. Not enough muscles-Steve and "Not Steve" to the rescue. No tools and no electrical know-how-Bill and Krista Lahner to the rescue. No food, no IT, no clue.....on and on...at every turn there were people offering an assisting hand. How am I so blessed?
A wise friend described Knitwits as a "Vortex", a place where people, places and things merge together. It is within the walls of Knitwits - the Vortex-that something magical happens. He says, "Magic is not to be explained or understood--it is just to be enjoyed."
This post is written from my new Mac book and it is a heartfelt thanks to all for getting me through a week of technical difficulty.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Technical Difficulty-Part III My Peeps to the Rescue
Sunday Night. With my computer off for advanced diagnostics, I waited anxiously be my iphone for some news from Chris, Laura's husband. No news is good news, right?
Without a computer, I had no access to my patterns, my on-line banking , Facebook, Knitwits record keeping, and my life as I knew it. Time seemed to crawl at a snails pace. No news from Chris so off to bed for some quality tossing and turning, teeth grinding and night sweats.
Monday Morning. "Not Steve" called and told me that he was putting his day on hold to take me for a picnic lunch and computer shopping (if needed). Janet called to let me know that she and Steve (of Belinda & Steve) were taking Steve's truck to Addison Mac to retrieve our stuff. She would call if they needed my muscles. Well, "the call" came a few minutes later--so off I went to meet them at the shop. Just as I was about to roll up my sleeves for some heavy lifting, "Not Steve" called and to say he was in the 41017 and driving down Buttermilk Pike. His timing couldn't have been more perfect! Two thugs and a truck-just what Janet and I had wished for!
In typical women's fashion, we had no idea where to put the new large furniture acquisitions-we just knew that we hoped that the new pieces would give Knitwits the grace, elegance and style that we had admired about Addison Mac. Somehow, redecorated happened fairly quickly and everything fell into place. Thanks for your patience and brawn Steve and Not Steve.
Janet went off to a mammogram (the fun never ends for her), Steve went off to do Steve stuff and "Not Steve" and I went our own way. Our first stop, coffee! Ordered coffee, decided to have lunch instead, returned coffee, went to Sweet Basil for lunch. I had never returned a cup of coffee before, but the barista was cool with it.
During lunch, news from Laura sprang up on my iphone. DOA- no chance of revival, no how, no way. Instead of mourning the loss of Lappie, I tried to get excited about a new computer. "Not Steve" is an Apple kind of guy. Comair Steve has been crabbing at me for years about getting an Apple. Janet and Sarah, Apple people! Did they all know something I needed to know? After lunch, it would be off to Ohio and the Apple Store.
The Apple Store for "Not Steve" is like a yarn shop for me, full of endless possibility, want and desire. Since I just don't get IT, he promised to do all of the talking and translate computer speak into non-IT talk. I promised to stay focused and not have my eyes glaze over when they spoke Megs, Ram, Intel, blah blah blah. Just tell me how much and where to sign!
Boom Done. My head hurt a little bit, but we left with a cute little computer box and a bag of discs and dats-"Not Steve" knew what all of it was and what it did. Yay!
The Wingate in Jacksonville doesn't have a 15 minute time limit like the Courtyard by Marriot in Kansas City, but the light switch is on a timer that goes off every 5 minutes. Can you say annoying!
I'll wrap up this little tale of woe and conquest when I get home tommorrow night! Stay tuned for the stunning conclusion.
Without a computer, I had no access to my patterns, my on-line banking , Facebook, Knitwits record keeping, and my life as I knew it. Time seemed to crawl at a snails pace. No news from Chris so off to bed for some quality tossing and turning, teeth grinding and night sweats.
Monday Morning. "Not Steve" called and told me that he was putting his day on hold to take me for a picnic lunch and computer shopping (if needed). Janet called to let me know that she and Steve (of Belinda & Steve) were taking Steve's truck to Addison Mac to retrieve our stuff. She would call if they needed my muscles. Well, "the call" came a few minutes later--so off I went to meet them at the shop. Just as I was about to roll up my sleeves for some heavy lifting, "Not Steve" called and to say he was in the 41017 and driving down Buttermilk Pike. His timing couldn't have been more perfect! Two thugs and a truck-just what Janet and I had wished for!
In typical women's fashion, we had no idea where to put the new large furniture acquisitions-we just knew that we hoped that the new pieces would give Knitwits the grace, elegance and style that we had admired about Addison Mac. Somehow, redecorated happened fairly quickly and everything fell into place. Thanks for your patience and brawn Steve and Not Steve.
Janet went off to a mammogram (the fun never ends for her), Steve went off to do Steve stuff and "Not Steve" and I went our own way. Our first stop, coffee! Ordered coffee, decided to have lunch instead, returned coffee, went to Sweet Basil for lunch. I had never returned a cup of coffee before, but the barista was cool with it.
