Harder than it has to be

Trudging is my theme word this week. Yup. Trudging. My trusty Oxford Concise (I love that book so much) says that it means “to go by foot, especially labouriously” which is exactly right. This last week has been one of those weeks where you just put one foot in front of the other and get ‘er done and everything is harder than it has to be. Joe made coffee the other day and somehow forgot to put the lid on the pot. Now, this would normally be a non-event. Not putting the lid on? This should have rated very, very low on the event scale. It should have fallen somewhere in between wondering what dress Nicole Kidman wore to the Academy Awards and wondering if I should put the taupe coloured candle or the cinnamon coloured candle on the dining room table. (I opted to put three candles. I’m experimenting with accessories. I thought it might make me more likely to keep the table clear if there was pretty stuff on it. The candles were buried by our junk while I was wondering that. I’ve moved on.) In any event, the coffee maker lid turned out to be critical because the coffee won’t go into the pot unless the lid is on and so all of the grounds backed up into the filter and the reservoir and the guts of the thing and it took three people 40 minutes (during which a much greater mess was created) to figure out how to get us out of a coffee disaster. See? Trudging. On what planet does it take three people 40 minutes to get out of anything? Hell, when the planet isn’t against me like this I think I could dig out of an ice cave in less than 40 minutes. I confirmed that I’m just here to be the universes cat toy this week when after backing coffee up into the maker, cleaning the maker, running a clean cycle, running a plain water cycle and then finally successfully making a much needed cup of that most sweet brown elixir of life, I knocked the cup over with my elbow and was thus denied. See? Harder than it has to be. Maybe it’s all the snow.

Questions and Answers (and some other stuff I put in there too.)

1. My scale (which I totally adore)

Scaleshot0227

is a Vector Fuzion xtr-500, (since it weighs up to 500 grams (about a pound) and yes, I believe that my brother did have to provide ID and an address when he bought it. This is because it is not just good for weighing fiber and yarn, but because it’s also good for accurate measurements of small but illicit things. (This would be why Claudia affectionately refers to hers as “a drug dealer scale”.) As far as I know, we’re the only two groups of people using them. (Wait, maybe jewellers too? )

2. I am taking a tiny break from the Bohus.

Greatgarter0227

This is garter stitch in plain wool on big needles. It is all I am capable of at the moment. Don’t expect it to last, as my life and its attendant stress is sorting out pretty quickly and the need for the knitting equivalent of oatmeal should pass straightaway.

3. A note. Generally speaking, I don’t answer or deal with nasty email or comments. My mother taught me not to give attention to people for poor behaviour, so usually I just ignore it. This time though, I’m annoyed as crap and stepping up. There is someone who is sending me nasty private email correcting my spelling on the blog. I would direct this to them personally, but they are using a fake email address.

Now, I can walk away from criticism on the blog. Doesn’t bother me much. Although this is my virtual living room and I expect people to behave in the comments or my inbox the way they would in my home, I have to accept that the occasional person has poor manners and …well, not that that’s ok, but it doesn’t keep me awake nights. I even don’t mind the personal email criticizing me for everything from my choice of yarn to my politics. I even don’t mind (that’s not true. I mind a lot but I’m trying to be big about it) the very occasional email or comment that calls my ethics into question, in one way or the other. We’re all meant to be called on the carpet from time to time, it’s good for us to be accountable. (I wish that people were always respectful, but, as I have said many times, things will be different after the revolution.)

I am responding to this string of emails, the ones in which the correspondent whips out the red pen (they use a red font, actually. It’s very engaging) and corrects my spelling…because it is so wildly inaccurate that I can’t even stand it and I can’t email them back but I have to say something. I admit that my grammar can be appalling, that I perhaps use the ellipses more than most (that I do enjoy the use of parentheses a very great deal) and that I have a complete and total learning disability about it’s and its that I have somehow (goodness only knows how) managed to learn to accept and find a way to live a rich full life despite….but I am not a poor speller and I am not taking the heat on it. There is, my tenacious little emender a whole wide world outside of the one you live in, and the country I occupy has different spellings than in the country you occupy. Now, as much as I would like very much to be able to, what was it? Oh yes… “Take my head out of my ass and get a clue”, I just can’t, since…my decorous and rectifying reader, you are just plain wrong.

Usually I wouldn’t spend this much time on someone who hasn’t done their homework, but the emails were so darned mean and I’m still worked up about the coffee thing and hopped up on all that garter stitch and I will present you now with a list of words that I am actually spelling correctly. Feel free to review it at your leisure:

colour (vs your “color”)

fibre (vs fiber)

cancelled (vs canceled)

woollen (vs woolen)

labour (vs labor)

cheque (vs check)

centre (vs center)

draught (vs draft)

doughnut (vs donut)

behaviour (vs behavior)

off side (vs incorrect)

Thank you for your attention (you know who are.) To the rest of you, kindly forgive the hijacking of my own blog for these petty purposes. I couldn’t resist.

850 thoughts on “Harder than it has to be

  1. Some people’s kids. Really, anyone who doesn’t know that there are spelling differences in our two lands… psh

  2. Well put! You’d have to be pretty clueless to not pick up on the fact that you’re in Canada. Your living room is lovely. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Well, they can just go to Hell! If they are so ticked off at your “spelling errors” then they are truly missing the content. And wonderful content it is. And if they do not have the BALLS to give their correct e-mail address then they are chicken-*** too. So there. You go girl. We love you in all your Canadian-esque-ness. And they though “fibre” was bad! HA!

  4. Just one comment about the scale. I am a nurse, and I work in an NICU, where we use ones very similar at work. To weigh diapers. How else can you measure the output of a 600 gram baby? Wet weight minus dry weight equals amount of pee. Brilliant, no?

  5. My Goodness, Steph. Life is too short & somebody needs to get a life. On to other subjects. I was told last week at Knit Night, as I totally screwed up my lace knitting while others managed to mangle their socks, that Mercury is in retrograde. . . and that we can expect these types of snarls & snafus until that passes, which is about March 7. Hang in there, Girl. . .

  6. I can’t imagine (in)correcting (this isn’t really a word, but I also like ((())) someone’s spelling on a blog. That’s worse than when I check out a library book and find that someone went through with a pen marking grammar/spelling they thought was wrong. Maybe you should start every blog with the phrase “This blog is from Canada, you are no longer in the USA. If you send me an e-mail or comment, try not to make a jack-ass (would you say jack-arse?) of yourself. The other citizens of the USA do not appreciate your efforts.”

  7. My Goodness, Steph. Life is too short & somebody needs to get a life. On to other subjects. I was told last week at Knit Night, as I totally screwed up my lace knitting while others managed to mangle their socks, that Mercury is in retrograde. . . and that we can expect these types of snarls & snafus until that passes, which is about March 7. Hang in there, Girl. . .

  8. Your post finally propelled me out of lurker status, because I just had to give you a big hug for standing up for yourself, and the rest of us Canadians!
    I get corrected all the time, but only fight the point once in a while. I myself do tend to correct grammar, but only my husband’s, only when he asks me to, and only when it’s something he needs to pass in for review, because seriously, in everyday life, what difference does it make?
    It’s about the yarn, the fibre, and the love, people 🙂

  9. Your scale post came at just the right time! My fiancee and I recently registered for our wedding at a linens store- and I requested a kitchen scale. Is it bad that I am masquerading the request as something for our home, when really, I am snarking something knitterly from the wedding?? I think I should feel guilty, but mostly, I’m just smug.

  10. COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE the elixir of the Gods, I often wonder who I would have turned out to be if I lived my life sans coffee!
    However I don’t care to find out, it is the one thing I can’t imagine giving up, and I only drink one cup a day, but I get up and I grind the beans and listen for the steam and delight in the color.
    My sister says it is not the coffee, she contends it is my sugar delivery system….

  11. Here’s another thing those scales are used for: weighing banded birds. I used to be a bird bander and we use those scales for every bird caught. I really want to get one for myself now just for yarn purposes, but you never know, if I get back into bird banding, I’ll be all set!

  12. As long as you don’t forget the L in public and the R or F in shirt/shift, I think you’re golden.
    And even if you do, so what? We’re all human, and we all make mistakes.
    Love the living room, btw. It feels so warm and homey to be around friends and those whose work I admire!

  13. Apparently this person is not knitting enough. Perhaps if we all send her/him some yarn, there will not be enough time for them to read your blog, there by not irritating them. Obviously it is distressing them. BTW, tell them to get over it. Canadian VS US spelling, could they not figure that part out for themselves. Really some people suck all the joy out of blogging. I thought you were very polite about the whole thing . . . I am sure I would have not been as polite.

  14. Perhaps you can bury their red font under an extra large service of poutine and encourge them to go look for it. With their face. I envy your ability to do any knitting at the moment. I am so blah about everything that I just sit and stare at the stash, rocking back and forth and hoping my mojo returns some day. Soon.

  15. My favorite word you “misspell” is arse. It just sounds better that way!
    As an old friend used to say “don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.” Somebody out there in blogland needs to get a life!

  16. English english, American english, Canadian english, Australian english etc — there are so many lovely flavours of the same language. sheesh. Isn’t variety supposed to be the spice of life?

  17. If the reader “correcting” your spelling and grammar is so offended by your “errors”; perhaps the reader should read another blog.

  18. Re: Your mangling of it’s and its? I think it’s (its?) endearing. Hey! He/she didn’t correct “arse”!

  19. “squish. squish.”
    (that’s me, squishing that “spell-checker” between my fingers. I can do this because only very small people fit between my fingers.)
    Geez, some people need to get out more.
    And if he/she really wants a work out – come on over to my blog – I’ve got spelling errors and Canadian spellings galore! Come on! I dare ya… ya (insert word of choice here.)
    Steph – I hope the stress lessens soon. I know what you’re going through – we’ve had the same coffee crisis, and it has made me cry.

  20. That is unbelievable! How could someone be so mean? Although, I have to admit, I was perplexed at some spellings of certain words on Canadian websites. Of course, it dawned on me that they did not misspell them. Anyway, I would NEVER say anything so mean and perhaps if that particular person “got a clue” they might realize that the spelling of words is regional even within the U.S. and many words are spelled differently, yet are still correct. Anyway, I love reading your blog and generally do not comment, but felt the need to add my two cents in as well.

  21. De-lurking to say…
    What a jerk! You were right to let them have it, and you were a lot nicer about it than I would have been.
    Love your blog!

  22. I’ll just never understand how people can be so vicious!
    And as far as I’m concerned, it’s always spelled doughnut.

  23. so sad that someone must be jealous. He/she must not have read any English writings–Dickens, to understand the difference or must only have AMerican friends. cecilia

  24. What is going on with all the rude people who are commenting and emailing? Norma and Sandy both had similar issues arising. People need to understand that email and comments and IMs are all talking to people. If you can”t do that nicely you shouldn’t do it at all. I for one love seeing your Canadian spellings…different language and culture makes the world go round…while the values and personalities are what link us together. Hope you’re soon back to your Bohus, which is just gorgeous, because it will mean that your stress is gone.

  25. I want to say thank you for allowing me/us inside your living room as often as you do. It is truly a pleasure to be your neighbour.
    I am a Canadian living in the US, and often encounter the bubble mentality. I am sorry that you are being abused by someone who is apparently living inside the aforementioned bubble.
    My husband, from Nigeria, has often become very stressed by any of the events here are identified as “world” – World Champions for example in a sporting event that no countries other than the US were invited to participate.
    I have learned to put away my anger and to merely shake my head in frustration.
    I will, however, not stop saying “Zed” instead of “Zee” at the end of the alphabet, because that is what I was taught. If I can translate the Zee to Zed in my head, why oh why can’t they?
    Whoops, it looks as though I didn’t put away my anger! I apparently need to find some oatmeal equivalent knitting.

  26. Hey sorry for the “stick” in the eye lately. I think it means some really great energy is just around the snowy corner for you. Thank you for hosting us in your house daily, it is a visit I look forward to with a smile. 🙂

  27. You tell’m! Or her. Or it.
    Some people need a life. I wonder if it’s the same pile o’ joy who is torturing Norma?

  28. I will admit to noticing your it’s and its, and will also admit that it tends to be a pet peeve for me, BUT I did not email you regarding those trivial items, as you do not write for a newspaper, magazine, and any other written media where they are suppose to know better and have editors to catch those things (and I don’t write them either). Besides, this is YOUR blog, not mine. And I love what you have to say as you say it so much better than I could ever say, even with me knowing the difference as to how to use it and it’s. And your spelling? Give us a break. It is because (was it a secret?) you are in Canada and us idiots are in the US. Besides, I have a Scottish husband and I love the differences in his language and mine. (kind of a potato, tomato, aunt thingie) So do not apologize for ranting on your blog. If someone does not like your writing, they do not need to read it.
    Keep on living and knitting and telling us about it in a funny way. We need it.

  29. I’m totally with you on this one, coming from the UK I spell those words as you do, but would never in my wildest dreams think of correcting any American for spelling them the way they do. Mysery marker needs to find something else to obesses over – or just stop reading your blog if they are that offended by it!

  30. Steph:
    I love the way you write and I wish I had “your tongue” when it comes time to “address” someone who is being negative. Does she not realize how successful a writer you are and that you live in Canada??
    Take care

  31. Steph:
    I love the way you write and I wish I had “your tongue” when it comes time to “address” someone who is being negative. Does she not realize how successful a writer you are and that you live in Canada??
    Take care

  32. Your spelling has always struck me as being delightfully Canadian. As someone who lives just across the Rainbow Bridge, I am aware of the subtle cultural differences, I just can’t imagine that a Canadian would be as rude as the person who has written to you if they noticed I used color instead of your very proper colour.

  33. I am an avid reader of your blog and books – oh, let’s just say it. I am huge fan! Today’s post compelled me to comment. I must say:
    Good for you for setting this uneducated dolt straight. If they had the sense God gave a goose they would know there are different spellings for those words (and many others I am quite certain). But, stupidity aside, what I find terribly disturbing is the way in which this person proceeded to inform you of your “mistakes”.
    Keep up the great work. You are a joy to read.

  34. What a nasty critter! While I have been known to laugh hysterically at misspelled words on school signs, I can’t imagine EMAILING someone about misspelled words. (Notice I spelled “misspelled” properly). I tend toward not recognizing non-U.S. spellings since i read a lot of British lit.

  35. Go on, Steph, get ’em! How unfufilling could one person’s life be to have to heckle you ANONOMOUSLY over something so petty?
    Just keep doing what you do. We love it 😀

  36. What nerve! I can’t believe someone who be that nasty and not even leave an honest email addy! They must have had a bad knitting experience and taking it out on you! Go for you for standing up to this very rude person!

  37. you go, girl !!!
    i wish you every success in all your endevours,
    may you always choose the correct colour and appropriate fibre for every project.
    i could go on, and on, however…
    i love your living room!!!
    take care.

  38. As a daughter of a English PHD and a Masters in Literature, I’ve been there. Phooey on them.
    Enjoy your oatmeal, it lowers your cholesterol (and your blood pressure), I love oatmeal knitting.

  39. mmm, I think you may have started something…it’s not just the spelling, and the different terminology, it’s also the seasons! in Canada you have the “correct” seasons, here in the Southern hemisphere I often receive emails asking why I am knitting in thick wool when it is so hot outside?…the answer – it’s winter here sunshine! Sometimes the naivete is endearing, othertimes as you have found – it is plain rude. The internet brings us together as a global community and most of us embrace the charming differences we encounter,criticising and then hiding behind a false email is plain cowardly.

  40. I think its actuallly quite kute that there’s someone out there so shelterred and egosentric that they’d call you out on your Canadian spelling! I’ve desided to missspell wordz in my comments to further anger this ridiculus purson and hoppefully pull him/her out of hiding. Oops…my email addresss isn’t right eyether! Spelling bee winnner’s just gonna have to DEAL WITH IT.

  41. Wow, it sounds like you have a stalker troll, Ms. Harlot. I’ve never actually heard of one, but when a troll takes to hounding you so through personal email, what else can it be? Hmm, hopefully, you’ve shown it its’ place in your life. I say sic your ISP on the troll.
    They may not know it, but if you can prove their behavior is related to some sort of stalking/threat, that fake email address is not going to help them once your ISP becomes involved.
    But hey, that’s just me–vindictive and snotty.

  42. You tell ’em Steph! Funnily enough, I had an argument on Friday about American vs. Canadian pronunciations at work. My American peer thinks that I pronounce things incorrectly, and I was trying to argue that it was not incorrect, but just another way of saying it. The word in question was process. I use a long ‘o’ sound and say pro-cess. He is adamant that it is pronounced praw-cess. I don’t know why we can’t all just get along?!

  43. Maybe the heckler should get a hobby….no that would take a B.R.A.I.N. which they lack…to hell with ’em….opps did I spell that right?? I might get an email with it corrected!Tell them to stay OUT of YOUR House! Now about the scale, I think I used one similar a zillion years ago when I had a job a dental school to weigh gold. I have a neat machine at work that weighs money, that’s how we count it, by weight, as long as you make sure the bills are separated it is WONDERFUL!

  44. Oh, BOO on the troll! I say as long as it’s mutually intelligible, write on! I love sharing your living room with you and applaud your standing up to this arse.

  45. There are some of us Americans that just shouldn’t be let out of the country without adult supervision. (Even in cyberspace.) He/She should be wrapped up in acrylic yarn and hung in the closet by his/her toenails. Maybe it will put a bit more oxygen in the brain cells.

  46. Ahem… I use a “drug dealer” scale at least 15 times a day– I’m a biochemist and I think we are the 3rd group (Plus dealers + jewelers) who use them! Mine at home? One the lab didn’t “need” so I cleaned and took it home. I also took home one to measure food (decon’d of course). 🙂
    Sorry about the rude peeps, I thought everyone knew that “english” and “american” were two separate languages!
    🙂 Kate

  47. I seem to remember, years ago in my high school/college days that we could spell a variety of words, like colour, whichever way we chose to. We just had to be consistent throughout the document. I imagine this is because we are close enough to the border that change is interchangeable (except for Loonies & Toonies).
    Hang in there, the dreaded February is almost over. We can only hope that we actually get spring-like weather in March, but at least it’s a new month to deal with!

  48. Only because you brought it up, “its” is the posessive. “The cat chased its tail.” Think “his”, “hers”, and “whose”. “It’s” is the contraction of “it is”. “It’s a nice day out today.”
    That said, it’s a matter between you and your editor. I’m sorry some ethno-centric bum upset you so. Webster wasn’t willing to completely reform English spelling (at one time one said all the letters in “knight”–kuh-nee-gut) so all he did was replace one absurd system with another, equally absurd system.
    Here’s hoping the deities of coffee shine upon you and the garter stitch brings you peace and joy–until the lovely Bohus calls again.

  49. Oh, lordy. Now you’ve done it. You acknowledged its (sic) existence, which means I can hear the tippety-tap of its cloven little hooves doing a dance of triumph at having attracted your attention. Extinguishing behavior will now commence, please. (Does it use a range of fake e-addresses? If not, clush, clush. If so, imagine what a large part of its life you must occupy; its goddess has taken notice. It rejoices.)
    Can it spell courtesy? Nah. (But it’ll probably post an anonymous reaction or three to this column. We need spring.)

  50. You go, girl! Canadian (or English, I suppose)spelling rocks and I’m glad you’re not sucked in to the Americanized spelling.
    We love you publicly and the only emails I send you privately will be because they’re just to gushy and adoring for the general public to stomach without barfing. Keep up the good work!

  51. So sorry that one mean-spirited spelling freak has been pestering you! Rest assured that the rest of us love you just the way you are and will gladly let you throw random u’s into all the words as long as you keep blogging. P.S. Your “oatmeal” is a lovely color – erm, colour, what will it be when it grows up?

  52. I think you forgot a few. Allow me.
    jerque (vs. jerk)
    dumbarse (vs. dumbass)
    And perhaps even
    dipshite (vs. dipshit)
    But I’m not so sure about that last one.
    Carry on!

  53. I think you forgot a few. Allow me.
    jerque (vs. jerk)
    dumbarse (vs. dumbass)
    And perhaps even
    dipshite (vs. dipshit)
    But I’m not so sure about that last one.
    Carry on!

  54. (humming “Oh Canada” softly to myself)
    Your anonymous spelling corrector’s behavioUr is totally OFF SIDE. She obviously doesn’t appreciate the laboUr you’ve expended, spinning woolLen fibRE of various coloUrs for us all to admire. Her head must resemble the centRE of a doUGHnut. Perhaps she is sitting in a draUGHt, and it’s making her testy. I’ll bet she’s the sort of person who saves all of her cancelLed cheQUEs indefinitely. (That last one was a bit of a stretch. Sorry.)

  55. If I didn’t put unmentionable gross things on my chemistry scale… that might make an excellent yarn scale. Is measuring yarn to the hundredth of a gram a bit overboard?
    As for spelling, aparently someone hasn’t figured out that it was the US that contaminated the Queen’s English.

  56. I was going to leave an indignant message for that person, then I realized he or she just isn’t worth the time or effort.
    As others have commented, there are many ‘versions or dialects’ of the ‘English’ language. Even among the English, as I learned when I dated a Welshman. His version of this language differed from that of a friend from Anglia, which in turn differed from two others in London . . . get the idea? That’s the beauty of language, it changes to fit the occasion.

  57. I have always been a fussy speller but emigrating from Britain to Canada threw me for a loop as I realised that there were at least two ways to spell most words here! I like that Canada sticks closer to the British way of spelling things. The US spelling might be simpler, but it’s NOT the only right way (is this another symptom of the US thinking THEIR way is the ONLY way?)

  58. I think in the past I may have noticed a quirky use of spelling or grammar on your blog. However, I would never, ever (ever ever ever) correct you. You are not my child so that would be rude – plus I have a weird feast or famine kind of relationship with the comma.
    Also, “all hopped up on garter stitch” made me laugh so hard I almost spilled my curry.
    And if the rude red pen person is reading this I have this to say, “Grow up and get a life!”

  59. While I am used to people correcting my spelling (best friend wants to be an editor, she can’t help it), someone being a jerk about correcting spelling is just … appalling!
    And more power to the Canadian spelling! And to you for correcting the “Corrector” who is too cowardly to actually use a real e-mail address!

  60. Stephanie, it’s your blog, you do whatever you jolly well want to with it. Anybody who says differently can pack sand.

  61. And as to the provincial attitude, I am reminded of the Superintendent of Schools out west somewhere who opposed including foreign languages in the curriculum on the grounds that “If English was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.”

  62. nasty trolls. 🙁
    the drug dealer scale: my mom is a potter, and uses one of those scales to measure minerals for mixing glazes. Now, I don’t know if this can still be done, but she claims she got hers from some sort of sale the police department was having of non-illegal raided items, and that that’s the best way to get them on the cheap. She probably went to this allged sale sometime in the nineteen seventies, but it’s worth looking into, I think!

  63. they should get with the program (programme) and realize, Its a very dull mind that can only think of one way to spell a word!
    (my spelling is bad, too, partly because of some dyslexia and partly because my irish born parents had trouble with US spellings of words, and were never sure if a word was correct!)
    I am a fan of the BB over at Wordsmith.org, (a word a day email server) and spelling and english (in all its various flavors) is a perennial topic.
    (Perennial and Parallel cause perennial and a parallel problems with double letters in the middle of each word!)

  64. Hey, doesn’t that Troll know that American English is a bastardized version of the British Mother Tongue? Sheesh. Actually I enjoy reading stuff written by our Northern neighbors 🙂 I love how things can be different, yet very familiar and comforting.
    Trolls are good for one thing, hiding under bridges until the Billy Goats Gruff come trip trapping over them.
    And oh my, you poor thing, to have to go so long to get a cup of coffee, then splling it? I’m crying in sympathy with you. When you get to Portland this summer, I’ll give you a pound of the best micro-roasted coffee around. 🙂 What grind would you prefer? Or just beans?

  65. Mean people suck. You, dear Harlot, do not suck. You are awesome and it’s not fair that you have to deal with such drivel as you share your wonderful writing gift with us.
    I think you have the same coffee pot I have.

  66. Freakin rude bastards…
    I wasn’t going to post because I’m really reclusive and lurky but I can’t resist saying: You are someone I can relate to– to paraphrase someone I know of, I’m a lot like you, “short and never in control of my laundry.” I stayed up way past my bedtime last night, hours and hours after the kids were in bed, knitting at the computer and scrolling down in between rows. So don’t let the bastards with sticks up their anuses get you down.
    On the other hand, poor you, with the coffee crisis, all that work and then it’s knocked over. Man. Don’t feel too nerdy for letting that get to you, that would be enough to send me in crank mode all day.

  67. I wonder: How many books has the Mad Spell Checker published? You’re way too nice to comment about that. Thanks for letting us in to your “home.” I’ve learned so much that has improved my knitting, but more interesting is all that I’ve learned that’s helped me improve myself. Don’t let the turkeys get you down – Mercury will move on and trudging will decrease!

  68. There is no point to reading those emails. Choose to de-stress and stop reading. Either filter them right to the trash or just hit delete. Let’s all go have a beer or glass of OJ and salute the wonderful invention, the delete key. It gives us power over our own lives. Seize it!

  69. Hey, doesn’t that Troll know that American English is a bastardized version of the British Mother Tongue? Sheesh. Actually I enjoy reading stuff written by our Northern neighbors 🙂 I love how things can be different, yet very familiar and comforting.
    Trolls are good for one thing, hiding under bridges until the Billy Goats Gruff come trip trapping over them.
    And oh my, you poor thing, to have to go so long to get a cup of coffee, then splling it? I’m crying in sympathy with you. When you get to Portland this summer, I’ll give you a pound of the best micro-roasted coffee around. 🙂 What grind would you prefer? Or just beans?

  70. I think it is funny that they “corrected” the already correct “doughnut” with the slang-equivalent “donut.” For Heaven’s sake’s, it’s a blog, not a term paper!

  71. Well, while I still hold that George W. is the worst thing we have unleashed on the world in quite some time, the Nasty Spelling Nazi ranks as a close second. Besides thinking that NSN needs to wake up and realize that the language is called “English” and not “American” for a reason, and that your spellings came first, he/she/it is also missing out on the humor/humour poor spelling can bring. I am married to the sweetest man, who can’t spell at all. Our shopping lists are endlessly entertaining, and the boxes in the garage crack me up every time I see them. Don’t take the nasty people to heart–the rest of us in the US love your blog!!!

  72. Some people so TOTALLY need to get a life!!!!!
    I used to do the website for my daughter’s high school. As a *volunteer*.
    Some … jerk … sent me email complaining that I shouldn’t say “women’s” sports and “men’s” sports, as they were children, not men and women. Not only did he tell me, but he took the trouble to find the email addresses for all the senior administrators in the whole school district, and cc them on it.
    At least he gave his real email address, so I could inform him that even if I thought it actually mattered one way or another, changing it was not even *possibly* a good use of my volunteer time………
    Oy.
    I say — it’s your blog, spell any way you please, and don’t give the weaselly whacko redfonter the time of day.

