Launching pad

So, I’m panicking packing. I’ve given up trying to organize these people (you can tell your plan is really going nowhere when you are reduced to referring to your beloved family as “these people”) and I’m now concentrating on the basics. Food. Shelter. Supervision.

So far today I’ve put Amanda on a bus to NYC. (Recipe for disaster School trip), taken Meg to the orthodontist, done 4 loads of laundry, tried to pack my new pants (convincing myself I can hem them in a hotel room), bought groceries, and taken a trip to the sewing store to buy a zipper for the now finished Garter Vine Cardi.

Gtvnprs

It’s blocked, but remains to be sewn up, I’m going to deal with that tonight at the S&B at Lettuce Knit. I don’t mind the sewing up, but I have to tell you that zippers give me the willies. They are always fraught with disaster and intrigue. (And yet…I put them on a lot of sweaters. I can’t explain it either.) This morning I put on my best optimistic nature and went to go buy one of the cursed things. The trouble started straight off. I’m standing there trying to choose one, and notice almost immediately that there is no zipper, not in any brand, size, weight or type, that matches this sweater. I sighed. I held sundry and assorted demon minions zippers to the sweater. I checked the rack a hundred times. I sighed again…then picked two that might work and went to the cash.

Zipperchoicegvc

“Those don’t match very well” the lady at the cash says.

“I know” I sighed (again.) “I just can’t seem to find anything better. I think the black might work, but I’m going to get the other one too and make a decision later.”

“You know” she says …(If you’re not sitting down you might want to. What comes next in this story is so perplexing that trying to process it may cause some dizziness and befuddlement.)

“You should knit sweaters that are regular colours.”

I stared at her for a minute or two. Probably about 30 seconds longer than I should have, because I noticed that she was sort of making a face at me. It was that face that people give you when they are trying to figure out if you’re confused, stupid or having a stroke. (I was wondering myself.)

“Regular colours? You mean, like…the colours that are regular for zippers?”

“No.” She says emphatically, frowning disapprovingly as she holds the two zippers up against the sweater.

“So, like…not heathered colours…more solid?”

“No.” Even more emphatic here…clearly I am on the wrong path. “Just more regular colours.”

I feigned understanding then, paid for the zippers ($3.69 total. Gotta love the sewing shop) and staggered out into the snow with my irregularly coloured sweater. I’m still not sure what she meant, but I don’t think it bodes well for the zipper, and I still can’t decide which is my best option. Irregular green and pale irregular green…

Litzip2

or Irregular green and black.

Drkgvzip

I’m leaning toward the black, but that could just be because I feel the looming weight of impending zipper doom upon me.

For now I’m off to finish packing. With this sweater done, I’m looking for some travel knitting to take with me this week. No ideas yet…but a lot of yarn has made it into the suitcase. Also in the suitcase, for those of you who I’ll see this week, are the TSF pins.

Kwb-1

Bring cash, buy ’em for your friends, take up lists. A minimum of $2 gets you one, but all proceeds, every tiny penny, goes to MSF.

(We’re still going to plan a way for you to get them if you won’t see me…but this is a start.)

I’ll see some of you in Skaneateles tomorrow. I’ll be the nervous looking over-caffeinated Canadian wearing a zipperless sweater and un-hemmed pants. No guarantees about the condition of my hair either. Could be worth seeing. Who’s in?

321 thoughts on “Launching pad

  1. I’m thinking black too. And don’t listen to the clerk.. she’s just some wannabe crafter that like to critique other people’s projects. 🙂

  2. Second the black. So much pressure, so little time. Have fun, don’t worry, be happy.
    Wanda

  3. Definitely black and take your duct tape for the hemming. Just remember to remove it before throwing in the laundry. Don’t ask how I know this. Buon viaggio.

  4. Black. The other stands out too much. When are you coming to East Tennessee? (That is a region, not a separate state like West Virginia). I’ll give you my guest room and feed you great barbeque. I’ll even let you ride my pony.

  5. Agree on black for all the reasons above…I’m just afraid that the sweater is so gorgeous and people might just see a bright green zipper with a sweater wrapped around it. It might be monitor colours though…

  6. Definitely the black. I think by “more regular” she meant more like the colors she wears. Love the sweater. It’s beautiful.

  7. Stephanie – I’d definitely go with the black zipper for your irregularly colored cardi : ) The lighter colored one jumps out at you and distracts from the gorgeous pattern of the cardi. Also, let’s all agree to keep knitting in “irregular” or whatever colors we darn well feel like! Maybe the zipper makers will take a hint?! And have a fun trip!

  8. Go for the black. If you cross your eyes a little bit, you’ll see that it stands out less jarringly than the light green. What on earth are “regular” colors?
    Have fun on tour!

  9. I’m leaning way toward the black! I’m curious though, since you dislike button bands and putting in zippers, why not use those gorgeous decorative metal hook and eye sets that are available? Seem like a way to save a lot of pain. Have an excellent trip.

  10. Now, Skaneateles (and by the way, growing up in nearby Rochester we used to pronounce this Skinny-atlas) seems like a place where they might well have zippers in irregular colors.

  11. Yeah, I think the black. It doesn’t stand out as much as the light green. (Not that standing out is a bad thing, but perhaps you don’t want the zipper to be the highlight of the sweater.
    Think you’ll be talking in Toronto anytime soon? Or how about Guelph? We are unfortunately lacking in any hip yarn stores (I know. Cry for us.), but we do have a hip little bookstore/cafe/cinema/bar called the bookshelf that carries your other two books and I’m sure will be getting the third. And we definitely have lots of knitters. And we also have a few hip knitting ladies thinking of opening a hip yarn store, and I’m sure they could use some more inspiration in the form of a harlot talk.
    What do you say?

  12. Perhaps more regular colors are ones that get their daily fiber intake? You would think with all the wool in your house, fiber would be the least of its problems… It’s a lovely sweater, though. Have a safe trip and enjoy yourself!

  13. Do they have petite sized slacks in Canada for vertically challenged women? After years of chopping off at least three inches of pant leg and requisite hemming, I was pleased when clothing manufacturers realized that not all women
    are 5’6″ and started offering slacks with shorter legs. I love reading your postings and would rather see you spend your time knitting than hemming up pants!

  14. Go with the black, or wait shop in a store with greater variety of zipper colors (and friendlier, color-sensitive sales clerks). Get some heat-fusible webbing and use it and the iron in your hotel room to hem your pants.
    Have a great trip!

  15. I like the pale irregular green. That saleswoman sounds unbelievable. After having to deal with that, the zipper should be very kind to you.

  16. My vote is also for black. I love this blog and I love the sweater. The sewing store clerk was obviously smoking crack in the back room while throwing away all “irregular” colored zippers.

  17. Go with the black.
    The clerk sounds like one of those people that thinks if people aren’t doing what SHE’s doing, then they are doing it wrong. 😉

  18. Black. The light green is too light, though the color looks as though it’s in the same family as the color of the sweater. Wish I were near Snaneateles. When can you come to Alabama? Spring is here and temps are in the low 70’s F (about 23C) and it doesn’t get much better for knitting on the front porch.

  19. Good gracious. “Regular” colors? At the fancy little sewing shop I frequent (and frequently buy only zippers, ’cause the fabric is too dear), they have a name for brownish-green (“breen”) and know it’s actually a regular color.
    The black is more understated and professional. The light green/blue is prettier and jaunty.

  20. black zipper definitely…
    Perhaps she meant primary colors? Imagine only knitting in red, yellow and blue? Maybe she’d let you use black and white also….

  21. Little known fact about me: lack of sleep makes me judgmental. I’ve slept at most 5 hours a night for like, a week. So let’s bring out our contestants:
    Zipper: Black
    Clerk: Cracked in head
    Sweater: Lovely
    Properly hemmed pants: Totally overrated – stained and frayed pant hems are all the rage
    Book tour prospects: Good. Have fun.
    Book tour itinerary: Lacking Madison, WI or at least Chicago, IL
    Have a lovely trip!

  22. I like the black zipper, the green offers too much contrast. Next time you are stuck like this try metal zippers – copper and silver go with pretty much everything, especially all those great irregular colours.
    Having worked in a clothing store “regular colours” are: black, grey, beige, navy and white.

  23. I’m guessing they didn’t have gray or you would have gotten gray, right?
    I was taught years ago in sewing, to ALWAYS keep gray thread in your stash, that way if you don’t have the exact color match for your garment or quilt, the gray blends easily.
    And I can so picture that sweater with a gray zipper.
    See ya in Skaneateles tomorrow night, and I think the sweater will look fab with or withOUT a zipper 😉

  24. I vote for the green. I think overall given your lighter complexion it’ll stand out less. And let me say have fun in Skaneateles; I wish you were coming to Charleston SC… *sigh* the horrors of small town life.

  25. definitely go with the black. the light one will be visible from a mile away and it will look like a light blue pencil bobbing up and down as you walk. it might draw the wrong kind of attention . . .
    ps: i had almost the same experience in my sewing store last christmas eve.

