Shop by Text

I had the following text message conversation with Miss-A on Friday:

A:Do u have any wrist or leg warmers made and ready to buy?

M: Teal legwarmers. But I can get either done in a couple days if there is a color you want.

A: How much? We need tomorrow. Just thought of it.

M: [Price]. I'll bring them to work so you can check them out.

A: Perfect. This is easier than internet shopping. Shop by text.

M: :-)

A: :)

(I took them to work. She bought them. Everybody is happy. It was all very convenient!)

Another Episode of Cuteness!

I went to Preach and Psych's house for a bible study last Monday.

Before class started, I was sitting on the floor knitting a coffee cup cozy.

Angel walked in, and asked if she could help. She wanted to knit, too.

Angel is only three years old. Barely three, in fact. Three years and 17 days.

Even I think that is a wee bit young to be entrusted with sharp pointy objects.

Still, who was I to crush her little creative instincts?

I invited her to sit in my lap and "help" me.

JoNo was there, and took this video for me, and texted it to my iPhone. I would have posted it sooner, but it took me this long to figure out how to get it off the phone and onto the computer...



The cutest 14 seconds ever! (She actually "helped" for quite a while.)

Not Gonna Happen

I am being taken down by technology.

I am house sitting this week for the wonderful folk that I lived with all of last year.

They have cable.
They have guitar hero.
They have a Wii Fit.
They have wireless internet.

Now, they had all of these things while I lived with them, and I was still able to get plenty of knitting done. However, having gone without them for 3 months, I am in a state of techno-deprivation. I can't seem to put down the remote/controller/laptop/fake Gibson and pick up a pair of needles.

So, although I brought Les Tuileries and a few small projects with me, I have the distinct feeling that I am going to accomplish absolutely nothing over the next several days...

In Praise of Audiobooks

It is commonly known that I can knit while: talking, eating, watching a movie, riding in a car, listening to a lecture, sitting on the beach, etc.

It has even been rumored that I can knit in my sleep. (This is not true. Although, when the holiday crunch comes I sometimes wish it were.)

However, depending on the activity, I have to limit the skill level of project I am pursuing. Movies that require attention or a lot of eyes-on-screen time need brain-free knitting. Car rides through scenic venues need brain-free knitting. Talking to friends who actually appreciate eye contact needs brain-free knitting. Eating definitely needs brain-free knitting.

Enter the audiobook.

These boogers are GREAT!!!! I get all the mental stimulation of a movie plot, the rapier wit of a good writer, AND my more complex knitting projects get their required eyeball time.

Since moving into the apartment, and my quarter ending, I have successfully completed 4 audiobooks AND made huge progress on some of my more intricate projects.

(Currently knitting to: Comforts of a Muddy Saturday by Alexander McCall Smith, narrated by the DIVINE Davina Porter. In audiobooks, the narrator makes all the difference.)

Swamped

I had 27 people show up to the knitting program at the library Wednesday night.

Let me repeat that:

27 PEOPLE

And not just 27 knitters to sit around and chat and knit. No.

I had 27 brand spanking new beginners who could barely tell the needles from the yarn!

This was unexpected.

27 knitters...and me. (And a lovely teen volunteer who happened to know how to knit and was a good sport about helping me at the last minute...I totally owe her a coffee cup cozy!)

We knew there was going to be a big turn out based on the PR and the amount of response we had been getting. (And the number of supply sheets I had to print out!) Yet, I did not freak out. I did not have a panic attack...

Until the power point projector did not recognize that my laptop was connected to it even though clearly it was...I thought it might be the type of cable I was using, so I rushed home (mercifully without getting a ticket for breaking the sound barrier) and grabbed every single connector that I owned. I got back 10 minutes before I was supposed to start. It didn't matter. Nothing worked.

That's ok. I took a deep breath and decided to pretend that I don't have a diagnosed stress disorder for which I have been medicated in the past. I pasted a smile on my face, pulled out my wonking huge demonstration needles, and went to work.

By the end of the evening, we had all made great progress...and everyone was knitting:



(The real shame is that I spent 5-6 hours working on that power point presentation...I even had NorCalGal email me a photo of her first dishcloth to include in it...that slide show was a thing of beauty I assure you! I am tempted to go ahead and post it here in the next week or so...I would just need to record the voiceovers...We'll see...)

Wow! I'm Famous!

I highly encourage everyone to google:
Get Knittin San Ramon

That is correct. I am almost every result on the first page!

The library sent out a press release about my adult knitting program next Wednesday. This is not, in and of itself, a big deal. We always send out press releases. What is a big deal is that it was actually picked up by major news agencies: NBC, Contra Costa Times, MSN, etc.

The full-text of the release reads as follows:

"On Thursday, June 17, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, at the San Ramon Library, Megan May will present "Get Knittin' @ The Library." You will learn the basics of knitting at this workshop designed just for beginners. Knit a simple dishcloth and discover the rewards of creating your own housewares! Once you get started you'll be on your way to knitting purses, scarves, and other accessories! No registration is necessary, but you will need to bring your own needles and yarn. Supply sheets are available at both the San Ramon and Dougherty Station libraries!

Megan May has been knitting since she was four, and quilting since she was six. She has taught knitting in three states, from 5 year olds to 75+. She has run a knitting service group, "Team Tabitha," and has an ongoing knitting blog.

This program is free and open to the general public, and will be held at in the second floor meeting room of the San Ramon Library, located at 100 Montgomery St., San Ramon, at the corner of Bollinger Canyon Road and Market Street. For more information please call the Library at (925) 973-2850."

Don't I sound important, and actually competent? I am excited. Not every agency used the full text, the majority just used the first paragraph...but still! Now I am just a little nervous that my turnout will exceed my capabilities. The librarian and I have made arrangements to project my instructional videos on a screen via laptop, and I am going to bring my ginormous needles and chunky yarn for demo purposes. Here's hoping it works out!

Techno Knitting

I have an iPhone.

I love my iPhone for many reasons: the built in iPod, the built in GPS, constant email access, remote facebook access, internet at my fingertips, high quality camera, etc.

But now I have a NEW reason to love my iPhone: the "EweStash" app.

This app allows me to not only catalog and keep track of all the yarn in my stash by color, fiber, gauge, and yardage...it is also fully searchable, AND lets me take a picture of the skein with my phone to save with the record. It also has a section to catalog knitting needles and crochet hooks.

Needless to say, this is a library knitter's dream come true.

Now when I am out at the store, if I come across a pattern I can make sure I don't already have the yarn at home. And, once I use a skein, I just delete it from the stash!

I am in love.