  73. I think it’s a really stressed-out copy editor somewhere… I’m managing/technical editor for an academic journal (but not the mystery emailer)…Looks like the nit-pick button got switched on and stayed stuck.
    Then again, given the meanness of the emails you’ve been getting, could be someone with some real problems and correcting ‘errors’ is his/her way of having some control over anything.

  74. I’d like to thank you for the list of words. Much appreciated. I’ve pasted it and a few additions into a document to attach to the monitor for easy reference.
    See, I grew up on the US/Canada border, with Canadian family and tv plus a Scottish grandmother to counteract the US school system………so guess which words I have to stop and think about in my real-life job, where I’m the professional nitpicker (aka editor)?

  75. Right on, Stephanie– WALK it to them! Like you, I never mind differences of opinion, but snarkiness will not be tolerated.
    If it helps, I have brought on the coffepot explosion exactly four times, so I know your pain. You can’t enjoy even a single cup until you’ve cleaned up the mess, but you really don’t feel prepared to deal with the mess until you’ve had at least a cup of coffee. It’s a rotten paradox, I know.

  76. Stephanie,
    I lived in a lot of countries during my husband’s military service, and I’m happy just to be able to read the newspaper headlines! Normally I try to leave people alone, but I did feel obliged to suggest to friends as they prepared to move to the US with their 7 year old British-educated son that they might want to teach him the American word for erasor. Political correctness run amok would not appreciate him asking his school firends if he could borrow a rubber.

  77. That someone would type that to you is ridiculous and so inappropriate I was actually speechless for a moment (which is hard to do, really)… too bad some people are so culturally unaware that they don’t realize (or realise) things are spelled differently in different parts of the world…
    I, too, am a fan of the ellipsis, so keep on rockin’ it. Ignore the ignorant folks… Anyoe with any sense LOVES your blog!

  78. Actually, we spell doughnut that way here as well. I was reminded by the spelling kerfuffle about my niece and her reaction to an Australian book I bought her. Actually it was 3 books.
    There is a series of books from Australia called The Ranger’s Apprentice. In Australia, they are about to print book 6, but here they are going on book 3. So, using a little magic and a few bucks, I picked up books 3-5 for her from Australia. Wouldn’t you know, while she enjoyed it immensely, the occasional Australian spellings threw her for a loop. I told her to get over it and enjoy.
    She allowed as how HER spelling was right and everyone else is, well, wrong…because, as we all know, she is right. Of course, she also insists that she has no accent, so we all know what age she is! If your reader can’t figure out that correcting someone’s blog spelling is not only rude but unneeded, and ALSO can’t figure out that you are in Canada, then they have even fewer manners than my niece (who at least has the excuse of being young in years) and need to go find another blog.
    That really rots about the coffee. When your supply of coffee attacks you, you really know that the universe is setting you up.

  79. That someone would type that to you is ridiculous and so inappropriate I was actually speechless for a moment (which is hard to do, really)… too bad some people are so culturally unaware that they don’t realize (or realise) things are spelled differently in different parts of the world…
    I, too, am a fan of the ellipsis, so keep on rockin’ it. Ignore the ignorant folks… Anyone with any sense LOVES your blog!

  80. Dear Stephanie;
    My mother ( the right-handed knitter) who taught her daughter ( me, the lefty) to knit, will very gently remind me when I am annoyed by annoying people:
    “My dear Daughter, never try and teach a pig to sing, it wastes you time, and annoys the pig”
    Keep doing as you do, not as others would have you do.
    I have done my best to make this post full of gramatical errors, incorrect spelling, and a few elipses!!!!
    Carolyn in Massachusetts

  81. Mercury in retrograde, the year of the Pig, having a husband and children… there are all sorts of reasons why things can snarly. It’s why God created pithy sayings, (like “This too shall pass”), chocolate and knitting — to help us get through.
    As far as nitpicking people who can’t tell the difference between English/Canadian English and American English, or who get bent out of shape over nothing in general — they will always be around and should also always be ignored.
    Life is too short. Knit, take a deep breath and kiss your kids and husband because even at their worst you still love them and are glad they are around.

  82. hi stephanie, hmm now you see what coffee or is het cafea or plain koffie??? (the dutch version) does??? 😉 blink, blink…. do take care it’s anoying but hee it’s your blog and no one elses and you’re free to post how you like and when you like it. Don’t give that person much more off your time you need that to keep up with the coffee maker 😉
    xxx
    Valeria

  83. I guess I picked a good day to return from vacation!
    To the person for whom Stephanie’s grammar and spelling are so irritating that they feel compelled to email corrections: I am a lexicographer. If you do not know the meaning of the word, go look it up. I’ll wait. Now, please understand that Stephanie’s writing is perfectly acceptable on many levels. It is a web log and as such should not be mistaken for a scholarly dissertation, a medical journal article, or a legal brief. In fact, I have seen worse cases of writing in all three examples. Please do not embarass yourself further in the international arena by continuing your crusade against Stephanie. We all need her to be herself, so that when she messes up her knitting in a truly spectacular way, we are able to laugh with her as she describes what happened.

  84. Hi Stephanie,
    I am coming out of lurking mode to tell you I love your blog and your “editor” can just take a leap off of their own stash of ignorance. You might want to block this idjut’s e-mails.
    As a former staff member of a “chat” room, I have always been amazed at how polite almost all of your blog readers are. Our “chat” room was filled with the meanest and nastiest people imaginable. We were always having to block them so that the nice people could have a place to chat.
    I think the anonymity of the Internet brings out the worst in people.
    BTW, I also had problems with its and it”s. “Its” is a possessive as in belonging to, “it’s” is a contraction of it is. This has helped me to remember.

  85. I think it’s a really stressed-out copy editor somewhere. Looks like the nitpick switch got turned on and stayed stuck. I’m managing/technical editor for a professional journal (not the mystery emailer) and those things happen from time to time. Then it’s time to do something that doesn’t involve reading or writing.
    THen again, given the meanness of the emails, could be someone with some real problems and it’s his/her way of having some control over any situation.

  86. The nerve of some people – if this person wants to correct someone, it should either be A.) A student or B.) George W. Bush – I’d like to see him/her publish a book or two or more, write an amazing blog and raise a family and keep the hectic schedule that you do all at the same time
    some people just need to grow up!
    Me personally? I think you’re amazing 🙂
    ps – I spell checked so there is nothing to complain about 😉

  87. Flog away! I too have very little patience for ignorance. Enjoy your blog every day! Hope your days are better soon.

  88. I’d include parentheses in technical reports if I thought I could get away with it (somehow I think my normal writing style just wouldn’t cut it for a protocol). Spelling is overrated – esp. when you consider how wildly it’s changed in the last few hundred years….Maybe how we spell things today is just a stopping point on the way to how they’ll be spelled a hundred years from now. 🙂

  89. What a jerk this person is. Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady reminds us:
    There even are places where English completely disappears, in America they haven’t used it for years.

  90. 1. Ever heard of that Shakespeare guy? Yeah, he couldn’t spell either. Might as well burn those books.
    2. Love the scale. Can you use that to figure out how many meters (or is it metres?) of yarn you can get from a supply of fiber? Of course, meters/metres don’t really exist, the entire planet save the U.S. being imaginary and all, and everything being measured in yards.
    3. I love your living room. Love it. And I love your articulate, funny, passionate prose and that of the vast majority of your commenters. It’s/its a gift that you let us all meet and share here. Thank you.
    4. I never thought of garter stitch as a caffiene alternative. Gonna have to try that. Perhaps at the big book launch you should recommend everyone bring a garter stitch project. Should set the table on a roar, to quote Shakespeare. But he couldn’t spell. Never mind.

  91. I’ve never spoken to you, but i assume you write how you speak (haha, well, thats how I write anyways).
    I think its endearing, block the stupid emailing jerk.

  92. Only a knucklehead would not realize you were in Canada (or, as we affectionately call it, Canadia) after reading your Rideau Canal post, what with the poutine and the beavertails. And once you realize you’re dealing with a knucklehead, hopefully it will be easier to dismiss. Plus, you might want to throw in a dash of pity, as they’ve probably never travelled more than a few miles from their own front door.

  93. Dipshite is entirely too perfect! I’ve always thought the British/Canadian spelling of that list of words to be just somehow more refined, even elegant, than our truncated US versions. Carry on, you and your blog and your wonderfully real and funny books bring such joy to so many people–could that person possibly be jealous?!

  94. “Mercury is in retrograde” huh? (see comments above). That might explain why, despite numerous gauge swatches and reworking the pattern to a measured accuracy of .01 inches with a calculator, the cardigan I just finished knitting (all in one piece, and I couldn’t try it on in progress), somehow managed to turn out 5 inches narrower than it was intended to. Now, I could see an inch, maybe, for variations in gauge (I was knitting for 22 hours in the car, with two small children and two large dogs sharing the space), but FIVE INCHES? Please. That is not a gauge issue. That is a cosmic joke. I feel your pain.

  95. Ohhh, we love it when you get pissy! Save the spell check and editing for the books, we love you best when the words run straight from your brain to the screen. Keep it pu!

  96. Ugh. I have dealt with my fair share (perhaps more) of ill-mannered pricks on the ‘net, and I have just two words: e-mail filter.

  97. O. M. G. Well, and that person with the red font KNOWS they are being a total ass if they’re too chickenshit (excuse me, but let’s just call it as it is) to leave their real email.
    I do a lot of presentations for my employer and it makes a difference whether I am using “US English” vs. “British English”–not to mention my friend in Toronto and I (she is so bummed not to be able to knit any more because of RA but reads your blog too) often laugh about the occasional word or phrase that is endemic to our own cultures (like, ok, I had to ask what “chuffed” meant LOL). I’m feeling ornery enough on your behalf to think that a person writing you like that covertly must be in Bush’s cabinet and is just waiting to whip out the cowboy similes next (well, that just gives away my political orientation, does it not? 😉

  98. Like some of your other commenters above, I’m a Canadian living in the US. Though when I was in Toronto I always considered either spelling of words to be equally correct, now that I’m here I make a point to use the British spellings at all times. (ok, I can’t stand using “ise” instead of “ize”, but I’m big fan of the “ou” and “re”)
    I’m noticing of late that a lot of “conservatives” down here are starting to take offense to the use of traditional spellings online. For example, on a conservative rip-off of Wikipedia (which I won’t link to here), they complain that one of the major problems with Wikipedia is the use of British spellings for words…the horror! I honestly feel a little sorry for people who seem to feel that their freedoms are threatened by spelling on the internet.

  99. Well, I spell all those words exactly the same as you (because I’m in the UK), so woe betide anyone who decides to send me snotty emails about spelling. What an idiot!
    Love your blog, this is my first ever comment – I was so riled about someone sending you crappy anonymous emails about your spelling that I had to respond, especially as they’re obviously too stupid to know that countries outside the USA spell certain words differently. You do a wonderful job and your blog usually makes me laugh or cry or sometimes both at the same time 😉 Hope the universe gets back to normal soon.

  100. My sister and I were dual citizens for the early years of our lives. It does make for confusing spelling. To make matters worse my family lived in Europe for a few year so my children spell things “wrong”.
    Most Americans do live in a bubble, have you noticed that many weather maps end at the border, like the cloud cover that is currently over New England just stops at the border of Canada. Right.

  101. Cowardly nitpicker also please note: that should be “arse,” not “ass.” “Ass,” as I understand it, is a synonym for “utter, irredeemable dreck,” as in, “if I were to knit garter stitch in that color it would be ass, but somehow when Stephanie does it, it’s beautiful.”
    As for “its” vs. “it’s”: everyone I care about does at least one thing that drives me freaking batshit. Why should you be different?

  102. I’ve been blaming all the little annoying things that have been happening, and they are happening around here also, on Mercury going retrograde on 2/13 or so. I have no idea what I’m going to blame them on come the 8th of March when it goes ‘right’ again.
    As for the spell ‘master’ it is one reason I’m glad my blog is not well read, since I can’t spell worth a darn. 😉

  103. Its too bad that person who is cowardly enough to not even give you a proper email address is bothering you. Obviously they have never been exposed to the various nuances of the English language (my French teacher once gave us this poem titled “So You Think French is Hard?” about the quirks of English – http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/DCR/English1 ). They must have a large amount of time on their hands to do that, time better spent working or knitting!
    As far as we’re all concerned, speak and write in your mother tongue – Canadian English.
    Take care!

  104. I’ve had that coffee mishap twice!! Couldn’t I learn the first time? I had to clean it up by myself, by the way. Loads of fun.
    Thanks for sticking up for our “correct” Canadian spellings! Somebody definitely needs to get a life.

  105. okay…i live in the states and spell those words the same way you do. and (due to wrist injury) i don’t use the shift key. guess your petty complainer would have a field day with me. anyway…it’s the content of your writing that is so enjoyable…who cares about grammar and spelling. (obviously, not i!)
    on another note…i certainly agree with you about the meditative qualities of spinning. hope things smooth out in your life so your trudging can turn to sailing.

  106. Sigh. I just wish that people would get a passport and a life. Or read a bloody book.
    In Ireland they have a saying, “F&$k the begrudgers.” And yes, I think I spelled that wrong.

  107. Oh, yeah. The coffee maker thing. Been there done that but usually at the end of the dinner party when cussing is not highly appropriate to the tone of the evening.
    The lurking red pen person. Yikes!!! As a person who struggled and then finally beat the spellchecker to make it speak “Canajun”, I am fully in sympathy with your frustration. Makes me happy that I foreswore red pens as a teacher. Those who love to ‘edit’ should take up the career professionally and consider more useful and creative pursuits like writing or knitting.
    The only time I have sympathy for this is in language columns or when the critique is sought.
    Hang in! February, which despite the calendars is really the longest month of the year (at least in the Northern hemisphere), is almost over.

  108. Oh, yeah. The coffee maker thing. Been there done that but usually at the end of the dinner party when cussing is not highly appropriate to the tone of the evening.
    The lurking red pen person. Yikes!!! As a person who struggled and then finally beat the spellchecker to make it speak “Canajun”, I am fully in sympathy with your frustration. Makes me happy that I foreswore red pens as a teacher. Those who love to ‘edit’ should take up the career professionally and consider more useful and creative pursuits like writing or knitting.
    The only time I have sympathy for this is in language columns or when the critique is sought.
    Hang in! February, which despite the calendars is really the longest month of the year (at least in the Northern hemisphere), is almost over.

  109. I think it might be very very funny to write a post just to push this troll’s buttons. . . It wood B sew mutch funn! Are gud aideea, aee?

  110. I am sorry some of my fellow country men and women are such jerks, please don’t think all of us are like that. I also happen to be rather jealous of canadian/english spellings.

  111. Oh, for dog’s sake. Don’t you just love people who are SO COMPLETELY SURE THEY’RE RIGHT they can’t be bothered to use a dictionary?
    We have spam filters – why can’t we have ‘dolt’ filters, too?!
    Amazing how that kind of thing can get WAY under your skin, even though you “know” it shouldn’t. We all tell you it shouldn’t. And I’m sure Joe tells you it shouldn’t. And yet…there it is…itching like mad.
    FWIW, we’re with you. We’d consider it a great favour if the troll would kindly take a long egotistical walk off the nearest short pompous pier, and take his/her/its bastardized so-called English with it…

  112. Hi Stephanie, just wanted to say that this person obviously doesn’t have a life if he/she/it feels they need to correct someone else’s blog ! Best bet is to just delete them before you read their idiocy. Please continue on with your delightful writings. You definitely make me laugh.

  113. Dear Stephanie,
    Thanks for letting me visit you and some of your world almost every day. I always feel welcome and comfortable in your blog world.
    I am sorry that someone rude is “showing their backside” to you. You have dealt firmly and eruditely with them, and have modeled adult behavior for us all.
    Now, wouldn’t it be nice to think about something like little grape hyacinths, peeping up out of the snow? That’s what I will be doing for a little while. Please join me, if you’d like.

  114. Hah freaking hah on the “donut” spelling–that was created by US advertising and newspaper copyediting types who wanted to cram more words into billboards, newspaper headlines, etc.
    “Cigaret” is another one. When I worked on a weekly newspaper, I used to persist in spelling it “cigarette.” Cigaret my arse.

  115. As a former professional editor, I must say that I *never* correct electronic typos unless I am PAID to. (Have to switch on ‘typo mode’ and let it have a couple of minutes to warm up, anyway.) My mother is a retired English teacher and sends me the most wonderful e-mails that sometimes have spelling mistakes and typing errors. Who cares?
    My first thought was, I wonder how many times the comment gallery will use the word ARSE?
    Not counting me, I got four. And nary a one from rams! Of course, Rachel H hasn’t posted yet and will probably break the counter.
    Block the troll and knit oon, dear Canadienne.

  116. I think we spell it doughnuts as well…unless Dunkin Donuts has gained total control, which would be sad, if not surprising.

  117. You are, and remain, our hero of insightful writing, compassionate ethics, and — as you demonstrated once again today — unflaggable good manners.
    You may be the only true grown up among us!

  118. One of the reasons why I don’t have a blog!
    My husband used to use scales like that for measuring amounts of hops needed to make his beer. Unfortunately he put them away somewhere and I haven’t been able to find them :o(

  119. Dontcha just wonder about people who have nothing better to do than to *correct* what they think are other people’s errors? Don’t you wonder if they are doing that to keep their mind off the ones in their own lives? I mean, if they’re offended by something they read, well…they CAN chose not to read it.
    Keep on keeping on, woman! I, for one, look forward to reading you in part because you’re *just folks* in your writing—in spite of the fact that my monitor regularly gets sprayed with Diet Mountain Dew.
    Can’t do the coffee thing.
    Hugs to ya!

  120. Stephanie, on behalf of Americans I’d like to apologize for someone else’s stupidity. It always astounds me at how insulated some people are. If your email system has “Blocked Sender” capability, I recommend that you put this person on it.
    I hope you were eventually able to have a cup of coffee!

  121. One of the reasons why I don’t have a blog!
    My husband used to use scales like that for measuring amounts of hops needed to make his beer. Unfortunately he put them away somewhere and I haven’t been able to find them :o(

  122. Rock on Ms. Harlot! Thanks for sticking up for our odd spellings. I personally love the extra vowels and odd letter configurations, I think it makes our words look more… romantic. And I’m so sorry to hear of the unfortunate coffee incident. Especially the elbow tip at the end of it all. I enjoy your writing and tune in nearly every day to see if you have something new and fun to say.
    KJ

  123. Some people. I am something of a spelling/grammar stickler, but some Canadian/British spellings are just *better* than standard US-ian ones. (I get in such trouble for using ‘signalling’ all the time.)

  124. Sometimes people really suck. And, as an American abroad, I especially hate it when it’s an American doing something spectacularly sucky because it’s then attributed as an American trait. As in, something all jerkface Americans do. So, shame on that person for being rude and for being so unbelievably self-centered and ethnocentric.
    I really hope that things get better for you ASAP and that people remember that the Internet is NOT a free-for-all.
    Also, I think coffee-makers are unnecessarily complicated. Before your first cup of coffee, who can remember all the steps? I prep my machine the night before so I can just stumble to the machine and flick the Red Switch of Joy.

  125. My dear, it sounds like you have been an object of flaming. Flaming: “Flaming is the act of sending or posting messages that are deliberately hostile and insulting, usually in the social context of a discussion board on the Internet. Such messages are called flames, and are sometimes posted in response to flamebait.” (see Wikipedia)
    Trolls do this intentionally because they have no life and like creating chaos; it amuses them.
    You want I should take of this troll person for you?

  126. 1. Your scale is great, and I’m jealous.
    2. I’m also doing a garter stitch project (a scarf for my mil) and I’m bored to tears by it. I’m way too wussy to tackle a Bohus, or any sweater for an adult.
    3. I’m so sorry so many of my fellow countrymen are assholes. (Or, as you would say, arseholes. Use whichever one is less nice). Your email buddy, in addition to being an ass, is wrong – the US also uses “cancelled” and “woollen” (I believe either are fine in the US), and doughnut is definitely the correct spelling. I always thought ‘donut’ was slangy – like ok instead of okay.

  127. Hurrah for your listing of “woollen”! And I have to say, I have sincerely noticed with our family that things have been decidedly “weird” (in a negative way) around here for the last couple of weeks, too…I love the “Mercury in retrograde” explanation from Yvonne’s comment…just like when everyone has babies when it’s a full moon, we’re obviously having our personalities and luck swung around by planets right now. Not sure I appreciate being a pawn of the universe, but at least March 7 is only a week away! 🙂

  128. lol about the drug dealer scale.
    Boo on the idiot sending you those e-mails. I am appaled to think that some American propably sent that to you (since I believe most other large, English-speaking countries such as England, Canada and Australia spell things the same way you do). Please accept my appology on behalf of the rest of America.
    One of the nice things about our country is that it is rather large and full of all kinds of people. One of the downsides of that, however, is that when even a very small percentage of us is stupid, that small percentage still equals a whole lot of people and they make the rest of us look bad. We’re not all as nasty as this sad excuse for an American. I promise.
    On a seperate note, is there a way to block e-mails from their fake e-mail address?
    -Carissa

  129. (Also–that kind of coffee story is why I still just have a plastic thing that holds a filter over either a mug or a glass urn. I heat the water in my electric kettle.)

  130. oh man! (as my three year old nephew says)
    good for you for outing that person and bad for them being a COWARD. i mean stand up for your convictions!
    you go girl!

  131. I have to admit I never really noticed the spelling. I read too many British murder mysteries when growing up and even though I’m American I tend to spell “behaviour” and “honour” the ‘wrong way’ myself anyway.
    Try reading one and imagining your little friend as the murderee…always worked for me….

  132. Sheesh. If it bugs ’em that much why do they bother reading at all? There’s lots of good gramatically correct literature at the library. Be gone!
    Personally, I think the ellipsis and parentheses are good things. Especially when one is writing a nice, casual, conversational sort of blog. They give a sense of timing that is important if you are trying to make a point or get a chuckle. Perhaps that only works in my head…I dunno.

  133. *sigh*.
    1. Thanks for answering my question about your scale.
    2. The dyslexic amongst us who have to rely on petty things such as spell check just to function.. and then still end up with our pages on a google search under the wrong spelling and get called on it… appreciate your mini-rant.

  134. That is beyond awful. S/he is abominably rude for doing such a thing. I have to say, though, your response is much more polite (read: less vulgar) than my own would have been. Good for you! I hope your week shapes up as you trudge on. 🙂

  135. “…Claudia affectionately refers to hers as “a drug dealer scale”.) As far as I know, we’re the only two groups of people using them. (Wait, maybe jewellers too?)…”
    You should hope your pharmacist uses one as well. Imprecise measuring with yarn may mean an ugly sock – a disaster I agree. But imprecise measuring with medication may mean an ugly coffin.

  136. I think spelling WILL change completely in the next 100–or even 10–years, as our IM-ing and texting kids simplify everything to the utmost.
    Meanwhile, someone once mentioned to me that an apostrophe usually replaces a missing letter. So if it makes sense in the sentence to insert a letter (like “i” into it’s”) that will remind you to use it’s (it is) vs. its (possessive). hope that is helpful.
    I think most of use would read anything you cared to write, any way at all, Stephanie, so hang in there. Hope things start looking up soon.

  137. Once again envy rears it’s ugly head, but now in the form of the evil red pen. Some people just want to be in your shoes and can only get your attention with negative energy. A Reiki friend used to chant “Cancel Cancel Cancel”.
    I would just delete.

  138. I’m a gemologist and (former) jeweler. I’ve wondered if the scale you have could do double duty for knitter and jeweler things. I suspect, however, that your scale does not measure carats. Or does it? But generally, the scales jewelers use have a glass box on top to prevent air circulation messing up the reading as well as a little dish to hold the stones. Even .01 carats can be expensive.
    As for your spelling critic, he/she can blow it out his/her ass/arse. How petty and small can some people be? Some of the most brilliant minds in the world are bad spellers. And even good spellers can make typos. But criticizing regional spelling differences is just silly.

  139. I have a dual use scale! Not only does it weigh yarn, but (and this was my original use) it weighs baby parrots
    I breed parrots, and they all get weighed every morning before their first feeding.

  140. Ok… two comments in one day (see waaaaay above this one for the first) but I got to thinkin’… if people in Canada spell/pronounce things more like people in England then wouldn’t that make y’all’s spelling/pronunciation more “correct” than ours in America since our English “evolved” from there’s? Um… I just confused myself… sorta…

  141. Peace, peace, peace. I hate it when the universe is out to get you. Thank you so much for allowing us (loons included) into your living room. It’s one thing to deal with all of us relaxing on your furniture and putting our feet up on the coffee table. It’s quite another to watch a two-year old start drawing on the walls with Sharpies.
    Hang in there!!

  142. I’m so sorry you had to deal with such a nasty person. I agree with some of the previous statements that this person must not be a knitter because I don’t understand why you would want to see past the wonderful writing and actively look for errors. What kind of a life must this person live to want to spend their time correcting one of someone’s creative outlets?!

  143. Steph, you’ve done what no other blogger has done before: you’ve compelled me to take out the big guns. So to speak. Therefore:
    As an editor of dictionaries and a for-reals grammarian, I hereby (and wholeheartedly) stamp this blog with the Lexicographer’s Seal of Approval. Tha-wump.
    Your writing:
    a) is idiomatic;
    b) is grammatically a-okay; and
    c) features more correct spellings than most blogs and Web sites in the universe, even the really fancy-pants official ones. (NB: It’s called “Canadian English,” troll, not “wrong.” I have a dictionary or 15 you can use if you need one.)
    Someday I will have the time to make you a blog button, but in the meantime, this will have to do.

  144. I think it should hurt to be that ignorant. And if you are going to call someone out they should at least be big enough to use a real email address so you may respond. Good for you Stephanie for getting that off your chest without being as mean as them!! I think you are great!
    : )

  145. Ok… two comments in one day (see waaaaay above this one for the first) but I got to thinkin’… if people in Canada spell/pronounce things more like people in England then wouldn’t that make y’all’s spelling/pronunciation more “correct” than ours in America since our English “evolved” from theirs? Um… I just confused myself… sorta…

  146. I enjoy every one of your posts, notice/recognize your different but equally correct spelling of certain words. I was taught, as a child, not to “correct your betters.” This person was not. Have a cuppa, all things do pass, except the friendship and respect shown to you by so very many.

  147. Holy Dumbass, Batman!
    Also, I really need one of those scales! I have to swipe dh’s from the barn and it always smells like cow crap. :.(

  148. I wanted to add, whenever some petty little twerp starts to get to me I just repeat this to myself (and sometimes out loud): “You’re an [arse]hole, and nobody really loves you.”

  149. The charming way you spell is one of the reasons I want to move to Canada! That person is such a shmoe for criticizing!

  150. Take that blog jerk! I mite half to sta’t misspellin’ everythin’ jus ’cause it wil ceriouslly tweak off the blog nazi! Tee hee!
    And Courtney is totally right about correct US spellings. If you are going to be a jerk, make sure you know the proper way to spell in the first place!
    Yes, I give you leave to be upset by said jerk’s rudeness.
    BTW–Nothing wrong with garter stitch. A wooly garter stitch scarf is just as warm and functional as any other stitch pattern.

