I'm Drea. I'm Meg. I'm Tina. And I'm Jess. And this is Pardon My Stash.
Welcome to Pardon My Stash, a podcast about crafting fiber arts and how awesome it is.
Though that was a lot. It's been a while. It has been a while.
It was a makeup. We are glad to be back. Before we dive into our topics today,
let's talk about what we're working on. Tina? Today I am working on the Hi Vis Beanie.
It is my own pattern. It is not released, but I am making the prototype for my husband.
It is about 60% done and 60% into it. I am hoping that the yarn that I'm using
plumes because I think it's too small. Oh no. But if I block it aggressively.
If you need some help, I'm very good at that. I am so good at blocking aggressively.
What yarn are you using? So, okay. So I'm using Shirsty Cat designs.
The Hi Vis Cowl I did in Highlight and Blaze in a bulky weight. And his hat I'm doing, or his beanie,
I want it to be a skull cap, like tight. And I'm doing it in DK, same colors. So the issue is,
how do I keep it skull cappy without making it too...
Too skull cappy. Yeah. I think it might fit just fine. And I'm overthinking it. Because again,
I'm only 60% in. So I feel like if I finish where I think I need to finish, it's going to look really
tiny because it is a ribbed beanie. And it's a fake ribbing that I do to make an impression of,
it's like a brioche, but it's not brioche. Just so it matches the Hi Vis Cowl. But for,
if you have a construction worker in your life or someone that needs to wear a helmet while they're
working, you really can't have a bulky thing on your head. It has to be really thin.
Yeah. It's got to be pretty close. Yeah. So...
Ribbing always looks really tight anyway. It's true.
It condenses. So hopefully when it's on, it will stretch out.
Yeah. I think I'm overthinking it, but I was like...
Happy to help if you need aggressive blocking. Oh, wait. I didn't... Wait. I'm talking about that.
And you guys are probably like, what happened in these two months? What did you finish? Well,
I finished some stuff. I finished... I didn't ask that at all, but you know what?
Oh my God. I'm glad you remembered that. All right. I don't have to share.
I want to know. Okay. Because I have also forgotten in this time. Tell me, please.
I finished my slip on your shoulder tee that I made from Blame the Knots. It was a test knit
in the size eight. And I did it in Critical Hit Dyes, Drew DK in Tequila Sunrise and Thunderwave.
That came out so good. It really did.
Thank you. I posted about it on my Instagram a while ago, but I will have Meg put it on
the blog post too, so you can find it there. I really enjoyed it. It fits me well. I like the colors.
It came out just like a sunset, just like I wanted it to. Literally exactly how I pictured it in my head.
It did the thing.
It did the thing. And I made it extra hard by making the detail one color and the body another.
So that was fun.
Why you do this to yourself?
So you can do that too, but I highly recommend you just do one color.
It was for the aesthetic. You do it for the aesthetic.
It does have an aesthetic value, but also a frustration value.
You're sitting there while you're doing it going, why did I choose this aesthetic?
And then it's done and it's like, now I know.
I just want to make this clear though. The designer does not tell you to do two colors.
She tells you to do one color. I put it on myself to do two colors. So yeah, learn from my mistakes.
Just listen to what they have to say and do one color. Anyway, so I did finish that.
So because I finished that, I was pulling out, I actually went through and cleaned out all my
project bags and was trying to find what I actually want to continue working on and what I don't.
So I pulled out a bunch of stuff that was like randomly in there.
And that's when I pulled out the high vis beanie. And so I pulled, so I haven't pulled this out in
probably months and I sat on my chair in the living room and my husband's sitting next to me
and he goes, Oh, because he knows it's for him. He knows that yard. And he's like, is that what I
think it is? And I said, yeah, it's, it's the beanie. Should have been like, no.
Should have been like, do you like this hat for my mom? Just to throw him.
So the fun story is, he told me that he wants me to finish the beanie because he wears the high vis
cowl to work and he likes making his coworkers feel very envious of his cowl. And he's like,
I want to make my cowl and they ask about it. And they, and he always tells them that my awesome
wife made it for me. Oh, he wants to inspire jealousy. Yes. So he would like the matching
beanie so that he could say, look, now I have a beanie too. So, um, you know, love to inflate
Pat's ego, but I'm just going to make it as I have time. Um, I just wanted to do something like small
and quick. So I can, like, get a quick win in there and then go. So that was my long winded of what
I'm doing. It's good stuff though. Congratulations on finishing a project and working on another.
Yes. Jess?
I am still working on the Nimue blanket. Um, yeah, I'm in the granny square stage. So that's happening slowly because I need to make 24 of them. And I've made like four, but I use different hooks for them. So I'm going to make 24 of them.
So that's happening slowly because I need to make 24 of them. And I've made like four, but I use different hooks for all of them and all the tensions are off. So I had to go back to my original hook, which I like the original hook, but I bought a new hook that I wanted to use. And it was awesome.
But the tension is different than what I started with. So I have to find a different project for that one and go back to. So I have three that I can't use and like two that I can use. So that's on a rest. And now I'm making a dragon from the going gnome kits. I'm doing the red dragon. Um, I have deviated from their directions a little bit.
Oh, yeah, I like.
I wanted to do the wings different and the head and the legs a little bit like, but it's the right color.
Just Steve thought that was super.
I forgot about Steve.
You forgot about Steve man.
Look though, they give you these like little tiny gems to use for the little eye like sparkle so you don't have to use the white, the white you can just use this tiny. I totally lost one but they give you extra.
So, so, so yeah, and I get to stab things with my needle, which is fun to this time of year who doesn't have years. Yeah, it just kind of gets out that pent up stress all that early.
That was all that stress. Listen, listen, it's my first day like of Christmas break. Like, yeah, look, there's a lot going on. I work.
I mean, it's grocery pre Christmas tension is real. It's yeah there's a lot going on. So sometimes you just got to let stuff off. And this is also my make along project so because I'm keeping it.