  26. I’m having the same zipper dilemma right now, only with length too. I used Black Sheep Lamb’s Pride in Kiwi, which is apparently not a regular color either. *sigh*
    That said, I vote for the black. It doesn’t stand out as much. I think if you use blue, all you’re gonna see is zipper.

  27. I think you should dye the zipper to match! Hope to see you in the Upstate New York region.

  28. Definitely the black zipper. As for “regular colours” maybe she thought you were bismirching her zippers. One of these days, you should head down to Ottawa Street in Hamilton… tons of zippers (and fabric and buttons) and even a yarn store.

  29. Those are the conversations I find myself getting into all the time at the local yarn/sewing shops. I always figured it was just my taste in colors, but now I am wondering if it is just the clerks. I say that because looking at the color of your cardi on the monitor I see nothing *irregular* about it-it is actually a very pretty, *regular* color. She most likely meant you should knit in black or white. Maybe. Who knows-my thinking on things tends to be irregular. Having said that, I like the black-it is more subtle, and doesn’t distract from the color of the cardi itself.
    And you can totally hem pants in a hotel room, among other things.

  30. I feel out-voted – but I like the contrast of the green. I think it goes better with the green of the sweater. Regardless, I cannot believe that clerk. Were you ever able to figure out what a “regular” color was? Bizarre.

  31. Another knitter for black.
    I’m just missing you in Philadelphia, by the way – I’m teaching at Main Line Knitting Guild on 4/21-23.

  32. Definitely black. And then when you’re in NY the next time, go to Zipperstop and get one that matches perfectly. “regular colors.” Harumph

  33. The black, for sure. I hereby volunteer to take you to Supreme Zipper in NYC the next time you have some free time (ha!). They have loads of those irregular colors you evidently like. What in the world was wrong with that woman???
    Safe travels!!!

  34. I hem my pants in the hotel room all the time. In fact, I’m the kinda gal who always buys new pants just before going on a trip, knowing that I’ll have the downtime to hem them When and Only When I get to the hotel. The little sewing kit lives in my suitcase.
    Happy touring. I love the new book and bought a copy for my sis-in-law too, whose birthday is next week. Hope you’re coming somewhere near NYC.

  35. Are you going to hate either one of the zippers once you get it in? If so, dude, wait and get one that matches. The idea of putting a zipper into anything (the most complicated thing I’ve done so far are socks) makes me break out into a cold sweat and reach for the scotch. Regardless of which one you pick (I too lean toward black), the sweater is beautiful.

  36. If I could drive I would come just to meet you. Promise that you’ll get the current wonder publicist to arrange a trip to NYC. One look at a harried mother of two with bad hair will make you feel loads better. We even have rude cashiers in Brooklyn so you can feel at home ; )

  37. Black. The other, at least on my monitor, will be seen coming in the distance long before the sweater will. The clerk–well, she reminds me of a friend who thought to improve a photo by photoshopping it. Only problem is, he’s colorblind. He thinks it looks better, but it’s screamingly obvious to anybody else that he doesn’t know about color.

  38. For future color dilemmas, you may want to check the fine folks at Zippersource. (www.zippersource.com)
    And I’m as puzzled by you as to what “regular colors” could possibly mean. It sounds kind of frightening.

  39. Yeah, black. Though if you don’t love it (and the evil mojo from the crazy ‘regular colour’ lady), perhaps you might find an irregularly colored zipper on your travels. Though I don’t suppose Skaneateles is the irregular-colored zipper capital of central New York state, huh? And I do know how doomed ideas of “just picking up” some needed item on a business trip can be.
    Travel safe.
    Also, dude, nice sweater.

  40. no she didn’t! (well, i guess she did.) glad you bought two zippers from her anyway. i guess i vote for the darker zipper, but i think it kinda depends on what colors you will wear under the sweater most regularly.

  41. Black here, too. And I’ll miss you in Skaneateles tomorrow night, even though it’s only a lousy 60-some-odd miles from me. My “real” life has so totally suffocated my fiber life this semester that I can’t even contemplate the trip. I do, however, promise you that at least one other “birthday twin” will be there.

  42. Not to throw a total wrench in the plan… but how about a brown zipper? If that’s too big a hassle, black works fine, too. Good luck on that very HUGE tour of yours!

  43. I’m in for having crazy hair, unhemmed pants, and irregular sweaters.
    I vote for a black zipper but either way, I’ll see you at Loop. Can’t wait to get a Knitters Without Borders pin!

  44. definitely the black — it looks like deeper texture rather than jumping out as the irregularly pale green/blue one does….

  45. Ever consider the possibility that that woman was colorblind and couldn’t tell the difference between a “regular” and “irregular” color? Yes, I know genetically it’s impossible, but she obviously had a color issue of some kind.
    I am SO disappointed that I won’t be able to see/meet you Friday night when you’re at my LYS, Knit One (which is literally down the street from me). I picked that night of all nights to drive to DC. I am sending knitting friends to the event so they can recount everything to me when I get back into town. Hope you enjoy your time in Pittsburgh!

  46. Black zipper.
    I think your clerk transferred from out local swing store. I am astounded by her lack of tact and knowledge!
    I guess tacky acrylic doesn’t come in beautifully heathered greens…

  47. I vote for the black. However, I’m willing to check the sewing store on my way to see you tomorrow night. How long does the zipper need to be?
    I’m in and so excited that you’re coming within driving range tomorrow night…I’ll be the tongue-tied one with 3 books, crazy hair and a zipper! Also over-caffienated…next stop after zippers is Tim Horton’s.

  48. Definitely black. When learning to sew (about 102 years ago) I was told that, if faced with fabric in an impossible-to-match color to always go with the darker of the two closest thread colors. The same concept applies to zippers. Somehow the contrast between your fabric and a darker color is less noticeable…
    Good luck on tour!!

  49. Love the blue. Who said a zipper shouldn’t stand out?
    Two things:
    1. the drycleaner in your hotel, unless you’re at a Red Roof Inn, should be able to hem your pants for you
    2. have a safe trip.

  50. It HAS to be the black. White or light colors draw the eye while dark colors receed. (I read that in a book on fair isle. Or was it a Sally Melville book?)
    Anyway, you’d look bisected by the light colored zipper.

  51. Yeah, the black zipper, unless you have an irregular pale green to match the other zipper so you can indulge an irregular urge to duplicate stitch a line of pale green around each of the cuffs, the collar, and the bottom border. Regular colors, my…ah, she’s just jealous. Have a safe trip, and post lots of photos for us stay-at-homes!

  52. I suggest wearing the sweater open without a zipper until you find a metal one. Silver should look nice. Use a cool bead or something for the zipper toggle. I like the metal hook suggestion too.
    I sew, knit and weave a lot and found that many clerks at craft shops (including yarn shops) can be oddly rude. I’m assuming it has to do with a combination of insecurity and stress. I just laugh out loud and completely ignore all ignoramous comments.

  53. I have used http://www.zipperstop.com before. I mailed them a sample of my “irregular” colored yarn, and they matched it perfectly for me. They even provided a separating zipper in the exact length I needed. Fast service, fair price. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer. Good luck with your “irregular” color dilemma! 🙂

  54. Definately the black – it doesn’t detract from the cardigan like the pale green. Stupid woman – one of the benefits of knitting is that you can go for ‘irregular’ colours rather than follow the crowd & buy garments in regular colours off the peg.

  55. I like the black zipper. That said, thank you for continuing to blog even though your life is currently chaotic!!! “Regular colors”???? I’m glad I don’t see life that way….Wish you coming to Oregon!!!

  56. I think you should pick the zipper color that goes best with a shirt that you would normally wear under the sweater – assuming it would be open or half open most of the time. Who wears a zippered cardigan zipped all the way up?

  57. Another vote for black. How about coming to the Cleveland, OH area! If you did, I would hem any new pants you had.

  58. Black black black.
    They should make zippers in more, um, interesting colors.
    I’m jealous of your journeys and look forward to your posts about them.

  59. I vote for the black — or none at all. I love an open sweater.
    Sorry about the cash woman — I had a similar experience this week while traveling for work.
    I went into a known chain restaurant.
    The Host asked me if anyone was joining me.
    I said no.
    He said “That really sucks — doesn’t it.”
    Honestly — until then (and even after) I was fine with eating alone. I just think that some people don’t have a very good capacity to filter every thought that runs through their minds — and unfortunately some of us have to suffer from it.
    Good luck on the tour. Please come to Indianapolis — or somewhere close.

  60. Black, definitely black.
    My LYS in Columbus is trying to contact the right people to get you here on tour. I will guarantee that we can find alcohol.

  61. If I had to choose between black or green, I’d go with the black.
    But: could you buy a silver zipper on white tape and just dye the tape to match?

  62. The black fades into the background. Definitely go for the darker color.
    You should bring in the next fair isle you knit, and watch her head explode. Fun!

  63. I vote for black if you can’t find a better one in ‘Skinny-Atlas’. Hope you have one of those little sewing kits with you or can get one at the hotel. Take care. We’re all pulling for you.