  151. Good editors recognize the difference in spellings between nationalities and adjust their editing mindset accordingly. (Though why some American-born and -educated people who make their living working with words within America’s borders see nothing wrong with the word “grey” is beyond me!)
    I don’t expect my friends’ e-mails and letters to meet the same standards as my professional writers’ post-edit efforts.
    With that in mind, Stephanie, I don’t read your blog the same way I read your books. Reading your books is fun. But reading your blog is like reading a letter from a friend. And friends — even we’ve-never-met friends — forgive typos.
    That said, it’s highly likely that one of the reasons I enjoy your blog as much as I do is your ability to string thoughts together coherently and spell and type better than many bloggers I’ve encountered!

  152. Stephanie:
    Found your blog and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Keep up the good work and absolutely fine spelling! Another use for those lovely scales – we potters (who also knit) use them to mix up our glazes and we really have to watch out who watches because most of the glaze ingredients are nice white powders! And we too have hubbies who like to borrow them for the odd hops measurement now and again.

  153. If I knew who it was, I’d write them a vitrid letter in Newfoundland English. That would really drive the petty fool up the wall wouldn’t it?

  154. I’m a fish biologist and we use scales like that to weigh small fish and tissue samples for anaysis.
    I think that the person writing those nasty emails to you has too much time and not enough yarn. Don’t let them get to you 🙂 **HUG**

  155. Okay, this might already have been mentioned, but as an English geek, I have to point out that ‘doughnut’ is the proper spelling no matter which side of the US/Canada border you’re sitting on. ‘Donut’ is laziness and advertising language, just like ‘lite’ food.
    Steph, I love your living room. Very cozy space. Sorry the coffee backed up–I think I’d break down and cry if that happened to me.

  156. I’m a gemologist and (former) jeweler. I’ve wondered if the scale you have could do double duty for knitter and jeweler things. I suspect, however, that your scale does not measure carats. Or does it? But generally, the scales jewelers use have a glass box on top to prevent air circulation messing up the reading as well as a little dish to hold the stones. Even .01 carats can be expensive.
    As for your spelling critic, he/she can blow it out his/her ass/arse. How petty and small can some people be? Some of the most brilliant minds in the world are bad spellers. And even good spellers can make typos. But criticizing regional spelling differences is just silly.

  157. i love reading your blog…i always look forward to new posts! don’t worry about the turkeys lurking on the internet…just ignore ’em!
    i know about how the smallest crises (like the coffee maker) can reduce one into tears during times of duress!
    hang in there…we all are right there behind you! =)

  158. They actually thought ‘donut’ was the correct spelling? That’s not correct on any continent!
    (Nawilla falls over dead in shock.)

  159. What is up with all the haters barging up into “our” livingrooms? IT must be the weather or some shit, making them come out of the freaking woodwork.
    I hate not having the last word in such matters, so the fake email addy would have driven me totally ape shit.
    I love my little scale too!!
    & Sorry about the coffee accident.. I’ve had that happen here too. It is a pisser of a thing to have go down… especially evil having it be the first pot! How is a body (or 3) expected to clean that unholy mess up without coffee? effed if I know.

  160. Who-(Whom?)-ever is doing this really needs a DIFFERENT HOBBY!!!
    This, of course, coming from the most creative speller there ever was!
    Even I know that color and colour are acceptable. (I’d hate to see gray/grey!!!)
    One question… is anal retentive (anal-retentive?) spelled with a hyphen???
    You just keep deleting those emails, and know that soon… very soon…we’ll all get new yarn in the mail from BMFA!!! he he he he he!!!

  161. Stephanie, it’s your blog – hijack it as much as you want!
    Ignorant cowards, alas, abound on the Internet, and have from its inception. Email filters are your best friends in cases like this.
    It’s comforting to me to know that other people are having those “everything I touch falls apart” kind of days. Makes it somehow less infuriating to know that I’m not alone…

  162. Actually, it’s not a fake email address they’re using. It’s that they can’t spell their own address. (vbg) So they should stick their own head up their own arse and observe the view.

  163. Wow, you know I was just thinking – writing my own blog, and reading many other blogs – how in general bloggers (me included) protect our identity and personal life from exposure on the Web, while still having fun with blogging particular aspects of our life. And I was also thinking… how exposed you have chosen to make your life (even though I know you don’t reveal all of it) on the Web, to a world-wide public. That is very brave of you, and your blog therefore has a depth that most of the rest of ours don’t. But it certainly does expose you to a lot of bad behavior, and it is such a shame to get that in return for all you offer.
    Also, I am a linguist in graduate school, and I can tell you, from where I sit, that your language is beautiful, and I really enjoy your Canadianisms. I just love the fact that there’s a different (not THAT different) kind of North American English, a non-US English, that is so similar in so many ways, but so different in others.
    Rock on!

  164. Don’t feel bad. I had a friend whose father would return letters from his son with the spelling and grammar corrected in red.

  165. I believe those scales are also used by potters/ceramicists on occasion to weigh out small amounts for glazes – I now this because when my friend’s husband purchased a set for that purpose recently, (in a slightly dubious shop I might add!) the man behind the counter warned him that ‘he’d have to let big Jim (or whoever) know that someone else was working on his patch’. Friend’s husband is now wondering if big Jim would let him do a kiln-share…

  166. Coming out of lurking to say you crack me up. And to commiserate b/c the universe has been out to get me this week too….CA and Canada…any other C places having an issue?

  167. Long live Canada! Now we just have to find you a Canadian publisher so that the spelling in your books can be correct, too!
    Kate (kidding, really.)

  168. Hey, why not start posting en Francais? Oh yeah, then do you write in Quebecois (my personal favourite) or in French (a la France) or in African French)? Etc. Etc. Forgive the lack of accents which I do know where to place – just can’t get them on my PC, only my Mac. I still get subtle pressure to use program rather than programme, even from my Canadian colleagues. Mind, I am quite a purist about Canadian spellings and it annoys me to see “American” in Canadian newspapers… Sigh.

  169. “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”
    And they say that the American education system is in trouble?

  170. well, I am from the US and I use those “other” spelling frequently also-so there neither!-Steph-you are awesome, never forget that
    mary

  171. Gee, and here I felt bad for “taunting you,” as you put it once, with comments that it was 70 degrees and sunny in Alabama today. (Which it is, BTW.) I can spell, but I can’t type, so I know I misspell things. I can’t believe someone would be that nitpicky. Can’t they just enjoy the humor and the drama of your blog and GET OVER IT?

  172. I’m glad you posted this! I’ve been so confused as to why, every time I type “cancelled”, my computer tells me it’s spelled wrong. I knew it was right somewhere!
    I’ve been reading a lot of books published in the UK lately, and the one that throws me off the most is “-sation” instead of “-zation”, like when I wrote about Democratization and half the books spelled it Democratisation.
    I feel sorry for that person. Sounds like they have a lot of free time and anger that could be better used elsewhere.

  173. Hey, why not start posting en Francais? Oh yeah, then do you write in Quebecois (my personal favourite) or in French (a la France) or in African French)? Etc. Etc. Forgive the lack of accents which I do know where to place – just can’t get them on my PC, only my Mac. I still get subtle pressure to use program rather than programme, even from my Canadian colleagues. Mind, I am quite a purist about Canadian spellings and it annoys me to see “American” in Canadian newspapers… Sigh.

  174. You have sold an awful lot of books for someone with bad grammar and spelling. And even more shocking…your publishers seem to want more of your books.
    Do their homework indeed!!!

  175. Gee, and here I felt bad for “taunting you,” as you put it once, with comments that it was 70 degrees and sunny in Alabama today. (Which it is, BTW.) I can spell, but I can’t type, so I know I misspell things. I can’t believe someone would be that nitpicky. Can’t they just enjoy the humor and the drama of your blog and GET OVER IT?

  176. I’m glad you posted this! I’ve been so confused as to why, every time I type “cancelled”, my computer tells me it’s spelled wrong. I knew it was right somewhere!
    I’ve been reading a lot of books published in the UK lately, and the one that throws me off the most is “-sation” instead of “-zation”, like when I wrote about Democratization and half the books spelled it Democratisation.
    I feel sorry for that person. Sounds like they have a lot of free time and anger that could be better used elsewhere.

  177. Wow. This person didn’t even know about the different spellings in countries outside of the U.S.? THAT is unlearned and pathetic. Holy cow.
    As for people who take their time to write nasty emails, I can’t help but think how pathetic they are, given that it only proves that they have nothing good to do with their time. LOSERS. Have they thought about pointing those fingers at themselves? I think it’s about freaking time.
    The only impetus I can think of for them doing this to you is that this person is quite simply jealous of your success. The fact that they are not decent enough to give you a real email address when they do this is pathetic. Why, oh why, would they bother to do this? Again, I answer: LOSER.
    Rant, rant, rant. This pisses me off royally and I don’t even know why.

  178. I just had to write a letter of recommendation for one of my students to go to grad school. One of the specific questions was on his “command of the English language, particularly the spoken language.”
    I answered “He speaks and writes English with an American accent.”
    And the last time I forgot the lid on my coffeemaker, I had to replace it. Apparently washing the grounds out of the electrical compartment is bad. How was I supposed to know that before coffee?

  179. Stephanie, just continue to ignore the crap and just be yourself. You are amazing and very talented, and you totally rock the knitting world. Sure everybody has crap days, but they do not last forever. Ms red pencil needs to get a life.

  180. The last time I was in an English class (which, admittedly, was a VERY long time ago) English was considered a “dynamic” language – as opposed to a “dead” one (like Latin). Dynamic means it’s changing all the time, which I constantly remind myself when someone says “mis-chee-vee-us” instead of “mis-che-vus” as I was taught. So what if you spell it differently, at least it’s not UR, WASSUP, DAT, or any of the zillion other “abbreviations” used in text messaging – those spin me right up!

  181. Considering I’ve known that NZ, the US, and all other English speaking countries use variations on speeling since I was ten? That’s pretty sad/embaraasing. I hope they see this.
    Maybe they don’t know that you’re Canadian? *snickers*

  182. A word of advice: light the candles. You are more likely to keep the table clear if there is pretty stuff *on fire* on it.

  183. We in the US don’t have the fascination with curvy letters (u’s and s’s) all the other English speaking countries do, but y’all were speaking English before we became a country. And besides, as the US you’d think we’d be more interested in U’s and S’s, don’t ya think?
    But aluminium is just wrong! *laugh* <–Just kidding all my British and Australian friends.

  184. Lord liftin’ love a duck – How bad must that person’s life be if it makes them feel better to correct your spelling?
    Was that a pot of “Prince of Darkness” that went afoul? That’s gotta hurt.

  185. Wow – are some people eaten up with envy or what? Troll, troll, go away – don’t come again another day!

  186. The spelling corrections would have pissed me off too. I am a stay at home mom but I have a master’s degree in translation and am picky about spelling. Your spelling is just fine. What a rude jerk!!! I covet a scale like that. It makes figuring accurate postage easier too.

  187. Stephanie:
    Oh know typos, the world must be coming to an end. Normally I’m a lurker. I enjoy reading your posts but don’t normally comment. I just had to jump in for this one. If this person doesn’t like your grammar you need to send them off to my blog and a lots of other blogs out in internetland that “don’t have good grammar”. They can have a grand time correcting us all. 🙂
    Don’t sweat the the overbearing jackass….just delete and go knit. You seem to have enough stress right now without having to worry about the over correcting twit.
    ((((((HUGS))))))

  188. P.S. I’m an editor, and I often get the impression that the people who get their panties in a bunch about Internet spelling and grammar are not people who know very much about spelling or grammar.

  189. What? She/he tells you to take your head out of your ass and get a clue, and you call him/her a decorous and rectifying reader? You’re too nice! I’d spell that 2nd to the last word rectumifying.
    I cannot imagine surviving such a coffee disaster myself. Snark on!

  190. Somebody SO needs to get a life! I can’t imagine the pathetic existence of someone going to the trouble to send those emails. Can your techy friends come up with a way to block the idiot?

  191. Two things 1: I love you,your knitting, your blog, your books and your words. Keep it up.
    2: as for the “editor” we should all take a moment to realize that clearly he/or she is not getting enough sex.

  192. Not to follow a list with a list, but…
    1. Love your scale. You’ll have to add analytical chemists/molecular biologists to the list of people who use those, though. I have been tempted to use the work one for yarn, but I’m afraid of what nasty chemicals I might get on it.
    2. Coffee makers only fail in the most trying of times. Ours was perfectly fine until one morning when my 1 year old was feverish with teething and screaming and my husband and I were running late for work. Then, just because of one little mistake, it makes 12 cups of coffee all over the counter and irreparably shorted out. The nerve. (Though, I haven’t forgotten to put the coffee pot back under the spout since then. Such a little thing apparently makes such a difference!)
    3. I am a spelling freak. I always notice mistakes, though I rarely say anything (because that’s just rude). I’ve never even noticed a misplaced there/they’re/their in your blog! And, as for regional differences… It’s not called English because it came from America.

  193. Wow. Let me add my voice to the irate — spelling criticizer, go away. We knit happiness here, and don’t need you and your negativity. Maybe you should find a therapist.
    As to Mercury in retrograde, I washed and blocked some afghan pieces for a friend. They grew by one foot each. At least they all grew by the same amount.

  194. Yikes, that commenter is a dolt! Well, I assure you the coward isn’t me.
    Can you ask your brother where he got the scale? Googling it I found an ebay company (which I’m always a bit wary about), but it only ships to the US, and I’m in Canada. I’m having a bad week, and am thinking a yarn scale may be called for, if it’s not too expensive. (Normally I don’t subscribe to “shopping as a feel-good”, but I’ve been wanting this for quite a while, and no one will buy it for me for Christmas or my birthday. Even when I keep the list short as a hint.)

  195. Dude. If I was in Toronto, I’d have brought over coffee. No-one should have to deal with numb-nuts without it. (You really shouldn’t have to deal with that eejit at all, but we won’t go there. Just let me reassert that the ‘corrections’ would drive me insane as well.)
    *HUGS* and hopefully things start looking up! (and I have serious scale envy. 😉

  196. I so enjoy your blog and your non-american phrases.. like GOB SMACKED for example.. down here in the US of A, I don’t get much opportunity to use that one! I suppose you are paying the price of your fame, and yes my dear in the knitting world you are famous.. our fearlesss knitting leader! Filter him/her out. – pattiO

  197. Rock on, my Canadian sister. I think even if I was American I’d use “colour” and “cheque.” So much prettier on the written page (or, urm, screen).

  198. P.S. Anyone who is a SUCCESSFUL writer, like you, gets to have an editor. Right? That’s what they’re for. So there!

  199. Hmmm….sounds like one of the readers is just a teensy bit jealous maybe? Craves attention or what???

  200. Methinks you missed “arse” instead of “ass” which, as a transplanted American living in your fair country, I find rather charming.
    I’m sorry you have to put up with that kind of shart. (Trying to be clever; probably falling short.)

  201. Mean-spirited, petty, IGNORANT people are bad enough, but add cowardly — or more accurately, chickenshit — to that list of attributes, and it just becomes pathetic. If someone has a legitimate gripe and chooses to send it via e-mail, great. But hiding behind a fake e-mail? Pitiful. Absurd. Shameful.
    I thank you for your boundless generosity in sharing your knitting life and so much more with us all. The hell with the naysayers. Life’s too short to waste time on them.

  202. Wow, your Quest for Coffee story upset me. Hope you finally got a good cup. As for the ignorant e-mailer, if you don’t like the blog, for god’s sake, don’t read the blog. But do you not have better things to do than go through the blog looking for errors to point out? What a loser. Go put your energy towards world peace or something useful. Get out of our friend’s living room already…

  203. This editor person has obviously never read any British/Canadian/Australian books. *eyeroll*
    As a side note, I live in the US and have always spelled grey and theatre the non-US way. The amusing thing? It took me about 15 years to notice!

  204. Oh we’ve done that with the coffee maker, it is sooo very bad!!! An entire roll of paper towels hardly rectifies the situation!
    & re the ‘Mad Respeller’ (b/c really, it’s just fun to make up words for special occasions) I say SERIOUSLY? If it’s such an issue for the Mad Respeller, the Mad Respeller should go hang out with similarly perfect people and leave you and the rest of the interesting people in the world alone.

  205. I think that is hilarious. As for me, living in the US, some of my favorite authors as a child were English and Canadian, and thus I learned the English spellings of certain words. Somehow, I think they have a bit of extra tang about them. My teachers never liked it though. When my sister asked how to spell the word “honor” on her wedding invitations, I immediately said “honour.” Because I like it that way. I hate when people try to correct me when I am already correct. You just do your thing.

  206. Dear Stephanie,
    one good thing about the internet- people like you who open their lives, and their talents to the joy of others.
    one bad thing about the internet, cowards who decide to take out their aggression on innocent people because there are no repercussions.
    Your spelling is perfect, and there is no reason to change it. I’m always saddened by decisions (like the one to have a different copy of Harry Potter released in the US from the Brit version, because we “won’t understand it”) that limit regional dialect. It teaches us there are wonderful differences in the world!
    Please ignore this persons bad manners and cowardices.
    P.S. to reduce stress, I am making plain stocking caps. Makes me feel much better.
    Get down with your bad garter stitch self, Sister!

  207. I too would like to apologize on behalf of all United Stateseans for our ignorant countryperson. Most of us are better mannered and smarter than your red-font “editor.” I work with words for a living too (translator) and I love reading your blog for its wit and good writing.

  208. I have had those trudging months, years what ever. I often refer to it as 2 steps forward, 5 back and I can so relate to knocking over such a deserved cup of coffee. I’ve dropped the same bag of cheese 5 times in an effort to put it away. Hopefully things start aligning better for us all.

  209. It would give this neighbour the vapours to see with what vigour we Canadians will endeavour to maintain our demeanour as fit for the front parlour whilst we labout to honour just how meagre is your correspondent’s behaviour with good humour.

  210. Good Grief! There just aren’t even words to express my disbelief at how some people act! As if you didn’t have a trying enough week already. Sending sweet thoughts your way. By the way, I think your (totally correct) spelling is charming.

  211. Oh, woe to the death of shame….Why must manners be extinct? (she wondered…)
    And a rude coward??? Don’t even start me!

  212. This reminds me of the time during the height of our tourist season when a couple from a cruise ship approached me and said, “Do you by any chance speak American“. I smiled and said politely; no, I do however, speak English…

  213. Oh, and I use scales all the time in lab. Chemistry labs, Genetics labs, take your pick. I personally have my own mini drug scale, which is rather cute and about the size and thickness of a check-book, but the analytical scale I use when measuring reagents for a DNA digest can measure to the .0001 gram. (Sometimes I hijack it for measuring more fiber related things as well…)

  214. Recently I had comments on my blog that abused me for being unpatriotic and unAmerican for a blog comment. Too funny – last time I looked Australia wasn’t a state of the US!

  215. Oh, and I use scales all the time in lab. Chemistry labs, Genetics labs, take your pick. I personally have my own mini drug scale, which is rather cute and about the size and thickness of a check-book, but the analytical scale I use when measuring reagents for a DNA digest can measure to the .0001 gram. (Sometimes I hijack it for measuring more fiber related things as well…)

  216. I have lived in Montana all my life, but I am also just 10 minutes away from Alberta, Canada. Two of the 6 television stations I can get for free are Canadian. The different spellings and terms are fantastic! We should embrace our differences, as they are what make us unique. I even end up watching Global TV more often as it has better weather AND it isn’t stuck in the network rut. How liberating! As your first poster stated, “some people’s kids!”

  217. Hi Stephanie
    I think you might have missed an excellant chance at purposeful[is that even a word?] misspelling when you DID’T call her a “decorous rectum”. You are a better person than I and a much better writer.
    diana

  218. O deer. Hie-jak uway! Eye em sari thet sumwun iz bee-een sew rood. Thae uparentlee kneed two dew sum medutaytiv spineen oar sumtheen. (Lord this is hard. Sound it out, soooound it ouuuut…) Eye hoap yur kofe sichooayshun iz nao remedeed. En thu meentym, plez no thet eye em greatfil thet yu Cher yur liveen room ooith ol uv uss. Its olweez u plezhur two reed yur blawg! Yoo sew rok.

  219. Oh, i had the exact same coffee incident when i was trying to pull an all nighter early in grad school. First I broke the coffee pot (tears). Then I tried to just drip the coffee into my cup, not knowing the lid was needed to depress something in the pot. Coffee and grinds everywhere (more tears). I feel your pain!
    And as for the spelling nazi… It’s not an issue of ignorant Americans…he/she could be American, Hatian, Austrian or Martian. It doesnt’ matter — Assholes are assholes and I’m sorry this one is pestering you. Bully to you for showing them what’s what!

  220. Dear Stephanie, I love your blog and enjoy reading it everytime. Actually, when you do not post anything, I miss you and go back and read old entries from the archives.
    I am an English teacher in Italy and I can understand how mad you can be about all those spelling corrections. Personally I grew up with British English but love American English too. I think that different spellings do not matter that much between friends and that WE knitters are all kindred spirits after all… so what is the problem if you use your own Canadian spelling instead of that person’s personal preferences? You do not have to accomodate yourself to his vision of grammar and spelling… You are free to be and write any way you want to. Personally I LOVE the way you write. It is like sitting in front of you while knitting something and listening to you talking and telling me about your day. You make people who read you feel at home and like trusted friends. Just ignore that person. Block his emails … Put him/her on your iggy list… Keep writing and making us feel good!
    P.S. I love your scales too.

  221. Oooh, I hate those days. I hope you’ve had coffee now. (CCCCoooofffffeeeeeeeee!!!!)
    Seems like a number of bloggers are getting trollish comments at the moment. Not good.
    Lovely scales. (I don’t NEED them, I don’t NEED them, I don’t NEED them…)

  222. Another Ugly American. JUST what we all need. Sincere apologies from Washington, DC.
    “The universe’s cat toy.” Ain’t it the truth!

  223. There seems to be something going around. You, Norma, Cara, I don’t know who else. Someone has too much time on their hands. For gawds sake’s–life is too short. Be happy, people!

  224. I read your blog every day, and have for a couple of years now, and I don’t comment often. But I am compelled to after today’s post. Although it has nothing whatsoever to do with me, I am appalled beyond belief! I didn’t read any of the other (almost 200!) comments, so please forgive me if I’m being redundant, but I can’t imagine anyone having so much free time on their hands that the best they can come up with to do is harass knit-bloggers! Obviously not a knitter because a)knitters are kind, especially to each other, and b)imagine all the knitting this person could have accomplished in the time it takes to e-mail you. At first I was feeling like a moron for not noticing the misspelling of words in your posts, especially if they were this blatant that you needed to be corrected! Then you clarified the words, and apparently I’m not the moron! (Well, not about this particular matter anyway. See, I also have a love of the parenthesis!)Trust me, and all your other readers, you are not the petty one here.

  225. I don’t comment often – really because I am afraid of my own spelling errors and over use of ellipses and parenthetical statements. However . . . if they don’t like what they are reading, why don’t they just not look?
    I realize this is kind of like people wearing spandex now-a-days . . . it would be nice if they didn’t do it (it would be nice if everyone one could spell correctly). But it just doesn’t always work that way – so I don’t look at people wearing spandex and I really hope that people don’t look at my spelling errors.
    Okay, now I will get back to my knitting!

  226. Clearly, a person with much too much time on their hands and not enough brains to pick up the needles. Even this dumb American knows there are regional spellings for those words. Must be part of some secret movement to homogenize the English language.
    You go girl!!

  227. Get ’em, Steph.
    (I doubt the author of the mean emails realizes you are actually a “published author,” and as such, have license to write any darn way you want. That is according to my English Lit professor, a man many people have taken seriously over the four decades he’s been at university. Besides, look at eecummings. He seemed pretty darn successful.)
    You can spell or not spell and use as many parenthesis as it takes to make your point. You are wonderful and the rest of us know (and appreciate!) you.
    ***grrring for you***

  228. I like living in a world where people speak the same language, yet use different words and spell things differently. It reminds me that not everyone is a thirty-something suburbanite like me.

  229. it’s bad enough that said emailer felt superior enough to consider criticizing someone’s spelling, but ffs…DONUT???
    to enligten your narrow little mind, oh cowardly emailer–just because dunkin says that’s how you spell donut, that doesn’t make it correct…you feckin’ idjit!
    sorry steph…ignorant spell checkers get my dander up…oddly enough i suspect we’ll all stick around, regardless of how you spell things 😉

  230. Stephanie, your spelling and writing is excellent. I have hardly even seen a typo, which given all the writing you do, is amazing. (By the way, doughnut used to be spelled that way before Dunkin’ Donuts became a big chain here in the US)
    Your writing is honest, humourously self-deprecating at times, but always enjoyable to read. There is wisdom to be learned, and your “At Knits End” displays this well.
    Maybe your critic needs to get a college education and open his or her narrow vision a little.
    marianne restel, M.D.

  231. so many comments already. we all seem to think that this is an american right? but in any event, i would like to apologize for the americans who live in a bubble. only an american would not understand that things just arent done the same exact way everywhere else.
    like the rest of us, thanks for the seat in your living room. Ooohh nice couch!

  232. I think enough people here have your back Stephanie!!
    It’s ridiculous, I honestly have better things to do with my time than to criticize the way a blogger spells on their blog – especially you! You brighten my day, regardless of how anything is spelled, or misspelled..
    Thank you for spreading the joy and love of knitting through your blog.

  233. My husband just reminded me of our vacation in Ireland. There were 7 couples in the B&B dining room, all speaking English… with different accents… NZ, Aussies, Canadians, Irish, Brits, Scots, and us.

  234. What kind of knitter would waste valuable knitting time with such mean, petty nastiness (not to mention how stupid could she be that she didn’t know about the spelling variances – can you say Ugly American?)?!?!?!?! I am very, very tempted by that scale – there are 2 listing for it on ebay – ship to USA only (I would guess because of the Canadian signing regs).

  235. 3 comments:
    a.) people should have better things to do than to go around editing others’ blogs. They could be writing their own blog, for heaven’s sake!
    b.)what rock are they living under that they didn’t notice that Canadian spellings are different from American spellings. Are they going to email the Oxford English Dictionary next with their corrections?
    c.) in the event our coffee pot breaks, we have a back up one cup coffee maker. I think it cost $20 at London Drugs. We also have this weird plastic thing that you put the filter and the grounds in and pour hot water through – coffee comes out. It’s good for camping.