He's almost done.
Um, yeah, that's that's that's what I'm doing right I probably have other stuff I finished some gnomes.
Yes.
They're super cute. And yeah, so that's that's basically what I've been doing. I'm going to start a cat sweater soon I think though, draft, as you at the table can see, I have not one, but two projects in front of.
Neither of them are this is never happens. But let me tell you story time. I was working on the one that I'm currently knitting. This is a another gennaker hat.
I'm using Malibu ego, a royal, and I can't remember the color name but it's green.
Like a yellow green it's very pretty. It is very pretty it looks almost like grassy. Yeah, and I had cast this on because I needed a project it was kind of like a BS project you know just something to have not because I wanted it, but just to have something to do.
As you do, as I do. And then, look at this.
My size for circular needle. Yeah that really for my brim, like really just like that really broke it.
It like, look, I'll post a picture. But that's a size four and size four is commonly used for fingering and you'd use a lot of fingering so that needle probably served a good life.
Yeah, it did. And this isn't a needle that I had bought myself either this is something that I inherited from somebody else. Needless to say, I did have to get a new size four circular, and I ended up ordering it from Jimmy beans.
And I, I got.
It's gone.
You put it away she ordered it but it's gone.
So, and I ended up buying something that and I wish that I read the description, a little bit more carefully because I did not, and I ended up buying the lantern moon, handcrafted interchangeable needle.
And I just really liked the way that it looked and the lantern moons do look really nice, and they do look really nice and I really liked the way that it looked online, and I didn't read it.
Like I never buy wooden needles because I have a habit of sitting on them and breaking them. So I am a little worried about how long they're going to last for me, but so far, and I've already transferred the project over.
I really like it and I really enjoy the swivel cords that I got to. I've never used a swivel cord before.
It's such a game changer doesn't stop them from getting loose. So, you know how when you're working with the circular and sometimes you kind of have to like adjust it because it gets a little tangled like it starts.
Yeah, so the swivel cord never let's that happen. Oh, it just kind of eases itself. Yeah, it allows the twist to happen. That's cool.
That's a real fall. I have it with my gratitude set. Oh, it's game changing. Oh, it really is. I really enjoy it. So I'm really going to enjoy finishing this knit.
And my other project that I'm working on. I'm actually a little bit late finishing my Secret Santa for work. But I'm doing a copycat cowl by Verna Glass. It's a free pattern on Ravelry, which I really enjoy.
And I'm using Juniper Moon Cumulus in that like natural white off white color. I'm sure it has an actual name but just natural. I lost the tag. It's leftover from when I did the back east wrap.
So it's that like nice cream off white color. And I think that he'll really enjoy that. And I'm really enjoying the pattern. I learned a new cast on. That's fun. Yes. I did not think that I was going to enjoy it.
You should have seen how much huffing and puffing I did because dear Lord, now I have to go find a crochet hook. What's the cast on? It is the Chinese waitress cast on. I've never even heard of that one. Never heard of it.
Yeah, it's a combination knit crochet cast on. It was actually quite enjoyable. And look, it gives you like this nice like little chain. Oh, that's cute. Right on the edge. I like that. Yeah. So it'll finish nicely and I enjoyed it.
I give you credit because I would have seen that and been like, eh, knitted on cast on. It is. Like I do not like doing new cast ons. I just don't. I was in a mood that day. I am not adventurous with cast ons.
It's a really pretty cast on. It is very pretty. It's very nice. It looks like it was worth it. I decided to give it a try. And what I ended up doing because in the pattern, she links you to a specific video that was really easy to follow.
And it used a crochet hook. So me, I Googled it and you can do it with just knitting needles. But it was like 10 times more hassle. Yeah. So at least the option is there. Yes. And I huffed and puffed and went fine.
Got my crochet hook and taught myself a new skill. Congrats on the new skill. And it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Good. Yes. So I enjoy that. I'm enjoying that knit. I have like two pattern repeats to do on that. And then that is done.
And maybe he will get it before Christmas. I doubt it, but maybe you get a snarky gift and get a nice gift. They offset each other and you're all happy. Meg?
So I started knitting the Pierre sweater by Valentina Bugdanova about three weeks ago. And I've made a mistake in the yoke. So I have to go back about two rows. So that's in timeout while it thinks about what it did.
I will be taking absolutely no comments. So after like literally I've not been doing any knitting for like a week. I've been very like, but it's first day of Christmas break. Oh, I'm so sorry. You hit that. I'm so sorry. You hit that.
No, trust me. Yeah, no, trust. It's needed. It's needed. This week was a thing. So I was like, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to try to have something to knit until I can get the wherewithal to pull back that many stitches.
So I'm knitting a Delft Cowl by Dutch Girl Creations.
I've knitted a few test knits for Dutch Girl before.
I love doing test knits for her.
I love her stuff.
All of her, or I shouldn't say all of,
but most of her accessory patterns, the hats or cowls,
come in multiple weights, weight options,
which I think is really cool.
Depending on what weight of yarn you have,
you can pretty much find almost anything,
from DK all the way to super bulky.
I'm knitting this one in the bulky weight,
and I'm knitting it out of our yarn,
the Critical Hit Dyes Barbarian Bulky,
in our Almond Spritz from our Sugar and Spice collection.
And I really like how it's knitting up.
You like it?
I picked it because the actual picture of the cowl
had kind of a variegated.
And so I'm like, okay, this is one that I think
it'll knit up kind of neat,
even though it's like a variegated yarn,
and you never know.
So this is my-
What's that subtle variegated?
Yeah, I needed, like Tina, I needed a quick win.
I need something quick and fast.
And this is my go-to.
An accessory in a bulky weight is my go-to
when I need a quick win to kind of get me back on track.
So this will probably be my Christmas vacation knitting,
and we'll see what happens next year.
