Knitting meetups and kid gifts
For a while, I went to a knitting night at the Booksamillion at Cotswold here in Charlotte, but stopped because of low attendance and scheduling conflicts. They’ve reorganized from a loose stitch’n’bitch to a knitting meetup group. I dropped back by again last night, and it was great! There were about eight ladies there, and I got along well with all of them. Except for the one remaining holdover from the old stitch ‘n’ bitch group, who bugged the bejeebers out of me then and still does.
Of all the people who had to stay on, why’d it have to be her? I’m sure she’s a fine person with many redeeming qualities, but the the one that gets my goat is her “I hate all children and isn’t it so amusing that I do? Are you with me girls?” attitude. And it comes up in conversation which doesn’t have immediate and obvious ties to kids, so it’s difficult to avoid. Fortunately, I have no problems indicating that I disagree with her. You know, what with my MOTHERHOOD and all. So it’s bad form for a mom to bring her 8-month-old to the booksamillion to sit and knit, but you can bring your Chihuahua in a big handbag and let it loose in the store? WTF??
Aaaaanyway. It was nice to see familiar faces and to talk with new people. I was, of course, knitting a Jayne hat, so there was some discussion of that. A lot of people ask how many I’ve knitted, so I went back through my database and figured out that as of last night, if my numbers are correct, I’ve made 202 finished Jayne hats. That’s over the span of about a year.
It amuses me to picture them all in one place. I feel certain that if we saw 202 Jaynes walking down the street, we’d definitely know they weren’t afraid of anything.
Now that I’ve gotten two more unfinished objects (blue lace scarf and Freak Flag) out of the way, of course I had to crank up another one.
This one’s out of Not Just More Socks by Sandi Rosner.
My daughter sleeps with a hot water bottle every night. One night a few months ago when she was feeling cranky and sick, I suggested it to her, and she really took to it. Even on the warmest night, she insists we fill it up with hot water. I told her a couple of days ago that I’d make a cover for it.
In retrospect, it would have been quicker and easier to make a little quilted bag for it. There’s even a pattern for one in Rowan 34. And, thinking further, it occurs to me that my daughter still wets the bed sometimes, so essentially I’m making a little pee-soaker. Won’t that be fun to remove in the middle of the night?
Okay, TMI. Fuel for the fire for Miss “kids are an inexcusable pain in the keister.”
Speaking of kids, I need to knit something for a boy and something for a girl for two co-workers who’ve had babies recently. As always, I am paralyzed with indecision. Baby booties with skull and crossbones (pirate booty! Yaaaar!) or Jughead hat? Cute little sweater or knitted toy? Sweet or sassy? Cup or cone? Argh! I need to write all my options on a D20 and roll it to see what comes up. Random knitting. It’ll be the next big craze.
Going to run as many errands as I can this morning – my daughter was sniffling some, and I have a feeling she’s going to be lobbying the teacher to come home.
Orders up next for Norway, Massachussetts, California, and Virginia. The Jaynes just keep on a-rollin’!
I vote for skull and crossbones!
I vote for skull and crossbones!
I will never, ever get the “I hate kids” people out there. I mean, I hate sports. I don’t bag on people that like sports. I don’t demand that they have a lesser standing than me in all things. I don’t want the sports mags moved to a darkened, mildewed corner where I never have to look at them.
I think a part of it is a mythos that has risen around parenthood. All parents are zombies, slaves to their child’s desires. All parents are cluelessly indulgent. Children are an annoyance, much like cigarettes, and should be put off to a high-walled area until they hit the age of 21.
I will never, ever get the “I hate kids” people out there. I mean, I hate sports. I don’t bag on people that like sports. I don’t demand that they have a lesser standing than me in all things. I don’t want the sports mags moved to a darkened, mildewed corner where I never have to look at them.
I think a part of it is a mythos that has risen around parenthood. All parents are zombies, slaves to their child’s desires. All parents are cluelessly indulgent. Children are an annoyance, much like cigarettes, and should be put off to a high-walled area until they hit the age of 21.
Yeah, there’s always a “one of these things is not like the other” function of groups in public. I went to a knit/crochet group at this very indie coffee place and there were eight of us in our 20s and this really odd hippie lady who kept telling us about “back in the old days, we used to go to the greatest rallies, man…” and wears tie-dyed muumuus and uses a wheelchair as a shopping cart. You can’t really tell someone that they don’t fit in when it’s a public group.
Yeah, there’s always a “one of these things is not like the other” function of groups in public. I went to a knit/crochet group at this very indie coffee place and there were eight of us in our 20s and this really odd hippie lady who kept telling us about “back in the old days, we used to go to the greatest rallies, man…” and wears tie-dyed muumuus and uses a wheelchair as a shopping cart. You can’t really tell someone that they don’t fit in when it’s a public group.
Heh. I may be the oldest one there, but if I am, it’s only by a year or two. I think I may be the only one with a kid. I don’t bring her up unless someone asks, because I know how old it can get to hear about other people’s children, especially if you don’t know them that well. I don’t hear anybody chiming in with her when she gets wound up on this topic, though.