  236. I am in England and would like to say, in your defence, that they don’t call it the ENGLISH language for nothing! The clue’s in the name.
    If Americans want to spell things differently, that’s absolutely fine, I have no problem with that. If Australians (who, in a throwback to my childhood, I still always think of as walking around upside-down with their feet stuck to the ceiling all day long) want to write with their letters upside-down too, that is also fine.
    However, if people who speak ‘American English’ or whatever else want to correct people who speak English itself (the original form) then that really gets on my nerves.
    Not, you understand, that I would correct someone who was speaking American English. They have every right to speak their variant, as long as they keep it to themselves and don’t dare be so arrogant as to assume that just because there are more of them they are automatically right.
    Raaar.
    I am very sorry to any Americans who are reading this and thinking that I hate Americans. I don’t, I adore you, you brought Ben and Jerry’s and big jars of that marshmallow fluffy stuff into the world. I love you guys. But really, as I said, the clue’s in the name.
    PS – Steph, I do know that you technically speak Canadian English, but I am swiftly overlooking this because your spellings accord with (original) English. I love Canada, in fact, I am contemplating buying flights solely to go to Licks Burgers and eat burgers and moose tracks icecream 🙂

  237. I sooooo don’t get people. I used to be a closed caption editor. You know when you hit MUTE on your TV (at least the newer ones) and the words pop up? That was me. And we had to proof EVERYTHING. Every bit of grammar had to be absolutely perfect. Everything got reviewed AT LEAST twice. (BTW, I still have comma issues. Ask me if I care)
    I admit, as a result, I usually automatically proof everything and notice most of the grammar problems in writing. HOWEVER…If I’m coming to YOUR blog that YOU write (heh. I just typed “right”) for PLEASURE, I have absolutely no business correcting you. It is YOUR blog and if you want to misspell every freakin’ word, that’s YOUR business. The only time I usually comment on grammar is if it’s something pretty funny or if I’m asked to. Otherwise…not my place, thankyouverymuch.
    If I don’t want to read through a post with errors…well, then…I should just stay offline and not read blogs…
    Or major magazines (Vanity Fair has misspelled Rockefeller)…
    Or books (a frequent NYT Bestselling author managed to misspell the name of the lead character of a series in book THIRTEEN)…
    Or not watch TV (CNN had a graphic a month ago about a “Fued”)…
    This person needs to get a life…or a hobby. Either way, they need to keep their grubby, judgmental (or judgemental) paws OFF!

  238. Honestly, I had to come out of lurking to apologize for this truly uninformed mean spirited citizen of the United States.
    As Shakespeare said:
    “…but man,proud man,
    Drest in a little brief authority,
    Most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d,…”
    and good heavens what were the Elizabethan English thinking? it’s dressed, didn’t they know?
    Always love your writing. Thank you.

  239. It’s so irritating when someone clueless tries to convince you that you have no clue. What a schmuck.
    Our coffee maker’s auto-shutoff is broken, so we’re constantly afraid that we forgot to turn it off and the house will burn down while we’re gone. I think for my husband’s next birthday I’m going to get him one of those fancy coffee makers that take expensive little capsules of coffee and produce a single cup at a time.

  240. Adding to the list of things you can use those scales for: I’ve done some casting (you know, pour stuff into molds) and used those to mix up various kinds of polyurethane foam, foam latex, etc. I think they’re handy anytime you have to mix chemicals.
    I have digital scale envy. Mine is an Ohaus triple-beam I got off eBay (from the looks of things, a school district had replaced their triple-beams with digital scales and was having a clearance sale). It works well enough but I can’t shake the feeling that having those big numbers would make things more accurate.

  241. People are such people! This person makes me think of a few words, one is “COWARD”, “Looser” is another one…. and I wont tarnish your blog with more offensive, yet deserving, descriptors of this person.
    I’m sorry to hear you get such emails. You have such a fun and wonderful blog.
    Lizbeth in Seattle

  242. I remember one of those I-was-a-cat-toy periods and its companion this-shouldn’t-be-so-hard coffee incidents! I forgot to dump the hot water that was warming the carafe before turning the thing on… ugh, what an overflowing mess.
    Seems to be a rash of blog rudeness going around. Looks like you’ve got some pretty good ointment. (A red font? Really???)

  243. Just a comment on the person who has been sending the nasty emails — I would venture the opinion that s/he is jealous of your success, angry that s/he does not have the same following, somewhat uneducated, and is covering up a huge inferiority complex by acting superior. Further, the person is clearly a coward and cannot take confrontation. The best thing to do is simply hit the delete key when the messages pop up and know that this person’s opinion is obviously not shared by your friends, your fans, and your fellow knitters. Peace to you, gentle knitter.

  244. Some people do not realize that there is a larger English-speaking (and spelling) world than American-speakers..these people need to get out more. Or read a mystery. I remember working on a paper with a Canadian colleague of mine. It was for an American journal so American spellings were necessary (just as Americans need to adjust their spellings for European journals). I changed his ‘metre’ to ‘meter’ and I laughed when he exclaimed, “You have a different spelling for metre? You guys don’t even HAVE the metric system here!”

  245. Ahh yes – the connotation of regular use of a scale that’s accurate to the nearest gram!
    I asked my mum for one for Christmas quite a few years back and caused a bit of concern. I think especially because I’m a chemist by day.
    But really, mine is for baking and chocolate work. When I’m making a wedding cake for someone, I want to know FOR SURE that I’ve put in the correct amount of baking powder, you know?

  246. I remember one of those I-was-a-cat-toy periods and its companion this-shouldn’t-be-so-hard coffee incidents! I forgot to dump the hot water that was warming the carafe before turning the thing on… ugh, what an overflowing mess.
    Seems to be a rash of blog rudeness going around. Looks like you’ve got some pretty good ointment. (A red font? Really???)

  247. If only people would think about their own business and stop worrying about other people’s stuff… life would be a lot easier. Way to go!!!!

  248. Hey! Maybe it was the same asshole who tore the pages out of Arctic Lace at the Barnes and NOble!

  249. Try fixing the coffee problem with just one person…it takes twice as long. Ask me how I know?
    Also so sad that people have nothing better to do. I didn’t realize this punctuation thing was such a damn big deal until I discovered blogland. Apparently it is a major pet peeve of people and they feel the need to correct you. Guess what my pet peeve is? Yep, people who feel the need to correct the tiniest of mistakes or errors. I have better things to do thank you.
    Love You! Love your living room! Spell however you want to! Rock on Harlot!

  250. I’m delurking to say that if they don’t like, they shouldn’t be reading! I, and lots of other people by the looks of it, love it and KNOW that you spell perfectly thank-you-very-much!

  251. How petty, and how sad that someone doesn’t have anything better to do. Of course I know that we Americans are the ones really misspelling these words.
    Relax, Light those candles (remove the, uh, junk, paperwork before) and have a nice long bath. Worried about your stress level…time for a vacation ? Auburn would be a wonderful place !
    Kris

  252. Whoever the spelling police person is needs to get a life. I worked with someone like that it was extremely annoying.

  253. Good for you! It is down right poor manners to email someone to tell them how they are “wrong” on their OWN blog, book or what ever. It is even worse they don’t have the *ahems” to use their really name, email or sign in name to leave said nasty emails or comments. It is petty and stupid. This isn’t high school people, we are big girls, so we should put on our big girl panties and act like it.
    I hope things get better and there are no more coffee issues. I wished I could see my kitchen counter, but since that wasn’t going to happen hubby made a “wall” to a) keep small people off the counter (from the sofa to the counter to the coffee pot) b) so that we didn’t have to look at the crap on our counter. It works very well for both.
    Knit on!

  254. Ah, the spelling police! Whoever is sending you those emails must go nuts reading most blogs, as there are so many with terrible spelling and grammar errors!
    As someone who routinely corrects typos in books and magazines, I know how tempting it can be to get out the red pen. But I also am aware of artistic license (which is where your liberal use of ellipses and other such appendages comes into play) as well as “proper English” versus “American English” variations come into play.
    As for this person who seems to find glee in sending you anonymous email corrections, I can only feel sorry for him/her. What a sad life it must be to have nothing better to do than attempt to act as the grammar police on the Internet!
    If only this person would pick up some knitting needles and yarn and redirect that energy, just think of the scarves and hats and blankets and sweaters that could be produced! 🙂
    To the anonymous emailer: Get. A. Life. . . Seriously!

  255. Since I wear my dust mask around my house while mixing dyes, I have the scale that weighs tiny amounts very accurately, and I leave pots steaming on the stove for hours at a time, my husband is pretty sure that the neighbors think we’re running a drug lab. Just shows what they know.

  256. I seriously wonder about the lives of these people who feel they must “correct” those of us they deem as being “incorrect”. Are they like that IRL too? Some people just have no lives/no clue. In a similar vein, someone once wrote and told me when I use “…” it should be 3 dots, no less and no more. I was amazed someone had counted the dots I used in the first place. Anal or what?

  257. Some people are stupid and ignorant. You are neither. My daughter’s teacher on the other hand did get a red-marked letter from me after she had corrected my daughter’s spelling of behaviour and cancelled in one paper, telling her that those were improper and she needed to make proper use of a dictionary . . . now that was a lovely thing.
    The coffee pot thing is so sad. I probably would have put on my clogs and stomped on down to the local coffee house, leaving my hubby with the mess . . . but then he would have been the one who had made the coffee in the first place.

  258. Sheesh. Some of us Americans actually would prefer the alternatives as listed above (and use them whenever possible).

  259. You go girl! Ignorance and xenophobia are rarely quiet traits, are they? BTW I routinely use a similar scale in my jewELLEry business. And I make my kids say “zed” even if it does make the end of the stupid little alphabet song not rhyme. And require periodic on-the-fly editing of Doctor Zeuss.

  260. I’ve been lurking for over a year, but the story about the spelling Nazi has lured me out of hiding. I am a freelance copy editor/proofreader. I find errors in print all the time, BUT unless someone is paying me–or unless you’re a friend and you’ve asked me for help–I would NEVER point out mistakes. I particularly would not point out mistakes that aren’t mistakes. That’s not only mean, it’s ignorant. I love your blog, Stephanie–your spirit and your style, both in knitting and writing.

  261. “I’m just here to be the universe’s cat toy this week.” Oh, I love it! Gotta remember that one! *giggle*
    Carolyn in Massachusetts quoted her mom as saying, “”My dear Daughter, never try and teach a pig to sing, it wastes you time, and annoys the pig” The other version I like is, “Never wrestle in the mud with a pig. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it!” So I’m just gonna let that mud wallowing spelling pig stay in the mud and applaud you for taking the high road. You rock, girl!
    Barbara L in MA

  262. Oh, also, the scale. I don’t know how precise it is, but I have a pretty good electronic scale from Weight Watchers, I think it was about $35.00, but its a couple of years old. Can flip from metric to ounces (hey, at least you didn’t get called out for using the metric system).
    Kris

  263. A. “I am here to be the Universe’s cat toy this week.” THAT dear Harlot, is going to be on my next T-Shirt, because it describes my entire 2nd semester and I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart for it… thank you.
    B. Okay…I just got first negative (actually, my one and only negative) book review form a person who A. corrected my typos–an event which I’d copiously acknowledged and apologized for on the book site that sells the books and B. couldn’t stand the fact that the book switched different points of view. At first I was devastated… I’m not very strong in the go department…OMG, SOMEBODY DOESN’T LIKE ME!!! Then it hit me…she didn’t like my style…
    Well…I don’t particularly like her style either.
    I feel much the same way about this idi…I mean moro…I mean xenophob…I mean, ahem, PERSON who is harassing you. May they be cursed with nightmares in which words with multiple correct spellings swap vowels at will in a big orgy-dance of culturally diverse understanding.
    May these dreams wake her up horny and alone.

  264. Oh. My. Goodness. Years and years ago when I was backpacking through Europe I visited the Anne Frank House, which has excerpts of her writings as part of the display, very large and on the walls. The excerpts were in English, using the spelling you described. One American tourist commented to her friend (loudly, I might add): “Oh, look, how she misspelled the words!”)
    Now. I didn’t go so far as to sew a Canadian maple leaf to my backpack, as some American backpackers did, but I don’t enjoy sharing a country with nitwits like that. I’m sure you and all the beautiful readers of your blog–visitors to your lovely living room–can adequately fill in the many reactions I had to that comment (all in my head) and all the ways this woman missed the point of the Anne Frank House.
    Which is just to say, there are idiots in this world who will never, ever see the larger picture of anything.
    And I happen to prefer the Canadian/British spellings, for what it’s worth.
    Oh, and even on a normal day, it’s a cruel irony that you have to MAKE the coffee before you can DRINK the coffee because sometimes just getting the damn thing going is Just. Too. Much.
    Hang in there.

  265. It’s amazing – one nasty person gets so many people riled up! Instead of focusing on some jerk, think of how wonderful it would be if every person who reads this post decides to counter that negative energy with positive. Even when (especially when!) things are crappy, smile, give someone you love a hug, and choose to have a wonderful day!
    And while I’m de-lurking: the states have some “incorrect” spellings too! Can I get a howdy, y’all?

  266. Whew! already 208 responses!
    Mean people suck! Mean people who are to chicken shit to sign their own names and addresses not only suck but are well….see the above.
    Sorry for the coffee mess…I have had that happen and it can really wreck a morning and the better part of a large roll of paper towels.
    Hugs to the Harlot….You rock sister!

  267. I was a chemist in my pre-mommy life, and we used lots of scales like that (and ones that could measure even more precise, minute amounts of illicit substances). Fun to see it used for something more pleasant than internal standards. (Is the spelling-nazi correcting the spelling in the comments as well?)

  268. Holy Crap! 300 responses in an hour. I’d say, you’ve struck a nerve here, Steph. Like most Canadians who are quite polite and reserved (in polite company, of course [and rip-snortin’ hilarious amongst their people]), you can only take so much. We may be willing to put up with a lot of poor behaviour for a long time, but never insult a Canadian! Not over hockey, beer, spelling or yarn.
    As a paid editor, I never, ever correct anyone else’s spelling or grammar unless they’ve asked me to. We all get flying fingers and toes when we type. We all become text-blinded and only see what we’ve done sometimes after we’ve hit send or post. It’s the intent that counts. Has communication actually taken place? Did we get what you said? You bet we did. Clear as a bell.
    Now, about the typos in your last book…! 🙂
    Don’t worry, there aren’t any! I checked. 🙂 🙂 🙂

  269. oooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! That’s truly irritating and I’m so glad that you stepped up and let them have it for being so inane. For goodness sake, I just don’t understand how some people have so much time and energy to be so completely mean (and then hide behind the fake email address to boot)! Good for you, Steph! You tell ’em!
    p.s. Take pleasure in the fact that the mean person is certainly in the extreme minority and the rest of us love you.

  270. Dear Stephanie,
    As an American, I will state that I could care less how you spell. I love your knitting projects and your stories about your family make you real to me. We met at Rhinebeck, and because I have social-anxiety disorder it took me about 15 minutes of staring at you to be able to introduce myself and shake your hand. This behavior is confirmed creepiness, and most people get more than a little freaked out by it, but you were so graceful and polite that you have my respect for good. Your character far outweighs any piddly email trying to correct who you are and the knitting community just loves who you happen to be.

  271. People can be so petty! I’d understand if you were using ‘txt’ speak but you’re not! I love your blog and the fact that sometimes things are spelt differently to how we spell in the UK. It would be such a boring world if we were all the same. This ‘person’ needs to get a life!

  272. I feel your coffee pain and am going to help myself to some in your honor.
    I just HAVE to wonder if the heckler is your husband, a daughter, or perhaps someone who has edited your books in the past? hee hee It’s just too ignorant to be true!

  273. Imagine the hay-day the Spell Checker would have if you were to post completely in French. A different word for everything! Yeesh! 😉

  274. The lack of a ‘u’ signifies the impolite emailer is likely American. On the other hand it could be just a Canadian with a grudge against the teacher for enforcing British spelling rules. Block the email address if possible, and if not, have your web person look into it. He (or she) will know how to find the originator’s address. We only think we are annoymous, but each one of us has a unique web connection address.
    I was sent your link by an friend who knits. I don’t knit (it hurts my wrists and if anyone knows how I can get around that please post) but I do crochet and all manner of other needle and thread work. I peeked in your living room the first time, and it’s just so homey and welcoming that I sneak in and sit quietly in the corner several times a week.
    Might I suggest a pot of tea this afternoon? On a cold winter’s day, in the afternoon light, it just warms the cockles of my heart.

  275. Yo go girl!! I totally *love* Canada and spent much time watching hockey games between our wonderful countries. As I recall, the Canadians were polite and totally obsessed! (I think this is a positive trait!) People from *everywhere* can be mean spirited. Don’t blame all of down here in the 48! Most of us embrace our neighbors to the North!! Hopefully, this too shall pass (quickly!!!)

  276. Stephanie, could you pretty, pretty please help me draft a letter to George W. about the state of the U.S. when it has to hassle its own citizens on their way into the Consulate in Toronto? I was mad. But you are so much more eloquent than I. Pretty please? I’ll even make you some coffee when you’re done.
    And re. being the universe’s cat toy? Relax. Enjoy the ride, if you can. Tomorrow it should be someone else’s turn.
    Hugs, my dear. You are the best!

  277. ::dies of laughter::
    You see, I’m in NY and my best friend is in TO and she and I are constantly harping on one another for our “misspellings.” I’ve always loved these little evidences of our two (or three, or however many English-speaking countries we’re discussing at the moment) countries divided by our common language.
    Pity this person doesn’t.
    But you should have the last laugh. Stephanie, dear, you’re Canadian. Post an entry in *French.*

  278. There has been a rash of nastiness going around blogland lately. I’m declaring it to be one very bored, very nasty person who probably needs a real job. One day they will slip up and forget to block out their contact information, and then we’ll have them. Just imagine that whole knitting community you’re riling up against the muggles going after one nasty person. Heehee

  279. Ah! That’s why I keep spelling things the “wrong way” and why the “right way” never looks like it is… As a Canadian living in the US for many years now, I keep forgetting stuff like that and it’s always so refreshing and feels so justified when you post about Canadian culture, grammar, etc. Thanks!

  280. Here is another spelling complaint. They spelled the name of the scale wrong. It appears from the picture that it should be called Vector Fuzzy-On.
    And for it’s and its? I remember by substituting “his” (which has no apostrophe) and if it fits then use “its” (no apostrophe), as in “It’s a good thing you gave the cat (his) its dinner”.
    But in your case, you can just say in an offhand manner “I let my editor take care of all that”.

  281. Okay, I just couldn’t resist a response here. I think I might be terribly annoyed by this. I feel outraged for you and here’s why:
    1. As an English teacher–I have it on very good authority (that would be from me) that most people–adults included–can’t spell for poop. I believe this can be directly attributed to the “spell check” crutch we have all become victim to.
    2. As the above mentioned professional, I must also point out that American English–which was derived from British (at the time the “King’s”) English has evolved differently in the area of spellings and if the person emailing you had any background in the history of language they would know this. (They would also know why Wilhelm Grimm is responsible for figuring out what happened with English vowel pronounciation but that’s a different discussion)
    3. Referencing item #2: If American English and British English have lexicon distinctions, it only takes about 2 brain cells (2 are needed to generate enough spark for this one) to extrapolate that Canadian English–again derived from British English–would have also undergone some variations over the past couple of hundred years or so. . . Duh!!!
    4. Language is an ever-changing, living, breathing thing and it’s the dynamic nature of language that makes it so interesting.
    5. The nasty emailer is obviously ignorant to these issues. They are–sadly–engaging in an intellectual battle seriously unarmed.
    And, finally, (and here’s where I use some of my very BEST vocabulary) they should get the “F” over themselves and leave literate people alone.
    Whew! Getting off my soapbox now—-hope I sppelled everything write.
    he he

  282. Only cowards and perverts use fake email addresses.
    I love your writing style and could give a rat’s arse about your spelling and grammar.
    You shouldn’t waste your time and energy trying to educate this person. Remember the words of Ron White (comedian), “You can’t fix stupid!”

  283. Why on earth would anyone want to correct the spelling in a blog???And who is to say that one spelling is correct, and the other is not??? I’m Norwegian, we learned BritishEnglish in school, but with a mother from the US, I often get confused about the spelling. So what?People understand me. At least if they want to!
    I really enjoy your blog, and the pretty photographs, especially of that Bohus sweater! I will have to look closer in your archives. Keep up the good woork.

  284. “Maybe the anonymous coward can start a spelling blog, and we could all criticize her knitting.”
    Posted by: Kristy at February 27, 2007 1:46 PM
    I think that is the very best suggestion that I’ve heard.
    Of course, this is probably one of those people who are always complaining about those stupid and unrealistic movies where the cars are all backwards and everyone is driving down the wrong side of the road.

  285. He/She is probably jealous of your talents, and this is his/her pathetic little attempt to try to feel superior.
    I’m going back into lurker mode now.

  286. As a Canadian I was always smug that our spellings came first. I was therefore chagrined to discover that Latin spells it ‘honor’, ‘color’, ‘labor’, etc. That doesn’t change the fact that Canadian/British spellings are extremely long established and utterly correct.
    On the other hand… I recall hearing something about text-message abbreviations being allowed in high school tests in New Zealand. I thinking marking those would make me break out into hives. That’s even worse than ‘donut’!
    But really: what is with the rude people this week? You are the fourth blog I have read TODAY dealing with rude commentors. What ever happened to manners? Why are they all crawling out of the woodwork NOW?

  287. Funny.. I NEVER noticed your different spelling.
    🙂 –even if you spelled every other word wrong i would still read you and be thankful that you take the time to let us into your life 🙂

  288. Whoah! Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of rudeness amongst readers, and I don’t like it. How do people have the NERVE to do that, and some even do it in the public domain! Blogs should be here for your benefit and enjoyment (or empathy for the reader)!

  289. Chill girl let it go… take it from me drink tea instead it is much better for you. The funny thing is that my friend in TN and I have been inspired by you and the masondixonknitters to start our own blog but before doing so I have been doing some research (I am compulsive about research before I start anything because I want to get it right as I possibly can also…using dot, dot ,dot and semicolons) and we have been trying to decide whether (or is it weather…can’t be bothered to get the old HS pocket Oxford out right now) we should use our own names or a psudo…..nickname, how to protect our family from wierdos or if it is really needed. All that aside from weather one should pay to register ones own domain name and then start ones own web/blog or just go with a free blog hosting service. It was Emmily Robbinson’s blog that got me pondering this because she said if you ever want to move they have you over a barrel with your Domain name that you built but they own….arrr I digress….this is why I need my own blog I guess.
    Anyway this was my conclusion and what impressed about you and your site:
    “2. The appeal of her[yarnharlot’s] site (and most, I have noticed) is that it is about a real person whom others can connect with because she is so natural and comfortable with things…..
    but if she has some nasty comments (I only read the ones from the first blog) SHE OBVIOUSLY IGNORES THEM.
    Too wierd to read your post today!!
    As for the spelling… you can always do what I do and remind people which country invented English and therefore who’s spelling is more accurate? So it follows that the Canadiens (certainly on the English speaking side) many of whom were loyalists fleeing from the rebbels, had no desire to butcher the English language in the way Americans have…..I forgive all my US buddies I do love you really but fact is fact. Either that or just tell them you are writing in English and not American.

  290. Speaking of things that take an inordinately large number of people and inordinate amount of time to deal with: It once took my entire knitting group about two hours to untangle approximately 100g of rayon ribbon that had suffered from ‘ball blow-out’. That was before we learned about yarn bras.
    Also, I’ve never been able to deal with the it’s-its issue until now when I just read the comment about the ‘his test’. It’s genius! Thanks, B!

  291. Being an aussie I know exactly where you’re coming from. By the way, I love the “colour” of the “woollen” “fibre” you’re using!

  292. Mercury is in Retrograde. I normally don’t give much credence to astrology, but every time Mercury goes retrograde, I see a huge change in things, so I’m inclined to believe just this one astrological thing. Don’t ask me how that works, the believing parts and not believing others.

  293. I’m an archaeologist (another word with mulitple spellings), and I use a scale like that for weighing artifacts. I bought it when I lived in Berkeley, so I had my choice of head shops and they were willing to bargain and give discounts for cash. Anyone else looking for one might try Forestry Suppliers.

  294. Well, I notice your occasional lapses in spellng and grammar. They usually look like typos, to me (well, I’ve noticed a couple in your books, too). But, really…who cares? I LOVE the Canadian/British spellings…you left out my favorite, though, Grey, not gray. Really, how boring is “gray”???? At least I think the grey is the British spelling…
    BTW, isn’t spilling that coffee ironic 😉 ?

  295. I am reminded of lyrics from my favorite band of 15 years, Barenaked Ladies…
    “A is for asshole…” from the A song. Also I think of the song Angry People and apply that to the Red Penner, cus she just brings us down..
    Spell Stephanie! Spell like the red blooded Canadian you are!! Obviously Red Penner is a stunned arse (I bet Joe’s heard that one, being from the Atlantic side of the country).
    Cheers!
    ** skips away tossing elipses, commas, semi colons, and exclamation points into the air like a deranged flower girl at a punctuation party…traa laa laaaa**

  296. Sad, sad grammar person. Probably the same person who cancled a subscription to Spin-off because the word single-ply made it into print. I hope they stop bugging you and that things get easier really quickly.

  297. In the words of my Funny Gramma (slightly edited), “if you don’t have something nice to say(or write), don’t say(write)anything at all.” Too bad you can’t forward this to whomever has taken it upon himself/herself to be the grammar police. Have another cup of coffee and keep smiling!

  298. This person is obviously not a knitter.
    1. Knitters are brave (hello, steeking!) – this person with his/her fake email is a coward that can dish it out not not take it.
    2. Knitters know that every needle they use has a US size and a size in mm. And I believe there’s even another measuring system after that. There’s also English and Continental knitting – all different, none wrong.
    3. Knitters love you!! Just the way your are! Even if you DID spell things wrong, which we all know you don’t!
    🙂 I have to come out of lurking to say that. You just plain rock.

  299. This person is obviously not a knitter.
    1. Knitters are brave (hello, steeking!) – this person with his/her fake email is a coward that can dish it out not not take it.
    2. Knitters know that every needle they use has a US size and a size in mm. And I believe there’s even another measuring system after that. There’s also English and Continental knitting – all different, none wrong.
    3. Knitters love you!! Just the way your are! Even if you DID spell things wrong, which we all know you don’t!
    🙂 I have to come out of lurking to say that. You just plain rock.

  300. This person is obviously not a knitter.
    1. Knitters are brave (hello, steeking!) – this person with his/her fake email is a coward that can dish it out not not take it.
    2. Knitters know that every needle they use has a US size and a size in mm. And I believe there’s even another measuring system after that. There’s also English and Continental knitting – all different, none wrong.
    3. Knitters love you!! Just the way your are! Even if you DID spell things wrong, which we all know you don’t!
    🙂 I have to come out of lurking to say that. You just plain rock.

  301. I would proudly vote you Canadian ambassador to any of the places that reside outside our borders.
    I haven’t been commenting because you’ve been receiving so many and it’s fun to just read them, but I want to shout out support on your wonderful, funny, ACCURATE side.
    Too bad we can’t all be exactly the same as your anonymous chicken.