  64. Not that you really need me by this time, but I’m in the black column (when it comes to zippers, I mean) as well.
    The cardi is gorgeous. I love, love, love that color. Truly. If/when you sign your books for me while wearing that sweater you will want to sort of hold your arms tight against your body, and perhaps wield a weapon in your non-signing hand.
    There are a lot of nutballs in the world. Despite having just threatened to steal your sweater, I persist in believing they’re the ones who don’t agree with me. Regular, shmegular.

  65. Definately the black, it’s more subtle than that other color.
    Have fun in Skaneateles, it’s a very cool little town that has a special place in my heart.

  66. Regular colors? SHAME ON YOU FOR NOT KNITTING IN REGULAR COLORS!!! Shame on the fiber industry for tempting us with irregular colored yarn, and not following in the footsteps of the zipper industry!
    honestly.. what are they thinking???? 🙂

  67. Vote for black or go zipperless until you find a better match. 😉 The lady was clearly out of her head and I bet she does the ordering there. Hemmed-shmimed, as long as you can get’em on, wear ’em. :)Have a great trip and plan a BOOK signing stop in NC when ya get a chance. :)BTW, the sweater looks fabulous. 🙂

  68. Zipper….Black
    Sales Clerk…over-medicated
    Seeing you in a zipperless sweater, unhemmed pants and questionable hair…PRICELESS
    diana

  69. On second thought, scrap that black zipper and visit M&J Trimmings on 6th Ave in Manhattan.
    See you at the Rutherford Library!

  70. I say black too. Not sure what fabric shop you went to, but Lens Mills has 3 different brands of zipper here in London and they all seem to carry different colour lots, try them next time if you have one close by.
    By the way, when are you coming to London?

  71. Use the black.
    What is it with non-knitters??? Oh, I know — the next time you’re going to knit something with a zipper, why not buy the zipper first and match the yarn to IT. Crazy lady. It’s a beautiful color, and if you wanted “regular” you would have headed on down to Wal-mart for a sweatshirt in some dull team color or other. Unique, special and different colors are why we knit (not to mention dye and spin!), eh?
    Have a fun tour… maybe visit Kingston?

  72. Definitely the black. I am just dumbfounded that the woman at the store had the cojones to tell you to knit more regular colors. The real question here is does that woman have what it takes to knit as beautifully as you do???

  73. The black – it hides itself better. The light one is too light. Or, if you can find one, something in a dark brown.
    As a 5’1 and 1/4″ woman, I hem my pants on the fly by turning the cuff under and basting them. A quick swoosh with the iron and no one knows the difference.

  74. I also vote for black.
    And to address the comment of another commenter, it’s not impossible for a woman to be clinically colorblind, just extremely rare (I was going to explain this scientifically but then I realized it was going to be a _very_ long comment so I stopped. I’m getting a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology–just trust me on this one).

  75. Too funny! I imagine she meant the plain old primary colors… or maybe the secondary ones, for a very fancy occasion. 😉

  76. Along with the other 80-odd people, black zipper. And regular colors? How utterly boring. Obviously, the woman would not make a good knitter.
    That said, I’m still tryin’ to figure out how to get to see you in Doylestown when I have a 1 p.m. wedding in Delaware.
    And, hey, for ‘those people’? Do what some friends do. Post up the phone numbers in 3-inch high letters for every food delivery service in a reasonable area. . . You stand a chance of actually coming back to an intact kitchen, not to mention a house that hasn’t been burned down by a novice cook.

  77. The black looks better. It doesn’t stick out the way the lighter ones does.
    That was one odd conversation. :/
    So does that mean she only wants you to use primary colors?
    Who even SAYS something like that to someone you don’t really know.
    Weird.
    I love the color and design. very classy. 😀
    I hope you have a safe fun trip and that your family gets along okay without you.
    *OtterHuggles*

  78. Duct tape to hem a pants leg? I’ve always just gone with staples, myself. (I work in an office. You use what you’ve got.) Look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh!

  79. pale irregular green. it’ll be easier to see when you put it in, and sometimes contrast leaves a greater impression…if impressions are what you’re going for. otherwise, black is an equally tolerable choice.
    personally, i don’t believe things should always match. i wear different colored, mismatched socks all the time. even if there is something that doesn’t seem “regular” or “correct,” what makes it work is its consistency throughout the work–like the green on the tinks’ sweaters. you’re the only one who really knows why it belongs there and who can put it there.
    everyone’s got their own opinion of beauty. it’s a good thing we can knit / craft whatever we want.

  80. Regular colors? this is a woman who is afraid. As in the phrase in my family (said of other people), “they’re afraid of food”, those who live on kraft mac&cheese, etc. Keep fearless.

  81. Black.
    And zippers are better than button bands.
    And that woman was off her rocker. She should stick to operating the cash register and leave color choices to people who don’t say “regular colors”.

  82. I guess I’m the minority here, but I vote for the white. If I get the chance I’ll try to look at the stores around here for a better color.
    Have a safe trip, Amanda will be fine, and see you on Monday.

  83. I still don’t know how to pronounce Skaneateles I will have to ask my Father.. he is “The Catskills Geologist” he ought to know.. sorry no road trip.. though I would love it!
    They were advertising your visit to Pittsbugh out here in Ohio at the knitter’s fantasy.. a big poster and everything! That might be a possiblility.. a suprise trip to my MIL??
    Don’t forget to call them Yuns!! (yoonz!)

  84. Three quick comments:
    1) Black for the zipper!
    2) Hem the pants with that special iron on tape for hemming – always worked for me in hotel room pinches
    3) SNOW??? Do you know it’s April?? Oh Steph you must move to warmer weather!!
    Thanks for helping me realize that 70 degrees is warm 🙂
    🙂 AL

  85. While doing the happy dance the other day to the tune of “The Yarn Harlot is coming to town! The Yarn Harlot is coming to town!” I realized something. The stress you’re under to “organize these people” is to make *us* happy.
    Wow. Thanks for giving up time with your family to make our day(s).

  86. The black disappears better but I like the metallic suggestion.
    Consider yourself fortunate that your world isn’t narrow like the clerks. I always feel a little bad for people like that. I love living in an irregular world!

  87. Go with the black. In sewing, you pick a thread that is a shade darker rather than a shade lighter, because it will receed into the seam, and get lost in the shadows. This zipper will be less obvious if it is a dark shadow, not a glowing beacon that says “I don’t match. She couldn’t make me match!”
    Anyways, there is a good chance that I will see you on Monday. I’m seriously considering driving five hours round trip [to Philly and back] after working that day. Safe travels!

  88. I vote you keep shopping till you find a zipper you really like. If you can’t wait, then black. And I’m sorry to say I know what she means. She means PRIMARY colors. There used to be one LYS within 100 miles. She carried lots of acrylic afghan-type yarn in REGULAR colors. Royal blue. Bright green. No aqua. No taupe. No lavender blue, dilly-dilly. Now she’s gone, and my LYS is ebay. Sigh.
    Dress warm. Travel safe. Stand on your toes and forget about the hems.

  89. Black, no question. Or you could go for a silver one (generic, “Who’s trying to match? I just bought a zipper”). The one and only thing I don’t love about the cabled Debbie Bliss cardigan I made a year and a half ago is that it’s been impossible to find the right zipper. The greens are never right, the black was too “strong” against the apple-y goodness of the yarn, and silver seems to be the only other option . . . just as soon as I summon up the courage to tear out and sew in a third zipper . . . meanwhile the poor sweater languishes in the closet (sigh). But that won’t happen to yours! Irregular colors or not!

  90. Hey, random second thought. You’ll be in the U.S. soon, and there is a chain of fabric stores down here that sells a line of zippers that has “irregular colors”. You might check out the fabric store while you’re here. Joann Fabrics. Their all over the place. Just an idea.

  91. You wonder why you keep doing zippers? You do zippers because you hate buttonbands.
    Definitley the black.

  92. Most definitely black.
    Will you ever be visiting the Chicago area? Have a very good trip. All your books are fabulous.

  93. Most definitely black.
    Will you ever be visiting the Chicago area? Have a very good trip. All your books are fabulous.

  94. I would go with the black if it’s the only one you have. But did you think about a dark grey? It might not be as noticeable and blend in better.

  95. One more vote for black. Or, you could wait, and go to what ever sewing store is where you are going (did that make sense? I don’t think that made sense) and check there for a matching zipper.
    BTW, didja get the needles? 🙂

  96. The overwhelming consensus is backing the black zipper, so I’d probably put in the pale green out of sheer contrariness. Or irregularity, maybe. Sheeesh!
    Child on school trip while you’re out of town and hard to reach? Crap, you won’t be sleeping much.

  97. Yet another vote for black. Or dark grey if you can find it. Regular colors? Would those be the boring ones?
    Love the sweater. Agree that hems in pants are HIGHLY overrated, ‘specially if you have to sew them yourself.
    When are you coming to Raleigh, NC? You never seem to make it south enough!

  98. Yes the black.
    Regular colors? Only for regular people.
    Special people do special colors.
    Wear your pants proudly, hemmed or not.
    But keep a towel handy, just in case.
    Happy Travels!

  99. Enough have said it but I can’t help from posting my vote for black too. The sweater is beautiful. Have a wonderful trip.

