Skein Sadists

Fifty-three grams of handspun silk have converted me to a die-hard skein-hater.

I, in my infinite wisdom and experience, have decided that anyone who sells yarn and thread in skeins really hates the knitters who will be using the stuff.

Oh, by the way, the correct pronunciation of skein is "sk - ay - n". I've attended a Friday-night knitting group where it's called "skeen", and folks, that simply isn't correct!

I am currently doing a stash inventory, and have spent WAY too much time untangling skeins of matted silk and wool. Substantial amounts of expletives have helped relieve the stress and tension of the exercise.

Now there are the purists who may claim that there is actually a good reason for selling thread/yarn in skeins, and if any of you think you have one of those good reasons, please leave a comment so I can trash those reasons publicly.

;-)

Addendum: Ahhh ... the skeins make it "nice for selling". Skeins suck for knitting. No matter how wonderful the stuff looks when skeined, ya can't knit from the buggers, so give me a centre-pull ball! Sellers who INSIST on selling their wares in skeins can advertise it skeined, but SELL it in centre-pull balls!

Heck, I'd even pay a buck a ball more to have it already wound!

The customer is always right. ;-)

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Non-Knitting Content ;-)

Why do I have a picture of Robert Picardo here? Last month, while in Vancouver, I was making a right-hand turn off West Georgia onto Howe Street, and who was walking down the sidewalk but the (nameless) doctor from Star Trek Voyager. If you go to his website, you'll see that he is a person of conscience, and involved in many good things, including Habitat for Humanity.

And this handsome young man is my son. This picture was taken on the Caribbean Island of St. Thomas. My mother and her partner were vacationing on St. .Thomas, and the Princess Cruiselines ship on which my son was working, stopped at St. Thomas every Thursday. So Eric found his way to my mother's villa, they were overjoyed to see each other (Eric having a touch of homesickness, as he was posted on the Caribbean Princess for six months, and seeing my mother was about the fourth month into his stint), and she made him "just about the best sandwich I've ever had". Apparently, the food prepared for the crew on the cruiselines leaves much to be desired, so the sandwich was a big hit with Eric.

And this is the same handsome young man who will be marrying his high school sweetheart this summer. The entire family is very happy, and, as my future daughter-in-law's mother toasted on Christmas Day, "Here's to new family traditions".


This is their engagement picture. What a beautiful couple they make!

Ok, back to untangling those skeins (SKAYNS) of thread.