  302. First of all, thank you for making me pull out my dictionary to look up “emender.” Believe it or not, it was on the page I first opened.
    Second – I LOVE Canadian/European “misspellings”! They’re so much more interesting than our boring old spelling! Give me an extra U! Tell me that calories are really “units of energy”! Give me some adventure, something out of the ordinary!
    Poor red pen person. So much time on their hands and they can’t find something productive to do.

  303. What’s with all the nasty comments, emails, etc lately? There’s a damn plague of bad behavio(u)r of late. Sorry to read that a chunk of it blew your way.

  304. Goes to show that this very rude person is not leading the rich full life you do – perhaps there is some jealousy involved? Stand up for yourself!

  305. Goes to show that this very rude person is not leading the rich full life you do – perhaps there is some jealousy involved? Stand up for yourself!

  306. Drug dealer scales, Oh Man! Once I was doing a dyeing demo at an outdoor event and was weighing out some dried plant material (weld, yellow dye, long serrated leaves, looks suspiciously like SOMETHING else, not that I would know, I’ve just been told that it looks like SOMETHING else) when a Mountie from the local detatchement came stolling by… Good thing she was interested in natural dyes and knew quite a bit about it.

  307. I find it fascinating that if you buy a DDS (“drug dealer scale”) at a reputable establishment for entirely innocent knitterly purposes you need to provide ID and an address, but if you buy it at a head shop (most likely for illicit this-is-why-they-call-it-a-drug-dealer-scale purposes) they’re pleased as punch to swipe your card and wish you a nice day. Maybe it’s just an American policy (or lack of it)?

  308. I love your high-tech scale! For those with a smaller budget, and not such generous siblings (actually, I lie, my bro is completely generous, he bought me a swift once, without knowing what it was), a similiar scale can be bought at Ikea. It has an metal weighing platform (not glass or plastic like the one you show), and can weigh in ounces or grams, and tares out really easily. I think it costs less than 20 bucks – american.
    Oh, for those who don’t know, taring means you can put, say, a bowl on a scale, then hit ‘tare’ so the counter goes back to zero, put whatever you want to weigh in the bowl, and the scale just measures the weight of that object without the bowl factored in.
    I’m so sure that there’s a much more succint way of explaing that – sigh.
    Anyway, can’t wait till March 22nd!

  309. I emigrated from Canada to the US many, many moons ago, and I still get jokingly taken to task by my husband (whose family is also from Canada originally) and daughter for those “misspellings,” along with the usage gems such as chesterfield, rug, tap, rad(iator), and the every present, eh?
    Luckily, they find it all endearing, and we are a family of humour.
    Obviously, your revealing that this someone is “correcting” you ad hominem, then leaving a false email address is saying volumes more about them and their intelligence and ethics than any retorts you yourself could ever make against them.
    Rock on, girl.

  310. Oh. My. Freaking. God. Once again I am utterly ashamed of one of my fellow citizens of the US of A. Please forgive us, we’re not all bloomin’ idiots, I swear!

  311. Oh to have as much extra time on my hands as this person does! Makes you wonder about the thought process doesn’t it? “Hmmmm, I have some spare time! I could go do something useful, or fun, OR I could harass Canadian Knitbloggers about their Canadian spelling. YEAH!”

  312. Of all the things on this green earth, why does this person a) get so worked up about spelling variants and b) not realize that these are spelling variants and not incorrect spellings. Perhaps she will realise she is off side and manoeuvre her way back into the woolly fold. If she doesn’t get with the programme, we’ll kick her to the kerb like an aluminium can. I have no defence for such behaviours or practises. Chaucer spelled words how they sounded and there was no organisation to it. Being a fibre goddess may not be as glamourous an occupation as some, but in spite of grey hairs and spilt coffee, most of us are able to have at least civil dialogue amongst each other.
    (Okay, admittedly, some of those are a stretch, but I personally adore alternate spellings or archaic spellings)

  313. Hats off to you, my dear! Give the emailer all heck for critisizing you! My spelling probably sucks and its probably because I read a LOT of first year college student papers. So, I’m not sure what the correct spelling of almost anything is anymore….
    Just read yesterday’s entry too – what a BRILLIANT idea to spin your own color (yes I’m in the US) transition yarn that way! I think I’ll go hunt through my own stash and try it.
    Thanks so much for the inspiration!

  314. Isn’t it nice we can spell things differently and have different words for objects? Personally, I’m advocating for increased use of the word chesterfield here in NJ. It’s so much more of a word than sofa.
    Maybe you can snag tickets to ‘A Putnam County Spelling Bee’ while in NYC next. It’s time to have a good laugh at spelling, no?

  315. Hats off to you, my dear! Give the emailer all heck for critisizing you! My spelling probably sucks and its probably because I read a LOT of first year college student papers. So, I’m not sure what the correct spelling of almost anything is anymore….
    Just read yesterday’s entry too – what a BRILLIANT idea to spin your own color (yes I’m in the US) transition yarn that way! I think I’ll go hunt through my own stash and try it.
    Thanks so much for the inspiration!

  316. Anonymous emailers are the worst type of spineless. SPINELESS.
    And in case she/he is back: Didja read that and all these other comments that proclaim your idiocy, ya rude jerkface chicken “anonymous emailing” freak?
    Gah. I just can’t stand the holier-than-thou attitude of some people in this world. And the anonymous part just burns my panties since I believe the internets are about dialogue, not one-ended insult throwing. Sorry to hear you have this “person” aggravating you.
    Double-gah I’m perturbed.

  317. Hi,
    your spelling is so clear and good,I’m from Germany and it was possible for me to read all your books without problems or a dictionary.
    And another question for the nasty person who wrote the emails(and a salute for the hero who is too cowardly to write the correct email adress….phhhh):If your spelling is so bad and his/hers so good,why do you write successful books and he/she not?
    And one more comment:If my grammar is too bad,who cares?Im from Germany and my German is better!
    Best wishes,
    Anna-Maria

  318. Reading your blog and seeing an alternative spelling or use of words reminds me that we share the world with others who have ways that may be different from ours (in the USA), but are valid and acceptable. Keep up the good work; say and spell it however you wish!

  319. Reading your blog and seeing an alternative spelling or use of words reminds me that we share the world with others who have ways that may be different from ours (in the USA), but are valid and acceptable. Keep up the good work; say and spell it however you wish!

  320. This may seem like overkill (and I’m sorry if someone mentioned it perviously in your comments), but if this person is really REALLY teeing you off, perhaps you can have your web guy track down the IP address and see if he can block the person completely. You may also be able to filter out that particular IP from your email. After all, just because someone is being stupid, it doesn’t make it any less aggravating, especially when you have no way to respond personally! Good luck!

  321. My dad still loves to tell the story of how I was sent home from school for correcting the teacher – I insisted the proper pronunciation was “arse”.
    I think it was grade 2 – obviously the die was cast…

  322. Hey. Someone probably already mentioned this (I’m too pressed for time to look at all eleventy billion comments), but I think the coffee maker thing is DEFINITELY a mercury retrograde issue…

  323. You tell ’em! Personally, I always thought that the non-American spellings were much more colourful anyway >grin< … And I love my scale too, and I feel for you in the coffee adventures (care for a virtual cuppa — I expect it’d be cold before it got to you from Boston otherwise). Oh, and yes, I love ellipsisesses… er… ellipses and parens as well and my own blog tends to be well salted and peppered with them (at least I know I’m in good company).
    Question, though, you get so many comments, how do you keep up? I was feeling a bit lonely, comment-wise, a bit ago, until it occured to me that I wouldn’t quite know how to handle some 800+ a day. Do you reach a point where you’d rather we not blather on unless we have something pertinent and original to offer? I’d probably comment more often but, wow, 800+ in a day and it takes a while just to find one’s way to the end. I’m not sure whether I’m in awe or just completely flabbergasted… (And I mean all this in a totally good way, please believe me…) (and there you see, ellipses and parens, just for good measure… Am I babbling yet?)
    Spinn lyckligt!

  324. You go Girl!
    I am guilty of most of the ‘so-called’ grammar infractions you mention. For me, blogging is more a train-of-thought rambling sort of medium as opposed to pencil-paper writing. The use of ellipses, hyphens, its/it’s (who cares?) helps clarify my thought process.
    Your ‘grammar policeperson’ just doesn’t get, never will, and should get a life.

  325. Nicely put. As an editing professional, I often have an eye out for grammatical or spelling errors. However, unlike the malicious ignoramus who has been sending you hate mail, I think that the varieties of English (written and spoken) are one of the most interesting and delightful things about the language. Thanks for being such a vibrant writer – your “voice,” complete with the occasional grammatical error and Canadian spellings, is what makes your words come alive.

  326. Well thank goodness for your post! As a Canadian I knew about the colour/color thing, and a couple other words that I like to spell with a “u,” but my copy of Word is forever correcting me on fibre, behaviour, etc., and I’ve actually started second-guessing myself. Canadian spelling all the way! Thanks for the little boost to my national identity.
    Oh, and I’ve *totally* been there with the coffee thing. Done that exact thing, the grinds and coffee everywhere, the coffee-addicted husband alternating between fainting and glowering, and no one capable of moving very fast on the issue because of the no caffeine thing. Usually we just sop up the majority of the mess, unplug the coffee maker, and walk to Starbucks. Deal with the details *after* coffee.

  327. a) Mean people suck – especially those who lack balls.
    b) It’s a BLOG – not a dissertation.
    c) That’s a really pretty color yellow/green for the garter stitch (scarf?).
    and d) If you didn’t know, Barnes and Noble Book Clubs (at bn.com) has changed the Home and Hobbies Book Club to a KNITTING BOOK CLUB!!!!! 🙂 I told them they should ask you to “guest” moderate for a month since you are both an author AND a spectacular knitter. 😀

  328. Stephanie, what a crazy world we live in. Although I wasn’t born in Oklahoma, I was certainly raised here, and while a wee lass was read to out of some really old books that had the ‘proper’ spelling and learned to read from those books. Enter the school system and they’re teaching me how to read and spell and I’m raising my hand,’excuse me, they’ve misspelled ‘colours’ here’, it was all a very rude awakening. I learned to spell their way for them, in all my personal writings from childhood to present I use the older way of spelling… So, sweetfuckingjeezelouise! what is the deal…there’s been an awful lot of this rudeness going round in the comments on blogs, but for you to be getting nasty personal emails? I find it absolutely amazing, and not in a good way at all. I’m thinking there’s folks out there with sand in their vaginas, otherwise…why, oh why.
    I love every minute I get to spend in your livingroom and I must say it’s quite the comfy chesterfield. Thank you so much!

  329. Oh, the tragedy… It would be so much easier to take coffee pot disaster if you’d had a cup of coffee…
    The spelling reminds me of my Dad’s tenure in Singapore. We’re from the U.S. and Singapore speaks and writes British English. My Dad would write a something, give it to his admin to print or whatever. She would correct the spelling to U.K. My Dad would change it back to U.S. Repeat. Repeat. On for 6 years…
    She insisted proper spelling for Singapore in Singapore and he insisted that as a division of an American company the proper spelling was U.S. especially if the distribution list was international.

  330. You are such a big person for not pointing out that those words were spelled YOUR WAY FIRST!
    It’s funny, I was born and bred in the Midwestern USA and I sometimes write colour, rumour, favourite etc. instead of the way they should be spelled here in the states. I guess that way just makes more sense to my brain!

  331. Honestly, I prefer your version of spelling! I always thought “traveled” should be “travelled,” but when I worked as a public relations hack my editors constantly changed my spelling. Some things just look wrong with one “l…” like, woollen!

  332. I learned to read in England, and got into trouble for years from “English” teachers in the USA Midwest who didn’t understand. The worst was “sha’n’t”, which maysherestinpeace Florence N, my 7th grade Language Arts teacher, refused to believe real even when I lugged in the dictionary. Consistent spelling is a relatively recent invention. We pities their ignorance and despises them (that’s Dickens, so it’s literature, not invective).

  333. Get the idiot! Good for you!
    I can’t believe that any literate person does not understand national and regional spelling variations. Has this person never consulted a real dictionary?
    Don’t let them criticize your grammar and punctuation, either. A blog is an informal medium, where an occasional error or an over-reliance on elipses can be condoned. I am a former English professor. I know these things.
    I am aghast at the anonymous email. If s/he wants to post a response in the comments section and expose his/her ignorance and arrogance to public ridicule, that’s one thing. Sending anonymous email is something quite different! Public exposure is the only way to deal with this behavior. Good for you!
    Soon February will be over. It will again be safe to brew coffee . . . and knit Bohus sweaters . . . and post in your own voice on your own blog.

  334. Hmmm
    Thanks for that , I must be a little slow as I hadn’t realised [ or should it be realized? ] that Canadian spelling is the same as NZ.
    I have always wondered if , when commenting on a US site I should use say fiber or fibre for example. I tend to just go with how we [ NZ’ers] spell as I think it adds local colour!! [ Or should that be color!! ]
    Oh well whatever, I do think someone needs to get a life, really…!!!
    If they want poor spelling and grammar just check my site. I may get more commments heh, heh. Or I would if I found time to post more. sigh Like you life can take over at times.
    What commentors need to realise is that they can’t see or know the person but they are passing judgement on them and their lives. I guess we all keep something of ourselves back and private from our blogs so how can a person make such judgements when they don’t know the person well!!!
    I am hard of hearing, somewhat deaf in fact. As a result I have trouble with grammar and spelling as I can’t “hear” the words correctly. This can make for some interesting “new” words my brain has a tendancy to make up. Now there is no way you would know that without meeting me. All my “real-life” friends know this and make adjustments accordingly [ in other words put up with..] but no way would a commentor know this. So guess if they ever find my site they will have some fun!!
    Hang in there it does get better and spring is just around the corner. 🙂

  335. As I was reading this, I was wracking my brain. Now, I tend to be a spelling nazi, as my hubby puts it. But I couldn’t remember EVER having seen spelling mistakes in your blog. I find your grammar amusing and realistic, mostly as it is similar to my own writing style. Ellipses are my favorite.
    And as far as the coffee incident…I am VERY sorry. This is why I stick to chocolate. I once cried when I dropped some thomas’s english muffins, I have an excuse for that though.

  336. You my lovely, spell words using the Canadian/British/Australian spelling. And therefore in this hate noter’s eyes, a reminder that there is more to the English language than American English. Thank the sweet gods for that. As a British reader, it is nice to read a blog written with all the extra ‘u’s. Why not throw them entirely and stick a bit of French or Metis in there?

  337. What an arse! Or is ass the correct spelling? By the way, my husband is firm in his belief that knitters will soon take over the world and that it will be a good thing indeed!

  338. “Aquel que este libre de culpa que tire la primera piedra” (Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone) I just hate it when people are rude and vicious. I hope you’re feeling better.

  339. Steph, I am entirely on your side. I’m a big fan of English (as in “British”) literature, and I have preferred to use Imperial spellings all my life.
    Apropos of your current project: this is the first time since I’ve started reading your blog that you’ve done a project that is within *my* knitting skill level! Hurrah!

  340. You know, on the whole I like the Canadian/English way of spelling things better than the American way. I especially like “grey” instead of “gray.” I like it to the point where I spell things the Canadian way instead. And screw whoever doesn’t like it – both are equally acceptable as far as I’m concerned, and neither is “wrong.”

  341. Oh, i hope whoever it is is reading all of these comments as well as your blog post and learns just what a petty little arse of a person they are. have they never been on a computer spellcheck and seen options for US english, UK english, etc etc etc…?
    And even if they’re too dim to notice you come from a different country, what kind of a person is enough of a t*sser to email you about your spelling? Get a life, sad case! i bet they’re the kind of person who writes letters into newspapers lamenting the ‘upsetting trend’ in something we’re all too busy getting on with life to notice. Nil carborundum illegitimi!

  342. Ach, made the same mistake with the coffee machine once. And never again! So sorry about your spilled coffee – I feel your pain!
    Your anonymous emailer needs to get out a bit more so that they’re not so obsessed with blog spelling errors. Geez, I barely have time to read blogs much less to check spelling errors.
    Plus, isn’t there a way to check/block the IP address that is the source of the email?
    Don’t let the haters get you down!

  343. Hi Stephanie,
    I haven’t ever posted or commented before and would just send this to you if I knew how but I don’t. I have a question that maybe you can answer since you are around wool fiber a lot and around lots of other people who are too. I have been spinning for a couple of years now, and just dyed up a lovely batch of fiber on Sunday that is now dry and ready to go. My question has to do with my throat and bronchial tubes seemingly reacting to the wool. They feel like they are constricting and get tight and even a little wheezy, which is disappointing, to say the least. It started happening a few months into my spinning and I can go for an hour or so and then need to stop. There have been times that I thought I’d not stop and see what happened but then those areas are affected for a few days.
    I am wise enough to know that clearly something is going on and that I shouldn’t be pushing myself but I haven’t found anyone else who has this affliction, or literature in my research that mentions it either. Usually it sounds like wool allergies show up in the skin rather than in the respiratory track.
    I don’t know if you’ll see this note, buried as it is amongst the spelling encouragement comments, but I thought if anyone would have heard about this, you would. Thanks for your writing and sharing your heart through your words and your art.
    Warmly,
    Ann

  344. I don’t think that…. mean /vitriolic/ sour and bitter people set out to get under other people’s skin……I don’t think anyone gets up in the morning and decides while flossing ( heck, mean people don’t floss….) ” Today is the day, when I make the Harlot miserable “…
    I do think they just have so little of worth on the inside that there is nothing good ever coming out.
    The real tragedy is, that they have to put up with themselves every second of the day, 24 / 7 all year long, while you dear Stephanie can let go after a good rant.
    I used to get angry at those kind of people, but now I pity them…..from the bottom of my heart.
    Angelika
    Mexico City
    who now is very selfconscious of her English, learned in Germany, practiced in Iowa and around the Pacific Rim ( Japan, India….yes, I still use the word tiffin, it sounds so ” Passage to India ” like and Thailand ) and now is happy when her ideas come across……to that spelling is secondary, even though she does make an effort…….

  345. What is with people who have to put someone else down in order to feel better about themselves? I feel sorry for them to live life that way. They can’t see the forest for the trees to miss your insightful & joyful comments as a diagram for living life to the fullest. I’m donating to Knitters without Borders as my personal apology.

  346. I don’t think that…. mean /vitriolic/ sour and bitter people set out to get under other people’s skin……I don’t think anyone gets up in the morning and decides while flossing ( heck, mean people don’t floss….) ” Today is the day, when I make the Harlot miserable “…
    I do think they just have so little of worth on the inside that there is nothing good ever coming out.
    The real tragedy is, that they have to put up with themselves every second of the day, 24 / 7 all year long, while you dear Stephanie can let go after a good rant.
    I used to get angry at those kind of people, but now I pity them…..from the bottom of my heart.
    Angelika
    Mexico City
    who now is very selfconscious of her English, learned in Germany, practiced in Iowa and around the Pacific Rim ( Japan, India….yes, I still use the word tiffin, it sounds so ” Passage to India ” like and Thailand ) and now is happy when her ideas come across……to that spelling is secondary, even though she does make an effort…….

  347. Sad. I believe this person suffers greatly from OCD (obbessive compulsive disorder). I always looked on blogging as a written conversation and thus exempt from the usual fuss of grammar correctness (oops, did I miss a comma). Besides, looking at all the supportive responses, you just keep on trekking (a little humour inserted here). I continue enjoying your conversation.

  348. Wat cind of idot wuld go to such extreems to correkt the speling of a personel blog.
    what a asshat.
    Steph – I love your blog. 🙂

  349. This is one of those times when it’s embarrassing to be an American. Mercifully, not all of us are as xenophobic and clueless as your correspondent. This reminds me of the daughter of a friend who, after returning from a soccer trip to Spain, announced that the Spanish eat dinner late at night, and “it’s just not healthy”. Poor child, like too many others, had no idea that there are many ways to live in this world.
    Imagine what this world would be like if everyone just got over themselves.

  350. Add a third group–chemistry teachers! I actually won one as a door prize at a convention that is worth $300. I didn’t take it to school either–it’s mine.

  351. I’m with Julie (that last one above me…). People actually pay me to correct their writing because I don’t nag them about every “error” in every email or tell them when their oral prepositions are dangling (not as nasty as it sounds). No one speaks in correct sentences and most people write the way they talk, and being anal about the everyone’s language use would take too much time away from my knitting.

  352. I’m a scientist. We often use the same kind of scale in lab. It is also one of the most popular lab related item that gets stolen out of our labs (I’m not counting lap tops and cell phones because there are many non-science uses for them). We’ve always assumed it’s the drug dealers stealing them. Somehow, I don’t think a knitter would get that desperate to measure her yarn. 😉
    I love how you spell colour and fibre and centre. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I wish I was be Canadian so I could spell things like that. But, I could never call the last letter of the alphabet zed. That would just be wrong.

  353. A quick comment to mention that I find it absolutely hilarious that you are calling out the ‘unauthorized blog editor’. Maybe you’ll get an apology out of them for it? Probably not, but here’s hoping.

  354. Oh. My. Goodness. Please tell me that, in this day and age, any literate person knows that there are different spelling conventions in different English-speaking countries!! This is why I get so worked up when they edit the Harry Potter books for American spellings. Surely, surely, Americans can handle the notion that words can be spelled in several different ways and still mean the same thing? Please? Apparently not. Alas and alack. Meanwhile, you’re great, I love the way you spell fibre, and you just hang in there, sister!

  355. I went to an international school for several years, mostly while I was learning to spell. 🙂 The one rule that our teachers had relating to English/American spelling was to be consistent. You can have coloured fibre, but not colored fibre. That rule is so ingrained that it really bugs me to see all of the theatres and centres in the US. I get over it, mind you, but it bugs me. Sadly, this person is just one more example of why we Americans are so frequently called “ugly.”
    Mercury is in retrograde? That does explain quite a bit. I have had emails go astray, knitting refuse to behave itself, and rabbits who have decided that pulling fur out of their friends is great fun. *sigh* March 7 can’t come soon enough.

  356. Oh that is just so very silly – there are starving children for heaven’s sakes! Maybe she should use that red “pen” to write a check (to MSF) or contribute positively to the world instead of attempting to bring other people down.
    Keep on keepin’ on.

  357. Oh that is just so very silly – there are starving children for heaven’s sakes! Maybe she should use that red “pen” to write a check (to MSF) or contribute positively to the world instead of attempting to bring other people down.
    Keep on keepin’ on.

  358. There seems to be a rash of rudeness going around. 2nd Time today! I’ve only been reading here for 2 years but integrity abounds. I wonder if the offender ever popped 1000 comments on their blog or travelled outside their head for that matter. No matter how you spell it, you matter to many:)

  359. Oh poor you – how abominable. Surely your ‘correspondent’ will get bored of it at some point.
    Re the scales – in my teenage years I used some similar (but obviously more old fashioned than that) for weighing seeds. I worked in a very old fashioned gardening shop at weekends and we sold loose seed, big stuff like peas and beans could be sold by the quarter pound but the dust-like ones were sold in fractions of an ounce.

  360. Oh I am so sorry if you have been insulted by a spelling checker UK person. ( I am originally from Belgium). Apart from the annoyance factor for you ( well more than that probably if you have had no coffee either that day), it is unusual of Uk inhabitants as many are not keen on spelling ( unless they are teachers…and the red underline strongly suggest it could be a teacher if that narrows it down and you are remotely interested in finding out who the bad person is.
    I would give him/ her the green sock award ( well you know what they can do with it). Definitely not red.
    I enjoy your blog, your content and sense of humour as well as ‘ calling a spade a spade’ are very refreshing. If only other people ( most knitters excluded generally) would just be real…..instead of hiding behind a mask, the world would certainly be a knitterly place.
    Oh and by the way, I like it this side of the pond and love Canada too what I have seen of it.
    Your living room is a nice place to be and you have the right to ban badly behaved peope or ignore them, its your place.

  361. Most everything I’d have said has been said already.
    There are ways to knit that don’t involve quite
    as much stress on the wrists. One man uses a knitting stick that holds the right-hand needle and has learned to just pump it with the right hand and let the spring-action return do most of the work.
    Others use needles with hooked ends for round knitting (Portuguese or South American, Lacis may have them in the USA), combination knitting, wrapping the yarn around the neck so it comes from the left and is ‘thrown’ with the left thumb – three or four together could be done!

  362. How funny that your tormentor is clearly not very well read or particularly well educated!
    Maybe you can set your spam filter for red font?

  363. What. Nerve.
    I am sputtering. I cannot fathom the absolute *daring* to do something like that to someone like you! There was no call for it, none whatsoever.
    So you tell that coffeepot to stop pulling pranks like that or we’re all going to bring teabags to your house. THAT will teach it a lesson!
    We love you, Stephanie!

  364. Troll. What chutzpah. (Don’t know if I spelled that correctly.)
    I agree that some (too many, esp. the biggest a**e in DC) Americans – oops, errr, citizens of the USA – believe that “our” way is the only right way. Witness a small incident in the Middle East right now. Although I bear no responsibility in this narrow-minded, isolationist, idiotic view of reality, I feel compelled to apologize – errr, apologise – for the sins of my (gritting of teeth) countrymen and women, just because they will never be sufficiently aware to do it themselves. (I didn’t vote for the DC idiot, I promise you!)
    This point of view, or “point-less” of view, saddens me and frightens me. The world DOES NOT end at the boundaries of the USA. They don’t realize it. It is having horrible consequences, with, I fear, more to come. I’m at a loss for what effective things can be done.
    :::sigh, shudder:::

  365. Dear Steph,
    I am an editor by profession, and I do not give a rat’s arse about your spelling or, say, your use of “it’s” when “its” is correct.
    Editing your work for publication would be a piece of cake; indeed, it would be far more a matter of copyediting than editing. Fixing up typos and such small mistakes? Easy peasy. Do I give a damn about your mistakes? No, I don’t. Would I delight in pointing them out to you? No, sorry, I have better things to do. Besides, doing so would be too much of a busman’s holiday.
    Clearly, your detractor is: (1) woefully ignorant about what constitutes correct spelling in different parts of the world; (2) too cowardly to give you her or his correct e-mail address; and (3) a passive-aggressive time-waster who would be better off reading other blogs if she/he doesn’t like yours.
    Finally, I love your writing for its heart and its spirit. I love your stories and your views of the world and how you describe them. That’s why your blog is one of my faves. You always leave me wanting more.

  366. You have published four books and write a blog that is read by hundreds (maybe thousands). Your writing is creative, funny, well- crafted, and one of the highlights of my day.
    To critique and not have the balls to sign a real name is, well, gutless. I’m guessing this person isn’t nearly as successful or have as full a life as you.
    Keep on going Stephanie, we’re all reading and lovin’ it.
    Can’t wait to have you in St. Paul, MN. I’ll be there!

