Being Nice

Can't we all just get along? Why can't everyone just be nice? Isn't the world filled with enough hate?

Oh The Shame
I get severely tired of folks trying to shame me into being something other than I am. As a gay man, I've had to withstand some pretty harsh shaming, and I still haven't succumbed to being straight.

I am not a nice person. Sometimes I do things that are nice, but I believe that there are times when being nice is appropriate and many times when it's just not.

Setting boundaries is one of those times where being nice isn't always very effective. Those of you with children will perhaps agree. Setting boundaries is very important to me, especially in an open forum such as blog commenting. I understand that not everyone likes my boundaries, and I also understand that there are folks that think I shouldn't have any.

I don't consider that my problem.

Current Knitting
I'm not sure I'm ever going to finish the secret project, so I figured I better start a non-secret project.

I looked everywhere for the old wool/hemp pullover that I started a while ago...remember this one?



But, I couldn't' find it anywhere.

So, I decided to make myself a Manos throw, similar to the one I made for my mother, except in different colors. Here's a sense about what it will look like.



I cast on for the project, and completed the initial border. I'll be working on it this week while in Albany.

New Fiber Addiction
I spent a large part of my abbreviated weekend ironing, measuring and cutting fabric for the new quilt.



There are a total of 320 5.5 inch fabric squares. In addition, I cut god-knows-how-many solid color fabric squares in 2.5 inch size.

I'll update you later this week on design and sewing status.

Readers' Comments/Questions
Mar notes that my e-mail to Alex was dripping with sarcasm.

Actually, it wasn't. I really do want people to understand the rationale behind the Newcomer Rules, and I wasn't sure if she'd be as open to feedback on her e-mail skills as I was to her anger about my blog. As it turns out, she is Dutch, and writes English way better than I could ever write Dutch. I should have figured that out from her e-mail address.

Fuzzbear Tom writes:

"I am obsessed with Fisherman's Rib and other brioche-type gooshy knits, but they're not enough, no !!! I want to link them face to face, sort of knit another scarf onto the first scarf (belly to belly), for example, so they are extra thick and squishy --- "3-D" if you will.

Is there an international knitting conspiracy that knows how to do this? Is there a name for it? Has anyone been there, done that? Can you recommend a book or pattern source?"

I'm sure this could be accomplished by combining brioche stitching with double-knitting techniques or just doing brioche in the round. But I've never tried it, nor have I ever seen it done/written out in pattern. Can anyone else add something to this?

Melinda notes that Paradise Fibers has changed hands and service isn't what it used to be.

This is truly a shame. Kate was enormously helpful when I was just beginning spinning, helping me estimate how much I needed, and her product was spectacular. I can only hope the new owner(s) will be able to get into the swing of it.