Having a change of focus

Have you ever realized that your project has had a major change of focus?
That you had started out on a journey, and the destination has somehow changed?

I've been here before, you know?
I didn't even realize that it was happening, but here it is:
I don't want to be snarky about other people's knitting mistakes anymore.

There you go. It's the truth.
I just realized that I haven't really seen any knit objects that I cannot resist making fun of.
How did that happen? you might ask.

Well, I think I'm going to blame it on Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Yarn Harlot, the witty writer about knitters, not knitting. I've been reading her books a lot lately. Mostly when I can't sleep and my hands hurt too much to knit. She really is quite inspiring. And she seems to be such a good hearted soul. The point is, I just can't condemn another's efforts in knitting anymore. No matter how wonky the project, someone poured a lot of effort into it. No matter what the fiber choice, or the color, or texture, it is a rendition of someone's creativity and that should be celebrated. Who am I to say "What Were You Thinking?" when you knit that?

Now, that's not to say that I won't at some point in the future point out some questionable design choices on the part of say, a Yarn Company. Or a Magazine Editor. Or some high fashion designer that forces hard working runway models into outrageous garb that no mere human being should try to wear.

Let's just recognize that there's a Kinder, Gentler, Ruby out there now.
Thank You Yarn Harlot

I Missed the Yarn Harlot !

No one that I know (outside of You All) can possibly understand how disappointed I am. The Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee came within driving range, and the job sent me the other way! I even Excel calculated it out and MapQuested and everything. There was nothing short of a Hiro timeshift that was going to get me to the Yarnies before they left the building, and probably the airport. (Which makes me think, maybe if I had been a little more creative, I could have found out what flight she was on, raced to the tarmac, and .... what then? Would I have Kinneared her unobtrusively? Would I have collapsed, laughing, at her feet?)

There I was, all set to go to a wonderful night of knitting, ROFL, the awesome Yarn Harlot ! I mean who cares about the Debates, the New TV season, all that stuff. What is really important here, people? I mean, where are your priorities? All the Heroes, LOST, BSG, Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, ER, CSI, EM-HE, and Gray's Anatomy in the world don't measure up to one evening with the "One Who Understands". (Don't get me wrong, I know there are more important events: my faith overall, staying married to my DH, the birth of a child....)

Well, obviously, my priorities are with my job. Eventhough the non-knitters had no idea what they were doing by sending me to a different office miles and miles in the wrong direction. But. Seeing as how the paycheck leads to Stash Enhancement.
And, this paycheck will pay for the book that is waiting for me at the wonderful local book shop.
And they called today to let me know that Ms. Pearl-McPhee signed it for me even though I wasn't even there. If I wasn't in the office full of non-knitters, I would have cried. She is So Wonderful ! So Human, so Humane, so Knitterly!

Counting down the minutes until I can leave for the book shop to pick up the new book! Free Range Knitter! It's gotta be good.

Greg Kinnear and the Yarn Harlot

Ok, so I have been out of the loop. Greg Kinnear was on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and actually talked about the Yarn Harlot; called her the Michael Jordan of Knitting!
It's about 20 minutes into this show:
http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O%27Brien/video/episodes/#vid=726521

So, this knitting wild woman that writes about knitters (not knitting) posts a story about the airport on her blog in August 2007. Then, a word she has coined, minted herself, is listed in the Urban Dictionary within days. See it here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kinnear Way to go Ms. Pearl-McPhee!

Yet, it takes over a year for it to hit TV. Makes you think, doesn't it?
Maybe Television is going to loose it's status as the trend-setter of our times.
Does that mean that within my lifetime, Television rose to the pinnacle of influence and then was usurped by the microchip on broadband?
Man, and my grandma thought that she had seen great changes in her lifetime.
What will tomorrow bring? What wondrous leap of progress is flying off someone's needles right at this very moment?
You know how the Geek/Nerd crowd is always talking in languages that mere mortals cannot comprehend? Clingon, for example. Metric, Binary, Emoticons, txtng, OMG, ...
What if the knitters spoke their own language? Would it be Yarnish? Harlotton? Knitish?
Fiberlingo?

An international language of fiber, where fiber lovers all over the universe live together in peace and harmony. Think of the influence that knitters, and fiber artists overall, would have on the world.

Wait a minute, I think we might actually have that started already.

I am so proud to be a knitter right now! sniff, sniff....

The Yarn Harlot Commeth !

O M G !
I just found out that the Yarn Harlot (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee) is coming within range of where I can be. Not like she's coming to my Home Town or anything. But, she's going to be at a location where I could conceivably be there too! Yeah!

Keep in mind that I didn't bother to go see any of the Political Candidates when I had the many, many chances. No on T. Boone Pickens. Same thing with Hannah Montana and several other celebrities. It just doesn't seem that important to me to see those people in person. I even once turned down the chance to see the Pope parade - it would have been a long distance view. But still - He's the Pope. That one, I probably should have gone to see.

But, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee ! That's a whole nother story, now. She's a person I would drive far and wide to see. And there's a couple others on my list of people to revere enough to go out of my way to be close to: Dave Ramsey, ... Can't think of anyone else right now. Maybe I'll add more later.

Hey, you know it's gotta be good if I'm willing to Drive Down Town to get there!

Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Wow, You Rule Stephanie!
I've had this book for quite a while, and had looked up some specific, and very helpful, tips in it.
But, until this weekend, I had not actually tried to read it cover to cover.
I couldn't put it down. Well, except to knit.
My bedmate got pretty peeved over my laughing in bed (at the book). And I'm sure that having to move the knitting needles to get into the bed hadn't exactly set the mood.
I just couldn't help it.
Now I know that I'm not alone.
I'm not the only one that is this obsessed with knitting.
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee know what's in my heart and soul. She writes what I wish I could express to those people that look at me "that way". I wish my significant other would read this and understand. But, Stephanie's right, non-knitters just don't get it.
According to her statistics though, about 15% of the population is a knitter to some degree - so they should "get it". I think a lot of them are just afraid to admit that they wish they were brave enough ( or ADHD enough ) to knit everywhere they go too.