KnitPicks Shipping RANT!

I have just had the WORST experience with my darling KnitPicks. If it were the first time I ordered from them, I would never order again and Elann would have all my business. As some of you know, I had a circular needle crisis several weeks ago. Those socks are still on the needles. The new circular needle that I sweet-talked Ginger into letting me purchase is lost in never never land. The order was placed September 14, 2006 and shipping supposedly via USPS September 15th. Here I sit, on this beautiful island with cool Fall weather and crystal clear Gulf of Mexico, but sans said circular needle. :::sigh::: What went wrong? Apparently the planets aligned to thwart this knitting project, or maybe it's the future one they're fiddling with, I don't know. The tracking information available via the KnitPicks order status page is NOT actual USPS tracking information. It has not been updated daily and my package (containing 2 circulars and 2 skeins of Donagal sock yarn) spent 5 days in Ohio waiting to ship out and 2 days in Orlando then disappeared for 4 days before being posted (one day late) that it was in Gulf Breeze. The problem? Gulf Breeze does not have it! And the tracking information I was once given by a KnitPicks Customer Service agent is not actual tracking. That agent said I had to wait an additional THREE days for the 14 day guarantee. A knitter, without functioning sock needles. I need a cocktail and it's only 9:40 am!
The local, kind, patient postal mistress (remember, it's a small island) has literally scoured the mail man's bag and has not located my package for 2 days. Now KnitPicks Customer Service, in their wisdom (another agent) says they will replace it. One of them said something about free, but I didn't hear that word from this one! I told her my time constraints and delivery problems and this time she says they'll ship via UPS. Good old UPS. They deliver to my door. Now if they will get here I can work on those socks. Until then, I'm finishing up the I-cord edging on the cardigan and will be forced to CO for the sleeves of the Tahki Leaf sweater, won't I?
Micki, if you're reading this, you MUST tell me if I won a ribbon at the Midsouth Fair. It will ease my knitting angst :)
UPDATE: KnitPicks screwed up AGAIN. They sent it to the replacement order to the WRONG ADDRESS!!! Yes, I'm shouting, hell, I'm cussing! supposedly this will be cleared up by October 5th, 2006. They are shipping a replacement for the replacement. This time 2nd day air. ::sigh:: What have I done to get this kind of lousy service? I am a faithful addict and proselytize of their most excellent fibers. I suppose an email from Kelly isn't going to happen :)

Rays in the Gulf of Mexico

It is my firm belief that these are stingrays of the eagle ray family. They may possibly be butterfly rays. They travel in groups and have a 24-32" wingspan. They stay close to the shore and feed. They are dark on top and light underneath. They do have long tails. Their shape is unlike a manta ray in that they appear to be 2 right trianges attached to a long body and their head is forward. I love watching them. Today they came by several times as did the dolphins and once I saw an entire school of medium sized fish fly out of the ocean!

Beautiful beach boys

The ocean, the weather and the boys conspired to give me one perfect day. I thank them all.

Tahki Leaf sweater body, blocking

So shoot me. I blocked it in direct sun. Whatever. It took no time to dry :) I am happy with the fit. I was concerned the BS Cotton Fleece knit up too tight, but after blocking I like it. I am a fan of negative ease, but this pattern is very loose and baggy. I will now cast on for the sleeves with confidence (if not with another set of needles, still waiting for the extra money for that purchase) This picture is taken on the lower balcony of our beach rental. We love the owners!!!

Ice Cream on Quietwater Sound

We regret that Jubilee has not yet re-opened, but their outdoor eating area is accessible and we enjoyed some decadent ice cream from Alvin's Island while reminiscing about the many meals we have had at Jubilee. We think William even lost a tooth here one year!

William negotiated with his (very indulgent) Aunt Laura to borrow her Xbox for 2 weeks of our vacation. You will note that he is not the one with the controller. :::sigh:: I am very grateful we had an experiement with this evil device. Our children are hard-wired for addiction to video games so we are cheerfully renewing our video game ban. It's bad enough they play Runescape, but this video stuff appears to be much less intellectually challenging. And Ginger "weighed in" with her opinion of the whole schmear... 

Morning on the beach

Pensacola Beach, the Emerald Coast at 8 in the morning. The water temperature and weather are absolutely perfect.
Did You Know?The stunning sugar white beaches of Gulf Islands National Seashore are composed of fine quartz eroded from granite in the Appalachian Mountains. The sand is carried seaward by rivers and creeks and deposited by currents along the shore. Did You Know?The stunning sugar white beaches of Gulf Islands National Seashore are composed of fine quartz eroded from granite in the Appalachian Mountains. The sand is carried seaward by rivers and creeks and deposited by currents along the shore.
(source, http://www.nps.gov/guis/forteachers/index.htm)

Knitting on the beach

Here I am on the lower balcony (we have two this year) knitting with Nature's Spectrum (Brown Sheep) making a cardiagan for myself. You can see the sugar white sand and just a hint of the gulf behind me. William sweetly agreed to take this picture. 

Troubled trip to the Emerald Coast

I had a bad omen about this trip. In the end it was okay, but not without problems including a flat tire and having to get it repaired late on a Sunday night in Mississippi. I wish we'd had the sense to grab the camera so you could see me in my pink floral circle skirt and pink pastel top changing the tire on the Element while the Dyke was on the phone to AAA. Quite a sight! The very well built repiar guy seemed truly flabergasted that we had changed the tire ourselves. Then again stunned when I hoisted it into the tire well and pack the Element back up. Ginger paid for it :) We also got stopped for speeding RIGHT AFTER I pointed out to the darling driver the 45 MPH speed limit. The nice officer listened when I said we'd just dealt with a flat tire and finding a repair spot late at night and gave HRH a verbal warning to "slow down", which I felt required to repeat throughout the remainder of the drive as her short term memory appears to have been faulty :) 

Harvest Basket Socks

My Midsouth Fair Entry for Socks or other footwear. These are knit from Trampoline Stretch on size 3 circulars (2 circ/2 socks) using a Turkish cast-on and a short-row heel. The leg is knit in a basket weave (K3, P3 5 rows, then K one row) and the top is a standard K2, P2 rib with a Russian bind-off (K1, *slip stitch back on needle, K2tog* repeat to end) I think I used a total of 60 stitches for this sock, a woman's medium. I got 6.5-7 stitches per inch, I'm too lazy to get up and check my notes.

Cable 4 Right

I hope this helps another left-handed knitter. This demo is from a Aran braid headband I made for Ginger. This demonstrates the right leaning portion of this pattern.

Cable video