Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Let's Play Nice People!

Oh please! I have enough third party mediation happening with my kids, I surely don't need it here too. This is where I play. This is where we all play. Let's play nice.

There's a bit o' controversy stirred up by some one that has opted to leave nasty "anonymous" comments to a recent post by teabird, a loverly gal from down under whom Maven chose to invite to our ripple-along. The problem seems to be that she's a KNITTER. Not a crochet hook in sight. *GASP*

Would you be surprised to know she came clean to me when she asked for an invitation? "The more the merrier" I replied and happily invited her to bring her knitting on board. Which she did in the form of her beautifious scarf.

And then "Anonymous" gets all territorial. And snippy.

Come now. IT'S THE SAME THING JUST IN DIFFERENT STITCHES! Increasing for peaks, decreasing for valleys. I for one welcome the chance to learn something new and perhaps be inspired by it. Let's face it, not everyone's project suits everyone else's own personal style or taste. Skip over it, be supportive, be happy that they're making something they love. But don't be nasty.

Enough. I don't want to have to convince you. I SHOULDN"T have to do that.

So, I have made the decision to restrict comments to registered users. That way, if you're going to be mean, you're going to have to be accountable for your words. No hiding behind "anonymous".

...and I've changed the blog description too.

Comments? Feel free to leave them here and we'll discuss. Or pop me an email and we can do so without the whole blog watching.

17 comments:

nanaofnc said...

Mean comments? I can't believe it! This is about RIPPLING after all, not how it's done (crocheted or knitted) but what is done and then to be admired by all of us. Good move, Dawn, on restricting comments. There's always a bad apple lurking somewhere.

Heather G said...

ROFL--I can't believe someone actually left a nasty comment about that. Totally amazing that people can find any reason, no matter how trivial, to dislike/discriminate against others. I love this blog and the granny-along and have gotten so many great color-scheme/project ideas. WHy can't we all just get along???

Kim Werker said...

Right on, Dawn. Good on you for calling out the ridiculousness of drawing lines in the sand (um, yarn).

Cecilia said...

you go girl! great rant. and i completely agree. (i think i'll post a picture of my misty garden . . right now!) :-)

Carla said...

Hello? Why should I care whether a ripple is crocheted or knitted? I do both myself and have been lusting after the gorgeous knitted ripples in Jan Eaton's book. In fact, I think a ripple shawl (knitted, please) is in my future. I think I don't understand elitist attitudes about handcrafts.

macKnitty said...

I am proud to say that I am BI!
Bicraftual. Knitting and Crochet, I am accepting of all other bicraftual people.
Knit and Crochet on.

~*Sarah*~ said...

ack...tried to post this earlier and my computer had a temper tantrum ;)

I had to laugh that someone got up in arms about a *gasp* knitter???? Its tainted and darksided! hehe ;)

I guess that I should confess that I'm a knitter 75% of the time (and a hush falls over the crowd) but I love crochet too, esp for blankets which I've been into lately :D

Sorry you had to referee this one, though I hear rippling is great for relieving stress ;) 2 rows in and you'll forget that you had to discipline the blog :D

And a quick thanks for doing this, I've LOVED checking in the last few days and seeing all of the projects posted! Its fun just to watch everyone else's until I get mine started :D

TeaMouse said...

Unbelievable, why anyone would make nasty comments. I guess some people have nothing better to do.

I for one thought TeaBird's scarf was beautiful, but then I crochet and knit.

Laugh.Love.Knit said...

I can't believe someone wrote that.. shame on them!!!

I am a new bicrafter. I have been crocheting for 15+ years and knitting for a few months. I can only dream about knitting a ripple at this point.. but I love to look at them and try to match them with my newbie skills.

teabird said...

I'm glad you decided to close comments to all but registered users. It works out better that way for a group blog - I'm one of the moderators of Knit the Classics, and I know !

(By the way, down under? I'm a Long Island girl!)

I'm getting some beautiful color scheme ideas, too. There are so many talented people around!

a. said...

i guess i'm in the minority here and i see the advantage of staying on-topic...

Leah said...

Wow, I was shocked by those anonymous comments. I've been enjoying this ripple-along sooooo much, for the wonderful work, of course, but even more for the camaraderie. You all are so supportive and kind and funny! I'm also a knitter and crocheter, and in fact my 6-year-old just last night asked me if we could try a knitted ripple (she knits but doesn't crochet). I actually would have posted pics of that too--didn't even realize it was an issue (well, I guess it's not really!)

Susan J Barker said...

Interesting how people can become territorial... I actually consider myself a quilter, but every so often go off on a crochet tangent. I am itching to start a ripple afghan, but am right now working on a grannie afghan -- just doing the last round on the 64 squares and then to join and border but in the meantime I am LOOKING at yarns and trying to decide if I want to go the top of the line route or stick with the acrylics?? Maybe when I get started on the Ripple I will join this blog and post my progress too, but for now you can take a look at my progress on the granny at my blog, if you like...
http://jswb.blogspot.com

Priscilla said...

Having worked in a public library for 8 years now, I am no longer surprised by most of what people do. However, I do think leaving snarky comments without identifying yourself is just wrong.

I guess I had always assumed that the focus of this blog is a celebration of all things ripple, in the same way that the granny along is a celebration of all types of granny squares and all items that can be made from them. So knitted or crocheted, afghans or scarves, it doesn't really make a difference to me, as long as it ripples.

And to end this comment on a positive note, I too am having a blast over here. The creative energy on this blog is truly amazing. With the exception of the granny along, none of the "alongs" I belong to generate anywhere near this much excitement. So keep those posts coming, fellow ripplers! I love seeing what each and every one of you is creating.

Anonymous said...

hi, it's not my impression that the medium (knitting) was the problem.
there are many many different crochet/knitting cultures, ranging from japanese-influenced urban dumpster divers making black baby sweaters with skulls on them to home schooling survivalists in long god-ordained skirts.
what i think is a black baby sweater person got one load of somebody else's aesthetic and felt the aesthetic of the blog had been compromised.
jane brocket, the original gangster on this ripple along, the author of the yarnstorm blog, is neither a punk nor a survivalist -- i'd say she was more of a cath kidston/kaffe fassett euro school of very educated needlework; she herself has a very sophisticated and unusual color sense which makes her an original.
i think somebody thought this was a euro/jane/punk place and sorta fell out when something crunchier appeared.
anyway, thanks for doing all this admin work, the site is fantastically inspiring.

Anonymous said...

hi, it's not my impression that the medium (knitting) was the problem.
there are many many different crochet/knitting cultures, ranging from japanese-influenced urban dumpster divers making black baby sweaters with skulls on them to home schooling survivalists in long god-ordained skirts.
what i think is a black baby sweater person got one load of somebody else's aesthetic and felt the aesthetic of the blog had been compromised.
jane brocket, the original gangster on this ripple along, the author of the yarnstorm blog, is neither a punk nor a survivalist -- i'd say she was more of a cath kidston/kaffe fassett euro school of very educated needlework; she herself has a very sophisticated and unusual color sense which makes her an original.
i think somebody thought this was a euro/jane/punk place and sorta fell out when something crunchier appeared.
anyway, thanks for doing all this admin work, the site is fantastically inspiring.

maryse said...

it's unfortunate that you had to close comments to only registered users, but i understand why.

anonymous comments are just cowardly and for such a ridiculous reason too.

who cares how the ripples were done?