Thursday, April 22, 2010

 

Apparently So, Ellen


This, in response to Ellen in Indy's question as to whether I was going to make you wait ten days for the next installment.

Apparently so.

In my defense, I've been very busy -- the District is still knocking our house down so we have to move, and also too some rats (now very dead) got in.

I must say that the rats make the thought of moving all of my shit a lot easier to take. (please note that no yarn or roving was harmed during The Great Rat Slaughter of 2010)

Back to Stitches. Man, it's taking me longer to post about it than the event itself took, isn't it?

It's hard to know what to say. I suppose a list of things I learned is in order.

a) Some of the big kids won't acknowledge your existence, even though they've clearly seen you several times before. The amazing Maia Discoe from Tactile Fiber Arts tells me that this is par for the course and that you have to be around for a long time to even get a nod. I wasn't particularly worried -- I was busy. (Maia was unable to come to Stitches, which was a terrible pity, but I got to meet her later. That'll be in the next installment. Really. Or the one after that.)

b) I need to learn to prepare more. Way more. Even though I came nowhere near selling out, I didn't have enough yarn to look pretty.

c) I need to learn how to set up a display in a booth.

9) Tracy and Carry are insane.

&) Concrete is really, really hard and the smart people either bring pads to stand on or order the carpeting for their booth even though it's obscenely expensive.

R) California is hot.

@#$!) I can drive 1600 km in one day (foreshadowing)

.) Motel staff are often assbuckets. (more foreshadowing)

pop!) If you take your camera to a big event -- you know, a big event that you have to drive 1600 km to get to -- you should probably use it.

I think that the thing that was most important to me about this whole event was that I got to meet a ton of people who I've known online for years, but have never met in person (I don't remember who I met on what day, and I met several people more than once so it's all just a mishmosh here. I may well not include everyone. If I miss you, please let me know and I'll give you my address so you can come kick my ass.):

The beautiful and talented Bakerina (with a bonus Momerina thrown in, to boot! Um, no, there was no booting. You know what I mean. Shut up.)

The lovely Jennie, who seems to have been so overwhelmed by the entire experience that she's stopped blogging completely since then.

Susan, who I don't think has a blog. I met her on Facebook and it turned out that she's a friend of Jennie's and, although not a knitter, the minute I put out a plea for help for tear-down, volunteered her services. For this she was paid the magnificent sum of one felted bowl (that needed to be felted a little more but my washing machine sucks) and one felted soap. She knows how to drive a hard bargain.

No-Blog-Rachel (who, amusingly enough, has a blog).

Some readers came by to say hi (hi Mehitabel!) and even someone who had heard me on that podcast I did 900 years ago. I suspect she remembered me because of the disgusting names of my yarns but nevermind.

There were a lot of familiar faces, too:

Michael from A Verb For Keeping Warm, Stephen from HizKnits, Rachael and Lala, to name but a few. It was absolutely lovely.

I could go on name-dropping all day but y'all likely want the meat of the story. You know, the reason my face is on the post office wall in Santa Clara.

You'll have to wait, alas, until tomorrow. Today the small black dog of depression has been biting me firmly on the ass. Many people have annoyed me. Several have disappointed me. I have found myself both annoying and disappointing. I think all that I can cope with (it's 10:51pm) for the rest of the day is to go to bed.

(Yes, me. I sleep sometimes. Shut up.)

Never fear, my pretties. This is just transitory or whatever that big word is spozed to be. I'll be fine by tomorrow. I'm not falling down the rabbit hole again.

to be continued ...

Comments:
The 'Big Kids' are dumb. Getting to finally meet you in person was my favorite part of this year's Stitches!

*hug*
 
For concrete....blocking mats. Wash them when you get home.
 
cor concrete you can also buy squares of a substance very like blocking squares at Costco or you local DIY
Also, I was on Etsy last night looking at random green sock yarn and bought your mean and green, it was my favorite.
 
I blogged today, finally. Finished DS's socks with "Cryptic Notes" and still had a smidge left over. Is it like that bowl of pasta/porridge from that legend? 'Cause it kinda scares me. Two pair of socks and still going...?

SO glad you got to meet Maia! She's good people. Am loving reading the installments. (You should've called me for directions. How the hell did you get going over the Golden Gate Bridge?)
 
Maybe this is the gonna be the punchline, but....ya'coming next year?

I got sooo totally screwed out of going this year it is a rage I have buried so deep I haven't even blogged about it. I tried to smooth it over by splurging on Addi Clicks the following week, but honestly...it didn't work.

Hope someday I'll get a chance to meet you :-)
 
Maybe bring a folding chair next time?
 
Glad to hear from you again, and waiting for the next installment, especially as I wasn't there.

You didn't even have a chair? Owie. I can't even walk around the sales room all day without sitting down, let alone work.

People who deliberately ignore are dumb. On the other hand, I am hard of hearing and forgetful of faces and names, which means I often seem to ignore people when I'm really not trying to be rude.

A friend who sells shiny stuff says she can never guess what's going to sell at any given event. She just brings a lot and hopes, and brings her own lighting, which costs but is vital for shiny stuff.
 
First of all - moving sucks great big donkey....you know the rest. Best of luck to you on surviving that with sanity intact! I recommend (and soon will be using) large amounts of wine. Antacid pills are also good.

Second - big kids are clearly just too big for their britches. There are better sandboxes to play in. Maia IS wonderful, I met her at a Stitches afterparty last year and she made me feel welcome and more comfortable in a crowd of strangers.

Third - For financial reasons I couldn't make it to Stitches West this year and you were one of the people I was looking forward to meeting. So I'll be hoping for next year!
 
Glad to hear that you had a successful run at Stitches. One of these years I'll get to go to one.

I second the idea about the mats for the floor, many wholesale clubs/Harbour Freight carry them...just look in the tool dept. However, different shoes will make all the difference, too. I swear by Crocs for cushiness (and Crocs have better traction than most of the knock-offs). Also love my Columbia sandals (similar to teva, but much cheaper). Even just putting gel insoles in your favorite shoes will make a big difference.

Now get some well-deserved rest!
 
s'awright, rabbitch. take as long as you need to write your adventures in yarn wonderland!

i moved last year, downsizing in the process, and though i desperately WANTED to move, it was a hellacious ordeal -- and i'm retired, so i had no other responsibilities than occasional care of grandgirl. so you totally have my sympathy and understanding.

an indie dyer here (indie indy dyer!) did stitches midwest last year for the first time. she was under-prepared as the big weekend neared, but knitterhood is powerful. 8 or 10 of us descended on her house one afternoon and wound and bagged and tagged and sorted and ate and drank and kibbitzed, and it was all all right. she came close to selling out, plus got some orders.

moral of the story: only you can do the dyeing, but friends will help with the scutwork -- as long as there's a little white wine on the scene.
 
wait, isn't this the house you busted your ass to get into in the first place? dratted district boffos.

hope you've gotten moved easily and quickly (well, i know, you can stop laughing & sobbing now, but i can hope, can't i?)

i'm looking forward to another installment of bitches & stitches
 
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