See what happens.
Well, you said Christmas vacation again,
so I thought I was supposed to put it on again.
You know what, every single time.
Every single time.
Got it, got it.
Listen, listen.
Applaud the Christmas vacation.
Gotta do it.
Oh, you said it again.
Am I right?
Yeah.
Be sure to check out our website, pardonmystache.com
for pictures of our projects and more information.
And if you'd like to try out the Lantern Moon Needles
and swivel cords, you can find them at jimmybeanswool
at jimmybeanswool.com.
So I wanna take you back about, got it,
let's point like 15 years,
a two-way time when we all first started knitting.
And one of our close friends, Jackie,
close friend to all four of us, commented one time,
and I forget like what provoked it,
but it was some post about knitting.
And she's like, every time you guys talk about knitting,
I feel like you're old lady level grinding.
We are.
I didn't know at the time what level grinding was
because I'm the only person at this table
that doesn't play video games.
I know, I've never, listen, listen.
My dad was convinced that if they let us get Nintendo,
that we would never read again.
So I never played video games.
I'll let you know, some of the best vocabulary
I got in my life was Final Fantasy.
Yeah, right?
Just saying.
Listen, back in the day, you had to read that.
That was the rule.
I was not allowed to play video games.
You should see me play Mario.
It's embarrassing.
All these kids with their voiceovers now.
I know, God.
I have no hand-eye coordination.
So we were talking earlier tonight
and talking about topics and also talking about,
like laughing about getting older
since some of us are getting to the cusp of 40
and some of us are over 40
and some of us will be 40 in a week.
Woo!
Are you really?
Yeah, she is.
No, I know, it's weird, right?
I mean, I did get you a good gift.
I'm an old goat?
It's over the sheep, right?
Over the hill, over the sheep.
It's the foot, no.
Okay, never mind.
I thought we were going old goat, but you know.
Wow!
I like goats.
I screwed up.
So tonight we're gonna be talking about getting older
and making it fun.
Old lady level grinding.
Is it fun?
You know, not all aspects of it,
but I think there are definitely some pros.
Sure was funny you guys earlier.
Look.
I'll tell my own story.
I'm not embarrassed.
No one was jumping in.
I'm not embarrassed.
So we, you know, we haven't met to record in a hot minute
and I brought over some delicious,
I'm gonna say it right.
How are you?
Macarons.
Very good.
Okay.
I'm proud of you.
They were really good.
Yeah, they were delicious.
They were very delicious.
Very good.
But we were all stumped on what their flavors could be.
We were all guessing and the label was somewhat descriptive.
To be fair, it should have been on the label.
It should have been on the label.
Like they should, every sort of like multi-pack of pastry
or anything should have a discernible label.
So the ingredients had like some names and some like labeling,
but you had to like read through the entire ingredients list
to see like what the cookies were flavored as.
And anyways, there was one that was suspicious
and we could not figure out.
It was very good.
Oh yeah, it was delicious.
I still think it had fig in it.
I still think it had citrus.
Maybe it was citrus and fig.
I did not taste any citrus.
Anyways, see,
it's still a mystery.
Anyways, so.
The world may never know.
We all tried to use the internet.
We tried to use Chetch EBT.
Look, we exhausted all avenues.
All options.
Of information.
And my smart butt thought that it would make sense
to call the grocery store to ask them
what the flavors were of this.
It said it was like a winter collection
or something like that.
So I said, okay, you know what?
I'm just gonna call.
I will call the bakery.
I'm just gonna let you know that it is the evening
right now when we record.
The bakery is closed.
The bakery is definitely closing.
Or closing, yeah.
So, you know, it rang and very,
someone picks up the phone.
She goes, hi, how can I help you?
And as the words are leaving my mouth,
I realize I'm making a terrible mistake.
And I said, hello.
I was just in your store
and I bought this six pack of macarons.
And they're called the winter collection,
but what are the flavors?
Because it's not on the package.
It's not on the package.
And she took a pause.
She did, hold on.
And I said, yep, no problem.
And then I hung up the phone
because I realized that I have become the old lady
that calls the store with questions
that should not be answered in the evening hours
when the bakery is closing.
And I just want to apologize on behalf of myself to-
It would be funny if this person does this.
If you were working and picked up that phone,
I am so sorry.
But here's the thing,
not a single one of us said, don't do that.
No, until the words came out of our mouth,
then we all were like, wait a second.
No matter what we were thinking,
we all were just kinda like, you know what, all right.
Wait, are you calling?
Yes, that happens.
Don't do that.
That happened.
And it was, you know.
Look, we have four neurodivergent people at this table
and we needed to know.
I hyper-focused, guys.
You didn't save me.
No.
A neurotypical picked up the phone.
Okay, but to be-
Listen, I was just impressed you called.
To be fair, I'm literally at the point with Jess
where if I see the look on her face,
I'm like, you know what, just go do it.
I don't even-
I can tell from the expression
that nothing is getting done
until you do what you're thinking about.
I can see it in your eyes.
So even if it's gonna take you two hours
and it is nine o'clock at night, just go.
Just go.
I'm gonna go to bed.
I'll see you in the morning.
So when she gets into that hyper-fixation area,
I'm just like, just go.
It's fine.
It'll be fine.
I would just like to know how many experience points
I gained from doing that action on my old lady-
Calling the bakery-
You actually called.
To ask a question about the product.
I don't know, I feel like that's at least like 2,000.
No, no, no.
Of lady-level grind points.
I feel like you get points
for being an adult and making a phone call.
Yeah.
Oh, thank you.
That's a good point.
But you lose points for being an inconvenience.
Well, okay, somebody else.
So, but we're old lady-level grinding.
So I would decrease points by making a phone call.
Like an adult.
Yes.
Increase points for calling about a very Medusa detail
to a chain grocery store.
I don't know.
I feel like it's a wash though,
because like the youths don't make phone calls.