  367. As a teacher of English as a second language, I can affirm that that there are often several legitimate spellings for the same English word, depending on what country you hail from. I mentally have to keep track of ALL the English spelling differences and individual language/grammatical quirks (UK, American, Canadian, Australian, etc.) in order to tell my students which country’s spelling to use! (Some students prefer UK-based spelling, and others prefer American spellings, and I think this big, beautiful world has plenty of room for all of these spelling differences and many other differences besides.) I sympathize (American spelling for “sympathize”, but “sympathise” UK if you prefer!) with the teacher who wrote that she isn’t even sure she can keep track of any of it herself anymore since she grades other people’s papers all day, every day. I know the feeling….
    Thanks for inviting us into the living room with you. Perhaps this strange blogger with a false identity could be excused from your living room to go find a place in the back woodshed in the future? It’s where all of us would like to see him/her stay from now on.

  368. You go girl! I’ve had the coffee backup problem – messy, messy horrible problem. Just when you need the coffee the most!

  369. I understand from several readers, who responded to a post in which I complained of not being able to do anything properly or easily right now, that this is all the fault of the planet Mercury going backwards or something like that.
    I’m not sure if that’s true, but it makes a nice change from blaming the Republicans for everthing.

  370. Not that I expect you to read through over 400 comments, Stephanie, but on the off-chance that you have more than 24 hours in a day,
    I was just thinking that “labouriously” really gets the essence of the word so much more than “laboriously” would have done at the top of your post. And that was before I read the rest of it.
    I love my Oxford Concise too. Best dictionary ever. (Even though mine is Americanized, like me.)

  371. Yup, us pharmacists use the “drug dealer” scale to, ummm, well, deal drugs. Legally of course! We weigh powders and tablets on ’em. Also, I don’t know if they still do it this way, but my grandpa used to use “drug dealer” scales to measure out the gold and silver he used to make dentures. Although his set of scales was a cool double pan type. (the type the angel of justice would use) I know, I’ll post a pic on my blog tomorrow!

  372. I was sorry to read someone is so narrow minded as to think there is only ONE CORRECT spelling! Myself? I especially like exclamation points, hyphens and I share your like of parenthesis! I also try to avoid run-on sentences – but sometimes…..

  373. Good for you and thanks for sharing wiht us. I go into withdrawal on days that you don’t post.

  374. Holy mother of god. 406 comments on spelling.
    People in photography and pottery use drug-dealer scales.
    And maybe the mad correcter mis-spelled his email address?

  375. Stephanie,
    I apologize profusely for the ignorance of my fellow countrywoman/man/child…whatever… (and overuse of ellipses…not possible…I love the ellipse!) Their lack of decency is only exceeded by their apparent lack of intelligence.
    Thank you for allowing me to spend some time in your living room. It’s a very nice place, full of most nice people. I hope the rude ones don’t come back.

  376. It will never fail to amaze me how much time some people have on their hands. Their very stupid hands! But then, I’d figure this would be the same type of person who would ask me (from Edmonton) if I knew their Aunt in Ottawa…

  377. Ok, my spelling is so bad that some of those
    I never caught. Some of the words are GB or Canadian English. Just like the US has it’s own style of spelling. The person just needs to get over it. Or you could purposely irritate them by misspelling words you know how to spell. Kinda like I kept pronouncing the “s” at the end of Illinois to annoy my smarty pants daughter. Serves them right!

  378. Stephanie,
    Like a few others on this comment list this entry has propelled me from “lurker” to “active participant” status.
    In an attempt to counteract the negative vibes from your e-mail stalker, I would like you to know just how much your writing – spelling/grammar errors or not – lifts my heart each day. I absolutely adore you. The humor and insight you bring through your books and blogs is an absolute blessing. Not only to fellow knitters like me – but even, in my case, to my “muggle” husband. Yes – I’ve read him passages of your books. And better yet – he’s laughed out loud with me.
    I applaud you for addressing the incredibly rude person who seems to have nothing better to do than annoy you with trifles. (Maybe he/she should try picking up some knitting needles instead of typing in red font? It would be more productive.) But I also wanted to let you know that what you’re doing really does make a difference to MANY of us each day. So thank you.

  379. Hehe – I can understand the spelling issue. We spell the Brit way (like Canada) in NZ as well. Our closest neighbours, Australia, seem to be going the US way (although not consistently) which is interesting sometimes. Sometimes people get very insulated in their own world and forget that English did originate in _England_ (not in the US) and that it is a living language which is developing in different ways in different places.
    Text messages are creating a whole new layer to things – in school exams here a few years ago they were actually allowing text type spelling in some exams (not English!) where it was the content that was important rather than the English skills.
    The person correcting obviously has a severe wool shortage at the moment and are needing to keep their hands busy. But – anonymous poster – there are more productive and less irritating ways!
    Enna

  380. Even though I am an American, I occasionally use the British/Canadian spelling or even… the European dates (27-2-07 rather than the US 2-27-07) I had a Spanish teacher who made us write the date the European way. I’m not bothered by the spelling differences and I rather like them, though I was not aware of the off side=incorrect equivalent. I am slightly bothered by the it’s versus its, but I even make the error when blogging and it’s really only a tiny bit annoying on blogs or other long areas of text. It bothers me more when it’s a sign or some other short exposed thing. I don’t like instant messaging abbreviations, at least not whole conversations of them. One grammatical error that really cracks me up is the misplaced… (Oh, what is it called? I forget.) Such as: She knitted hats for the kids made out of wool. I’ve also encountered (same type of error) children with chocolate chips in them, and Romans paved with cobble stones. However, most (English speaking) people should notice this because the sentence will sound odd.
    By the way, I like your writing style! Keep writing and please ignore this person who has nothing better to do with their time than correct things that don’t need to be corrected.

  381. I’m an ellipser too…
    Long live the dots!
    (I also overuse exclamation points and parenthesis and * notes (known to me as star notes instead of footnotes because star just sounds pretty.))

  382. Hi Steph,
    What a tough week. sheesh! I send you lots of loving energy.
    Um I think you can train your email to eliminate that person’s messages if you mark them as ‘junk’ each time. Eventually they will be just sent back as incorrect address. I am assuming here she is using the same fake address each time? big hugs,

  383. Re: Keeping your table clean, I have just started putting a bowl of fruit in the middle of my table, the idea being that I will keep the table clearer and also eat more fruit. So far, it’s working, but it’s only been a few days.

  384. The world wide web is such a huge place. It could be someone sitting in China who forgot to take their meds, or just wanting some negative attention. Clearly you have many happy readers and buyers of your books, not to mention knitters who attend you lectures wearing big smiles.
    When we put ourselves out there we are sure to discover the .01% of people who love to just cause stress. It’s only because they are stressed themselves.
    Namaste

  385. I can completely sympathize about the coffee. We ran out of beans (unheard of event of catastrophic proportions in our office (we are all fuelled by caffeine (I’ve found that my technicians work faster if I keep them topped up with the brown stuff and a heap of sugar- pour them a cup and watch them type!)we would take it intraveneously if the men weren’t so scared of needles)) about two hours into a six hour overtime session last night and I really thought that two big hairy men were going to cry. I had to park them with the children and leave them playing Lego together while I sped off to the shops to get them their fix.
    As someone who is currently having their arse kicked by lace (have entirely failed to even manage simple scarf and am now doing the damn thing in laceweight in garter stitch)I can also understand the attraction of chunky knitting in something comfortingly oatmealy. My scarf is a curly, twisty, hideous, multi-coloured mess that I can only hope will demonstrate the miracle of lace later on even if I can’t do better than garter stitch without giving myself a stroke over it. I am clearly a idiot as even the beginners patterns are beyond me and I too would rant if I was having some pillock correcting my spelling and grammar with a red font. With everything you’ve got going on, I’m surprised you’re not throwing furniture after such rudeness.
    I love your spelling and your grammar. And I love it that you say arse so often. And spell it so well!
    (I love parentheses too!)

  386. Good for you! I cannot believe that in this day and age of global communication that some people have not realized (or bothered to educate themselves) in the fact though people may speak the same language that the language can be used in different ways and words can be spelled in a variety of ways. Also, it shocks me to no end (and I do not understand why I am still so shocked) that some people cannot just simply be CIVIL…you do not have to believe as others do, but respect the ideas, thought processes and right of others to believe as they do. What is so difficult about being civil? This simple question has been a topic of discussion in a Poli Sci class I am currently taking (upper level World Politics). If people would just be civil many difficulties could be avoided. I just don’t get it. Being civil is anagolous to “catching more flies with honey then with salt”. The other thing that baffles me is that when some believe that it is their mission in life to “correct” others they don’t educate themselves first and they do not back up their assertions BEFORE taking on the task of “educating” others. When you put forth your “knowledge” and ideas and though process if it isn’t based on anything that others can refer to with confidence then that so called knowledge is not knowledge it is just opinion and you have your right to it but do not have the right to lord it over others as the be all end all of information. I am glad you brought this up and spoke out about it….this is a soapbox topic for me! Makes my blood boil!
    …and ONE more thing…one of the great thing about blogging and reading blogs is the fact that people are just being themselves. If a blog is too perfect (ie with out some spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes) I tend to feel as if its not a real person on the other side….blogging is about conversing and sharing your real self and ideas with others…its not about perfection…perfection is not real and not true to life…when I post on my blog I write as if I am having a conversation with others…I do not write in the same way as I write my research papers (where your real self is sometimes put to the side)….so to the “Lord of the spelling corrections” (incorrect corrections)…get over yourself, learn the meaning of being civil and back your “knowledge” with the appropriate references for others.

  387. How about “Starring Fred Astaire” vs “Staring Fred Astaire”? Gosh that one annoys me. And MS Word’s insistence that there is no such word as enquiry.
    Sounds like you need a kill file for that evil doer. BTW, here in Australia, we would probably call them a d*ckhead (that is with an i) – we’ve moved past the potty phase ;-).

  388. I am sorry you have to deal with such ignorant people. For the love of God I hope he/she’s not a knitter, I simply couldn’t bear it. I hope there is something wrong with this reply, that the nasty person reads it and it drives him/her insane. I am usually not so nasty but I can’t stand the thought of people wasting all that time being mean to you. So many good things to do with one’s life I would think.
    The snow scenes have been lovely. I miss snow!

  389. Anyone who corrects the spelling on a blog really needs to get a life! Geez. So, from now on I suggest your write your blog phonically to really confuse people. Or, you can write in the style of the email that goes around that claims that as long as the first and last letters of the word are correct it does not matter the order of the middle letters. Try that and see how it looks. Or, post your blog all in red and that would put a stop to the red corrections. I hope your week gets better. Don’t worry though, February ends tomorrow and the world will be much better come Thursday. I hate February and am very glad it is almost over. 😉

  390. How could someone be so mean-spirited? You have repeatedly saved my sanity with your brilliant (and really funny) observations on life! Ignore the comments – that stuff isn’t worth the energy spent paying attention to it. Keep up the good work!

  391. Way to go! I love languages and there are a lot of differences in spelling. Besides that fact, it is your blog and you can write anything that you want. Oh well, some people have no life!

  392. I am so very sorry about your evil “spelling corrector” but I did have to chuckle a little about what they were giving you grief over. See, I am an American – southern to boot! lol and I can’t spell but so well. And I find myself ALWAYS having to take that “u” out of words like colour and behaviour and whatnot.
    and if it makes you feel ANY better, my family is right there with you on the “cats playtoys” the past couple weeks. My sister and I had a BAD week last week and it’s 2 of our parents turn this week (although we’re all stressed over it, theirs just sucks more presently).

  393. You have made my day complete. To read that you, a published author, can also not figure out the deal with its and it’s just makes me feel fabulous.
    My grammer is atrocious (did I spell that right??) but I never really realized it until my father decided to call me at 7 am one morning to inform me. He had been reading the blog. God. help. me. Just what I needed: a family member who stumbles onto my blog, invades my blog and then critiques my blog. (Story of my life!!!!!)
    While I’ve tried to keep a style on my blog of writing the same way that I speak, I know the grammer suffered. I didn’t care accept when it came to its and it’s. I think I may obsess over that grammer rule. And it ticks me off that I obsess over it.
    So, thank you. I feel better. I’m not the only person in the universe who is befuddled (did I spell that right????) by its and it’s.
    I feel much better now.

  394. Tee hee! Just realized that I managed (in addition to a silly number of brackets) to carelessly split an infinitive! Without even trying!
    Yay me!

  395. There are two different spellings of “woolen”? Who knew?
    I’m normally a pretty good speller, but I know perfectly well that some people just aren’t. And that doesn’t even count the differences in our common language.
    Only cowards don’t give you a way to reply though. Trollish behavior at best.

  396. I am truly taken aback by the Spelling Corrector.
    Sadly, all the person is proving is his/her own ignorance. I am hoping it is not one of my countrymen, but chances are it could be. Like other readers, I enjoyed learning “off side” (I have enjoyed words like “colour” since I began reading Agatha Christie eons ago.) which makes sense since it’s major error in soccer (okay, football.) And I love your blog. It truly brightens up my days, especially when I am trudging along. Thank you so very much!

  397. Since you, as a Canadian, and I, as an American, are both aware that English is spelled differently, pronounced differently, and used differently in literally dozens of countries, it puzzles me that anyone purporting to be so well educated, although, admittedly poorly mannered, would be unaware of this. The correction of anyone other than one’s children, students or employees is always inappropriate, and, in the manner in which you indicated it occurred, inexcusable.

  398. Babe! Spelling! Booooring. Can’t imagine getting mean about it, absolutely to be ignored, this person is either very ignorant, or lonely, or nuts (US spelling :-)) In any case, sad.
    Thank you for the info re SolSilke, she seems like a lovely lady.

  399. Okay, we have a saying here in Missouri…that woman would bitch if you hung her with a new rope.
    I love love love the way you write!
    You go girl!
    Liz

  400. Oh, I’m sorry, did said person prompt knitters to raise…uh, How Much Money? Please. Are they Famous? Can they go to many countries in the world and find someone that would change their flat tire, give them a beer, or offer up their guest room?
    Pox!

  401. Are they correcting comments too, I wonder…. I believe this “person” is taking their erroneous coloured red pen to other blogs as well, from what I’ve been reading. Somebody needs to get a life!!!
    Steph – you go girl!!!
    And I love the comments on trudging. How absolutely fitting.

  402. Oh yeah – and I totally get the coffee thing. We “explode” our coffee pots on a regular basis. At least twice a year……

  403. 1. As for the scale, my hunter husband uses his for making bullets — something about measuring gun powder to the gram. I’ll admit to worrying a bit about the bullets blowing up in his face. Still, who knows about the manufacturered bullets. The real bummer is that we try to stay even on hunting and knitting expenses and these recycled bullets are hard on my SEX.
    2. Poo on your troll. Writing is hard – even in a casual setting. We’d all be so deprived and sad if stress over “being correct” stopped you from blogging. Also, we own a dealership for a Canadian manufacturer (located near Edmonton). I regularly send your blog to them when you’re educating us Yanks on life above the 49th (48th?) parallel. As long as we both speak hockey we do ok.
    Take care and remember Spring is around the corner.
    Carol

  404. Your anonymous would-be editor is not only rude but ignorant. Let’s not forget honour, theatre, and a host of other words that are spelled differently across our shared border. I love your blog, your writing style and your turn of phrase. If it helps any to know, I work as an editor, but I would be hard-pressed to find things to change about your writing. Take your mom’s advice and ignore this person!

  405. Next time someone tells me to get a life, I can point out that I have a much fuller life that the poor soul who “corrects” the Harlot’s spelling.

  406. Well done Miss Harlot! Well done. I raise my needles to you. And to the offender: I fart in your general direction.

  407. Good to know there are still people out there with time enough on their hands to randomly see who they can be nasty to. Sorry to see you got smeared with this kind of small minded childishness. I get hit for these kind of spelling errors all the time and it drives me batty. While I AM an American, I grew up in a home were my mother and I read English mysteries, French novels, and the odd magazine out of Canada. – Some VERY odd. Must be the cold (lol) Needless to say, it colored my spelling. Saddens me a fair bit to know that people are walking – albeit dragging their knuckles – around who don’t realize that there are more wonderful and wacky ways with words that one woman can whistle at! – Sorry, it kinda got away from me there.
    Keep up the great work, the week of trudging will end. Hugs. Your page is one of the first I check in the morning over my first mug of tea. Thank you so much for your humor and style.

  408. We have been discussing the ironies of being required to do certain things before drinking the coffee in order to drink the coffee. I think putting the lid on is probably among them. We also had putting mugs on the table. And then yesterday (or maybe today) I poured my coffee into my empty juice glass. I find turning the kettle on a bit of a stretch, too, often getting it filled but not flicking the switch.
    Having to clean out the coffee maker after such a small lapse seems to be cruel and unusual punishment. Uncaffeinated, I’m not surprised it took you 40 miinutes. Or manybe I’m surprised it didn’t take you longer and lead to more crazy slips.

  409. DREADFUL story about the coffee. Send Joe for takeout next time, or leave him with the machine and bring him one too.
    I am really only writing to say archaeology types use drug scales, too. I got our lab two from EBay for relatively cheap. We weigh individual flakes of stone from tool manufacture. There are a lot of people laughing at us from wherever they went when they died…

  410. We have been discussing the ironies of being required to do certain things before drinking the coffee in order to drink the coffee. I think putting the lid on is probably among them. We also had putting mugs on the table. And then yesterday (or maybe today) I poured my coffee into my empty juice glass. I find turning the kettle on a bit of a stretch, too, often getting it filled but not flicking the switch.
    Having to clean out the coffee maker after such a small lapse seems to be cruel and unusual punishment. Uncaffeinated, I’m not surprised it took you 40 miinutes. Or manybe I’m surprised it didn’t take you longer and lead to more crazy slips.

  411. On behalf of the polite people of the United States of America, please accept my sincere apology for the rude behavio(u)r of this cowardly cretin. If I cross their path I will be sure to kick them in the arse…or at least give them the finger.

  412. Stephanie, have you heard of a book titled “Grammar Snobs are Big Fat Meanies”? (or something like that – it does exist, but I can’t remember the author’s name offhand.) It sounds like this particular grammar snob is a big fat ignorant so and so. I don’t blame you for being ticked off. I loved your tips on spinning yesterday. Thanks.

  413. I put a lovely pot of flowers (silk . . . allergies you know) on the end of the table, thinking that it would keep the kiddos from dumping their junk on the dining room table . . . pshhhhh . . . they just pick up the friggin pot and put their stuff under it.
    I am one of the seven kids. My Mom always said that our house would be clean of stuff when we were all gone. The last five of us got married in six years (it was a blast . . . although my father was totally exhausted). And, the house was still cluttered. Shortly after my Dad had passed my Mom commented to me that after having her Mom, all her kids and my Dad being gone, you would think that their wouldn’t be a mess . . . her conclusion was that she must have been the one making the mess all along. LOL!

  414. Just goes to show who has read books written in England, (and even American authors from the 19th century or earlier), and who hasn’t. I love the Canadian spellings. They bring back wonderful memories of reading books that smelled like books should smell: of aging paper, good plain ink, binder’s glue, cardboard and book cloth. And I loved the nice feeling of those well-bound books . . .
    It’s amazing to me how incredibly insular Americans can be. Yes, it’s a big country, but tha’s no excuse.
    (Btw: Is there any way to not show email addresses in the comments?)

  415. This keeps coming to mind. I mean, most bloggers write like they talk, its natural. Does this person KNOW what this is? SIIIIIGH.
    Do you want me to punch them in the head for you? I need to get rid of some stress. Im game for prison. You just have to babysit my 1 year old and post my bail.
    ver·nac·u·lar
    n.
    1. The standard native language of a country or locality.
    2.a. The EVERYDAY language spoken by a people as distinguished from the literary language. See Synonyms at dialect.
    b. A variety of such everyday language specific to a social group or region: the vernaculars of New York City.

  416. Just remember to breathe, and try to keep a good perspective on it. One of my favorite mantras (which I have taught to my wife, and to some others) is: “It’s not a tragedy; it’s an inconvenience.” Any event that does not result in death or permanent injury to someone is not a tragedy, but rather just an inconvenience.
    I recently was reading an article on stress-related health issues (on http://www.livescience.com, which is a very interesting site), in which it was noted that the two species on Earth that experience chronic stress problems are humans and baboons. The shared characteristics are that both species are (a) smart enough to worry about stuff, and (b) have a safe enough environment to worry about small stuff. The head researcher, Robert Sapolsky, said “For 99 percent of the beasts on this planet, stress is about three minutes of screaming in terror after which it’s either over with or you’re over with. And we turn it on for 30-year mortgages.” The article can be found at http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070219_stress_human.html
    For any problem, either there are actions you can take to fix it, or there are not. In either case, stressing doesn’t help much. Do what you can, and let go. If there’s nothing to be done, you can scream in terror for three minutes if it seems appropriate, then let go.
    You write well and spell fine. Your grammar usage is entirely well-suited to the type of writing you do (and I am one who tends to be picky about such things). So worry not.
    I’m also picky about ethical issues, and have yet to see any evidence that you have any lack in that regard; quite the opposite.
    So press on, remember the good stuff about your life (which is plentiful), remember all of us out here that love and respect you (also plentiful), put one foot in front of the other, and breathe.

  417. And some of us Americans use the British/Canadian spellings frequently, as well. Yikes. Wonder what kind of email response that would garner?

  418. LOL ok, no really
    LMAO!!!! I just wanted to share my support of those of us over the border who have spelling issues! to make up a fake e-mail to do this from?!?!?
    Amaaaaaaazing, someone has too much time on their hands and needs to knnit more! LOL I agree, “some peoples kids!”

  419. If this person can’t stand to read “mispelled” words that are spelled correctly as far as the CANADIAN authoress (and the rest of us who have done our homework) is concerned, then do they really need to be reading it at all?

  420. As a Brit I just wanted to say your spelling is perfect. How odd that someone can’t realise there are quite a lot of different languages in the world!

  421. Good lord… to think that someone is so desperate for attention – or even just something to do – that they’d give you that much grief by e-mail. As they obviously read the blog, they’ll perhaps back off now their pettiness has been shown to the world.
    I have to say, I didn’t even realise Canadian spellings were the same as English ones. (Don’t hurt me!) Totally with you on the ellipses though. They’re woefully under-used. Equal rights for neglected punctuation!

  422. Ugh, I can’t even believe people bother to send you the emials about grammar, etc. Blogging is just like T.V. If you don’t like what is on, you move on to the next channel.

  423. Ugh, I can’t even believe people bother to send you the emails about grammar, etc. Blogging is just like T.V. If you don’t like what is on, you move on to the next channel.

  424. Oh dear. We really are two (or three, if you throw in British English) people separated by a common language. You really would think, though, that after taking a high school literature course one would realize that the standard spellings are different in different corners of the world.
    I do hope that the rest of your week starts going better.

  425. I just don’t understand some people. One of my favorite knitters shut her blog down (At My Knits End) because of constant daily attacks like these, and some that were down right nasty and personal. It’s like people don’t have anything better to do than lash out at bloggers and knitters with a large readership. It’s all jealousy and people love nothing better than to drag someone down rather than try to step up with them. I’ve even been a victim myself of a nasty comment and the person wasn’t bold enough in their opinion to leave an address where their nastyness could be addressed directly. Who has time to attack a lady with 5 subscribers to her page, I ask? But I’m getting away here. I didn’t even notice any spelling differences (but I’m not too observant) and I too have bad grammar. Shake these stragglers off and do what you do!

  426. Hmph. I *would* be surprised that someone is so ignorant that they’d have no idea that Canada uses the Queen’s English…but being an editor I’m not surprised at all. There are a lot of, dare I say, dipshits out there. However, being an editor, I have to deal with people gleefully pointing out my misspellings, too. Being overly sensitive about it, I’ve included a nice little line to my signature: “If you find any typographical errors they were entered on purpose. Some people aren’t happy unless they find a mistake, and I want everybody to be happy.”

  427. Unbelievable – I can’t believe someone would use their energy doing something so incredibly negative and so completely idiotic. Please don’t think of all us Americans as closed-minded ignorant jerks. (Some of us really are nice, peace-lovin’, considerate, earth-conscious, true-“Fruit of the Spirit” types.) I think you are a wonderful writer, and even if you spelled improperly (which you didn’t – notice I love using ellipses also) that’s what editors are for! Blogs are supposed to be informally written, straight from the heart stuff – so it’s no one’s position to judge how it is written. It would be like taking red ink to someone’s diary!

  428. The scale I use belongs to my husband, who has had one forever to weigh model airplanes or model airplane parts. Some are made of tiny bits of balsa wood and lightweight covering material, known in the biz as “stick and tissue” and weigh only a couple of grams. As the editor of a model airplane magazine, he also needs to weigh parts for review articles. Without knowing the weight of a finished airplane you might end up under powered or over powered and destroy many many hours of building in seconds.
    The problem comes when he needs the scale at the same time I need the scale…

  429. Just ignore her, she is probably delighted by all the attention she is getting. If she emails you again, don’t read it, delete it. She will soon get fed up.

  430. Chiming in! So FUNNY that they don’t know about the difference in spelling but were so compelled to correct you! What an idiot. (or idiote, or idiout, or whatever the hell you Canadians have done to complicate a perfectly simple word, but WHATEVER) 😛
    Spelling is totally a brain thing. I used to work for a state senator who went on to be on our state supreme court, and he couldn’t spell well at all, neither could his daughter, but both of them are BRILLIANT. Plus my own Noah, who will will spell one word 3 different ways on a page, and good luck deciphering his handwriting, but also, BRILLIANT. And raised almost $200 on his own for Heifer. So, you know, screw spelling as an indicator of anything important at all.

  431. People who sell on eBay also use the digital scales for weighing packages so they can give shipping and handling quotes.
    The self-appointed American spelling corrector needs to get a life.

  432. Three things…
    First, regarding your coffee incident… I would call that going on a wild goose chase, and I am the world’s foremost expert, as my life consists of mostly such events (my personal “favorite”, as it’s the one I suffer through most often, is going to a store… best if it’s all the way across town… for an item I really need to complete a project only to find that either they don’t carry it after all, or they’ve run out).
    Second, ellipses are my very favorite form of punctuation. They are most useful, and I use them liberally.
    Third, besides being shocked that someone would take the time to email you to correct your grammar (seriously, if they did that for everyone online who really, really had bad grammar, they’d never get to do anything else, and targeting someone in particular over the issue when the internet is so riddled with serious examples of it is just silly), as well as being uninformed enough to not know about the differences in the spelling of words between English in England and Canada vs. English in the US AND so over the top rude about it… the REAL kicker is that they are so bad at it themselves. Doughnut is the correct spelling in the US, too. Donut is a deliberate respelling, often done by companies, but since it’s faster and easier, catches on in the general public. Nevertheless, it is basically the same type of shortening of the word that you get when you substitute isn’t for is not… it is NOT the proper version. SHEESH!

