Cell Phone Rant

I absolutely have had it up to my eyeballs with the rudeness and inconsideration people show when using cell phones. It's not just people who are rude and inconsiderate without a cell phone, but otherwise normal, polite people.

Last night at the store, a man came in right before closing needing help finding an out-of-print book. He said he would come back this morning, but I convinced him that we had time to fill out the form before we closed. (So at this point he knows we're running out of time). While I'm asking him about what it is he wants, his cell phone rings, and sure enough, he answers it. Was it an emergency? or a child needing a ride? Noooooo. It was a call he could have returned after he and I were done.

I've got to find a semi-polite way of telling customers who answer their cell phone in the middle of the transaction to wait. It is extraordinarily rude to me and my colleagues to interrupt me to say hi to your friend. They can wait! But I guess we as service employees don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

People who walk around with those earpiece phones permanently attached to their head also get me riled up. All I can think when I see these people is that they participate in the world around them, talk to people face-to-face, only until something better comes along in the form of a phone call. They look ridiculous with those things. If they are not in use - take them off!

I realize my frustrations are most likely futile at least for the next couple of decades. It will probably take that long for cell phones to be completely assimilated into our society and for common manners to readjust.

Until that time - watch out. If you answer your cell phone while you are talking to me, driving, or doing just about anything else but sitting by yourself - I'm likely to come after you.

Crochet Project: Tweed Handbag

This is the masterpiece in progress. My first self-designed work, this bag began as a way to use up some random balls of wool yarn. Of course, I ended up buying more yarn to finish the bag, but hey. I used the same stitch pattern as on the tweed clutches. It's a seamless bag made from this potholder pattern my mom found. I should get the handles finished this morning.

Stitch detail. I just got The Encyclopedia of Crochet in which I learned how to do the spike stitch that you see here. It really adds a finishing touch.

Crochet Project: Furry Mini-scarves

I whipped up one of these mini-scarves at the last sewing circle. I use a pattern from the book Lion Brand: Just Scarves as inspiration. They're fast, easy and you can get about two of these plus a short skinny scarf from one ball of yarn.

Crochet Project: Tweed Clutch

These are the tweed clutches I made for Christmas presents. I found the pattern in the 2005 Interweave Press Crochet magazine. I really like the stitch pattern (single crochet followed by double crochet repeated across). It's really dense and doesn't leave any holes. These bags worked up quickly, but the bobbles took a while and were a bit difficult.

More Detail. Here you can kind of see how the strap and gusset are all one piece that's worked in a big loop then strategically attached to the bag.

And for all you kitty lovers out there...we couldn't find Maddy last night. When she doesn't respond to our calls, I get worried that we've shut her in a cabinet or something. This time, she had just found a really cozy spot to sleep - in the hanging sweater rack in the guest closet.