I’m happy to take the opposing viewpoint to the “kids are such little parasites” tirade, as I think coming from this person, it sounds sometimes like “kids take up my friends’ time and therefore they cannot do things with me as much, nor pay the attention to me that I want.”
I just say what I have to say nicely and gently – the same as I’d try to correct my child, ironically. 🙂
Heh. I may be the oldest one there, but if I am, it’s only by a year or two. I think I may be the only one with a kid. I don’t bring her up unless someone asks, because I know how old it can get to hear about other people’s children, especially if you don’t know them that well. I don’t hear anybody chiming in with her when she gets wound up on this topic, though.
I’m happy to take the opposing viewpoint to the “kids are such little parasites” tirade, as I think coming from this person, it sounds sometimes like “kids take up my friends’ time and therefore they cannot do things with me as much, nor pay the attention to me that I want.”
I just say what I have to say nicely and gently – the same as I’d try to correct my child, ironically. 🙂
Our crafting group is actually about 2/3 childless/childfree and 1/3 people who have kids or might want them in the future. My friends get giddy about being in the “little purple scar club” after tubal ligation, but aside from one person who makes it very clear that she has never liked kids (but tolerates them decently), nobody’s really shoving it on the others all the time. Of course, most of the people are also bisexual, kinky, polyamorous and/or goth to one degree or another, so I guess it’s just par for the course 😛 My friend and I are the token vanillas in the group, but (as one of the other girls says) “you’re the really nice kind, with the little yummy flecks.”
Most of the people I know who are childfree to an icky degree are QUITE independent. Whether or not that’s a good or bad thing is entirely personal, but I know many childfrees who would do well to grow some fricking compassion.
Our crafting group is actually about 2/3 childless/childfree and 1/3 people who have kids or might want them in the future. My friends get giddy about being in the “little purple scar club” after tubal ligation, but aside from one person who makes it very clear that she has never liked kids (but tolerates them decently), nobody’s really shoving it on the others all the time. Of course, most of the people are also bisexual, kinky, polyamorous and/or goth to one degree or another, so I guess it’s just par for the course 😛 My friend and I are the token vanillas in the group, but (as one of the other girls says) “you’re the really nice kind, with the little yummy flecks.”
Most of the people I know who are childfree to an icky degree are QUITE independent. Whether or not that’s a good or bad thing is entirely personal, but I know many childfrees who would do well to grow some fricking compassion.
That woman reminds me of a delightful character I met in line at the grocery store when I was VERY overly pregnant with Michelle. I had Chance who had just turned 1, Donovan who was approaching 3 and Christina in all her 7 year old glory with me. They were lively and chattering, but being fairly well behaved for such a group. The woman behind me in line glared at my pregnant self and sniffed before saying rather rudely and in a very unnecessarily mean tone of voice, “Well! You’re either Catholic or you really love children.” I was stunned for a moment before I smiled very sweetly and said, “Both actually.” and turned my back on her. To this day I still can’t quite believe someone could be that rude for no provocation at all to a perfect stranger. ::shrug:: Some people. She did however keep quiet after that. ::grins::
That woman reminds me of a delightful character I met in line at the grocery store when I was VERY overly pregnant with Michelle. I had Chance who had just turned 1, Donovan who was approaching 3 and Christina in all her 7 year old glory with me. They were lively and chattering, but being fairly well behaved for such a group. The woman behind me in line glared at my pregnant self and sniffed before saying rather rudely and in a very unnecessarily mean tone of voice, “Well! You’re either Catholic or you really love children.” I was stunned for a moment before I smiled very sweetly and said, “Both actually.” and turned my back on her. To this day I still can’t quite believe someone could be that rude for no provocation at all to a perfect stranger. ::shrug:: Some people. She did however keep quiet after that. ::grins::
Heh. That’s always a good tactic. Faced with actual politeness and kindness, many badly-behaving people suddenly realize just exactly how they were acting.
Heh. That’s always a good tactic. Faced with actual politeness and kindness, many badly-behaving people suddenly realize just exactly how they were acting.
Hee hee!
I love that a) your craft group is so colorful, and b) you have little yummy flecks. What a great description.
I’m definitely not saying that parents are automatically saints. There’s usually some room on both sides for improvement, but then that’s true of most opposing viewpoints, eh? 🙂
Hee hee!
I love that a) your craft group is so colorful, and b) you have little yummy flecks. What a great description.
I’m definitely not saying that parents are automatically saints. There’s usually some room on both sides for improvement, but then that’s true of most opposing viewpoints, eh? 🙂
Argh! I need to write all my options on a D20 and roll it to see what comes up.
You are so delightfully nerdy. <3
Argh! I need to write all my options on a D20 and roll it to see what comes up.
You are so delightfully nerdy. <3
Usually when someone talks about their dislikes so much with no regard to others, it’s because they are self-absorbed and actually dislike something about themselves.
Usually when someone talks about their dislikes so much with no regard to others, it’s because they are self-absorbed and actually dislike something about themselves.