Restless Knitter

Just some random crap that’s been on my mind.

The use of “lawls” or “lawlz” - Most everyone in the online world knows LOL stands for Laughing Out Loud but now we’ve gone from being lazy to just plain stupid. (If you sound out “lol”, it sounds like “lawl”, and we’ve added an S or Z. See?) So not knitting related but had to get that one off my chest.

Trolling the patterns on Ravelry, I found a few that were commented about to the effect “this pattern is awful”. Those same people had made changes to the pattern, yet they called it bad? If you stick a cable where lace is supposed to go, did stockinette instead of ribbing, changed the neckline, whatever, it’s not the pattern. It’s your own damn fault. Now if you knit it like you were supposed to, by all means bitch about it so the rest of us will know to make changes or not knit the stupid thing.

Which brings me to another issue. There are some designers that, no matter how much I like the looks of the FO, I have a hard time marking it as a Favorite or adding to the Queue because I don’t like the designer. So as not to mention any particular names, I’ll give you one example. There’s one designer that feels she has the rights to any and all patterns done in a particular manner. If you create a pattern using this technique, she either throws a hissy until you give her credit (inspired by) or badmouths you on her yahoo group. Can you imagine if Barbara Walker were this way? “OMG you used a stitch out of one of my dictionaries, I demand credit/payment or I’m going to tell everyone you’re an ass.” I’ll give you a second, even though I said I’d give you just one. There’s another that comes across as thinking she’s better than everyone else. Love some of her patterns, hate the holier than thou. Which is a shame because she’s got some nice looking things.

And yet there’s another designer that I think is an alright person. I’ve had a problem with a pattern of hers and probably won’t buy another one. She has a popular pattern that everyone will rave about but in secret they’ll tell you that the pattern just doesn’t work right. Stop that people! Just because she’s “popular”, stop letting on like this was a fantastic knit and tell the truth out loud. If you don’t want to tell the truth, just don’t blog/Rav about the FO.

All the sizing whining. If you have a problem with sizes, learn how to make adjustments so things WILL fit you. It’s just math and with a piece of paper, a pen, and a calculator, you can do it. (Unless you’re lazy like me, then you just don’t make the item.) Designers design things they like and generally will fit them. Get off your ass and design your own stuff if you don’t like it.

Now I wonder how long it will be before I have to eat crow. Not on the lawl thing though, you won’t catch me using that one no matter what.

I got an email from the Loom Guy saying they still had the bench if I wanted to come back for it. Heck yeah! Then he emailed again and said they’d found the tension box and another weaving thing that I probably already had one of but I was welcome to take it if I wanted to. I didn’t take a picture of the bench, which is too tall to be a bench but it looks and acts like a weaving bench (it has a drawer the full width of it) so I’ll use it for a table. Or I’ll cut it’s legs off a little and make it a bench. But I did take pictures of a few of the other things I brought back with me.

The blue thing is an adjustable loom (which was in the trash, makes me sad because I wonder what other goodies have been tossed), think one of those old potholder or weave-it type looms. The light colored wood thing is the tension box. The thing on the left

is a 2 harness loom. There’s no name on it, I’m guessing it’s handmade. It’s so cute! The reed is all wood, the heddles are all handmade string heddles, and the tie-ups feel like shoelaces. They also left a stick shuttle for me, and another thing that I have no clue what it is but I don’t think it goes with anything. Imagine 2 dowels rods, forming a T. At this rate, we may have to build a room onto the house.

Thanks to everyone who helped one of my babies hatch! I’ve picked up more eggs too. The good thing about these little things is that they don’t take up space in the house, unlike some of the other things I’ve picked up lately Now head over to La’s, she’s picked up some eggs too. Keep clicking, my babies will love you for it! And if you’ve picked up your own eggs, let me know and I’ll click yours too.

Just for my record, I got my hair cut yesterday. It’s the shortest I’ve had it in… I don’t know how long, maybe when I was a teen. It feels a lot better. Instead of feeling like I’m running my fingers through straw, it feels like actual hair. Poor lady, I was a wreck. I’m scared. I don’t know if I want to cut it that short (and it’s still not real short by most standards). It will grow back, right? RIGHT?? I’m glad I did it, though.

Look, over there, in the sidebar. See that funny looking blue egg with white swirls? He/she needs to hatch. You can help by clicking on the egg. Thanks!

The loom is in very good shape. There are a few minor scratches on the castle and it looks like maybe a green marker or kids waterpaint came in contact with a small spot of the wood. There is some rust but it’s on pieces that aren’t going to come in contact with any yarn. Such as the eyes on the treadles

This is going to be a new thing for me, I’ve only worked with one tie up per treadle.

Something else that’s new, look at this sectional warp beam

OMG that thing is huge compared to my simple little Harrisville. It alone probably weighs more than the Harrisville. Unfortunately, I don’t have a spool rack or tensioning device soooo… (By the way, the warp already on there - looks like sewing thread! It’s not, but I swear it’s not much bigger.)

Extra goodies were found before we arrived

The long piece in front is what’s called a temple

There’s a room in our garage, no heat no air, just a room out there that’s carpeted, has walls, and a door. Previous owners used it for a bedroom (so we were told), we use it for all the junk that doesn’t fit anywhere else. Except for my first loom, which is not junk. That’s where the big loom is now. There’s barely enough room for me to walk on each side of it.

Like that roll of t.p. on the floor? I used that to make headers in my previous weaving. Oh look, there’s my other floor loom in the background, that now seems so little.

The loom is a 45 inch, 4 harness loom, made in 1959

Total width is 53 inches.

This is one of the pictures the guy sent to me when I first emailed him, which is better than any picture I’ve been able to take so far.

You all name your spinning wheels so I think I should start naming my looms. Thoughts for the new one?