That's true.
At all.
I picked up that phone.
I dialed the number.
Well, we used to.
You did.
I did.
You did.
But a true youth would try to FaceTime.
What do you mean a true youth?
What are you talking about, Willis?
A true youth would try to FaceTime.
Right.
As my kids do. FaceTime the groceries.
Yes.
Listen.
Everyone's doing the FaceTime now.
My kids will literally FaceTime each other,
and then they'll put the phone on the desk.
Yo, no one's picking up at Stone Shop.
What the hell?
Oh God.
Yeah, that's definitely an old lady-level grind moment.
Okay.
Definitely.
Sounds like a wash.
So, God.
I'll just stay at my lack of gaining.
Anyone else earn any points lately?
I did.
Okay.
Very recently.
All right.
This past week, my work had our annual
office Christmas dinner.
After work.
Okay.
I did attend.
Good job.
Yes, I know.
Like. Good job.
Adulting points for going out and not saying,
yeah, I'm not gonna do that going home.
Yes.
Adulting points.
Adulting points for doing that.
It was after work.
It was dark.
It was raining.
I don't do any of that.
I know.
It was terrible.
No, applaud.
You still win.
I still win.
I'm very proud of myself.
I was sociable.
Wow.
I did not have any knitting with me,
which was almost a hard pass.
Wow.
I'm like, I'm really, yeah.
Like you're gaining a lot of points right now.
Ready for me to lose some points?
You're gonna lose them all right now?
At 8.30, my pill reminder went off
and everybody at the table was like,
whose phone is that?
What is that?
And I'm like, oh, sorry.
Just gotta take my meds.
Except I didn't have them with me
and I accidentally snoozed the alarm
so it went off again nine minutes later.
Nice.
Whoops.
I got to bed so late that night.
Oh.
Like nine o'clock came around
and man, I was sleeping at the table.
I mean, I think anybody that takes
a late night medication can,
like before bed medication can appreciate the struggle.
Even without the meds that make me sleepy,
I'm still sleepy at that time.
I mean, same.
Yeah.
But I get up at 5.30 so.
How are you level grinding Meg?
I have bursitis.
Congratulations.
It's not funny, but it's awful
and it is just a part of my life.
It was just a waste.
It's just a part of my life now.
It's just so dead, man.
I have bursitis.
I do.
And you know what the worst part is?
So I have it because of a car accident I got in
when I was 21 and I broke my pelvis
and because ever since then I kind of,
I don't realize it, but I walk kind of funny.
Not funny like you can see it,
but because of the weight I put, I overcompensate.
So I have it literally through both hips at this point.
It used to just be one, now it's both.
And the worst part is, is that every time
that I'm like in pain,
this is gonna make her sound so cruel,
but every time I'm like, oh, my bursitis is flaring up,
Jess starts laughing off because of the old,
jack to where they're hiding in the bushes
and they're blowing an air horn at a golf course.
And when the guy comes over, he's like,
I'm sorry, I have bursitis.
So she's like, I can't help it.
She's like, do you think you can do an air horn?
She's so much.
So much.
Like literally.
It's so funny, it makes no sense.
No, but it's so like, I'll literally be sitting there.
And it always really, it's been really bad lately
because it flares up when it gets really cold
and it flares up when it rains.
And also when the pressure changes really bad.
And so last weekend, it was like literally
all three of those things happened.
And I was like, oh my God, like I was having trouble walking.
Does that mean that you did your crafting?
No, I didn't.
I just did a lot of Tylenol.
And I was like, okay, like I feel better.
Cause I looked at the barometric pressure was ridiculous.
And I go to Jess, I'm like, okay, I feel a little better.
Like, cause I'm sitting here thinking, oh my God,
like what's wrong with me?
I'm falling apart.
And I'm like, no, it's just the pressure.
It's my bursitis.
And she's like, I'm like, I hate you.
I can't help it, that's all I think about.
If it helps, I sneeze and blow my back out routinely.
Wow.
It's all the things you have to look forward to.
It gives me more knitting time, okay.
Sneeze, blow back out, well picks up the needle.
Well, I can't live.
I never knew.
Oh God.
That it is.
Routinely guys, routinely.
Oh God, it's fun getting old.
I don't know, man.
Like me and my coworkers were talking about taxes.
Like.
It's a stellar conversation we're having right now.
I know, right?
Oh God, mortgages.
What's your mortgage rate?
Oh my God.
My joints creak when I stand up.
Sometimes I get stuck, like, you know,
when I'm hanging tags, my knees refuse
to let me stand up again.
So that's fun.
That's a good, like, is anybody around?
Good, I'm gonna like slowly work my way up.
Oh my God, I do the same thing.
Just like how to crab walk your way up.
Just a little bit, until I can get to a part of the shelf
that I can kind of like rest on as I like work my way up.
I'm like, oh, looking up and down the aisle,
like, is anyone okay?
Like, we're gonna do this as grace.
And when people are walking, I'm like,
no, I'm graceful, I'm young still.
And then they leave and I'm like, oh God.
Jess, my favorite thing is that there are cameras
in that store.
Someone's watching you do the crab walk down the aisle.
No, but I know what, like, they would actually have
to go back through the cameras and be looking for someone
because the cameras that they have on all the time,
I know where those are.
So I don't do embarrassing things in front of those cameras.
She doesn't do the crab walk under those cameras.
It would just be really funny
if they were looking for a shoplifter.
If they're looking for a shoplifter,
they'll probably get like run into one at some point.
Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious.
Yeah.
Yep, not hiding anything.
No guys, I'm still spry.
God.
Guys, if I could go two weeks without a doctor's appointment.
Oh God, yeah, those.
If I could go two days without my hands cramping
from knitting and only mild knitting,
that would be fantastic.
Any guy you're talking to,
are you taking your multivitamins?
I tell you what, I can show you some hand exercises
to stretch those tendons.