  433. Stephanie,
    I cannot believe someone has the you know what to call you on the carpet for anything.
    First: I tried, I really tried to breast feed, maybe if I had you, it would have worked.
    Second: I only wear a bra to work and then I take it off, in the car, on the way home. Thank goodness I only work part time!!
    Third: If I could go back, I would take my 3 boys on 100 mile bike trips just so they could have been stronger, more understanding people. I envy you, for your girls are going to go places.
    Fourth: If you are a published author of several books, who in the hell has the right to question your spelling or grammar? Who has that right even if you aren’t a published author?
    I’m glad you got it off your chest and keep on doing what you do and being who you are, we are all very lucky that you do. I hope you come to Northern Michigan someday so I can have the great pleasure of hearing you speak.
    Robin

  434. Owe deer. This reminds me of the recently launched Conservapedia – intended as an alternative for those with a different world view than users of say – Wikipedia. Their very short list of guidelines requests American spelling only. This seems to apply only to words where British or Canadian spelling differs from standard American usage. There is no evidence that any other spelling issues are a concern. If you hear from your would-be mentor again, direct him/her over there. There is much work to be done. It seems to me spelling should be the least of their worries. Me – I would soldier on through the extra “u’s” or missing “l’s” and focus on something like fact-checking. Or in this case…well…. perhaps good judgement. As I understand it, there are very good historical reasons why Americans adopted different spelling for many words. When I was a child, I thought it was for other reasons. Once you are on your way to being a grown-up, you can start investigating these sorts of things – and find very interesting answers.

  435. I served detention in my freshman year of high school because my English teacher overheard me telling a classmate that red pens are the mark of a frigid woman.

  436. Wow, what an idiot. That is really, really inconsiderate and downright ill minded. Is there any way you can block their mail? I would just consider any future mail from them spam and get on with it. It’s certainly not worth reading! On a related note, I enjoy seeing and reading about all the differences and similarities between the US and Canada! Those (and the FO’s) are some of my favorite things on this blog.

  437. I just can not believe some people!! Wow. Talk about who needs to get their head out of their arse! I am so sorry that someone was so mean to you (repeatedly!).

  438. Delurking to add to all the other comments :: this is not, I repeat, NOT, a school room. This is a blog we visit to be entertained and I’m thoroughly enjoying the entertainment!
    Do hope your provider can track down this nuisance and block them.
    Looking forward to your next post.

  439. It’s probably been said already, but: poor manners are at least as bad as the occasional grammatical or spelling error – in my mind, worse. Besides, there are plenty of English textbooks that I could read if correct grammar and spelling were all that turned me on. However, content goes a lot further with me (and apparantely many others) than mechanics. Keep it coming Stephanie.

  440. I was going to mention the drug-dealer look & feel of your scale but I figured that doing so would make other people think I had some sort of Lifestyle that I don’t actually have. (Actually, drug-dealer scales are the least of my worries. I also own leather chaps, rather a lot of strappy leather bits, several nice whips, excessively shiny tall boots… and two horses.)

  441. What an unhappy person. With time in such short supply, why would anybody take the time to make such a big deal about a particular spelling of a word? I am glad to see you corrected THEM! Thanks for all the laughs:)

  442. OK…today’s blog finally got me out of lurking. Who in the name of all things holy needs to harass a knitting blogger to make themselves feel important? Not that knitting isn’t important as we all know, but to trigger trolling??? Hello????? Did all other controversies just evaporate????
    Hang in there Stephanie!
    Sarah — who has a leg on both sides of the pond and so knows how to spell both ways, and loves to irritate folks by using bad punctuation 🙂

  443. My favorite Canadian word is “arse”(I’m thinking of adopting it). Oh, and I also love parentheses and coffee with a passion. Rock on, Dear Harlot!

  444. Well there you go….I didn`t realise you Canadian types spelled different from the Americans. What a very educational post.
    As a rare Brit (well, Scot) on a number of American forums, I`m always being sneered at for my “poor spelling”, lol. It`s amazing that a person who sets themselves up as a language expert doesn`t realise that American is only one varient of English.

  445. If it’s any comfort, I’m continually corrected for spelling things using the Queen’s English spelling rather than the American version. I’m not sure how I picked up these spellings considering I’m American unless it was to be very broad in my reading selections.
    Bully for you! 🙂

  446. By any chance is it the same idiot who bitched you out for being a bad American a few years ago????? Maybe he/she still hasn’t figured it out….Still no excuse.

  447. How can anyone put that much labour into correcting spelling on the internet? I hate that character with every fibre of my being. What off side behaviour. Why, if I ever get hold of a cancelled cheque and find out where s/he lives…No, no violence. Better get a doughnut and centre myself.
    🙂

  448. I like how ya’ll spell words differently. I read your words with a bad Canadian accent in my head. Bet your real accent is much better! 😉

  449. Just as the strong must oft bear the infirmities of the weak, so must the completely fabulous bear the stupidities of the truly sad. Good on you Stephanie for stepping up!

  450. Just as the strong must oft bear the infirmities of the weak, so must the completely fabulous bear the stupidities of the truly sad. Good on you Stephanie for stepping up!

  451. Forgot to add that English itself started as pidgin language and has grown into a creole. This means it started as a mishmash of other languages to become its own. These types of languages tend to have multiple spellings in various cultures. Think of it this way… If we all were busy correcting others on spelling we would all be talking about olde knytteres

  452. Goodness, don’t they have something better to do? I mean if it bothers them so much, they should GO ELSEWHERE. But I’m sure that’s already been suggested in your many many (over 470?) comments on this post. Sorry about the coffee maker. We have an espresso maker that has a nasty habit of spewing espresso grounds all over if you take the coffee-ground-thingie off while there’s still pressure in the water chamber. Ask me how I know. I’m still finding an errant ground here or there. And doesn’t it suck when something like that happens when you haven’t had your coffee yet? It borders on cruel.

  453. Is this person not aware that you’re in Canada? I’d think the .ca in your URL would be a hint. Duh.
    People shouldn’t be mean to you. If someone doesn’t like your writing, wouldn’t it be easier for them to just not read you anymore? If they’re using a fake address, they know what they’re doing couldn’t be interpreted as anything but harassment, and they’re too much of a coward to stand behind their words.
    Can you set up your email to automatically delete anything from that address so you don’t even have to look at it? You don’t need the stress.
    Doughnut and donut are both correct in the US. Just to confuse people, I guess. I never can remember if it’s canceled or cancelled, and I think I use both. Now I realize why — I’ve seen both!

  454. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the person who has taken on your spelling as a life’s work and by doing so is revealing their very own limited life. I lived in Australia for 10 years (became a citizen) and then moved back to the U.S. I still use Aussie spelling (European/Canadian/etc.) for many words and not once have I had anyone correct me. I guess I must deal with a more educated and worldly class of folk. When you open yourself up to the universe as you have, Stephanie, it really does mean that anyone, even people not sure enough of themselves to sign their own email, are going to bubble up in your pond. I wish you even more courage to keep writing. You have a wonderful sense of humour and humanity and together the rest of us will continue to laugh and cry and, occasionaly, lash out, with you. Love you, gal!

  455. I am an English teacher and a spelling stickler, yet I have never noticed your so-called misspellings, not counting the odd obvious typo. I grew up on both sides of the ocean, learned both systems of spelling, and read and write both interchangeably. How sad that your pathetic tormentor has no better way to spend his/her time. And since he/she is annonymous, you can’t even find out if he/she has anywhere near the credentials that you do: three published books, for crying out loud! You go girl!

  456. Is Mercury in retrograde again? I ask because I am apparently the universe’s cat toy this week as well, and it isn’t something I’m enjoying. I went running last night to destress and then something newly awful happened today. So tonight I’m trying the much less healthy (but far more popular) drinking of alcohol.
    Incidentally, I have read so much British literature in my life that I often find myself using alternate spellings, such as cancelled, in the US. I’m also an egregious over-user of commas. :-b
    The hateful person sending you those emails is clearly very sad and very lonely, if they have nothing better to do than snipe at you. You’re one of the most fantastic people on this continent! And I don’t say that lightly.
    Hope you’ve managed a cuppa by now. Hugs!

  457. Sorry, I didn’t have time to read all the other 400+ posts to see if someone else mentioned this, but I use the scales for two other purposes…weighing newborn kittens to see if they are putting on weight and weighing ingredients for lotion making.
    And you go girl on that silly, ignorant emender. I used to be a perfect speller, but since I have added several additional languages to my repertoire, I no longer am quite sure in which language I am spelling “correctly”.

  458. I am a Scottish lady, married to a lovely American, living in Oregon. I like to joke that the American spellings are simplified. I enjoy your writing, your knitting and your rich spellings. The mean person who is writing to you must be truly ignorant – have they never read a book from Britain or Canada? Obviously not. You are delightful – keep it up.
    Carole,

  459. I am a Scottish lady, married to a lovely American, living in Oregon. I like to joke that the American spellings are simplified. I enjoy your writing, your knitting and your rich spellings. The mean person who is writing to you must be truly ignorant – have they never read a book from Britain or Canada? Obviously not. You are delightful – keep it up.
    Carole,

  460. I remember when I was in grade school and spelled judgement with an e and the teacher marked it wrong. I brought in an ad from the newspaper listing a movie being shown. Judgement at Nurmenburg.
    She said that was the English way to spell it not the American way. I admit I was a smart aleck, I asked her if she knew what word I wrote and if the meaning was correct. She said yes. I asked her if it was really wrong then. She said no she would not count it as wrong this time but that I should remember to spell things the American way.

  461. I like you just the way you are Stephanie. What a rude person that was. Why don’t they stop reading if their perception bugs them that much? They seem pretty angry. I’d let my provider track them down and tell them to desist. There are ways.
    My condolences on the coffee maker. After a similar incident I now keep the appliance in probation, right next to the sink, just in case it becomes a repeat offender. This preparation seems to be enough to keep it from happening again. But that just means the universe is patiently waiting to get me some other way.

  462. Well, GRRRRR! Apparently, SOMEONE’S Mother didn’t teach them the old adage about “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” 🙁
    I for one LOVE you and LOVE elipses……
    Your “secret wacko” reminds me of that Mother from Trading Spouses who kept correcting the child’s spelling of the plural of “monkey”. She kept INSISTING to the child that the plural is “monkies” as opposed to the child’s spelling of “monkeys” LOL Maybe some people should pull out a dictionary before they correct others ;0)

  463. I’m so happy that Canadians spell the same way Australians do – I keep having to correct my stupid computer spell checker because it automatically defaults to US spelling (which by the way I loathe – because it’s different to mine) We have the most fights about organise vs organize (however honour, colour and labour are also in there!) it’s also unsure about autumn vs fall – What a good thing it is that people from the USA don’t rule the world!!! (Snigger)

  464. You should just confuse the “Evil Emailer” and start using words such as toque, chesterfield and refer to coffee as a “Timmies” … man oh man, people who think we Canucks are dumb just because we spell things differently are well, just dumb!
    Rock on sister Canuck!! 🙂

  465. No wonder to me why you are upset with this S—- disturber They would get to me too if I had no coffee to drink first thing in the morning. Good for you Stephanie and give it where it belongs –in their lap or should that be yap . I too was taught “If you cannot say something nice –say nothing at all” but in this case I’m glad you did. Hang in , we all love you and that’s what counts in life.

  466. Aren’t you the woman who gave us “Arse-marmot” and “Arse-beagle”? If not, I am constantly giving you credit for these lurvley words.
    There will always be people who need to stir the turd. You just gotta be able to put their negativity where it belongs…and then flush.

  467. As I was driving in the car today with my son, on the way to pick up my daughter, a self professed grammar Nazi,(of whom I would absolutely disown if she spent any of her time sending emails to anyone “correcting” their spelling) from school. I was singing along to the music, (Panic! at the Disco, their spelling not mine, if you must know) and my son asked me why I feel the need to sing along when there is already someone singing. My reply was that, I do the things that make me happy; you can do whatever it is that makes you happy.
    “…but making you unhappy is what makes me happy”, was his reply.
    “Clearly, I’m getting that.”
    Fortunately for me, my son was only playing with me. Not so much in your case, clearly anyone who is spending so much of their time and energy on such pettiness, derives some sort of perverse pleasure from it and doesn’t deserve the attention. I suggest you do the things that make you happy, things that right now don’t involve coffee.
    Considering the sheer number of spelling and grammar errors on any number of blogs on any given day that he/she would single out your blog to “correct”, however erroneously can be taken as a complement, I guess?
    Whatever you do, do not point him/her in my direction, having one grammar Nazi, correcting my
    “English” is plenty, thank you very much.
    Whenever I think of trudging, I can’t help of the movie “A Knight’s Tale”. At least if you have to be trudging you are not trudging it in the all together.

  468. Why is it the people with the most narrow outlook are the loudest complainers? Block the fool and feel our love surrounding you!

  469. There is wonderful, if unintentional, comedy in trying to display one’s knowledge–in this case of spelling–by simultaneously displaying one’s witless ignorance of geography. The anonymous e-mails, with a false e-mail address, however, are creepy/stalker-y.
    In the immortal words of General Joe Stilwell:
    “Illegitimati non carborundum,” which is dog latin for “Don’t let the b*st*ards grind you down.”

  470. Joelle, I thought the plural of “Monkey” was “Monkees”, but I could be wrong. 😉
    Stephanie, some people just have no dignity or niceness in them. Screw ’em. We love you just the way you are.
    I hope someone CANCELLED the email proofreader’s account. (I’m in the US and I’ve always spelt it that way. That’s right I said spelt.)

  471. Hah! You just reminded me of one of my educational triumphs/social tragedies from the fourth grade. I chose the “grey” spelling when the rest of the class chose “gray” and they didn’t think that I should get the credit (something to do with setting the curve, I don’t know) and though I was happy to impress the teacher with my fancy, exotic, European spelling knowledge, the class found yet one more reason to roll their eyes at me. It was worth it. I wish you’d been in my class – we could have been BFs! But then you wouldn’t have been Canadian, or I wouldn’t have been American, and the above scenario wouldn’t have happened…. Anyway, screw ’em.

  472. Soap and toiletry makers also use those itty bitty scales, since you have to measure out tiny bits of lye and other chemicals. I never managed to get one of the really small ones (great for making lotions), but my accurate to 2 grams scale thankfully works just fine for general soap making. Have to keep the family clean somehow 🙂

  473. You may also wish to suggest that anyone considering “correcting” your spelling first check http://www.miriamwebster.com/
    (see as an example –
    http://www.miriamwebster.com/dictionary/labour).
    This is also a good way for anyone to add to their vocabulary and learn that there are acceptable variations to the spellings of many words – including:
    theatre vs. theater
    programme vs. program
    I personally tend to be nitpicky (yes, I checked, and it’s a real word) with spelling and grammar, and find your posts refreshingly accurate.
    To the emender: So there.

  474. Oh, Steph – some people are so ignoramous! In the US there are even geographical lingo problems that some people get so uptight about – i.e., waterfountain v. bubbler; soda v. pop v. soda pop; sofa v. davenport v. (what you call) Chesterfield….and if that weren’t enough the pronunciations of words – creek v. crick (little river) – and if you use the incorrect pronunciation you’re termed either a flatlander or a ridge runner….really who the H— cares! Anyhow, I love your blog and check in every night to see what you are up to – it is very inspirational, and often entertaining! Keep up the good work!
    From the town in Wisconsin with the piped in music!!!
    Sue

  475. It’s helpful sometimes to have a second coffee maker! You can always put it with your camping stuff and say that’s why you have it!
    Cheers and thanks for inviting us into your ‘living room’! Spelling, shmelling!

  476. I have to say, the American correcting your spelling needs to come out from under his/her insular little rock. The way you spell things is correct in more countries than the way we Americans spell it. My hubby is a Brit and I can honestly say that I’ve adopted several English spellings and slang terms (especially the curse words, haha) since we’ve been married.
    To your emailer: There’s a big wide world out there. Stop making the rest of us regular Americans look like absolute idiots. We get enough of that from our President…

  477. When I was in second grade I once asked a teacher when we were taking a spelling test, whether or not she wanted the English or American spelling of a word (I think it was “color.”) I was all of 7 years old and very full of myself for asking, but–REALLY! Is there just no end to the people out there who make us hang our heads down here in the USA and wish we were – Canadian, Finnish, Turkish – anything but what we are. It’s so humiliating to have to confess to being American these days. Isn’t GWB enough of a cross for us to bear? And I HATEHATEHATE people who won’t own up to their own words. Petty person, go bother someone else. Now – can you please blast the one who persists in criticizing your ethics/morals/motivations?? Pretty please?? you know the one I mean…
    Re the coffee – ouch, that hurt. My suggestion – get an insulated French press. No electricity and hardly any moving parts. Super easy to clean too.
    And re the table clutter – I go with J.’s post – light the candles!
    I hope that Mercury thing isn’t for real – I’m about to start a sock…and I finished my “Harlot’s coming to NYC represent” hat!

  478. Oh, Stephanie, I hope these 500+ warm, loving messages can replace the bad taste the critic has left for you. As for me, I look forward to visiting your livingroom as often as possible! I enjoy my voyeuristic view of your Canadian pride, your wit, knitting projects and your family life. Your writing has so much soul in it I feel that I know you. You are someone that SO MANY of us have come to care about and I hope that your troubles are sorted out soon.

  479. Figured I might as well jump on the “support bandwagon” as it were! I love your writing, can’t get enough of it! I have to remind myself that you in fact have a life when I am disappointed when you are not able to post sometimes! I also agree that the person is QUITE wussy as they are hiding behind a fake email address!

  480. You will only give that person what they want, attention, by devoting your space and attention to their rude behaviour. It is like a small child throwing a temper tantrum, ignore it and it will cease.
    I think it was Elenor Rosevelt that said, people can only make you feel small with your permission.

  481. BLARG! Now there’s someone with too, TOO much time on their hands! As an ESL teacher (English as a second language) in Vancouver, I make a point of using “Canadian” spellings whenever possible. If my students use “American” spelling, that’s just fine. But as a Canadian, teaching them supposedly “Canadian English” I feel pretty darned stubborn about this. If it means keeping my head “up my butt” – I’ll deal with that. My choice, my business – neither of anybody else’s!

  482. Hey, You tell um! All worked up about grammer and doesn’t even pay attention to the fact that,hmmm, Canadian spellings can be very different from American! Just plain rude of them! And thank you so much for letting the rest of us come in and have tea in your living room! It’s a great place to stop in! So, Thank you. and poop on the mystery jerk! :))

  483. What everyone else said. Your living room is a nice neighbourhood, with no space for nay boor heads.
    Nobody’s perfect but I really don’t understand why some people make themselves deliberately unpleasant. Life’s too short (and so am I).
    Hmmm – how Canadian can we go in one sentence?
    I stopped at Timmie Ho-Ho’s for a doughnut and a double-double (really off side to stop for a beavertail after that, so I cancelled that behaviour), after I wrote my neighbourhood shop a cheque for their labour re-upholstering the centre cushion of my chesterfield, in a woollen fibre the colour of the Canadarm; good thing I was wearing my toque, since there was a draught in the store.
    Oh, and BTW it was one of us who invented basketball.

  484. Wow. You spent 40 minutes cleaning the coffee pot and then ran two cycles before getting your coffee? I’m impressed; I think I’d have gone out for coffee, and then returned after being fortified to deal with the mess.

  485. Steph, don’t know if I’ve told you that I’m a writer/editor (corporate marketing, yipe) too…but I *never.* I mean, I proofread all day for my job; I am stymied by people who find time to do so for SOMEONE ELSE’S BLOG, RUDELY. Why does it seem that some folk are only happy if they can piss in someone else’s corn flakes (or sadly-empty coffee cup)?
    I shudder to think that people like this are why some of *my* favorite people admit that they’re afraid to send me e-mails or comments because their “grammar isn’t that good.” I always tell them: writing is my business, and I’m not a grammar stentorian 24/7…anyone who expresses themselves intelligently, as you do, deserves my best effort to merely flinch mentally at a misplaced apostrophe.
    The part about them being in “the online” and not reali[z/s]ing that you’re using spellings of English words that are standard just about *everywhere BUT the U.S.*? Dumbfounding.
    Right up there with people who ask how I can knit in Houston because “it’s so hot!!1!”. Next time I hear that, I swear I’m going to beat someone with a wood-handled bag. That I made. For the occasion.

  486. “Oh for Pete’s sake”, as my mother would say. (I never did figure out who Pete was, by the way.)
    Anonymous needs to have a swig of Screech and lighten up.
    Thanks for the info on the scale…I found one on ebay and it’s on its way. (Did I do the it’s/its correctly? And note the multiple parentheses and ellipses. I love ellipses.)

  487. Oh, Steph — I LOVE you!
    I’m amazed that someone would waste their time on such nonsense when one could be knitting instead!
    (I was at Stitches West over the weekend. I’ve got a long list of projects to start now!)

  488. I’ve never understood why, if someone’s Blog annoyed you, you would continue to read it, let alone be concerned enough to email your displeasure…It’s not like there isn’t a big ol’ World Wide Internets out there…
    By the way, I am super-anal about spelling and grammar, and am a regular reader of your Blog, and have NEVER been annoyed by any errors…*grin* In fact, I can’t recall any off the top of my head…But I am half-Canuck, and lived there for some time, so maybe stuff like ‘colour’ and ‘centre’ rubbed off on me…*huge grin*

  489. Harlot:
    Allow me to also extend apologies for the inexcusable behavior of one of my countrymen.
    I am the product of a “mixed” marriage — Mom from Montreal and Dad from Detroit (I kid you not and sorry about the alliteration). I was born and raised in Detroit, am now married to a Canadian and live in Windsor. My children tease me constantly about MY accent and are constantly correcting MY spelling. (They really hate it when I order at a drive-thru. My son says that I sound like someone is pinching me when I order.)
    Talk about the shoe being on the other foot.
    I have also learned from hard experience to keep my mouth shut as much as possible in public, lest I give myself away and invite all sorts of anti-American sentiment (and there’s plenty in this town).
    Anyway, sorry for the long-winded-ness of this comment, but thank you for being as wonderfully Canadian as you are.

  490. Steph,,, which is closer Starbucks or Timmy’s? I’ll send you some gift certs for a few cups of the brown elixer of life! I hate to see anyone with such a wonderful talent suffer so early in the morning.
    For the person who can’t seem to control their RED pen/keyboard/mouse….. tell them to shove it where it hurts! WE CHICKS WITH POINTY STICKS KNOW HOW TO HURT SOMEONE!
    kel

  491. Sending you warm hugs until you are skipping instead of trudging…….I too have been trudging alot within the past year so I will send you the saying my lovely husband shared with me.
    “Don’t postpone joy.” We love you just the way you are.

  492. I wonder if someone, somewhere, is fuming over the fact that I enjoy using “grey” to describe fog and “gray” to describe steel. What if there were more variants, and we could all use them as we saw fit and relish the flavor of words a little more?

  493. RE: The spelling: What’s **wrong** with that person?! Doesn’t she/he recognize Canadian/British spelling when she/he sees it?! And by-the-by, whoever you are, the British were spelling long before you were!!! In the (latest) words of Helen Miren (Sp?), “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Queen!” Ahem!
    RE: the coffee pot, editorially speaking (wink), you answered your own question; to whit: “On what planet does it take three people 40 minutes to get out of anything? Hell.” Period! 😉
    Hugs,

  494. RE: The spelling: What’s **wrong** with that person?! Doesn’t she/he recognize Canadian/British spelling when she/he sees it?! And by-the-by, whoever you are, the British were spelling long before you were!!! In the (latest) words of Helen Miren (Sp?), “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Queen!” Ahem!
    RE: the coffee pot, editorially speaking (wink), you answered your own question; to whit: “On what planet does it take three people 40 minutes to get out of anything? Hell.” Period! 😉
    Hugs,

  495. Maybe it’s the same person who accused you of being a bad american about canada day or something in the past? Can’t remember exactly what the “offense” was, but unfortunately a lot of us don’t realize that canada isn’t a part of the US. Sad, sad, sad.

  496. I’m thinking that this ignorant weenie’s head must spontaneously combust when he/she looks at the average text message…

  497. sigh…. doesn’t that whole ignorance thing (which is what it is on the part of the spell-checker-critizer-person out there)… where was i? oh yeah, doesn’t that whole unawareness of canadianisms remind you of rick mercer’s hilarious show TALKING TO AMERICANS? whew, that show used to crack me up! i mean, really we KNOW not all americans are so utterly, utterly oblivious to the existence and functioning of other nations (who are, by the way, perfectly happy NOT to be american) but when rick mercer can find that many of them willing to be duped on his show, well, it does make you wonder…

  498. It’s a shame when folks can’t keep their poison to themselves and find they have to spill it onto others. Here’s a fun paragraph to brighten your spirits. It’s a bit forced, but all true. I’m sure you’ll understand . . .
    The colour of the fibre was similar to that of the most golden and delicious of doughnuts. This cancelled my irritation at the woollen mass for requiring that I labour so vigorously to get it into a usable centre pull ball. My behaviour was a bit off side before I came to this realization, but that’s nothing a nice draught beer can’t fix, now is it?

  499. Some people are so ignorant they don’t even deserve the time that it probably took you to type today’s post but I applaude you for putting them in their place. I think we should come up with a way to block people like that from reading your blog, like you can block people from emailing you and stuff. If they are going to be like that they just don’t deserve to get to read your blog.
    And I feel your pain with the coffee….spilled mine three times yesterday…once in the morning before I left for work at school and had to change my outfit, once at school during first class on my pants and then once later in the day the entire cup spilled on the floor and all over the little girl sitting in the first row. The saddest part was that I barely got to drink my coffee. Luckily today, coffee and I are back on good terms.

  500. Please Lord, don’t let Stephanie’s nasty spell-checker EVER read any books by Canadian or British authors, up to, and including, Stephanie (of course), Carol Shields, Alice Munro (and that IS spelled right!), Margaret Atwood, Rohinton Mistry (a personal fav!!), Jeffrey Archer, J.K. Rowling, Doris Lessing……OK, do I need to go on. Great literature, great blogs, and great people are not limited to the United States! So there! You Go Steph!!

  501. I am reminded of an incident awhile back that I thought was absolutely hilarious and sad at the same time.
    The CBC put up a news article about Canadians who went to Baghdad during the US military campaign, saying they would act as human shields. This article got linked on the Drudge Report, and the CBC received what looked like a lot of e-mail from angry Americans denouncing Canadians as being backstabbers, proclaiming their newfound hate for the country, or saying that the US military should head up north and lay waste. (This in turn spawned another article about the e-mail blitz.)
    The most amusing thing? The article talked about four Canadians going to join the twenty or so Americans.

  502. I’d suggest to the loutish corrector what a friend of mine used to like to say: “Get a life…If you can’t afford one, borrow one and try it out. You might like it.”

  503. Doesn’t she know that “ass” is actually spelled “arse”? As in “I’d like to make an arse out of myself, so I think I will hassle Stephanie about American versus Canadian/British spelling.” How inspiring. Clearly an intellectual.

  504. I am a stickler for proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation in my own writing–I absolutely must edit out any mistakes I catch later–but I know that not everyone else is. I can’t imagine emailing another blog author and proofreading their entries for them…and not just once, but many times? Out of the question.
    I hope your would-be teacher is reading our comments and feels absolutely mortified.