  100. I vote for black, too. I’m very anti-contrast except when it comes to fair isle.
    Ridiculous cashier, you should have stared at her longer. I’m guessing that her comment was similar to my husband’s who thinks that the color of my orange cabled vest “doesn’t look like me”. Granted, I don’t wear orange much, but it goes with two shirts I’ve owned for a while now…
    If I can put off all housework for the next two days I’ll finish the vest in time to wear it on Friday night for you. I can’t skip any sleep, though, so we’ll see if I can make it.

  101. I vote for the black.
    And if you need quick (and pretty organic AND handmade, sometimes vegan) stuff to stop your lovely curly hair from freaking RIGHT OUT, try Lush (www.lush.com) I recommend the Hsuan Wen Hua Hair Treatment. And no, I don’t work for them, but I should. I think I own or have tried every single product in the shop here in Seattle.

  102. black– definately the black.
    And when you get one of those “what the hell are you thinking” questions again, just smile and ask “what would the fun be in that?”

  103. I vote for the black zipper. If you use the lighter bluish green you might be able to get away with not wearing pants.
    I’m minutes away from the St. Louis County Library! I’m also doing the “Happy Dance”!

  104. Tough call on the zipper. You still have snow on the ground??? That’s a bummer. All the snow is melted here in MN.

  105. 91 votes for black.
    7 votes for green (2 said blue but I think they meant green)
    1 vote for grey
    1 vote for white
    my vote is for you to wait to find what makes you happy and wear it open until then. the zipper place sounds fantastic…
    have a safe trip.

  106. You know, there’s a store in Manhattan that sells zippers in every shade imaginable, and they’ll cut them to fit your knitting while you wait. Perhaps Amanda should have the address? You’d kill two birds with one stone then, getting an irregularly colo(u)red zipper that matches your sweater (because I’d bet they do exist!) AND knowing exactly what Amanda is up to and where for a portion of the time she’s here. 😉
    Enjoy your trip!

  107. navy blue maybe? You might suggest next time that they stop making zippers in only regular colors and expand their repertoire a bit? Maybe we need to start a mail in campaign to all the zipper manufacturers.

  108. I prefer the black zipper.
    I have seen a few great looking sweaters with zippers intentionally chosen to contrast. Perhaps this is an irregularity that would cause the clerk some consternation.

  109. 2 words: Duct tape. Great for hemming just about anything in a pinch. It only takes a second or two. And you can even get it in “regular” and “irregular” colors. 🙂

  110. The problem with the zipper color has happened with me almost every time. I think sweater manufacturers have them special made for their sweaters. You would think since there are so many knitters that zipper manufacturers would have more colors.

  111. I see that black is in the majority, but I will add my 2 cents. Black blends much better – doesn’t scream at you, and it sounds like you have enough to scream about!

  112. I vote for leaving the zipper off and wearing that beautiful sweater open, at least until you can find the right zipper. The black is kind of dark, and the green would look wonderful if the same green had been part of the sweater, but it isn’t, so it sticks out like a 14-inch straight knitting needle. It’s fine if you want that effect, though.
    Roll up the trouser legs, nobody’s coming to judge your clothes. They want to hear you talk, laugh at the jokes and gawk at^W^Wadmire your amazing knitting.

  113. My gotta do it NOW side says “black” The rest of me is saying “It’s been how long?… What’s another couple of weeks while you get the exact right zipper in a beautifully irregular colour (totally on a fluke, of course)!”

  114. Always chose the darker zipper. It is in a “shadow”, as it were.
    Some people should not be working in a fabric store. The nerve to tell you what colors you shouldn’t be knitting! She had better hope her manager didn’t hear her.
    Oooooo, I’m in a mood today…

  115. WAIT! Don’t finish that great sweater with a mediocre zipper. Look at some of the shops/super stores, etc. while you are traveling or order one online (from a place that will accept a return, of course). So much of what makes a sweater great is the great finishing, think TINKS buttons! You are bound to find the right one with the right shade of that abnormally colored yarn (I love teal! I’ll bet it’s great with your hair)

  116. Go for the black, but I also like the comment about the gray. I have sewn with gray thread on all kinds of fabrics, and it blends in beautifully.
    I just got your book today – I am so excited! And my sister is so envious! I’m sure she will have one before the day is through.
    Have a fun and safe trip!

  117. Yup, the black. Dark colors recede, light colors pop. If you don’t want anyone to notice, always go with a darker contrast color.

  118. You have probably left, so you may never read this, and I didn’t read any comments, so I might not be the first to mention it, but….if you didn’t wait until the last second (she said lovingly and knowingly, remembering all of the last second knitting she has done) you could have gotten a zipper perfectly cut to size in a better color from zipperstop.com. Always works for me.

  119. Some people just don’t have that portion of your brain that tells you “Stop!” Poor, poor cashier.
    Stitch-Witchery (and its twins) is your friend. Just don’t get your toes caught in it and ruin your hard work. I have a pair of uniform pants that I used the stuff on two years ago and it’s still good. (except for that place where I got my toes stuck *ahem*.)

  120. What I wanna know is, how many people stopped reading comments to open a window and type the zipper place urls?
    Dude, I got two words for you: “Squint Test”. Whenever I want to know if something goes with something else, I hold it at arm’s length and squint at it. Works. Makes bad haircuts good too.

  121. First I needed to go get some chocolate, then DH said, “Obviously, the clerk is a twinkie and I hear they deep-fry them in the south. It’s a delicacy.” I vote for grey or wait! and those who get to see you can take you shopping for the perfect zipper. Use the tailor for the hems.

  122. I agree with the “WAIT!” sentiment. If you absolutely have no other choice, go with the black. But surely there has to be a gray zipper out there in the world (a shocking thought), or one that matches exactly (an even more shocking thought…).
    And yeah, what is it with clerks at yarn/fabric stores? Some odd ducks in this world.

  123. Honestly, neither zipper looks good enough for that beautiful sweater. I say, wait and find the right one.
    I would have had a tough time controlling my urge to bat that woman upside the head… preferably with the “regular colored zippers”.

  124. I thought the store clerk was trying to make you go pick a different color zipper…like one on the opposite side of the color wheel from heather green. Art majors can help you with this one, but I think purple is the answer. (like orange is opposite blue) Anyway, if you have to pick one today I also choose BLACK. Happy travels and let “your people” take care of themselves and try not to burn down your house (and yarn) while you’re gone. Is that why you pack so much in your suitcase each time? So they won’t screw it up while you’re gone.

  125. Did sewing shop lady think your sweater was constipated? Was she?
    Have a fantastic trip and try not to worry too much about “those people” you’ve done a good job with all of them.

  126. Black is it. When are you going to come to the West Coast of the continent? I would drive a few hours just to see you….of course….anywhere from here is a few hours because I live in the frontier (that is according to the US government.)

  127. I reacted to reading about it like you reacted to hearing it. I still don’t know what she’s talking about. If it was just snide I could shrug it off. But since I can’t make sense of it, it remains in orbit with my thoughts. Ah, well. I have the same problem picking out buttons. I haven’t done any zippers but I’ve decided my wardrobe needs cardi’s, lots and lots of cardi’s. Buddha help me.

  128. Black. It’s what we wear here in NYC,and you want to fit in when you come here, don’t you?
    hint, hint….(I’m still hoping-but also still planning to go to Rutherford if I absolutely must)

  129. Steph-if left to the two choices, black; but I *really* like the idea of the ornate hook-loop hardware. Why settle for mediocre when you can get the BEST when on tour?? Meantime, find a nice pin/broach and just pin the top closed.
    LOVE the idea for duct tape; I was thinking stitch witchery….but DT is quicker and no risk of burns.
    I’m flying into PA from ND for a conference 1 hour up the road; conveniently smack dab between LOOP and the library; thinking of becoming a groupie and attending both! I’ll come in disguise for the 2nd affair so you won’t think I’m a weird followandworshipthemasterfulharlot knitter or something.
    USAF Ann

  130. Black.
    And I’m bummed I can’t make it across the country to see you, so I’ll have to wait for you to come back to California! Have a great trip!

  131. I love the black Stephanie…and boo hoo on that lady without imagination…the colour is beautiful!!i am off to my colourworks knitting class as i am hooked on knitting for life…safe trip

  132. I can only imagine that the look you were giving her was something like the look I was giving my monitor. More regular colors? *boggle*
    Oh, and yet another vote for the black.

  133. Use the black zipper, or dye the green to match the zipper. Ignore the woman at the cash. She has no concept of the blood, sweat and tears that went into the sweater.

  134. Use the black zipper, or dye the green zipper to match the sweater. Ignore the woman at the cash. She has no concept of the blood, sweat and tears that went into the sweater.

  135. I think you should get a huge stash of indelible ink markers in all sorts of colors and just use them to color your own coordinated zippers to your sweaters. Then you can use any lame old white / grey / offwhite zipper from the fabric store. And whenever you’re dyeing wool, can you dye a zipper too, if the sweater is going to use one? I wouldn’t know… I’ve never dyed anything (on purpose).