So that's another fun thing is my autoimmune.
I am not supposed to stretch too much
because I am hypermobile.
You are a lost cause, congratulations.
So when I'm doing like,
I'm trying to like release like cramps and stuff like that,
I'm doing a lot of massaging because I literally,
like they advise me don't stretch too much
because I'm over-
Because you can pop your joints in a wrong way.
Me too, yay.
It's like my knuckles can crack just by bending them.
So I have nothing left to teach you.
So this is what I end up doing is I'll just,
with this one, my left one starts cramping.
I just kind of hold it to the boob and I just,
oh my God.
Like you're good, you're good.
I just-
I wish there was a video right here to show this sick.
It's basically a rolling in the fishing line on your chest
because that's all I can do.
Oh my God.
We're gonna do a video.
How are you knitting?
When you're not putting this on the internet.
What if other people need it for help?
All right, all right, all right.
So we've discussed the not so savory parts
of old lady level grinding.
Let's talk about some good things
about old lady level grinding.
Ooh, I don't care about anything.
I mean-
Absolutely nothing.
No, no.
Not a care in the world.
No, like, like I truly like, you know what?
I'm gonna go to the store.
I don't care if I'm wearing makeup.
I don't care what clothes I got on.
I don't care.
Like, you know, I'm good.
I could give a-
Oh, that guy is looking at me.
Cool.
I'm gonna keep going.
I literally don't care.
The lack, the like, I almost had lack of self-awareness
and that's not what I meant.
It's more the like, you have a lot of self-awareness.
It's just the like, the realization
that nobody else cares either.
No.
Like nobody else is really like,
if they may think something,
but it's gonna be about two seconds on their radar,
they're gonna move on with their lives
if they think about you at all, which they probably won't.
Instead of the obsessive like,
oh my God, I have a zit on my face.
Everyone is staring at me.
Everyone is wondering what's wrong with me.
Like, oh my God, cover it up.
Like, you do.
You just stop caring.
I'm walking out with my zit dot cover.
Yeah.
To the gross.
No, you just don't care anymore.
Just don't care anymore.
Yeah, it's, I think it's just that realization
and the acceptance of like, nobody else cares either.
This is not a major point in anybody's day.
You know what, honestly, I had the same discussion
with Jess the other day where like,
I used to, especially with family.
Like if I thought a family member was upset with me,
I would obsess.
Yeah, no, I hear you.
Like, I mean, I mean, deep obsession.
And the other day, like,
I thought a family member was upset with me.
And I, like one minute, and then I was like,
you know what, I didn't do anything wrong.
And if they're upset with me, they can tell me.
That's their problem.
And if they don't wanna tell me,
then that is their problem.
Like, I am absolutely not, I did not do anything wrong.
If they're upset, they're upset.
And I'm gonna move on with my day.
And I was like, wow, for me, that is massive growth.
That's huge.
I was very proud.
Massive growth.
Good job.
Because I'm the queen of obsession.
And yeah, it's kind of like, I don't know.
Was it just very, somebody said something
that is so morbid, but it's like,
a hundred years from now, none of this is gonna matter.
No.
None of this is gonna matter.
Well, I do. It's so true.
I do hope one day an alien picks up our podcast.
And I'll be like, so welcome to class, everybody.
We're gonna learn what fiber artists did in the 2020s.
But it's like, a hundred years from now,
I will not need to worry about any of this.
No. No.
Because I don't think I'm gonna be 141 years old.
So. No.
No, probably not.
No. Yeah.
Listen.
I don't wanna know.
If I'm 141 years old, I promise you,
these hips will not still be around at all.
They're already falling apart.
Maybe you'll have titanium ones instead.
Oh God, I hope not.
Ooh, cyborg. You could be like Robocop.
That would be wild.
Robomig.
But still, the point stands,
when you kind of look at it in that vein,
like, oh my God, am I gonna sit here
and let a comment or a look
that I may completely also be misinterpreting?
Yeah.
And I've gotten much better at that, too.
Taking a step back and being like, you know what?
Everybody's reactions are not all reacting to me.
Yeah.
If somebody frowns, it's not because I did something
that made them mad.
Maybe they had a thought.
Maybe they, it's something totally different.
Maybe their face is just falling for a second
before they realize, oh wait.
Yeah.
And like how many times a day do I do that
and not realize it?
So it is, and it's-
Do you know how many times a day
I'm not paying attention to whatever is going on around me
and I'm just like glaring at something?
I've got like,
I've got like that movie in my mind,
often Daydreamland,
and then like something unsavory happens in the daydream
and I'm like, ooh.
And somebody's like, why are you mad?
Yeah.
Like, what did I say?
Yes.
Yeah, but that's the thing.
And I think a lot of like,
going back to what you said, Tina,
the idea that like everybody around me
is caring a whole lot less
than I perceive they are caring.
And it's not like, I say, I don't care about anything.
I mean, I care about the right things.
Sure.
Yeah.
But I don't have the brain space to care about
the lady at the pharmacy that might have looked at me funny.
Yeah.
Like I don't have the space for that today,
or ever.
I mean, I think a lot of it is,
I've been hearing it a lot where
if you just kind of go in with confidence,
if you're confident about what you're doing,
nobody will be uncomfortable.
You will not be uncomfortable,
but other people will be uncomfortable
in terms of their unsureness.
Oh yeah.
But you'll be fine.
So I've done that a lot with pulling out my knitting
at places I might not have done so in the past,
and I just don't care anymore.
And if somebody makes, you know,
it's very, I have to say, for the most part,
if people see me knitting, usually nothing happens.
And then there's like 5% where somebody will say,
oh, what are you making?
Knitting is my comfort item.
Yeah.
Yeah, they'll ask what you're doing.
Yeah, I don't mind that either.
And then like 1% may say like something snarky,
like without, maybe even not realizing it,
like saying, oh, hey there, grandma, or whatever.
