Panic Time

Dudes. Things have been nutty around here. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, because you're all going through the same thing and doing christmas knitting at the same time!

I've been frantically finishing up this chapter while also running the errands, doing the shopping and packing and phone calls and correspondence and plant/key-exchanging required before we can take off for my in-laws' house for the holidays. I've also been frantically trying - for no rational reason whatsoever - to finish knitting that doesn't really need to be finished but that I somehow don't want to leave sitting around for a few weeks while I do other, more travel-friendly projects. I've also been getting some AWESOME xmas presents, some of them knitting-related, which I'm dying to photograph and review for you guys. But, sadly, it will all have to wait because we've got one day left before departure and I still have massive packing to do (beside throwing all our dirty clothes in a suitcase to be washed in suburban luxury and remembering to throw the gifts in the other suitcase, we have to sort out all the papers, notebooks, disks and files required for me to start the new Chapter and Hubbster to study for orals while we're gone, at a minimum of poundage, plus I have to plan ahead for everything I might possibly want to knit, both on the airplane in difficult security conditions and while we're there, and you all know how hard that is), plus I have to finish typing in my last set of revisions. (At which point, yes indeedy, Chapter Three is being firmly dismissed to await Final Revision of the whole diss in February.) So, no pictures today at all, but I'll give you a hint of what awaits you later:

- Finished Peacock Socks. The navy toes don't look half bad at all, and Hubbster loves them.

- A tea cozy for our adorable new glass teapot. Believe it or not, this is the first tea cozy I have ever knit.

- Still more fuzzy feet. Even I'm bored now, but I did wacky things with color this time - really. Makes the red toe of the blue pair positively mundane.

- Got 3 skeins of worsted weight Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks to experiment with, as I'm plotting a sweater for Hubbster to be begun after the holidays, and right now I'm working on a gauge-swatch-sock (taking EZ's advice about swatches but making it a sock instead of a hat because I don't wear stocking caps).

- Also got a 16" US3 needle from the new KnitPicks line, also to experiment with just in case the opportunity presents itself to get the Options set at some point in the future. Loving it so far!!

- The knitting on the Palette Sampler Cardigan is DONE!!! Imperfect, but done, and done satisfactorily to my mind, since the point of this project was to learn a lot, and I've already done that, for sure. I started crocheting the steeks for the neckline and front, but it's looking like I won't have the time and/or peace of mind to proceed any further before we leave. And yes, that's a bit of a relief because I'm nervous about it. I'm totally okay with the sleeve steeks now, and have full confidence, as a result, about the vertical front cardigan steeks. It's the curved neckline steeks that make me queesy. Very queesy.

- I'm back at work on the Widdershins second sock. That and Red Scarves will probably make up most of my holiday knitting, as I also plan to be working a lot and will require mindless fiber-y comfort.

- In the biggest news of all: Santa brought me a set of KIPer bags!!!!! Will do a full review of them as soon as I can, and it will probably benefit from me actually carrying them around and getting used to them for a while first, but so far I love them. They look much sturdier (and less cheap) in real life than in the rather meager pictures on the web site, and their total, perfect utility has me in raptures. They're really perfect city bags - and not just for knitters! They should market them to New Yorkers in general, I think. The black color and sturdy, inexpensive construction is an absolute requirement for me, given that I need to be able to use bags forever, put them through a lot, and am constantly dragging them through the filthy subway. I've been idly daydreaming about sewing myself a perfect handbag set for years, actually, and now I don't have to because KnitPicks did it for me (yes, folks, it's been a KnitPicks' Christmas around here, can you tell??).

I will have internet access while I'm gone, but only dialup, so I can't promise much in the way of pictures, though I should be able to post at least a few times. Will make up for it all when I get back! I can't wait to do my felting, and will try very hard to remember to photograph everything.

One further thing I want to post here, but unless you left an anonymous comment recently about the Debbie Bliss "Marilyn" pattern linked to on my sidebar, you can safely ignore what follows and go back to your Bloglines with my best wishes for a very happy and knitterly winter break!

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This comment was left anonymously on a previous post sometime today:

I was browsing through various knitting sights [sic] and came across your blog. I was looking at the things you want to knit..I am surprised that one would include the knitting instructions (refering [sic] to the Marilyn sweater) as well. Does the respect of [sic] copyright not apply here?

Since this comment was left anonymously, I have no other way to respond to the commenter than on this blog. I'm copying the following response both into the comments section right after the anonymous comment, and here, in the hopes that whoever left it will perhaps see it:

I did not scan and post a copyrighted pattern and never would. A glance at the URL for the Debbie Bliss "Marilyn" pattern linked to on my sidebar will show any interested parties that the scan of the pattern actually originates from the Interweave Knits site. They made it available free online because the magazine issue in which it was originally released is out of print, never to return, and this is the way they have kindly decided to meet the strong continued demand for this particular pattern (please follow this link and note that the pattern is not from the subscriber-only portion of the site and is listed by IK as being made available for free to anyone at all "with our compliments").

A simple glance at the pattern itself or the web site the file actually resides on presumably makes this fact quite clear to any conscientious reader, but I wanted to belabor the point here as I don't particularly appreciate the unwarranted and thoughtless accusation left by my anonymous commenter. I've seen much worse on blogs, of course, but that's precisely the point: this kind of thing is always unacceptable and I refuse to ignore it when it's right here on my doorstep, so to speak, even though the issue is in this case a fairly minor one and easily resolved. I refuse to pander to such rude carelessness by ignoring (or worse) apologizing for imaginary offenses. Sloppy thinking and sloppy communicating - both of which have the potential to be infinitely destructive - appear to be a rampant disease in our society and I for one am committed to resisting this disease whenever and wherever I can. I don't claim to be any sort of paragon myself, but I do claim to do my best, and I expect as much from others.

I took the trouble to find that link and include it in my sidebar after a previous reader saw the mention of the Marilyn pattern (without a link) and asked me in private email where the pattern was available. In good conscience I had to tell that reader that I couldn't let her have a copy of my copyrighted pattern, but since the original IK issue was sold out, I suggested she check out Debbie Bliss' site or contact her directly to find out if an alternative was available. It was only after this exchange that I discovered that Interweave had already solved the problem by making the pattern available via free PDF. Under these circumstances, I was happy to take the trouble to link to the file for the benefit of other people like this first reader.

All of which, again, should be patently obvious to anyone who takes a moment to look, and to think.

We should all remember to check our facts before we accuse anyone of any wrongdoing in any public forum, even (or especially) anonymously. If you haven't bothered to get your facts straight or to think before you type, then you are the one giving offense, and you are morally obliged to take responsibility for that offense. No one else.

Respect for copyright does apply here, as do good manners.