  136. Zipper voting: of the two, black, or if you can wait a little longer, zipperstop (I’ll second the endorsement), or maybe a metal zipper in a neutral silver or dark brass.
    Pant hemming: Stitch witchery (that sticky iron-in interfacing tape) is great for a short-term hem. A little classier than my old method of duct/packing tape and much less crinkly.

  137. I vote for using a lovely brooch till you find the right zipper.
    Say, can we get you to come to CO?

  138. I agree with Amy saying that the light colored zipper distracts from the lovely pattern on the sweater which. by the way is gorgeous.That color should look super dooper on you . The sales lady is probably jealous that she doesn’t knit .Did she say anything about what a LOVELY sweater it is ? The zipper manufactures should talk to some knitters (they are’nt hard to find and there a LOT of us) and see what colors they should be putting out in the future. My friend and I both made the same sweater same color and they had to have zippers . PALE MAUVE !!! No such a beast could be found here. We ended up using white ones and we are still not happy campers with them. I don’t know where you get all the energy you need Stephanie. LORDY you must come from good heritage or take the right vitamin pill . Anyway keep treking and GOOD LUCK to you and your trip. P.S. I don’t see ANY Canadian stops listed . Are you going to make some ? I HOPE. Can a person dye zippers ?

  139. I vote black! And I say to send the stash weasels after her for such a rediculous comment. Perhaps she should start sewing with “regular” fabrics. Exactly what would that be?
    Beautiful sweater! I like the lace pattern very much.
    Please come to Oregon soon! The Black Sheep Gathering is June 23rd… there will be fiber!

  140. Steph,
    I think you oughta teach that cashier how to knit (she’s obviously not a knitter). That would ‘learn her.’ And such sweet revenge, once she gets hooked on the variety of yarns available today. Maybe go back to thank her for her “help,” give her a copy of your latest book (that talks about non-knitters like her – yup, I’m reading it), and offer to show her how to knit. (Yeah, like you have time, but still, the thought just makes me smile. The ultimate revenge, getting her hooked on knitting.)
    I vote for the black zipper, for the reasons your instincts do as well. It doesn’t pop out at your eyes. It “blends” better. But maybe you’ll find a closer color in your travels.
    Do you ever order zippers on line? Something to look into. I ordered zippers somewhere on-line when I needed a yellow one once. And if you use them as frequently as you say, it may be worth it. They’re cheap on-line too.

  141. Steph,
    you said it yourself, finishing makes a great sweater out of a nice sweater.
    The black would ruin the sweater and the light green would not improve it either. Don’t give in to pressure. vj

  142. My vote: definitely for the black.
    Regular colors? What exactly constitutes a “regular color?” And if sweaters were meant to be knit in “regular colors,” then why do yarn companies bother making irregular colors?
    Her logic is simply… illogical.

  143. The sweater is beautiful! Where can I find the pattern? Is it possible to post or email where I can find it? It’s antmegmmm@verizon.net.
    I just finished your meditations and yarn harlot and am now thoroughly enjoying knitting rules! I’m from NJ and soooooooo disappointed that unfortunately the day you’re in Rutherford… I’m having surgery. I would have loved to see you. You keep me smiling!

  144. Can I second heathers (about 100 comments before mine) and suggest a metal colored zipper? Silver, copper, or an anitqued brass would look very nice.
    If we were stuck on a desert island though, and we only had the black and light green to choose from, I think I’d go with the black. It looks better on screen, but in real life, I think a metal one would be perfectly perfect!
    Oh, and duct-tape-hemming was my low budget tailoring fix in college. (5’3″) Couldn’t have lived without it!

  145. Definitely black zipper. That sewingstorewoman should get a life. Who died and made her the color police?
    And as for the pants, you can totally hem them in the room. All they need to hold for a day is a basting stitch. Just don’t wear heels. Also, you might find a place that does in-house tailoring.

  146. Black. Also? She’s crazy. How is green not a regular color? You should have laughed and told her to start stocking zippers in less boring colors.

  147. “regular” colors?
    Has she LOOKED around her store???? The sewing shops I’ve visited have the BROADEST range of irregular colors (many just plain ugly) that I’ve ever seen… besides— a class in customer service might be useful for this one….sheesh!
    HARLOT- STICK WITH THE BLACK..
    It’s always my first pick anyway—- basically, because it doesn’t make my butt look as fat…..;) I’m sure that will work for zippers too…
    Slenderizing irregular zippers—- that will be my new blog name…or maybe the name of my colorful/customer service oriented sewing shop….
    ts

  148. Yikes on the pale zipper, the black is much less distracting, the cardi is beautiful, maybe just baste a temp zipper in it and check out those other places…..Supreme Zipper, ZipperStop, amazing. Have a safe and fabulous trip, wish you could make it farther south and west just a wee bit more. Are Petite sized pants still too long for you? I’m 5’6″ but with the legs for someone 5’2″(maybe), so shop in the Petite departments.

  149. WAIT! (or black if you must) And I did read the zillion replies before me and even hit reload because there were 20 more by the time I decided “what the heck” and added 2 cents worth 🙂
    As a mom with a just turned 21 dd living in NY going to college, nagging, momentary heart stopping fear is a way of life these days. Whoever suggested it: Amanda will NOT be going shopping for zippers on her own!
    How about a bookbookbook reward for whoever shows up with the “perfect zipper” first?!

  150. I’m in! I am excited. And although not many people here have indicated that they will be there tomorrow, I know that there are about 80 people “registered” to come. There would be more if the shop could accomodate more! Bring hundreds of TSF pins!

  151. You probably don’t have time to read all these comments before starting your trek, and the vote has gone decidedly to black anyway but speaking as a former sewing shop employee and for future reference: if you can’t get a decent colour match, choosing a shade darker than your project generally blends in better. Lighter zippers, thread, ribbon, or whatever tend to stand out more. If the colour match isn’t good, who wants it to be even more obvious? And if you have a choice, gray blends with a surprising number of things.

  152. Black zipper, way prettier.
    I like the sweater colour; I’d rather have an irregular sweater than a boring one.

  153. Woo hoo! The weather report for Saturday says rain is likely! That means I can drive two hours to see you in Doylestown, rather than staying home and working in my garden (which desperately needs the rain anyway). I’ll be the one in the incredible Peace Fleece red cabled cardigan that my daughter knit–I should be such a good knitter!
    Judy W.

  154. Ahhh, Harlot… you brighten my day. You’re the greatest!
    Go with the black zipper.

  155. black zipper the other one is too light. The clerk was whacko… pay her no mind. The cardi is loverly.
    happy knitting!
    Lana

  156. Go figure, I worked in Skaneateles for almost a year and just after I move away, the yarnharlot comes to town. I’m sure the town will make you very welcome indeed and the bookstore is brand spanking new and a treat, lots books, things to buy and reading chairs.
    ps have you though of dying the zipper. When I darn knitted items I always get a close colour then dye it to match, works a treat.
    Save journey

  157. You sly fox. It worked, didn’t it? You got them all worked up about the zipper and so far I’m the only one who sees anything funny about “…the now finished Garter Vine cardi. It’s blocked, but remains to be sewn up…” Nobody else has a problem here? It’s finished, it just happens to be in discrete chunks? It’s done, but I’d have to tie it onto my body to wear it? This definition of “done” rivals the notion of “regular” colors.
    Pull the other one.

  158. Black, the lighter one stands out too much. And if the hotel has an iron (and most do), a good pressing and double-stick tape will hold the hem until you have the time and energy to deal with it properly. Um, are the pants a regular color? Hope to see you in the Denver area so I can buy a pin (I still get lots of comments when I wear my TSF/KWB sweatshirt so I’ll need the pin for when it is warmer). 🙂

  159. Hmm…you’re right, no good choices there. Couldn’t you go to another store and maybe find a grey one?

  160. Use the dark zipper and find another sewing shop! What a mean-spirited woman. Clearly not a Knitter like US!!!!!

  161. i vote for the black zipper too. I really want a pin. I am willing to be a local distribution person or location. Is that possible, seeing as there doesn’t seem to be any way i can persuade your publisher that really Nova Scotia does exist and we have knitters and knitters who read (and buy) books too.

  162. I’d say black. But only because it fades more. It’s not as noticable, so unless you want to zipper to “Pop” then go for the black. 🙂

  163. Go with the black.
    Now I’m off to look at my current cardigan project and decide if it’s a regualar color. where do they find these people?

  164. There is a store that I’ve used called http://www.customzips.com that will custom make a zipper for you…you can even send them a sample of the yarn and they will match it! Tell them the size, what kind of pull you want, and everything. I’ve only put one zipper on a knit sweater and it wasn’t the best sewing job, but the zipper matched perfectly! and, it was the right size.
    Plus, then you don’t have to deal with lame sewing-store ladies who have no sence of color or style!

  165. I picked the black, personally, even before I saw which one you were leaning towards. I hate putting zippers in things, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!
    Funny things people say. One time I was knitting at the store, and this lady comes in and says, “Don’t you hold your needles funny!” I didn’t know what to say – it’s how I knit, and I really don’t know what exactly she was getting at. No further explanation, she just walked into the yarn section and got whatever it was she was after. I’ve watched other people knit, and I seem to hold my needles the same as everyone else!