But even if I get like the snarky comment,
I have so many good comebacks at this point
that I'm just like, I just,
it usually stops them immediately,
and they just go, oh wait, oh,
this lady's loaded and ready to go.
I'm gonna back off.
See, I never get comments like that from strangers.
It's always from people that I know.
Yeah, that's fair.
And whenever somebody makes a derogatory comment
about my crafting, the only thing I do
is make a mental note of, oh, you don't need one.
Guess they didn't get anything.
You just start crossing names off list.
Let's work for me.
Thank you, thank you for making that easy.
99% of the time, like the people that comment on the knitting
are always like, what are you making?
Or like, my grandma used to knit.
That's why I said it's like 0.1.
Yeah, it's almost never,
it's almost never negative.
And yeah, but that's the thing.
I also, I don't care anymore.
If somebody sees me knitting and thinks that's weird.
10 years ago, I really absolutely would have cared.
Now, whatever, dude, you're just jealous
you don't have something to do.
I have tried so hard to make something for somebody
who has made snarky comments about my knitting
and it never gets finished.
Why should it?
I know.
It's like guys, I got other things
and people that actually care.
I always, when people talk about what they do for work
and yes, I am a web developer
and I do all those computery things,
but I would never mention my other projects
because I always thought it was like, not embarrassing,
but people are gonna be like,
holy hell, sounds like a hobby or something like that.
And so even today, I had to do something
at my daughter's school
and I was volunteering alongside with some parents
and we had some downtime.
We were just kind of manning a booth area
and the woman next to me asked me what I do for it.
I said, well, sometimes I code stuff
and then other times I buy, sell, trade yarn.
And she's like, really?
That's so cool.
And I went, thank you, it is cool.
I have told several people about your yarn saver,
like side business and everybody thinks that's so cool.
Thank you.
I really been trying hard and working hard at it.
And I helped.
And you helped and it moves.
It really, it moves.
I get orders that go through.
I am bad at social mediaing, which is hysterical
because I have my Feenery and Knitwear account.
So much work.
It's just like, you're like.
When do you have the time?
I like pack an order and I've taped it
and I went, I should have recorded that.
And then like, or like I'm assessing stuff
and like, I'm like, oh, I should record me
like assessing stuff, like, I don't know.
And like, you don't think about it.
No, we do that all the time.
Yeah, I know.
When you're doing it, you just.
Well, I've been helping you with some of that stuff.
I'll remind you if that's something that you wanna do.
Yes, please do.
Because that's the hard part is getting the,
what they call it, like B shots where you're doing stuff.
You're actually doing the thing that you're.
Yeah, I'm like, I do do stuff.
BTS.
Behind the scenes.
Behind the scenes, that's what it is.
But yeah, no, but it's, but that's, you know,
putting that in my vocab, it's made me feel
a lot more confident about that kind of stuff,
which I feel like is old lady level grinding
because I feel like young me would have been like,
oh, oh, oh, I'm not gonna, I'm just gonna,
I'll just keep to myself.
I'm gonna just tell people I'm a developer
and a computer person and blah, blah, blah, blah.
Go with that.
Yeah, I didn't tell anybody at work that I knitted
like the first two years that I was there
because I felt the same way.
Like they're gonna be like, oh, that's a weird old lady hobby.
And we used to do these awesome spirit weeks at school,
like right before Christmas.
We don't do them anymore, but we did.
And one year they decided on Friday,
everyone's gonna wear a hat with a pom pom.
I didn't have a hat with a pom pom and I said that.
And they're like, well, do you think you could get one?
And I said, I think I could get one.
And I went home and I banged out a Dutch girl beanie
in super bulky in about 48 hours because it's super bulky.
It was super fast.
And I came in and they're like, oh, that's a cute one.
And it was beautiful.
It was like this, I made it out of Malibrigo,
this bright, bright turquoise with a black pom on top.
It was very pretty.
And they're like, that's so cute.
Where'd you get it?
I'm like, I made it.
You made it in two days.
And I'm like, well, it's super bulky yarn.
It's not hard.
And they're like, that's really cool.
And I was like, you know what?
Yeah, it actually is pretty cool.
Like I knit things and that's pretty cool.
And I stopped being so like self-conscious about it
after that.
And then I started wearing like my sweaters to work
and my shawls and it is, yeah.
Again, with that, you think people's perception
is different than it actually is gonna be.
Yeah.
I have learned to be very proud of my knitting.
Yeah, as everybody should be.
I wear a lot of knits to work.
And every time somebody says, oh, that looks nice.
I go, thanks, I made it.
As you should.
It is the automatic response.
I always like those memes where it's somebody
like patiently waiting for someone to compliment
their knitting the first day that I am
and no one's asking them to think, oh, thanks, I made it.
I think people at work know by this time.
At this point, they know you're not gonna go buy one.
No.
I don't think at this point, like most people
are going to be like, oh, knitting, that's like lame.
I really don't.
And I kind of wonder if they ever were
or if that was just our perception of it.
Or was that the self-conscious things?
Right, was that just our perception
that people were sitting around being like, oh, well.
I think it's mixed.
Because I definitely got feedback that knitting is lame.
Yeah, yeah, I agree.
That wasn't perceived, that was like direct.
That was directly told to me.
They are the people that are on my list.
Or should I say, not on my list.
They're on their own list.
That's the list you don't wanna be on.
Do you know what's fun though?
And again, I don't know if this is universal,
but the number of my students that come in
and they're just sitting there like before class
and they're crocheting or cross stitching
or little crafts with their hands,
like 15 and 16 year olds.
Good for them.
I know, I had one come up to me the other day
and she's like, look, miss, I cross stitched a penguin.
And it was so freaking cute.
And I'm like, I feel like the younger generation now,
so maybe we're not old lady level grinding as much in this.
