Charming

I volunteered to make 12 quilt blocks for Nancy's Quilts of Valor challenge.

I am not a quilter.  Putting different fabrics together really stresses me.

So what do I do?  Rather than using just a few red, white and blue fabrics?

I make charm blocks using 36 different fabrics.

Some of them don't belong - but I think they look okay.

11 of the blocks have a white rectangle that is 3 blocks long.

I will embroider a word on that white block to represent thanks to the wounded soldier.

What would you say with one word?

Circle of Socks

I've been making a pair of baby socks from my sock yarn leftovers before starting to make hexis with the leftovers. 

Most other knitting has taken a backseat.  I currently have 3 pairs of socks in various stages for me.  I also have 2 cardigans that are so close to being done, a pretty wrap and a pattern to finalize.  Can I retire yet? 

Madrona

The Madrona Fiber Arts Festival is really the only fiber festival in my backyard.  On Saturday two of my girlfriends and I got together and went shopping.  Some year we're going to sign up, take classes and stay there!

I knit 27 pairs of socks last year and did not replenish all that yarn.  I did a fair job restocking the stash on Saturday.  I got 3 hanks of Socks that Rock - 2 lightweight and 1 medium weight to make a pair of socks for JB.  Some Koigu - which I love and is getting hard to find around here.  And 3 other hanks of hand dyed yarns from indys that I had never heard of.  That's enough for 7 pairs of socks.

My new plan - buy good yarn now when I can afford it but don't have tons of time to knit it up.  But I'll have to good stuff to use when I finally retire someday and have the time, but not the money to afford it.  Let's just hope my eyesight holds out and I can still knit socks at the gauge I love. 

Thankful Thursday

 No doggies today - just a list of all the things to be thankful for.  The photos are mostly taken by JB - except when he's in them.  They were taken the Friday after Thanksgiving when we did a little covered bridge tour through the Lancaster PA area. 

~ a husband who loves me - even when I do root for a rival football team

~ daughters who crash vacations

~ doing fun things together

~ kissing bridges

 ~ beautiful architecture and lovely photos.  I want this one on my wall

~ meeting blog friends in real life

~ doggy kisses

~ friends who understand all of it and never judge ~ just love you

~ the ability to have, not taking my job, house or marriage for granted.  It's not something everyone has

~ recalling The Princesses excitement at watching the buggy go through the covered bridge

~ healthy dogs

~ crafting, creating and designing.  The ability to get it from mind to wearable

~ my health, although I often lament my size (which is average) I am healthy and my body does amazing things.


~ please share your thankfuls in the comments.

Pretty Girl

Look How Long My Ears Are!!

This bow's not too bad - but I hate clothes.

Customer Service

Slip Jig from the Ravelry Pattern Page :: Love

Have you noticed that customer service seems to be a lost art these days?  Why?  Is it so hard to be nice and polite to people in your shop?  I've recently had experiences on both ends of the customer service spectrum and thought I'd share and see if anyone understands why it's so hard?

Last weekend, my daughters and I went into a LYS to shop for yarn.  I was looking for a specific yarn that I knew they carried.  They had one hank of the yarn in the color I was looking for - I needed 2.  When I walked up to the counter to ask if they had any more - the woman working there barked at me that all they had was on the shelve.  Not - how many do you need?  We are expecting an order any day?  Or can we order it and call you.  Oh - and she didn't bother to look at me while barking her response.  Needless to say I walked out without buying anything.



Next - my husband, one daughter and I went to a different yarn store.  Immediately upon entering we were asked if we needed help.  Were given guidance without the sales people being pushy.   They looked up a pattern on Ravelry for me so everyone knew what I was making and could give opinions - which they did on the color matching.  They helped The Princess get new needles for the socks she was making and made sure the cable was long enough and even showed her how small the needles could go.  Wonderful experience and I'll go back to Fiber Gallery again.

My second amazing customer service was with Blue Moon Fiber Arts online sales.  I had been looking at the Slip Jig pattern for a long time.  It was finally available outside of the sock club and my paypal account was flush so I ordered it.  I got an email saying it shipped - but no link to a downloadable pattern and no way to log into my account to check the status.  I waited about 10 days and then contacted customer service.  I got a response within 24 saying they had been having some problems with their computers but to try resetting my password again and to be aware it was case sensitive.  I reset my password but still couldn't see my pattern.  I replied to customer service again, saying I got into my account, but still couldn't find the pattern.  The next email I got was a notice that my paypal payment had been refunded.  I was a bit crushed because I wanted the pattern.  Within seconds, I got another email from BMFA's customer service with a link to download my pattern.  They had refunded my money because of the issues in trying to get the pattern.  I will shop with them again - as well. 

So tell - do you put your dollars where the service is good?  Or do you shop someplace with less than stellar customer service because it's convenient?

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