  166. Like you’re going to get thru the 200+ posts just to see my
    “I like the black”.
    while you’re packing for your trip and organizing “the people”.
    I hope to be able to see you on Saturday in Doylestown.
    I’ll have the cramped fingers, tendonitis and red/grey/black Jaywalker sock on a size 1 circ.
    Happy trails!

  167. The black is the definite better of the two.
    I got your new bookbookbook! The first thing I did was thumb through it and stopped at the sock recipe. Hehehehe
    🙂

  168. More regular colors? Wow… just wow, I would have no idea what to say to that, I’d probably just stand there staring at her like an idiot. I’d definitly go with the black although I doubt that matters. Enjoy your trip, since I won’t be able to go to see you, I’m going to make my friend take me to the book store so I can try to get your new book then to the yarn shop.

  169. Sometimes you can’t even get red (said she, having replaced the zipper in the DH’s winter jacket). Black goes with red (she said knowingly), and with other irregular colors, too.
    Maybe your admiring fans can bring you a better selection to choose from, so you don’t waste yarn-shopping time looking at zippers?

  170. Use the black on the cardigan and the green on the clerk’s mouth. Then wrap her in some definitely irregular Kool Aid dyed handspun to torture her a bit.
    I read excerpts from “Secret Life” (and whole chapters about the stash) to my DH last night and he said “I’m frightened that you’ve found a soul mate. No Canadian escapades for you lest you meet her and become uncontrollable.” So now that I’ve been grounded from Toronto, you’re going to have to come to Austin, TX instead, okay?

  171. She probably meant, “You’re that fabulous knitter and writer, so I think you should treat yourself to a properly-matching nearly-custom zipper, like those you can find at http://www.zipperstop.com/.”
    Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what she meant.
    Unless you’re supposed to knit a mint green polyester pantsuit to match the zipper she had on hand…

  172. I have no preference w/the black or the green– but that whole ‘regular colors’ thing… it’s like those people who look at me wonderingly when I knit and nod, saying “that’s a dying art…” And I’m thinking that my son’s fish looks more anemic and I’ve been feeding that thing for three years…

  173. After years of quilting and buying thread to match the fabric, I have learned the best tip. Grey is a magic non-colour. Use light, med, or dark depending on the value of the colour you are trying to match and voila. Try it, it really does work.

  174. Wow, was the “lady” er, clerk rude. I go with the black. Have fun on the tour and don’t worry about the family. They survived the last time you were gone unscathed.

  175. I recommend the black one, it doesn’t stand out as much as the pale green one.

  176. Definitely black. Perhaps the saleslady has something wrong with her eyes and doesn’t see colours clearly. This can happen when one is of a certain age.
    Regarding the slacks – staplers work, too. My first job was in a dry cleaners. I’ve seen it all.

  177. Black is the way to go. Makes for a more subtle blend. And in my experience, when people say “regular” colors, they usually mean something that can be found in a box of crayons. While this can be good occasionally, usually it’s only appropriate for children.
    On the hem note, Stitchwitchery (a fuseable tape) is a great travel item. All you need to make it work is an iron. Quick and easy.
    We’ll see you here in the ‘Burgh, Friday. Brace yourself, there’s nothing quite like a Pittsburgher. 🙂

  178. My vote is for black. Very lovely sweater…good job. Have a nice trip. I will be praying for safe travels and happy arrivals. Blessings, Julie

  179. Never one to just follow the rest of the lemmings I humbly suggest the lighter-coloured zipper. I like it. The black is so stark and obvious. It’s such a beautiful sweater that you can’t really go wrong – hunh, I don’t think you actually asked for a vote. lol – Serves you right for musing out loud in front of your peeps.

  180. Definitely the black, if you simply must, but why not crochet some good (pretty, irregular) button loops on the sweater and use some really nifty … what do they call them? … toggle buttons? You know; the kind you just loop the button loop over, instead of having a proper button hole. I bet you could find some pretty wooden ones that would look great.
    And what in the world is “irregular” about that color? I think it’s gorgeous. She’s just jealous because she’ll never get to wear it.

  181. I like the black zipper better than the lighter shade…is it green?
    If you give me the length I can look here in NJ and give it to you at the Rutherford Library on the 11th…it’s no problem :o)
    I’m excited that your bringing pins!

  182. Regular colors? Gack! What an absolute twit! She’s worse than the bank teller! I have a theory — some people only have 8 crayons in their box, while others have 64 or even more. That is, for some people there are only 8 “regular” colors. Any others are “weird.” I feel really sorry for them. In my world chartreuse, teal and magenta ARE normal, regular colors, and I couldn’t live without them!
    So, are you gonna come to Ann Arbor, are you, huh?

  183. Black, definitely. (instant gratification, etc. . . .) And “regular” colors? No, no, one of the reasons to knit/crochet/sew is to avoid having to wear regular colors.
    Any chance of a trip to Asheville, NC, anytime?

  184. Skaneateles is a lovely small town. We lived in the area years ago and I would make regular trips to T.C.Timber Co, for wooden train parts for my boys – who were about Hank’s age. I believe they are credited for the first wooden trains. Also noticed you’ll be in Lexington, Kentucky later. One of my favorite places in the world.

  185. I saw the pictures, thought “black”, and then read in the comments that most people chose black also. What is it about me that has to go against the grain?- now I want to say “light green”. I’m awful, aren’t I?
    Seriously, though- black.

  186. Definately the black zipper! Gee, Stephanie, why CAN’T you work in the more regular colors? You should really try to conform. Your irregular color choices are making strangers nervous. Tsk, tsk!
    The lady at the sewing shop, like the lady at the bank who made the snide remark about the knitting olympics, is a total bonehead. Had to be said.

  187. I just went through this! For my brown/red and orange/yellow sweaters I had the choice of: black or white zippers! OI!
    What’s up with that? Black. White. Is this one more influence of our “modern” society — everything has to be black or white? But, geee Wally, wouldn’t it have been so cool if JoAnns Fabrics could’ve at least made/sold zippers in ALL of the primary colors? I mean, I’m not asking for sunshine and daffodil yello — just yellow! No rose, pink or sunset rouge — just RED! ARGGGGGHHHHHh!
    P.S. The brown/red got the black zipper and the orange/yellow got the white.

  188. I’m not sure if someone else already gave you these handy zipper websites, or if you’ll even get this far down in the comments!! But in case they didn’t, and in case you do, check out these websites:
    http://www.zipperstop.com/
    http://www.zippersource.com/choices/
    I needed a lime green zipper for one project, and a turquoise zipper for another, and I ordered both from Zipperstop. Jeff is really nice. I bet you could even send him a snippet of the yarn and he could select the closest matching zipper.
    Or you could consider sticking to black or white yarn for future projects. 😉
    (Can’t believe someone working at a craft shop would actually suggest something so ridiculous.)

  189. Black, so it will go very well with your new pants (I suspect they are black). It looks better than the pale one anyway
    The color of your sweater is more “regular” than the color of the pale zipper, by the way…

  190. Black looks much better — at least from the photos.
    Won’t make it to Skaneateles but hope to get as far as Doylestown to see you.

  191. You’re not going to like this (and I don’t know what regular colors are, either), but I’m suggesting that you dye the lighter zipper. Obviously, time is an issue, so dying it today probably isn’t going to work.

  192. Hey – I finally make it to Toronto and I chase you out of town?
    No worries – I’ll hunt you down and see you in Rutherford! I just called and snagged a seat to hear you speak!!

  193. Please come to NYC!
    I gobbled up your third book over the weekend and promptly started upon a complicated lacey shawl pattern – your witty prose drove me to it.
    So now you need to come to a lys somewhere in the 5 borroughs in order to help me untangle this infuriatingly fragile yarn.
    PS: I vote for the black zipper if you must choose one of those two – though personally I’d google and find a grey one.

  194. I vote for the black zipper.
    I know what you mean about getting ready to leave your family for a few days. Every time my husband and I go away for a few days, I make elaborate lists, cook and freeze dinners, do all the laundry, etc, all so my MIL has to do as little as possible (just chasing my kids around to their baseball games is a full-time job in itself). What happens when we’re gone. None of my carefully planned meals is eaten and the quanity of junkfood in my house triples! I shudder to think what would happen if I went away by myself and left my husband in charge. I doubt the house would be standing when I returned.

  195. Regular colors?!? Is she trying to reduce us to the three primary or six secondary colors, plus black and white. Regular for whom? Every time I think there is hope for humanity, congenital stupidity rears its ugly head! 🙂

  196. Go with the black … I think you’re very brave to deal with zippers at all – I have a long standing fear of them. Regular colors, I won’t be ablr to get this out of my head – maybe a subversive underground movement to regulate colors?

  197. Maybe she’s a colour traditionalist in the Crayola, there-are-only-24-colours way.
    My vote: clasp or large hook and eye set. It simplifies everything (faster, simpler, less sewing) and can just be shoved on at the end. But I’m a Vancouverite, with the luxury of wearing half-open sweaters, not a Torontonian dealing with temperatures on the scary side of zero degrees.