A lot of the younger generation are really getting into
the crafting with your hands and being creative,
which I think is just awesome.
Just very cool.
I mean, if we could just go back to
not being on the screens and doing all of that,
I think the society would be better as a whole.
I know, I know.
Well, I'll tell you though,
we just banned phones at my school, which was awesome.
And the first week, the kids are going around like,
what are we supposed to do?
And I wanna say it was the third day.
I'm in homeroom and these two boys in my homeroom,
16 years old, they come to me, they're like,
do you need post-its?
And I'm like, why?
I'm like, yeah, they're mine and I bought them
with my own money, so yes, I do, why?
And they're like, well, can we have some?
I'm like, why?
And they're like, we wanna make origami.
And I'm like, you know what?
I said, here you go, you can have this stack of post-its,
but I don't wanna see your origami on the floor.
Yeah, fair.
I come back into my room after,
I step out in the hall during passing time.
And as they're leaving, they're like, we left some.
And I'm like, okay, and I'm thinking
they're gonna be all over the desk.
They ornamented my bookshelf with their little cranes.
And I'm like, you know, you guys can make
as much origami as you want.
And I love that, that's where they went.
Instead of coming and putting their heads down
on their desks and taking a nap during homeroom,
they were like, what can we do?
We're gonna make some origami cranes.
I'm like, that's fabulous.
I mean, we remember high school without cell phones.
We do, but they have never experienced it.
Oh, I get that.
I'm just saying, you know, it's glad,
I'm glad to hear that the younger generations are going,
oh, wow, we could do this without a screen.
Yeah, well it is.
And it's, I really do.
Passing notes with the paper footballs.
Yeah.
Paper footballs, and I mean, just bringing a book.
What about, what's that thing where you like,
Oh, the fortune.
Oh, what was that called?
I forget.
The listener's gonna tell us.
I don't tell us.
Like a fortune or something, yeah.
I don't remember.
You pick the color, you pick a number.
Yes.
You then, you know, you pick a letter.
You find out what your life is gonna be like.
Yeah.
You ask a question.
Oh my God, did you guys play mash it?
What's mash it?
Oh my God, you didn't play that?
Where you had to pick like three guys you would marry,
three houses you would live in.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And it was ridiculous.
I didn't know it was called mash it.
Yeah.
I think it was called mash it or mash.
We called it mash.
Lainey and I did mash it.
My best friend and I when we were kids.
But I don't remember what,
I think it was like igloo and townhouse for like,
you know, all the houses you could live in.
Oh, we did.
Mansion, apartment.
Mash was like mansion, apartment.
Shed house.
And then we had igloo was I.
Oh, so you did a polling.
And then T was I think townhouse or I don't remember
what T was.
Yeah, we just had mash.
Yeah, I know.
But yeah, like you're right.
Like there was that resourcefulness of being a kid.
And I really, I'm proud of them.
I really am.
Making the S symbol that everybody knows how to do.
Oh, yes.
Yes, yes.
But nobody knows where it came from.
But everyone was doing it.
We all know what it is.
All mothers.
That is such a, what's the word?
Like.
Oh, that's me.
Wait, I'm gonna leave this.
I was gonna say this time.
That's my metal arm.
This time you can just leave it in.
But yeah, I think kind of that universal experience
of being a kid.
And I am really impressed that like they are
being resourceful and figuring out
what to do without the screen.
Anything else great about lady level grinding?
I have gotten really good at saying no.
Oh God, yes.
To things that I don't wanna do.
Yes.
Not for the sake of saying no, but.
And without making 800 excuses for it.
Yeah.
Like you know what?
Sorry, I can't do that.
Done.
Not even, not even that.
I really don't wanna do that.
Or that.
The directness.
Yeah.
Of just this isn't gonna work for me.
Or even I'm not feeling up to that.
And I spent so long with so much time
where I was doing things that were making me unhappy
that were physically taxing.
That I literally did not have the capacity to do.
And I said yes because I was worried
that people were gonna be upset with me.
And I don't care anymore.
No.
And I shouldn't say that I don't care anymore.
Like I care more about myself.
You know it's.
Right.
Boundaries.
You gotta prioritize what is actually important to you.
Yeah.
And it is.
Kind of that like if people are really your friends,
they will understand.
Exactly.
That you know what?
Sometimes I gotta prioritize me
or I gotta prioritize my family.
And you know it's,
that's the way it's just gotta be.
Like I remember being a teenager or 20 something
and like every night had to be booked out.
Like there had to be something going on every single night.
And if somebody was like are you free any night this week?
I'd think about that one free night and be like yup.
And now it's like you know what?
No.
I look at my week and I'm like if I do that,
if I max out my whole week,
I'm going to burn out.
I'm gonna be miserable.
I'm gonna say no to some things or some events
and say you know what?
This is, I'm not,
it's not that I'm busy.
It's that I've got about as much on my plate as I can do.
So.
And I think about like 21 year old me
would have been like what a dope.
Like we were talking the other night and I'm like
oh my god do you remember Jess when you used to get off work
at 10 and get home at 10 30 and we'd be like okay
what are we doing?
And I'm like I would die now.
Like I can't even think about that.
All right friends.
I mean.
Let's go back to 06, 07.
Oh no.
All right.
Let's not.
I'll still be awake now but I'm just watching my shows.
Let's not.
Because I can't.
Back to 06, 07.
That was my night clubbing days.
Yeah.
Right.
And I can say that because we truly went every Thursday.
Oh yeah.
I went out to the club and we,
and it was truly just for dancing.
Yeah.
The friends I would go with we weren't there to drink.
We literally just wanted to dance.
No.
Like that joke of like the girls putting their purses
in the middle and just sitting in a circle and dancing.
Yep.
We did the same thing but it was 04, 05.
Yep.
Same thing.
And then it's like oh it's 09 PM.
We should start getting ready
because we're gonna leave at 10 but 10, 10, 30.
