I like that word. Fizzle.
My weekend was eh. G had to work a lot so I was kind of lonely. PMSy. And I learned that miscommunications, misunderstandings and hurt feelings make me headachy and tired and a bit sad. So eh.
I also learned that our virtual relationships leave a lot of room for interpretation by virtue of the fact that they are virtual. We learn so much about each other through unspoken language: body movements, facial expressions, voice inflections. Just the other day I was talking to my sister while she was picking up my niece at school. She told my niece there was someone on the phone for her. I heard my niece ask if it was Cara? But her sweet little voiced raised so high at the end of my name that I could hear her surprise (talking to Cara on the phone at the playground at school? What fun!) and delight that I was lifted even higher than her voice! All that very important non-verbal communication is missing from email and blog posts and what might be a heartfelt admission or admonition or constructive criticism or a plain old pat on the back can be received in a way that was much much different than the deliverer intended. I teach my students this all the time. When we do critique in my classroom, the student being “workshopped” (yes – it is a verb) is not allowed to speak at all. Why you ask? This seems cruel when everyone is sitting around discussing their story – the good the bad and the ugly? Well, for one thing, when you write and hopefully your story goes out into the world, you will not be able to sit by the reader and say – no no! I didn’t mean that! I meant this! You’re reading it all wrong!!! The writing must stand on its own. And while you can never guarantee that your readers will always get exactly what you intended – by the sheer fact that they bring along all of their stuff and you brought along all your stuff in the writing and that stuff will never match up – you can try to get your point across as best you can and hope that the broad idea of what you wanted is out there.
Most of us are not sitting in a room together, or talking on the phone – most of us have never even met each other! But good or bad our words carry weight and what we say when we blog means lots of different things to different people. While I certainly don’t expect everyone to read my blog or even like my blog, I would hope it would be clear that when I blog, I try to blog the way I try to live: with respect for everyone.
Whew! I feel a bit better now.
Onto the Red and Hot and I’m not really sure about the Sizzling.
(What a difference white balance can make! The only difference in exposures on these two pictures is that top had the white balance set to Auto and the bottom had the white balance set to sunny. Neat huh?)
Here are my red hot sizzling socks. Ruby Slippers, STR, Jaywalkers with a picot edge, size #1 Addis. Can I tell you? I don’t LOVE these socks. I like them very, very, very, very, very much but I don’t love them. The pattern is great, true, the picot edge is the cutest, true, the yarn is fantastic as always. It’s the color I don’t love. And the striping. The STR colorways I like the best are the ones with lots of different colors – making little stripes everywhere. These are too blocky and the stripes are too thick. But I have to tell you I like them A LOT better on my feet than I did on the needles. They are definitely growing on me. For anyone keeping count, this is my seventh full pair of jaywalkers. 😉 (I’ve actually got eight pair finished, but one’s mismatched so I don’t count it.)
There was some spinning this weekend!
I went back to the biffle and MAN was I a lot happier! This is Lisa Souza’s biffle in the Mardi Gras colorway. About 2 oz. G’s out again tonight so I’m hoping to spin up the rest and try my plying head. I hope it all holds together – it seems so fragile at times. And a lot fuzzier than I remember! I’m still basically spinning to spin and get the hang of things, but it’s all good. I enjoyed myself last night which is the most important and I’m happy with the way it’s going.
I finished the Jo Sharp swatch, which I think I’ll talk about tomorrow, and I made some really good headway with the ends on Short Rows. Thanks to a comment by Anmiryam, I’ve been weaving in the ends between split purl bumps in the most crowded of places and that seems to be working. I’ve got somewhere to wear the sweater now – I’ll be in Boston at the end of February, so I need to get it done by then. Goals. They’re good sometimes. (Speaking of goals – go wish Anmiryam good luck! She’s pursing her dreams and we should all be encouraged in that! YAY Anmiriyam!)
Have a great day!
Cara dear, you always set my ‘white balance’ to sunny!
Amen.
Could you make the socks a touch longer…I really like them;-)
Well put, m’dear.
Sweet Cara, you always blog with respect for everyone, and you are much appreciated for it. 🙂
Delurking to say: I totally agree. Words can be very potent………….we should all take such care, I believe.
I DO love your latest jaywalkers, so if you need to rehome them, think of me………
Hé, Cara,
I read you every morning and enjoy your blog. Don’t worry so much. It’s very obvious in everything you write that you respect us, your readers, very much. You still have to give yourself the freedom of saying what you feel!
Otherwise, what’s the point of writing?
Yes. I’ve noticed that there seems to be a lot of it going around right now. (Internet induced communication blues) It’s easy to feel anonymous when you don’t have to make eye contact with people, and falling into bad habits-intentional or not-is easy to do. When we open up our journals to discussion via our comments, we’re inviting people into our lives and it’s important to remember that there are living, breathing, feeling men and women who are emotionally connected to what is written there. You hit the nail on the head: respect.