  198. Well, if you bring (wear) another pair of slacks to Creekside, I’ll hem the new ones while I listen to you. How about that — I’ll even give up working on my first ever pair of socks (second sock thereof) in order to do it.
    If I weren’t so old and stiff, I’d offer to sit at your feet and hem while you wear the slacks and talk, but I’m really too old and stiff to do that anymore.

  199. Regular colors? What the heck is she talking about, regular colors? Was she wearing a “regular” color? Has she been to a fabric store lately? Regular colors, whatever. I’m so surprised they didn’t have a zipper closer to the sweater but then again regular colors in zippers are always a bit weirder than regular colors in fabrics.
    And for the zipper – definitely black. Have a safe trip.

  200. Hmmm – unhemmed pants and zipperless sweater. Considering the hotel incident, ins’t that slightly overdressed? And I vote for black.

  201. Oh — and definitely the black. You can use yarn to tie up the seams so you can wear the sweater with your new pants. I hope they at least are a regular color.

  202. I haven’t got any colored zippers, mine are either bronze (jeans) or silver (everything else). I think not the light blue. The black is fine, silver would be good as well if you have one somewhere, and also could go on other irregular colors well.
    I checked my pants, to make sure I am not delusional, that my zippers are really bronze and not pink or black, and this one is kind of bronzilver. So maybe zippers are really all silver and my jeans just get the plate worn off, from use.
    Yes.

  203. Regular colors? Pffffft.
    I vote for the black.
    And, I can tell you, from personal experience, it is possible to hem your pants (while wearing them) while riding (not driving!) in a car, train or plane, so a hotel room? Piece of cake.
    Mmmmmm. Cake.

  204. I’m all for the black zipper—-or you could be adventerous and find a cotton-backed zipper and dye it to match the sweater, but that’s too time-consuming right now.
    I’m eagerly waiting for the 26th for the St. Louis affair!! (If you’re in need of a washer and dryer for clothes, let me know and I can always run a few loads for you, as I assume you’ll be staying overnight in the area.)

  205. I also vote for black. Hey, that lady gave you another great story, bless her heart! (these are the kinds of things we only appreciate later).
    Have a wonderful trip! Sure wish I lived where you’re going to be touring.

  206. one vote for Black zip! Isn’t there an online shop for zips of all colours? Boo hiss to that RUDE shop person. All her attributes stacked end to end could never, would never, match up to yours! (Must … cut..down… on… Dr… Suess…)

  207. I have been known to buy a beige or grey zipper and use fabric markers to colour it as appropriate.

  208. Hello from a very long-time lurker (and book reader)! Someone may have already mentioned this – too many comments to check – but here in Germany you can get colourless/transparent zips, which presumably would also be a good solution for a garment with a lot of different colours.

  209. Black. It receeds, the light blue (green?) pops forward at you. But, you already know that.
    Love your blog! This is my first comment. Hope to see you in NJ next week.

  210. Black – always go darker if you can’t find an exact match – then its less noticeable
    Stupid cashier woman – ALL colours are regular colours!!
    I have real trouble finding zippers to match too – I use a lot of linen fabric in lovely soft muted colours – I go to a little haberdashery shop in Hebden Bridge where the zippers are near the window and have been there so long they are all faded and now they are actually the colours I need!

  211. Black for the zipper, psychotropics for the woman in the sewing shop, and duct tape or staples for the new pants.

  212. Definitely the black zipper. Please not the other one. I picked up 2 copies of your new book. (One for me and one for a “new knitter” friend and the two of us embarrassed ourselves on the street guffawing (We still guffaw in Rockaway Beach) at your prose. You are a treasure.
    On another topic, my husband holds you solely responsible for my sock knitting craze. Ever since the one sock challenge for the Olympics, I have done nothing but knit socks (and shower, and guffaw). He’s not dangerous though. He’ll grimace at you.
    Kathy

  213. Black definitely. The light one will make it look like you have something showing that should not be.
    I think I would have asked this lady to tell me more about regular colors until she exploded from her own ridiculousness.

  214. I guess you DON’T want to know that I have a zipper in your irregular colour at my shop. Next time try tailor shops; not only do we have huge selection of zippers (yes really), we also hem pants, sometimes even while you wait. Just thought you’d like to know that.
    Oh, yes, and my husband wants to know if you slapped the cashier.

  215. ATTN: RAMS!!!
    I’m screaming with laughter over the ‘discrete chunks…..tie it around your body’ comment!!!
    And, since I too was completely wrapped up in the zipper frenzy…..I second the ‘shade darker for zippers and thread’ comment. Darker says ‘Macys’. Lighter says ‘Dollar Store’.
    Good grief. Now I’m commenting on the comments. What’s this blog coming too?

  216. Love the sweater, love the black zipper (although one would think there would be something closer). I guess sometimes the yarn world and the fashion color world are on different tracks. I used to sewe a fair bit and learned to buy thread and fabric at the same time, becuase a few years down the road (after the favric had aged in my stash) the proper thread color would of course be unavailable!
    Would love to have a reference for the garter vine cardigan – I haven’t made myself a sweater in years but I love that one!
    Happy travelling!

  217. Black Zipper–fashion rule application here. It’s SUPPOSED to be a no-no to wear a light colored bra with a dark transparent top,(stay with me here I’ll tie this in) so, I would guess the same is applied to zipper which is an accessory to the sweater as the bra is to the top?? Unless you want your bra/zipper to get more attention than your beautiful top/sweater. I think I hurt myself with that one…

  218. I definitely prefer the lighter green/gray (?) zipper. It’s “irregular” like the sweater..ha ha. Some people have amazingly narrow views! But really, the black is too “regular”. I would probably look elsewhere to find a better match because the sweater is beautiful and it deserves the best zipper it can get! Breathe deeply, try to enjoy your trip and remember that your children do have another parent who can shoulder the responsibility for them while you are away.

  219. Black zipper. Someone suggested gray, and that would have been a good choice, too.
    In general,if you can’t match the color for a zipper, or thread, or whatever, the best choice is to match the value – lightness or darkness – in the best available neutral.

  220. How I wish I could come see you in Skaneateles tonight! I LOVE that town, having grown up about 2 hours west of it – yay Upstate New York! Try to stop for a coffee on the main street at this lovely cafe, and then walk to the dock near the gazebo and enjoy the scenery from the north shore of the lake. Have a wonderful time and be sure to tell us all about it – I’m so jealous that I can’t be there to see you…..

  221. So you block the pieces before you sew the zipper in? I would’a thought you’d do it the other way around. I’m just finishing a zipper cardi now, so we’ll see.
    I’d say black too. The white has this sort of “geriatric” look to it…

  222. That sweater is gorgeous. It will look great with either.
    Here is a thought for the future: consider a nice contrasting color, so the color difference looks like you planned it.
    I was running out of yarn (I didn’t, actually, but it was a close one!) for my Knitting Olympics project, which is a rust color, so I trimmed it in dark teal. I’ve gotten oodles of compliments on it.
    I say next time, go for a nice irregular red-orange 😉

  223. Oh, boy, what controversy! The black zipper is more elegant, I think.
    I second Barbara from Nova Scotia’s husband – did you slap her?? That was so rude! Honestly, though, what a sad and horrible little world she must live in!

  224. Crocheter delurking to offer solidarity…
    I work nights in a grocery store. I ask people what kind of bag they would like, and every so often somebody says, “Oh, just a regular bag.” I have taken to asking if they mean regular paper or regular plastic. This question invariably confuses them.
    That said, I say go with the black…or consider silver buttons, if it’s not too late.
    Heading back to the shadows now. Love your site. Enjoy your trip.

  225. Skaneateles is a beautiful town and you will love every moment of it. (coming from a girl who worked summers teaching canoeing on the beautiful skaneateles lake) Safe trip, and stop into Elegant Needles 🙂

  226. Another vote for black. Or maybe zipperless sweaters are totally in and you just don’t know. Start a trend. 🙂
    ps. I’m excited x10 to see you in Doylestown on my birthday (Saturday).

  227. Ooooh…I gotta say, I would have left with no zippers. There is NOTHING a bossy girl (yep, I’m one) likes less than someone telling her that she should do something different than what she knows is perfectly correct to start with. Regular colors? Harumph! I’m taking your book and Mason-Dixon on vacation with me–can’t wait!

  228. Green for the zipper; black has the wrong value for the sweater color, although you could get away with a grey if the green is too light for your taste. Looking forward to meeting you in Doylestown this Saturday. I’ll be the knitter who is crazy enough to drag her 15 yo son along and the mom who is lucky enough to have a 15 yo son who thinks this is a cool outing with mom!

  229. Black zipper, definately. Maybe wear it with a black shirt underneath…zipper won’t matter at all. Of course the sweater is so beautiful, who’s going to be looking at the zipper anyway! I wish I could whip out amazing sweaters as fast as you do.
    Safe travels…how can those of us in Denver get one of those pins?
    P.S. Any solutions for a cat chewing the drive belt (cotton string) off my new spinning wheel?