Get there for 11 because we'd go to Springfield.
Yep.
We went to Providence.
It is literally hurting me.
Oh yeah.
To listen to this recap.
But then you stay until they close.
Yep.
And then you go to Bickford's.
Yeah.
For crappy pancakes.
And you get home at 04, 30.
We would go to the diner and.
Yeah you gotta go somewhere that's not great.
I want Jim Jams at like six o'clock.
No, no, no.
This is then.
Because everyone gets off work by nine.
This is then.
So all your friends are free after nine.
I just wanna make this clear.
If I tried to do that right now.
I know.
I think I'd be in the hospital.
I think they'd have to take me.
I wouldn't do it.
I think they'd have to take me out.
I go to sleep at nine.
Like I could not.
There was a time when I was fun.
I'm not anymore.
No.
Like I can't imagine walking in.
The energy we used to put into Graveyard in October.
Do you know what?
Like the energy.
Like actual.
Thinking about that.
Energy.
Like we would scare.
Haunted Graveyard.
They weren't like excavators.
Like they weren't doing these graves.
No, no.
Haunted Graveyard.
We were at a Halloween.
A Halloween attraction.
We would work all day.
Like full shift.
Then we would go into the night.
Yeah one, two o'clock.
And we'd come home.
It'd take us about two hours to get the makeup off.
We'd go to sleep around like two, two thirty.
Get up for six.
No, no.
You missed a step.
Oh, grilled cheeses.
Grilled cheese.
Yep.
We would eat grilled cheese.
We would get home.
Listen, we were hungry.
Spend time making your bathroom
different colors.
Well we walked off our makeup.
And make grilled cheese at the same time.
Yeah, but yeah about three o'clock.
Then we get up for like six to get to work for seven
and do it all over three days.
And I'm like, and we were excited.
And now I'm like thinking about that.
And I'm literally sick to my stomach
thinking about doing it.
I could never do that again.
But that's the thing.
It's like that's the season.
Like you can look back on that with like fond memories
of wow that was great.
The same way that like Tina and I look back
on our clubbing days.
It's like that was great.
I'm really glad it got to have that experience.
I don't want to do it again.
Never.
I'm so glad like even thinking about like 2006, 2007
when we would go to the Shea and Hartford for karaoke
every Wednesday night.
And we would stay there until it closed.
On a Wednesday night karaoke.
Don't forget those few times that I went with you.
You were not of age to be in a bar.
But they didn't card before nine o'clock.
They did not card.
So if we got there early.
To be fair you weren't drinking.
You weren't buying drinks.
I was not buying drinks.
No.
Okay.
But like I love those memories.
I would not given the opportunity
if someone were to ask me tomorrow
do you want to go to karaoke at 11 o'clock
on a Wednesday night.
Can we just throw this out there?
There is a business opportunity.
I wouldn't mind doing karaoke
doing some dancing to not really loud music.
Six o'clock.
No, can we do it at brunch?
Brunch.
Brunch karaoke.
Brunch karaoke followed by lightly mused dancing.
I don't want it to be loud.
I also cannot stand loud noises anymore.
And that is a shame because I am such a loud person
and I make loud noises.
I annoy myself.
I'm sad that I can't dance to the thong song
anymore in public.
Yes you can.
I mean I could but I might get arrested.
We weren't caring what other people thought
when we were in public.
No, I'm just worried about my criminal record.
That's all I'm worried about.
But yeah.
Ma'am you're disturbing the peace.
Ma'am we need you to step to the side.
You need brunch,
brunch karaoke
and then dancing where everybody is listening
to their own music on their own earbuds
at a decibel level that they can appreciate.
Oh my god a silent disco.
A silent disco.
Give it to me.
Wait I would run that event all day every day.
And the best part about this entire plan
are the senior centers listening in.
Before dinner time which means that you're home
before it gets dark out.
Yep.
Oh my god.
Sign me up.
Come on.
Senior centers.
Sharks I have a deal.
Shark tank.
Let's do it.
Do you remember your 30s and 40s?
Do you remember those times?
We are wild cards in our 30s and 40s.
Can you imagine where we're gonna be in our 60s?
I just, honestly I hope I make it there.
I hope in our 60s we are at the disco brunch.
The silent disco brunch.
I really hope that's a thing.
So Pat's gonna kill me if I do any more businesses
but if I just, you know maybe if it's like
a side trial thing.
Feel like Pat we're gonna do buy sell yarn
and then we're gonna do,
and then we're gonna do merch bags for Fiber Artists.
And then we're gonna do brunch karaoke silent disco.
Yeah.
And he's gonna go I don't know how this goes together
and it's like it's all for Fiber Artists.
It's the ones who wanna go.
Pat you don't understand because you're not one of us.
All right.
You gotta get into like the circle.
Yeah.
You better start your old lady level grinding.
This is Pat looking at me with the face.
Pat you are a level one, you need to be up there.
You're not on our level.
No he would be looking at me with the same face
he gives me when he's like we're not opening a yarn store.
Yes.
Even though he like I've got.
But it could be magical.
But see listen buy sell yarn,
I've gotten like a little wedge in, you know.
Huh, huh.
So now he's like.
You've proven that the model works.
If you open a yarn store we can make the brunch happen.
It's true.
Because we can have it at the store.
Yep, yep.
Sunday is for brunch.
Sunday is for disco brunch.
We need to find a compatible local yarn store to do this.
This is gonna happen.
We're gonna make the magic happen.
I don't wanna wait for when I have a yarn store
because that's gonna be a long time from now.
All right guys.
Gonna make the magic happen.
All right so.
We will see you guys at the silent disco brunch.
Ah!
I expect you'll all be there.
That's all the time we have for this week's episode
for additional content and opportunities
to connect with the cast.
Check out our website at pardonmystache.com
and be sure to tune in next time
for more fun friends and fiber at Pardon My Stache.
e