Best Quote I Heard All Day
All the pleasures of Maya are tasteless and insipid. In the end, they shall all fade away.--Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show that Never Ends
I'm back from Stitches East. They had a large, prominently placed sign that said, more or less:

NO PHOTOGRAPHS PERMITTED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. DIGITAL MEDIA WILL BE CONFISCATED.

This was the first time I had ever seen the sign (or perhaps I missed it in years past). I was not about to let the X-men take my not-so-cheap Nikon. There were large, dykey gorilla security women everywhere I turned.

In addition, I actually did not see even one awful shmatteh, besides Sally Melville's self-patterning sock yarn legwarmers. (Come on, Sally. The '80s are so over and the legwarmers looked really tacky with the heeled boots. Manolo would cry at the Sally Melville lack of the taste.) It was, after all, 80+ degrees on Friday. Not conducive to wearing that Homespun poncho. Or maybe people are wising up. The true pieces of shit tended to be display garments at booths. I saw a beautiful lace shawl, several lovely cotton lace shells, as befitted the weather, and a few classic, discreet vests. All well done.

Unfortunately, the pictures that Carol S. took on her cell phone didn't come out well enough for publication. And even she didn't find that much to take.

So, as a consolation prize for no Gallery of Ghastlies this year, a special KC award for Ghastly Yarn of the Year goes to:

I suppose nobody's told Yummy Yarns that anything jelly is completely passe. To say the least, I am surprised that this is made in the U.S.

I would have marked it as a Japanese product. Of course, the Japanese would have made it edible and called it something like "Kreepy Happy Yarn."

I'm suggesting this as the perfect project for your Yummy Yarn.

The boa is a nice touch. Here's the free pattern if you can't resist. I know you have will power, though.

And no, you really can't eat this stuff. You can, however, aggravate your senses and your CTS at the same time by trying to knit with it. [Ed.: It's plastic, in case you haven't figured it out. And it comes in two weights--fine and bulky. Great for those plastic socks and ponchos.]

Stitches Market Statistical Analysis
or Why the Market Really Sucked This Year
The Market was really in sad, sad shape. First of all, there were unquestionably fewer vendors. In addition, some pretty major vendors who have always been at Stitches Market were glaringly absent. So where were:

• Wool Connection
• Cherry Tree Hill
• Black Water Abbey Yarns
• Crochet Guild of America
• Chester Farms
• Carodan Farm
• Cascade Yarns

and a bunch of other smaller vendors?

I happened to save my Market guide from 2004. Here's the statistics:

2004--114 vendors
2005--104 vendors

Number of vendors who showed in 2004 but not in 2005--43

Number of new vendors for 2005--28.

And it's not just that there were fewer vendors. The quality of vendors has sunk. As has the yarn being shown. Frankly, I could have ordered the books I bought via the internet. I only bought 2 skeins of Stretch Regia for Liz. Could have bought that on the internet as well.

Stitches is worth attending if you are a novice/advanced beginner and want to take classes or if you live a considerable distance from a yarn shop or if you have no access to the internet. As far as I'm concerned, it's a waste of time for me. I'm looking forward to Rhinebeck.

The Loom Has Loomed
It showed up via freight truck on Thursday.

In a big mother box. It's in the house now, resting. I have to start putting the heddles on it. Google "heddles." I can't explain it right now.

THHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEE Yankees Win
If you're from the NY area you know this is what John Sterling aka Jam Master J, the Yankees' radio announcer, says when the team wins. They won yesterday. John and I were at the game and I took this picture from the stairs going up to the subway, which is elevated in The Bronx.

I wants me some handy Lady Wears and rare Blanckets. Go Yanks!