  230. I’ll have to throw in my vote for the black, it doesn’t jump out at you the way the lighter one does. As for hemming pants with duct tape when desperate, I was once apparently desperate repeatedly. My pants went through the washer and dryer 3 times before the tape came loose and I got around to hemming them properly.

  231. A comment for Kate C. Try soaking your drive band in Bitter Apple (made to stop horses from chewing wood) or something strongly pepper tasting. Good luck!

  232. Black zipper. And for the clerk, a 128 count box of Crayolas to let her know what other colors there are out there besides the primaries.

  233. Say, Steph, since you’ll already be in St. Louis, how about stopping in Minneapolis? You have a great reader base here. I’m running to the bookstore after work tonight.
    Good luck on your trip.

  234. Your restraint amazes me. I would have responded to that clerk,
    “You should reserve your ignorant comments for someone who gives a rat’s ass.”
    I like the black zipper. I l-o-o-o-o-ve the sweater, irregular or not.

  235. “… I can hem them in a hotel room” – ok, I’m laughing my head off, out of fellow-feeling. I said that for about 4 trips. Each taking place a year apart. This was the *same pair* of pants, mind you; obviously not ones I’d wear schlepping about the house. (I don’t get out much. ) Finally did it around 3 a.m. the day I was to leave on the 5th trip. I vote for the double-stick tape idea. Duct tape tends to leave residue, as I found. 😉 Iron-on stuff – well, all the hotel irons now seem to turn off, for safety’s sake – phthththtttttt – about halfway through *anything* you’re desperately trying to iron. Plus don’t get hot enough. This includes those in hotels in Canada, since the iron in the Vancouver hotel last year did it. Exactly like the iron in a Los Angeles hotel the year before. Just be glad it’s only pant hems. What’s really fun is standing on newspaper in front of a hotel-room mirror, in the few hours before a fan convention opening party starts, frantically using your yarn scissors to give yourself a desperately-needed haircut.
    (PS – I finally noted there’s another Monica commenting, who’s been here longer. ::waves at fellow Monica:: So to save confusion, adding my PDX from email. Nice to see another one, we’re kinda rare.)

  236. Well if your daughter is coincidentally in NYC she could go to Zipperstop (www.zipperstop.com) on Rivington and pick one up for you. They have every zipper known to woman and the you could knit with non-regular colors 🙂 in peace. Of course as school trip is action packed with clubbing and shopping, I mean museums so she may not have time…
    Have a good time on your latest tour jaunt!

  237. My unsolicited opinion is, use the lighter zipper. I think it looks nice. And I find your sweater to be a very regular color. Perhaps the sewing store clerk needs to adjust the colors on her monitor, ahem, I mean eyes. 😉

  238. Zipper availability is a serious issue. I’ve been sewing for years as well as knitting. There used to be as many zipper colors as thread colors. Now, the fabric shops have, maybe, 10% of the range in zipper colors. I suppose the reason is that fewer people are sewing, or at least fewer people are sewing clothing, and manufacturers and stores can’t afford all that variety. But it’s very frustrating to those of us who want to match a fabric or a yarn.
    Have a great tour–

  239. Yes, you can dye a zipper. Most of the time they are made of polyester or sometimes nylon. I have found (to my astonishment) that these items will soak up dye. This will take some time and experimenting, so maybe file it away for future reference.
    In the meantime: Use the black. If you still need a distraction, try some decorative frogs or buttons with loops to go outside the zipper- something simple of course!

  240. HA!! Zipper-store lady made me laugh so hard!! I have worked in a fabric store before and have heard some Incredibly stupid things!!!
    By the way, zipper colors are NOT “more regular” .. they are just in the key colors to match the most fashionable FABRIC choices of the moment. They won’t match anything else. They won’t match last year’s fashionable fabric colors or any year’s fashionable yarn colors. They often don’t even match the thread colors!!
    Of the choices you have, I’d go with the black. If I were standing in front of the zippers I’d look for a dark grey or a dark forest green.
    Zippers that are paler than your work will pop forward and become a visual “feature” (assuming that’s desirable)
    Zippers that are darker will read as a shadow, (even if the color is completely wrong).
    Favorite Fabric Store annecdote:
    I: (answer the phone) “hello…?”
    she: Do you have any fabric to match my couch?
    (can you see the frustration already?)
    I (baffled but trying to help): Well, what color is your couch?
    she: Floral
    (blink blink blink… do you have a zipper to match my sweater? what color is it? Intarsia!)
    I (smartass): We have a lot of fabric here… why don’t you bring your couch in and we’ll find something to match it!
    (Floral indeed!! FLORAL IS NOT A COLOR!!!)

  241. My mom got me completely hooked on this site, the sweater is beautiful, although I can barely manage scarves I love knting and I am running out of room to put all my wool.
    P.S you are hilarious

  242. Oh, my, you do bring tears to my eyes. Being both a knitter and a “sewer” your zipper experience is just too funny. I probably would have gone towards a greyish, greenish zipper but that’s just me. And no, I never need to take my counch to the fabric store to make new pillows. Har, Har, Har….

  243. I would go with the black. What does she know about color and she sure doesn’t know anything about colour! 🙂
    The zipper guys, they have to be guys otherwise zippers would come in useful colo(u)rs, right? Anyway, the zipper guys need to make clear zippers. Or maybe some gals need to become zipper gals and really set the zipper industry on its ear!
    I wish I could be there to see the “new outfit!”

  244. actually, i like the blue zipper! i like that it stands out. the black seems a little too dark and fights with the green (which i think is beautiful, by the way) too much.

  245. Hi there,
    long time blog reader.. but I have to ask you..
    I mean, yes, it’s great to be writing books and all and making a little money.. but wow.. what a LOT of work! It can’t be that much fun at this point.. all the traveling and speaking. Is it? Do you enjoy all the time away? I think I might have liked it for a few months, but after that.. I’d just want to get back to my regular old life *grin*
    But hey, whatever works! I might have to drive over to Skaneateles tomorrow and meet you. And I can’t wait to see that new shawl when it’s finished!

  246. Definitely irregular green and black. Neither matches, but the green zipper stands out, whereas the black just inconspicuously fails to match.
    I didn’t read all the other 300 comments, just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth.

  247. I vote with the small minority encouraging you to wait. I don’t like how either of the zippers look. There’s got to be a match somewhere!
    As for the clerk at the store, I think that lovely green you chose is a perfectly “regular” color. She obviously has no sense of style. She should have been complimenting you on the beautiful work you did!

  248. If you could put a group of 50 or so TSF pins on e-Bay – I’d love to buy a batch at once! You could get a lot of money for MSF out of sheer competition for them! PLEEEEZE? I’m recommending your blog to everyone I meet – in elevators, at the post office, groceries stores… I’d love to give them TSF pins too!

  249. I thnk the vote is in for the black but I’ll throw in mine, too. Go for the black, it’s quite graceful.
    Don’t worry about pronouncing the cities you’re in. Just wait till you come to New Orleans and have to tell the taxi driver you are going to a bookshop on Tchoupitoulas Street.
    If you let me pick you up at the airport and save you the taxi fare, I’ll even tell you how to pronounce it!
    Dez

  250. I’d try another store with a wider variety of zipper colours. There’s lots of stores with a wide range of zipper brands on Queen West. Mac Farber has lots of zipper colours for one..

  251. I also vote black, unless you get bored (not that you have anything to do, of course) and find a Sharpie of the appropriate color.

  252. I’d go with a totally contrasting color – like hot pink. Sort of like the lime interiors of the Tinks sweaters. If you can’t match it, go completely opposite. Or not. (o:

  253. The rule of thumb is to always go with the darker shade. What about navy? That would be a little lighter, but not as light as the light blue.

  254. Although I am all for purchasing supplies locally, I have found that zippers do not join that category, unless you’re looking for black or er, light green.
    I have found a web site that offers hundreds of colors of zippers. You can also purchase color cards to make sure the zipper color is correct. The web site is zipperstop-dot-com. I found purchasing the color cards were worth it.
    If you want to do something really really cool, look at their rhinestone zippers (alas, only available in black & white).
    Anyway, just my thought of the day, which is nowhere near as entertaining as your thoughts.
    Patti

  255. I’d go for the black, but I always go for the black with anything.
    Too bad she had to be so rude. I have had many people who don’t even knit tell me what I should do with my knitting. On the other hand, I also tell people what they should do to their craft sometimes. I think it’s just the creativity in all of us shouting out. But “regular colors,” what is a regular color??? That does not sound creative at all! We might has well buy preboxed knitting projects with that type of thinking! Yuck.

  256. I’ve had lots of luck with grey shades with yarn colors. Learned this with quilting. Quilt fabrics are not “regular” colors either.

  257. I’m not sure if you’re still in the NYC area or if anyone else already suggested this, but don’t use either! Go thee to NYC’s garment district, to a store called Active Trimmings, and you will be able to find just that irregular shade of green/grey, I promise. The entire store is notions and the whole back area is just zippers, which they cut to size for you. They have all kinds, and every color we’ve ever looked for for all the finishing we do at the store. Hope I’m not too late! =)

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