Saturday, I was able to get to the Janome dealer and take a look and "test drive" of the Janome Jem 760 Platinum. I am pleased with what I saw. First, because it is designed to be so, it is lightweight and portable. It comes standard with a start/stop button where it is optional on the Bernina 230 and, I believe, not available on the Bernette 82c. While having one isn't required, after using one during the test drive, I see where it enhances the sewing experience. It comes with a needle up/down option and, what I think is cool, a push button bind-off feature. The sales rep who assisted me (who was very nice) put together several strips of fabric to show me the machine will handle thickness without missing a beat, it is a powerful machine. The Janome isn't as quiet or smooth as the Bernina, but, for now, that is not important. My one complaint is it is a little convoluted to make a stitch selection, however, since my main stitch will be straight stitch and the machine defaults to that when turned on that too is not a real issue. I think the Janome is the machine for me. I may want a Bernina next year but I would rather buy this machine and find out I'm not too keen on sewing instead of making an investment on the Bernina and coming to the conclusion sewing is not for me. The Janome is at the right price point where I wouldn't feel I was throwing money away if I upgraded to a Bernina, plus, because it is made as a portable machine, I can take it with me on trips and to classes.

Now we come to why I will not be buying it from the dealer where I did the test drive. This can be summed up to poor customer service. There was another sales assistant who acted like she just couldn't be bothered with me. When I walked in, she was on the phone. I understand that she was in a conversation and probably could not end the call but there was no acknowledgement whatsoever. She didn't look at me, she looked through me, turned around and walked out of the room. But, I wasn't quite ready to give up on it mainly because of the sales assistant who came to show me all the features. I got fed up today when I called the shop to inquire about the price and availability of the machine. The woman I spoke to, and I think it was the same one because I would hate to think they had two rude people working at the shop, treated me like it was a waste of her time to speak to me on the phone. Now I am considering either purchasing the machine from another Janome dealer that is about 45 minutes away or buying the Bernina which is twice as much as the Janome but the SA was nice.

To any yarn or sewing or crafting shop I would say this:
Forty to fifty years ago, sewing and knitting was a necessity. Women had to know how to do these things to clothe their families and decorate their homes. Now, women -- and some men -- do it as a way to relax and express themselves. In other words, it is not a necessity. We are in the middle of a recession and the first things to go will be what is not necessary. If we decide to spend money on our pasttimes we take a long hard look at who we give that money to. So, the next time I walk into your shop, I'm not saying you have to bow at my feet, look at me and act like you want me to spend my money at your establishment. A little customer service and respect goes a long way.

Not a good knit night

The one saving grace today is that JL had a crochet hook I could borrow so I could pick up stiches on the entrelac stole. I was feeling hopeful. This was even after my son's little blow up on the car ride home and my husband's foul mood. At least JL understands me.

On my sticks
Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole

My daughter Punkywunks is still a little sick but not nearly as bad as she was yesterday. I took her upstairs and got her to fall asleep quickly. I was looking forward to some knitting. I settled in, picked up the stitches, sl1 p2tog, then I k8. Something didn't seem right. I looked at the instructions and I followed them correctly. I took a look at Knitty Otter's Entrelac tutorial. TURN, TURN, the freaking instruction in the book are missing one simple freaking instruction: TURN.

Okay, I only knit 7 stitches, it's not going to take anything to rip back. It's just given everything else that happened this evening I wanted this to go smooth.

An open letter to Yarn Maker X

Names and swear words have been removed.

Dear Yarn Maker X,

I have to ask, "Is there some joke I'm not getting or do you hate knitters?"

Your yarn is gorgeous. It is soft and warm and pretty. Your colors are outstanding, and your palettes are sophisticated. All that said, your yarn is expensive and it breaks on purpose and for that I hate you.

By design, the yarn has varied thickness because some sections are spun tighter than others. Great for texture, bad for doing something like actually knitting. In the places where it is loose, it breaks. At $11.00 a skein this is unexpected -- some would even say unacceptable -- yarn behavior.

There are yarn snobs who would say this very characteristic is what makes this yarn desirable and it is possibly my Western ideas of what $11.00 yarn should act like that need re-evaluating. They may even go so far as to insinuate that there is something wrong with me because I don't enjoy the challenge presented by my yarn breaking mid-stitch.

I know there is a simple solution to yarn breakage and that is splicing the yarn; but, I don't want to spit on $11 a skein yarn.

I should thank you for one thing. Because of this yarn, I have learned to be a loose knitter.

Regards,

HB

P.S. Did I mention I hate you.

Adding more to the stash

I found the bag that contained the yarn for the project I abandoned after I met my husband. I found 6 balls of yarn that I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with. That breaks down as 2 skeins of a worsted silk linen and 4 skeins of a super bulky boucle cotton both are in a beige-ish color. Both of these yarns have been discontinued so I need to find a project so I can use them up. Honestly, the silk linen has promise, that can be a made into some sort of small stole. As for the boucle, what was I thinking?

There may be a slight change up in what my next projects are going to be. I found a pattern to use the 2 skeins of alpaca. The ruffle scarf from Scarf Style. This I might use as a diversion until my Knit Picks order comes. What I like is that it looks like a fairly quick knit and it uses short rows, which is a technique I have heard a lot about. I'm even, for the first time, making a gauge swatch. I cast it on tonight and found that I need to use bigger needles than what the pattern lists. Looks like I'm a fairly tight knitter and I will need size 8 instead of 6.

Mini rant:
Maybe some people need an explanation of the due date. That is when the book is supposed to be returned to the library. I understand, and am guilty of, keeping a book a couple of days past its due date. But, here's the beauty, the system is on-line. Log-in and extend the borrow time. That way a psycho knitter like myself doesn't keep searching the card catalog wondering when the freakin' book is going to be returned.

Book Review: No Sheep For You

I checked out No Sheep for You by Amy R. Singer from my local library. This is a book that is definitely going to be purchased for my personal knitting library for the first three chapters alone. The first three chapters are a great primer about non-wool fibers.

mini rant:
One of the great things about this book is she demonstrates the suitability and characteristics of a fiber by referencing one of the patterns in the book. There is a reference to a vest pattern to view the characteristics of cruncy silk which I turned to look at. Some selfish low life has ripped the pattern pages out of the book. This is not cool for two reasons. One, which I think is obvious, this is a library book you moron! You don't rip pages out of a library book. Two, if you like the pattern so much, buy the book! That way the artist/designer gets paid for her work. What is odd about this is in my library system, one can go on-line and renew a book as many times as possible. My system does not charge late fees, even if idiot wanted to keep the book to knit the vest and that was past the due date, no worries. And, I do not advocate this, if he or she wanted to cheat the author out of well earned money for her hard work, copy the pattern with a copier.

Now, I know there are so many shades of gray when it comes to author/designer royalties. Some may feel that it is ridiculous to purchase a $20 book for one pattern. Some may not be in a financial situation to purchase a $20 book for one pattern. To that I say, "There are so many free patterns out there, if you like what you see in the book, do a search to find something similar." I know, everyone does not have internet access at home but, it is free at the library. And, if loser could get to the library to rip out a page, then surfing knitty or DROPS or Lion Brand Yarns on a library computer was just a terminal away.