I do think you’ve got some sizzle there. I’ve only knit ONE thing twice. Your jaywalker affliction is mind boggling to me! Very pretty.
Well said, m’dear!!
I had to check the gallery to make sure I had the first six pairs safely included – it’s hard to keep track! I really do love these, but I understand why these aren’t your most favorite ones. In any case, gallery? 😉
The written word is hard. Hell, sometimes the spoken word is just as hard.
The day I learned about custom white balance was a great, great day.
I really like these jaywalkers though I’ll agree they don’t have the sass the other ones have. I have the same colorway and it didn’t make me giddy like other STR colors. I still can’t believe you have seven!
Yeah.
So, you’re not fizzling on the Jaywalkers, just this pair, hm? I know what you mean about the STR with all the colors — Petrified Wood was like that and I love ’em.
Nice work – on all fronts.
xo
Ohhh Biffle, I can’t belive you’ve got me saying that too…lol, I love that biffle.
Great words. There is so much that isn’t said through all the words we do type up in our blogs and comments. Each person reads us through their own private lenses. And I often think as I read others’ blogs, is this really what they’re saying or is it what I’m interpreting what they’re saying.
Great socks – btw – what’s the count up to?
Ah, the challenges of writing and being understood. Well said, as always. I find that I write in a less than proper form in an attempt to get my point across, although I’d never do that in my professional writing. But it seems to make things a bit less formal. The Jaywalkers are cute – despite the stripey stuff, doesn’t that color just make you smile? I love the spinning – you’re getting good.
Was somebody mean to you?!? Phooey on them!
I love your socks. Of course!
Hi Cara,
I’m sure you’ve mentioned this before, but I can’t seem to find a reference…what kind of needles do you use when you’re making Jaywalkers with STR? Just curious.
I really, really like the way the Ruby Slippers worked up. (It’s the picot edge that keeps me from loving those socks.)
The biffle is also a lovely color…although not what I’d’ve pictured from the name.
it is so hard to pick up on the subtlies of communicating when doing it over the internet. maybe we should all start our own podcasts!! 🙂 that way some of the misunderstanding would be dealt with!
hmm, i think the socks are gorgeous! i love the colourway/picot combo! i hope you will learn to love them as well…
I like those dramatic Jaywalkers! Heh, my master’s thesis (pre-blog days) was about how people convey ethos online – how do you convince others, others who can’t see you, that you are credible? How is your character conveyed?
Sh-zizzle 🙂
all your socks rock and so does your blog! btw, i finished my very first pair of jaywalkers…i can’t remember which KAL i am in, but stop by and see them. i am quite pleased! thanks for hosting.
Treat liberally with chocolate. Good for PMS and other headache-inducing ailments 🙂
I think the Jay’s are cute! The thicker stripes will be inside shoes, yes??
Well said, Cara. I’m delurking to comment. And I have to say that I’ve often thought about the lack of non-verbal communication in our blog communications. It’s a wonder there aren’t more issues involving miscommunication, I guess.
Great socks, BTW. As usual, your socks rock! =)
I still like them even if they aren’t your favourites. If you want to see a really wierd pair of jaywalkers pop over and look at my latest entry. Yours may be fizzleing but mine are fluffy 🙂
Dude – the socks ARE pretty sizzling, even if you are only in like with them.
As far as the internet is concerned – someone who might pass judgement about someone else based on one post or even on a few posts without regard for the fact that internet communication and written communication in general is well, tricky, probably isn’t really interested in being understanding at all.
Fo shizzle. No seriously, well said. A little respect goes a long long way.
Socks look great. Why do red socks seem so decadent? I don’t know. Can’t wait to co for my red hot socks.
Very interesting post, Cara. I think it is good to keep all of that in mind…
Pretty socks! Wow – number 7. Crazy!
xo
Your socks are gorgeous, as is your spinning. But I’ve been obsessed with spinning lately, except that I don’t spin. But! hopefully the nice mailman will bring me my spindle today, and I can stop obsessing over everyone elses spinning.
Yes, anyhow, beautiful work.
You are one of THE most thoughtful bloggers. Hope someone wasn’t a “meany”. The biffle is absolutely awesome; gotta get me some of that. I do hope you will post a picture of it plied; pretty please??? Thanks Cara
You may not love ’em, but I do! Subtle striping is more my speed than the really wild stuff. It takes all kinds, y’know? 🙂
You know it’s funny, I thought you might feel it was blasphemy but I had pretty much decided not to use Jaywalker for my Ruby Slippers. Now I’m sure. There is a cute pattern in Cool Socks Warm Feet that I’m leaning toward.
As soon as I finish the current Jaywalkers!
Beautifully said, Cara!
Hear, hear! Wonderful wording, and it’s very true. Thanks.
You enjoyed yourself and your spinning is gorgeous!!! Connection? Hmmmm?