During lunch, news from Laura sprang up on my iphone. DOA- no chance of revival, no how, no way. Instead of mourning the loss of Lappie, I tried to get excited about a new computer. "Not Steve" is an Apple kind of guy. Comair Steve has been crabbing at me for years about getting an Apple. Janet and Sarah, Apple people! Did they all know something I needed to know? After lunch, it would be off to Ohio and the Apple Store.
The Apple Store for "Not Steve" is like a yarn shop for me, full of endless possibility, want and desire. Since I just don't get IT, he promised to do all of the talking and translate computer speak into non-IT talk. I promised to stay focused and not have my eyes glaze over when they spoke Megs, Ram, Intel, blah blah blah. Just tell me how much and where to sign!
Boom Done. My head hurt a little bit, but we left with a cute little computer box and a bag of discs and dats-"Not Steve" knew what all of it was and what it did. Yay!
The Wingate in Jacksonville doesn't have a 15 minute time limit like the Courtyard by Marriot in Kansas City, but the light switch is on a timer that goes off every 5 minutes. Can you say annoying!
I'll wrap up this little tale of woe and conquest when I get home tommorrow night! Stay tuned for the stunning conclusion.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Not Kool!!!-Part II of Technical Difficulty
The non-responsive laptop computer situation had left me incredibly sad- inconsolable in fact. Even knitting did not bring me peace. (The pattern I needed for my most current knitting project (Heirloom Christmas Stockings) was saved on my computer and no where else!)
I arose early on Sunday morning and ran straight to the unresponsive laptop. I was hoping that it was "just a baaaaad dream", that Lappie would have magically repaired itself after a good night's rest. No such luck.
Sunday was Yarn Dyeing with Kool-Aid Day at Knitwits, and I knew it was going to be busy and hectic. I wouldn't have anytime to deal with my unresponsive laptop. This was Not Kool!
I talked to "Not Steve" and he recommended going to the Geek Squad to get a quick diagnosis. I also called Little/Pandora Steve on his day off. No answer. I pleaded for him to call me back as soon as possible. I thought about calling Comair /Mac Steve but I knew he would be at Church . Will call him later. I wanted to Google Best Buy to find out what time they open-can't Google-no computer! Not Kool!
I sat in the Best Buy parking lot for 20 minutes, waiting for the store to open. FYI, they open at 11:00 on Sundays. I was third in line for the Geek Squad. At 11:00 am on Sunday's, the only people in line for the Geek Squad are the truly desperate. The people further back in line would have paid good money for my place in line, but I too was very desperate! Come on Geeks-a little less chit chat with #1 and #2 in line and get to me!
Was it the power cord or was Lappie suffering from something far more serious. Please, please, please--just tell me that I needed a new power cord!
What???? The power cord works fine? How can that be? If it's not the power cord, is my ON button stuck? Oh???? Motherboard????It that important? Yes???
After that.....It was all a blurrr!!!
I went to the shop. I bought Kool Aid-lots of it. I held back the tears and told my tale of woe to anyone and everyone. Luckily, Laura and Aiden came in to dye yarn. Laura looked at me with compassion and a glint in her eye and asked, "Do you know what my husband does?"
"He is the Computer Whisperer, he makes dead and sick computers well."
We wrapped Lappie in his power cord and sent him home with Laura and Aiden.
Stay tuned for Part III.
My fifteen minutes is up again.
I arose early on Sunday morning and ran straight to the unresponsive laptop. I was hoping that it was "just a baaaaad dream", that Lappie would have magically repaired itself after a good night's rest. No such luck.
Sunday was Yarn Dyeing with Kool-Aid Day at Knitwits, and I knew it was going to be busy and hectic. I wouldn't have anytime to deal with my unresponsive laptop. This was Not Kool!
I talked to "Not Steve" and he recommended going to the Geek Squad to get a quick diagnosis. I also called Little/Pandora Steve on his day off. No answer. I pleaded for him to call me back as soon as possible. I thought about calling Comair /Mac Steve but I knew he would be at Church . Will call him later. I wanted to Google Best Buy to find out what time they open-can't Google-no computer! Not Kool!
I sat in the Best Buy parking lot for 20 minutes, waiting for the store to open. FYI, they open at 11:00 on Sundays. I was third in line for the Geek Squad. At 11:00 am on Sunday's, the only people in line for the Geek Squad are the truly desperate. The people further back in line would have paid good money for my place in line, but I too was very desperate! Come on Geeks-a little less chit chat with #1 and #2 in line and get to me!
Was it the power cord or was Lappie suffering from something far more serious. Please, please, please--just tell me that I needed a new power cord!
What???? The power cord works fine? How can that be? If it's not the power cord, is my ON button stuck? Oh???? Motherboard????It that important? Yes???
After that.....It was all a blurrr!!!
I went to the shop. I bought Kool Aid-lots of it. I held back the tears and told my tale of woe to anyone and everyone. Luckily, Laura and Aiden came in to dye yarn. Laura looked at me with compassion and a glint in her eye and asked, "Do you know what my husband does?"
"He is the Computer Whisperer, he makes dead and sick computers well."
We wrapped Lappie in his power cord and sent him home with Laura and Aiden.
Stay tuned for Part III.
My fifteen minutes is up again.
Technical Difficulty-Part I of III
Where do I even start? Since the last blog entry on Saturday morning soooooo much has happened!
I hit the ground running as planned but I opened the shop and RAN over to Addison Mac for the Big 70% off plus sale. Everything was for sale!--the display pieces, the cash desks, the lighting fixtures, my favorite underpants and Spanx, clothing, jewelry and teacups. What a day to forget my purse!
The Knitwits was unusually busy, but Janet promised to come to my rescue with money and a vehicle as soon as the crowd thinned out. When she did finally arrive, we decided to pick up a few more things for Knitwits and personal use. We would now need a truck and a few thug-type guys with electrical knowledge, tools and a ladder.
Back to work and the energy level kicked up a notch or two because we had lost 2-3 hours of valuable time shopping for things we didn't know we needed. Steve of "Belinda and Steve", stopped in just in the nick of time with Pee Wee Burgers, Onion Rings and Potato Skins. He was overdressed for "Thuggery", so he went home to change.
In the meantime, Krista and her husband, Bill, stopped in as if a gift from above. We told them of the shopping trip and our need for "Two Thugs and a Truck". Bill offered to go to Addison Mac and look at what tools would do needed to disassemble our new lighting fixtures.
An hour later, they return with our lighting fixtures in hand. Krista and Bill are the young, hip members of the "Knitwits Family". Love Them.
Around 4:00, Steve of "Belinda and Steve" returned dressed as a thug and holding hot fudge sundaes. It is truly amazing how that man can sense our hunger levels and cravings. It amazing that in the 41017 you can shop, buy, and dine well without a purse.
Somehow between shopping and eating, we had managed to ring up quite a few sales at Knitwits during the day. When Janet and I pressed the "End of Day" button on the cash register, our jaws dropped when the day's take tallied up and then we pretended that we knew exactly what had transpired during the day.
Since nothing on my action plan was accomplished during the day, I went home with the portable office and plans to bang out a crazy amount of work that evening. Got home, went to turn on Laptop computer and ........NOTHING. No blinky light, no whrrrrrrr, no nothing.
May Day! Control+Alt+Del! Something! Nothing! How can this be? I need to bang out a crazy amount of work and I need to put in my October Bid, check e-mail, blog, pay bills, Facebook! Control+Alt+Del! Nothing! No lights-anywhere, anyhow. My life as I knew it was over!
End Par I
Fifteen minute time limit on Marriott Courtyard Public Computer.
Stay Tuned!
I hit the ground running as planned but I opened the shop and RAN over to Addison Mac for the Big 70% off plus sale. Everything was for sale!--the display pieces, the cash desks, the lighting fixtures, my favorite underpants and Spanx, clothing, jewelry and teacups. What a day to forget my purse!
The Knitwits was unusually busy, but Janet promised to come to my rescue with money and a vehicle as soon as the crowd thinned out. When she did finally arrive, we decided to pick up a few more things for Knitwits and personal use. We would now need a truck and a few thug-type guys with electrical knowledge, tools and a ladder.
Back to work and the energy level kicked up a notch or two because we had lost 2-3 hours of valuable time shopping for things we didn't know we needed. Steve of "Belinda and Steve", stopped in just in the nick of time with Pee Wee Burgers, Onion Rings and Potato Skins. He was overdressed for "Thuggery", so he went home to change.
In the meantime, Krista and her husband, Bill, stopped in as if a gift from above. We told them of the shopping trip and our need for "Two Thugs and a Truck". Bill offered to go to Addison Mac and look at what tools would do needed to disassemble our new lighting fixtures.
An hour later, they return with our lighting fixtures in hand. Krista and Bill are the young, hip members of the "Knitwits Family". Love Them.
Around 4:00, Steve of "Belinda and Steve" returned dressed as a thug and holding hot fudge sundaes. It is truly amazing how that man can sense our hunger levels and cravings. It amazing that in the 41017 you can shop, buy, and dine well without a purse.
Somehow between shopping and eating, we had managed to ring up quite a few sales at Knitwits during the day. When Janet and I pressed the "End of Day" button on the cash register, our jaws dropped when the day's take tallied up and then we pretended that we knew exactly what had transpired during the day.
Since nothing on my action plan was accomplished during the day, I went home with the portable office and plans to bang out a crazy amount of work that evening. Got home, went to turn on Laptop computer and ........NOTHING. No blinky light, no whrrrrrrr, no nothing.
May Day! Control+Alt+Del! Something! Nothing! How can this be? I need to bang out a crazy amount of work and I need to put in my October Bid, check e-mail, blog, pay bills, Facebook! Control+Alt+Del! Nothing! No lights-anywhere, anyhow. My life as I knew it was over!
End Par I
Fifteen minute time limit on Marriott Courtyard Public Computer.
Stay Tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