  505. I was born in England to English parents, moved to Canada at eight months old and did all my schooling there through high school and then moved to America where I eventually became a court reporter. While I have since Americanized my spelling for the most part, my proofreader will occasionally point out my Canadian spellings to me. I still want my o-u-r in certain words and while my transcripts may say check, my chequebook will forever list who the cheque is from! (Oh, and in this house we have a garborator, not a disposal!) Think I spelled that one wrong, but you know what I mean…
    Other people keep talking about nasty comments too. Honestly, if you don’t like it, don’t read it!

  506. oh, brother! do you remember that song “Too Much Time on My Hands” by Styx? or as Mr. T says, “I pity the fool!”
    sometime long ago, i thought the alter-spellings, some of which you listed, were exotic and sophisticated in a British sort-of pinky-up whilst (!) drinking tea kind of way. in certain situations, i still sprinkle them around, hoping that the audience will notice and think, “I didn’t know Annri was schooled abroad.” heh-heh!
    knit on and pity the fool!

  507. Normally, I wouldn’t even bother to comment with this many comments already ahead of me, but good grief…what an ass.
    Hey, my coffee maker does the same thing…with out the lid…it won’t drain into the pot and grr what a mess that is….
    Hugs, sounds like you need ’em.

  508. You’re not putting a gun to anybody’s head. If that person doesn’t like your blog, he/she doesn’t have to read it. I don’t read things that annoy me because it’s a waste of my time. This person is not only taking the time to read something annoying, but he/she is taking the time to write up detailed and mean comments!
    Somebody needs to get a life.
    Keep on blogging!

  509. Goodness-you’ve got everyone in a tizzy!! Seems to me that since Canada uses the Queen’s English which is much older than our American version that perhaps the American version might be considered the “wrongly” spelled English. But some Americans are convinced that if it ain’t American it ain’t right. I say celebrate the differences and the simularities!
    I do have a funny story though. There is a company called “Colorsong” from which I like to order yarn. The first time I tried I got the name from “Lettuce Knit”. I could not get the url to work. I called LK. The wonderful young women who answered said somewhat sheepishly,” Oops- I told you Coloursongyarns.com–it is spelled the American way-Colorsongyarns.com”. We got quite a chuckle out of that!! So alike , yet so different. And to answer some of your”critics”-maybe they don’t have enough to do if they have time to “edit” your spelling and Grammar(I can’t live without or type sentences without those great parenthesis).LOL

  510. What a surprise when I read this post! As an American, I must have become “fluent” in Canadian at some point, because I never even notice the differences. This person must live in a dark little hole…
    Now, would you be so kind as to please pass the cream and sugar?

  511. DeLurking to say I love your blog & love the way you write & what you write & how you write it. Why else would I be back here to read it every single time you post. To quote & paraphrase many others here, “What an arse!”

  512. That idjit needs to get a life. What a jerque. Some people are so narrow minded. When some ignoramus unleashes his or her irrational wrath on me, I have two favorite responses.
    1. I’m sorry you had an unhappy childhood.
    2. (Said with tongue planted squarely in my agnostic cheek) You know, Jesus the Lord Our Saviour could free you from the anger in your heart.

  513. I love your blog, and this entry perfectly reflected the mood I was in. As a result, your trudging made my day, and I actually laughed. Way to get the speller! And instead of candles I tried flowers–also didn’t work.

  514. I could go along with sending this poor soul some yarn to better occupy their time, but I don’t really believe this is a knitter.

  515. Seems like someone was deprived of crayons as a child and is trying to make up for it…
    It’s when I read coffee stories like yours that I’m glad I don’t drink coffee (nor tea). Mind you, I’m probably eating enough chocolate to equal the amount of cafein…

  516. Norma got a nasty comment this week as well, perhaps Mercury Retrogrudge is when the trolls come out of their caves to sling shite?

  517. This has probably been addressed already–but in any case, publishing houses have what is called house style, usually based on the Chicago Manual, but with a few idiosyncracies that have been thrown in. In any case, anything you write isn’t a *misspelling*, it’s your house style. Nuff said.

  518. Steph,
    1) I’ve had at least 3 similar coffee incidents. I will no longer buy the offending (but highly popular) brand of coffee maker. Usually these incidents have occurred when my MIL was visiting. Coincidence? You decide.
    2) About the scale…Fiber Artists. Drug Dealers. Bakers (ever watch ‘Good Eats’?). Nuff sed.
    3) Professional Technical Writer/Editor. In personal writing also prone to overuse both parentheses and ellipses (sp?)…and you can verify this w/anyone who has ever gotten an e-mail from me…clients included. And who has been known to break a grammar rule or two (or two dozen) in informal writing. And who notices (but doesn’t care) about typos or any other ‘weirdness’ in your blog.
    4) Professional Technical Writer/Editor/Anglophile/Francophile (if you can be both an Anglophile and a Francophile at the same time) LOVES your spelling.
    5) To the meanie: “Piss off you blighter!”

  519. Dear Stephanie,
    Wasn’t it George Bernard Shaw who said that the British (and Canadians) and the Americans were “the same people separtated by a common language?” Weren’t the colonists in the Americas the ones who screwed it up in the first place? Aren’t we in America the ones who cannot pronounce schedule properly? So, THERE, ye of the red penned e-mails!
    Personally, I’m thinking of changing my husband’s nickname to “Arse-headed Bottom”…kind of gives it a Olde English flair, eh?
    Hang in there…we love coming into your living room and sitting a spell!

  520. Dyer’s use them too.
    Correcting your spelling, you gotta be kidding. They definitely need to get a life.

  521. Babe, Mercury is retrograde, which explains some things. About the other thing, the American, it is probably W. If not, and if you find out who he (gotta be) is, my friends and I will stab him to death with our double points. Lotta friends, lotta double points. Love from (ahem) an English major/English teacher/sniper.

  522. Furthermore – see comments at Making Light (Sock yarn outrage!) wherein the harlot’s writing style is described (to an editor)as being “in the tradition of Leacock and Jerome K. Jerome.” No mention of spelling. Canada’s highest award for literary humour is the Stephen Leacock Award.

  523. Man, someone needs to get a life. Why spend so much energy on such drivel? (The red-penned in-corrector, that is. Not you, Steph) You expressed yourself well and we all stand behind you.
    And besides, I think Canadians have a much more stylish flair than do Americans when it comes to grammar and spelling…and I’m American.
    Keep on, Girl. We all love you.

  524. I never noticed any spelling/grammar mistakes in your blog, I’m too busy reading and enjoying what you have written. Your anonymous critic should follow the advice of Stephen King’s mom “If you can’t say something nice, keep yer damn mouth shut”.
    Or, they could just read some other blog.
    Love your blog, in fact, one of your entries was instrumental in getting me a ball winder and a swift for my birthday! Thanks!

  525. People who “correct” the spelling of strangers are the bane of my American existance. They are the reason I pretend to be Canadian while abroad. Americans like to “correct” lots of things about foreign strangers. Very embarrassing. On behalf of my people, I am sorry.

  526. Stephanie,
    I look forward to your blog entries. I check for one every day! You inspire me in so many ways. Just thought I would add to all the possitive comments.

  527. I think someone out there has a little too much free time. Or maybe the person is in a ton of pain and has chosen to take out his/her anger on you. Either way I loved your response to a crapalicious situation. (Dig out your Oxford for that one!)

  528. cancelled (vs canceled)
    I’m so excited to see this one!!! I live in the US, I always want to spell it with 2 l’s for some reason. now i know I must be channeling my inner canadian… or something like that.
    hijack your blog, it is yours after all. i’m all for good grammar and good spelling and all that, but in professional items. in personal, or familiar, writing, i say, as long as you get the idea of what it means, who the heck cares?

  529. I gotta say I don’t really get the coffee thing, but I’m still in my early 20s, perhaps it will come. But this jerkface with the spelling criticisms could perhaps just stop reading your blog. If you don’t like it don’t look at it.

  530. If I wasn’t sure of this before, I am most definitely sure of it now:
    I love you.
    Thank you, that is all.

  531. Hello, it’s 70 and sunny where I am!
    Well, my mom just calls those “Charlie Brown moments”, and everybody has to have their share. I just had to write and tell you about my mother-in-law. She had a big, shiny, expensive, new coffee pot, the kind you set with a timer to go off automatically in the morning. So she fixed it up before she went to bed,(and didn’t set the carafe under it the right way) and when she woke up, instead of a nice hot pot of coffee, there was a big yucky mess. She took one look, and said,”Well! The damn things broken!” Grabbed it up, threw it in the outside trash can, and said,”Let’s all go to IHOP!” (International House of Pancakes for those who don’t know) Well you know nobody dared mention the word “coffee pot” to her during that breakfast! She was also fond of saying things like,”You ever notice how dark it gets when the sun goes down?”…that woman was priceless!
    (As you can see, I am as fond of “quotes” as you are of parentheses) “hee hee”
    bye for now!

  532. I loved your BLASTATION of that FOOL!!!! Ha!!! Way to stick it to ’em!!!!! Keep us posted. They are probably sniveling in a corner somewhere…..

  533. LOL I get a kick out of the differences between American English and the English spoken in the rest of the world. I’m an American who was introduced to Dickens and Agatha Christie by the time I was eight. Most of my favorite authors are British (case in point, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and Tom Holt). My English professor used to say that she knew her best students would be the ones who read for pleasure because the grammar would “rub-off” on them. Apparently the spelling rubbed off as well. The first assignment I turned in had a note on it asking me to see her after class. When I spoke with her, she told me that everything was fine, but that I needed to pick one form of English and stick with it. (I think I used “color” and “humour” in the same sentence as well as several other British spellings.) Fortunately, she was an Anglophile and didn’t mark the words wrong. Turned out she was a Douglas Adams fan as well and we began swapping other books back and forth.
    (If you ever find a solution to the table issue, let me know. Ours is in constant need of excavation.)

  534. Delurking to say that I have never noticed your Canadian spellings or your use of it’s and its. I’m spelling challenged (mild form of dislexia).
    This little affliction resulted in so much pain as a child (think spelling tests, spelling bees, papers marked down publicly because of spelling errors) that I learned to treat other’s learning challenges with respect. I happen to be good at math. Do I make fun of people who have trouble with it? Why is it OK to rub it in when someone can’t spell? I still get this treatment as an adult. I don’t get it.
    Anyway, sorry you have to deal with this idiot who not only thinks it’s OK to needle someone about their spelling but who is also so mind boggling narrow as to not know about alternate spellings.
    You are my favorite knitting writer. Thanks for inviting us in.

  535. Wow, this struck a nerve. Comments galore.
    I can’t believe someone would waste precious time to write to you about something like spelling. The kicker is the fake email. It’s the mark of a coward. I’ve moderated message boards and I’m often amazed at what people will say when they know they can be anonymous. I wonder if they would have the courage to say those same things to the person’s face. It’s frustrating. Made me think of this quote:
    “More people need to understand that what they do or say affects not just them. Everyone has a right to state their opinion. But know that what you say and what you do affect people around you, whether you know them or not, whether they’re in the room with you or in another country. – Clay Aiken”
    Gee, I hope I spelled everything correctly. 😉

  536. I haven’t understood since the real launch of the blogosphere why anyone thinks that a domain that s/he does not control is a venue for those types of comments. I consider private email critiques of your domain to be in the same category. As Cara said recently over at January One, it’s been said a million times – if you don’t like this site, go somewhere else on teh internets.

  537. Steph…the person who dares “correct” The Harlot is, unfortunately, missing the best part of the posts: the UFO or yarn stuck in a bush, the rack, the cheerful humor, the good nature of the Knitter we know and love. I teach writing; you write a blog, a personal communication…and if we understand what the hell you meant (and we usually do)…then you’ve succeeded. And if we’ve laughed, you added a serious measure of happiness to the day.
    Oh look. I just used three sets of ellipses. Well slap me silly, my students (8th graders…age 14) will no doubt take me to task. That’s if they REALLY knew how I spend my time.
    Remember the Irish blessing (or curse?):
    May those that love us, love us.
    Many God turn the hearts of those who don’t love us.
    And, if He won’t turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles so we know them by their limping.
    Keep writing. I miss you when you don’t post.

  538. On behalf of all us here in the United States, who love you and love your blog, please let me apologize for that horrible person who has been privately e-mailing you. I’m so sorry, and so embarassed by their terrible behavior. Some people, no matter how hard they try, can not hide their ignorance. I think, if this person does not like what they are reading in your blog, they should just stop reading it, and maybe… oh I don’t know… get a life.

  539. Wow! I’m scared. I keep telling people there are no knitting police, but I must be mistaken, because it seems that if there are spelling police, then the knitting police probably aren’t far behind…um, what revolution are we waiting for?—when knitters take over the world? We’d better get cracking then..

  540. That’s just shameful, that this person calls himself or herself an editor. I hope that’s not how he or she earns a payche(ck)(que). Because dude, that’s what those amazing creations called dictionaries are for, and every country has them, but clearly, there ain’t none o’ that on this person’s bookshelf. An embarrassment to the profession.
    You responded in a much more graceful way than I would have done, my friend.

  541. I am so sorry that some moron has done this. What an idiot! It makes me embarrassed to be an American. (Although both my parents were Canadians)
    I am one of the many lurkers and SO love your blog.

  542. Water off a duck’s back there. When I was a newspaper editor folks used to write me all the time (or call) and point out all the typos, grammar errors and spelling problems. I learned from some of it. I spell better today thanks to some of them. But, I don’t worry about it. Being married to a Brit now, I have to always make sure I’m using the “correct” spelling in the right context. My sympathies to you.

  543. Oh, ye gods and little fishies. Some people’s children … It could be worse, Steph. You could have to live with the miserable critter. Just set up your email filters to locate that email address and dump it in the trash. Done. It’s not even worth your ire.
    By the by, I’ve lived in the U.S. of A. all my life, and I still spell it “cancelled.” It just flat looks better, and since good old Webster’s still offers it as an alternate spelling, anyone who disagrees can kiss my sense of humour. =D

  544. jesus. H. kee-rist. 549 comments? Why am I here?
    I’ll tell you why. Because I’m an editor, I’m a geek, grammar and spelling are the only ways in my life in which I’m anal-retentiv … but there’s one significant thing that supercedes grammar and spelling: voice. And you’ve got it. And that’s why I read you, everytime you post (yes, ‘everytime’ as one word is correct in this instance, asshole — it’s an ADVERB). Voice! Heart! HEART! Asshole.
    Correction: I are a editer. And pa-rowd of it! And a proud (and frequently delighted and grateful) reader of yours, Steph. Life is grand — and deep and wide, ain’t it? Thanks for everything.

  545. This just came up on my friend’s blog. Isn’t it nice that someone can shoot off their mouth and not have any words of their own to identify them in any way. That is called cowardice. And the few times I have commented on his blog, of course, the coward in question has gotten all up in arms at me. Duh, because it is an anonymous drive by agression dump.
    Oh Stephanie, I love your writing, (and incidentally your politics). You can’t make everyone happy (well, you can’t make anyone happy actually) but the jerks sending you hate mail are just pathetic losers.

  546. How freakin’ rude and cowardly!!! And dear Harlot, nothing to apologize for would put a bee in my bonnet too! Best of luck with the coffee tomorrow morning!

  547. As an American lover of British literature who higgledy-piggledy dashes off British/Canadian spellings (thereby confounding her word processing spellchecker), I am completely befuddled by your anonymous harasser. Idiots abound… I adore your blog, as do my local Canadian and American knit-friends, and I think you are both a genius of knitting and humor. Your blog is on my homepage, and is the first thing I read in the morning as I peel up my eyelids and drain my first cup of coffee. Thanks for providing enlightenment and entertainment for all of us. Carry on!

  548. Excellent retort!
    How crazy is this person that s/he spends his (I prefer to think of It as a he) time reading your blog only to criticize it (another word the moron can add to the different spellings list.) (As you can see, I am a parenthetical gal, myself, which in my “official writing” (i.e., for work), becomes footnotes.
    Charli
    p.s. any bets on whether The Moron needs to look up the word retort?

  549. Attention spelling Nazi: They make medication for your condition. It’s called Midol. You need to get some and crawl back to your cave. We don’t need you here.
    Keep your chin up, my muse. We love you/we love your writing/we love your knitting. Your blog about this shared passion is the light of my day. It’s an honor to be invited into your living room. Peace be with you!

  550. Destress and let go. How sad must your troll’s life be? S/he has nothing better to do than sit around composing emails in which s/he criticizes your spelling, in red font no less. Pity him or her. S/he must be a rather sad, bitter person.

  551. I’m not sure, but this post has got to be right up there with # of comments. Don’t mess with our Steph!
    There’s a little bit of Canada in our house in Wisconsin right now; my daughter, who is learning to play the French horn, is working on “O Canada” as a solo piece. It has become an earworm. And I have to mentally put the words in when I hear it. Unfortunately, I only know the words in French, from high school French…
    (ellipse alert! which is rather alliterative)
    (and parenthesis power too!)

  552. Cracked me up to see SIX HUNDRED comments on this topic!
    I enjoy your “foreign” blog more than any other, and have often noted your skillful use of the language.
    I recognize that I am picky about spelling and grammar (just ask any of my offspring or co-workers) but I am fully aware that if I am going to take on the role of Grammar Police or Spelling Police, I had better know the rules.
    PS: Recommended laugh-out-loud reading for others of my kind: “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves” by Lynne Truss.
    PPS: Born and educated in Texas, don’t know why I prefer to see gray spelled grey. Just looks more grown-up somehow.
    PPPS: Yep, I get colloquial sometimes too.

  553. PPPPS: Isn’t “Donut” one of those words like “Lite” and “Nite” and “Lo-Fat” that was invented to take up less space in ads and signs?

  554. Good for you! Like my mother always said, “We may not be rich or have a lot but you will be polite no matter what!”

  555. Ur from Canada!! OMG!! How dare you openly hide this on your blog!! Cancel my subscription!! Burn my Harlot books!! I feel faint…someone get me to the chesterfield!! Oh, no…I’ve been infected…
    But, seriously… it’s a damn shame how some people choose to spend their time. Your blog is free, no one forces me (or anyone else) to buy your books, and I look forward to each blog entry you post. Just as I would (hopefully) not judge a person solely by their looks, I do not judge someone’s writing based solely on the correctness of their spelling and grammar. Some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read were not written in the most proper/grammatically correct manner (cultural differences aside), but they most certainly came from deepest of hearts. It’s not the words you use (or spellings, in this case), it’s how you use them.
    You do it well, Miss Stephanie. Please continue to do so.
    –Casey, delurking because she has a Mother who feels the need to correct her dyslexic statements. Every. Damn. Time.

  556. Oh no, I’m so ashamed. The complainer appears to be a fellow USA’er, and too persnickety for words. 😎 Anyway, shouldn’t one of the listed words be spelled ‘offsides’? Just kidding. I’ve been watching too much hockey, if that is even possible.
    Ginny T in New Jersey

  557. My DH calls those sort of people, “Seldom right, never in doubt.” Love the blog, always have, always will. Thanks.

  558. Crud. I hate it when the clueless, pompous jerks turn out to be Americans. (Hey–you don’t suppose those nasty e-mails came directly from the white house, do you?)
    Regarding the scale, I originally got mine for soap making. Much like sock knitting, if you make your own soap, there’s always someone who feels the need to inform you that soap can now be purchased very inexpensively at any nearby grocery or drug store.
    Alas, the trials of the crafty! 😉

  559. Can I just say, that every time I read your blog, I wish you were my neighbor so we could have a cup of tea, knit and chat and be friends. How anyone could begin to criticize, they just need to be smacked in the head. Oh did I say that outloud? 🙂

  560. as of this moment, 611 comments about this post on your blog. 611 people. And all from people who think your blog is great and your grammar/spelling fine. (I’m partial to Canadian spelling myself, enjoying aforesaid north of the 49th parallel as well) 1 person versus 611. You’ve got nothing to worry about. We all love your blog, talent, wit, humour and knittingness. Feel the love, Stephanie, feel the love.

  561. My favorite bumper sticker ever said “I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person’. Seems to apply here…nasty emailer should get themselves a canonload of wisdom.

  562. It seems quite obvious to me that if someone feels the need to criticize you that they feel horribly inferior to you. I honestly don’t even notice that you spell things differently than I do the majority of the time. And when I do notice I smile and cherish the fact that you are differnt than me. I’m sure I spell things wrong all the time on my blog. If someone pays more attention to grammar than then the content then they shouldn’t be reading the blog.
    The e-mailer should get her/his head out of the bull and spend their energy elsewhere. We don’t need red corrections around here.

  563. Re: drug dealer scale…as a soapmaker, I used a scale very much like that, that went up to 500g. (It was primarily for measuring precise amounts of lye for small batches. You really don’t want too much of that stuff.) I’m a little disappointed, actually, that I didn’t get ID’d for buying it. 😛 Ah well.
    Re: asshats…I am thoroughly ashamed, although not at all surprised, that an American was so nasty to you. As if all the talk about grams and kilometres (kilometers?) and, heck, yarnharlot.CA wasn’t enough to clue them in to the fact that you’re in a whole other COUNTRY. DH, the transplanted Newfie, finds the attitude of “Canada is just an extension of the US” to be quite pervasive and annoying. But what can you do, besides maybe track down their IP and report them to their service provider? Hopefully being publically called out will shame them into obscurity.
    PS. No matter what Americans say, it definitely is /doughnut/. “Donut” is right up there with other cutesy missleppings for me – like “Kandy” and “Kare” and blah blah blah. Makes me want to beat people with a dictionary.

  564. Envy is the reason for that kind of behavior. Some waanabe popular writer I guess:)
    My Bohus is resting too and Willow on 7mm needels is my current knit.

  565. I’m American (United Statesan?) and went to a British private school for 4 years. It’s where I learned to spell, and certain words, like theater, gray, and (gulp) Savior still look just plain wrong to me.Also, I, too am annoyed by the changes to Harry Potter, but especially the change in the title of the first one. Nowhere on Earth had I ever seen it referred to as a Sorcerer’s Stone. Even an old comic book I saw it in – an American, Disney, Duck Tales comic book – reffered to it as the Philosopher’s Stone. How idiotic can you be?

  566. God Stephanie, – that “person” who emails you nasty-grams must be a total whack job with no life.
    Glad that you have helped them to get their head out of their arse.
    may they be pitifully ashamed for their limited sight and just plain old ordinary dum-arse stupidity. (and yes, I mis-spelled on purpose 🙂 tee hee – )
    Love the scale. thanks for sharing. must get me one.

  567. No, no…you use a nice clean washcloth to mop up the coffee spill, wring it into a cup, drink it, THEN fix the machine! 🙂 🙂 🙂
    Thank you for the invitation into your living room; do you mind if I make close friends with your spinning wheel and cat(s)???
    *heheh* she says, plucking the longhaired cat bald and spinning away….
    Don’t let the idiots get you down, and know that you aren’t alone. ALF is active this month, the cowards, and most everyone I’ve talked to is having ‘cat toy times’.
    Hang in there!

  568. I apologize for my American fellow. As a people, we have a tendency to be daft. We’re not all so moronic, though, I promise.

  569. Aren’t you glad that you have better things to do with your time than correct people’s blog misspellings?
    I read your blog for pure pleasure and greatly enjoy it just the way you write it.

  570. Dear Madam Yarn Harlot Stephi-lady,
    As politely as I can state, don’t you dare change how you write! That is what makes you you. I adore the differences in spelling, the unique turns of phrasing, the crafting of the well-turned sentence. Spell on!

  571. This semi-person told you that Americans spell it “donut”???? No. No. No. Perhaps in ads or shop signs, which misspell frequently for space savings or visual effect, but not in “real” writing. Perhaps this person is new to America and ‘Merican is a second language.
    It is and ever shall be “doughnut”. For reals.
    I was 6th-grade spelling champ. (I also have known from a very early age about variant spellings). I won’t even get into the anonymous, cowardly, ridiculousness of this pseudo-person using a fake email address.

  572. Do people remember the adage “If you don’t have anything nice to say…”?
    I have encountered opinions and philosophies online that I did not agree with – here’s the extra special thing about being online: You Can Say Nothing At All without being rude. Not so in life!
    Who has the time and the energy to devote to such pursuits?? What are they possibly hoping to accomplish? The goal seems to be to make the recipient feel stupid – sadly this goal is never met in these situations. Rather, the recipient has received unequivocal proof that the sender is a complete moron, not worthy of their attention.
    Blog on Lady!!

  573. This corrigeur seems like a real hoser!
    When in Rome…and this *is* a Canadian blog, kids.
    To expect a professional writer to have perfect grammar and spelling would be like expecting every musician to have perfect pitch. This is why we have electronic tuners, and editors! You are a professional writer, NOT an etymologist or grammarian.
    OH! And drug dealer scales? We use one at my coffee shop. It’s a great learning tool, to check the weight of a cappucino or latte and be certain we’re consistent. I also use one at home for yarny stuff, and to *muffled voice* measure drugs…for my pets…when I am giving them human medicines in tiny portions…

  574. Steph, perhaps your cowardly anonymous visitor can come on over to my blog for awhile and entertain herself by correcting my liberal use of parentheses and ellipses, my overuse of onomatopoeia, my blatant American Southernism, my run-on sentences (part and parcel of being Southern), my fondness for shifting points of view, and my tendency to make up words when the correct one won’t surface in my brain, which is usually due to an insufficient amount of coffee.
    Maybe she can also correct my Cajun French.
    And speaking of coffee, I do feel your pain, after cleaning up all that mess, you went and tumped your coffee over. 🙁
    (tump — American Southern English: to fully overturn an upright and full container, thus creating a mess; “Right after she cleaned up the mess from the coffeepot, Stephanie tumped over her coffee cup and had to clean the kitchen all over again.”)
    Use of scales: in a vet clinic, weighing the towel that a sick animal has urinated on works just like the neonate nurse weighing the diapers. It is also useful to have a gram scale for weighing dyes for your wool, weighing pet medications, and weighing spices for sale.
    Chin up, Mercury will be out of retrograde soon.

  575. Shas been spreading bad vibes all about the knitting online community. (see Cara’s post a few days back.) Phewey on them!
    BTW- I can’t spell very well, partially due to dyslexia, exasperated by learning two other languages in my adulthood. I would be furious if someone had the nerve to call me on my poor spelling on my own blog. If it bothers you so badly, GO AWAY AND DON’T COME BACK!

  576. As a Canadian I have to say two-fingers-up to Captain Grammar. Of course, as a Canuck who spends a lot of time reading US published books and blogs, I’m also starting to blur the line on some of the regional stuff (is it publicize or publicise? I can never remember anymore). But I’ll defend that gratuitous ‘u’ to the death!

  577. As an American who just recently had to correct her friends regarding my spelling containing many of the same sorts of ‘errors’ and having had to do so in college back a few years ago, I am so sorry. Many people here seem not to read anything but modern US novelists, and they do forget about the ginormous world not being unfortunately represented by a ugly puppet man. Actually, I may run away to Canada…

  578. De-Lurking to say that I enjoy your blog, I think differences and errors in grammar are like an accent and make thing more conversational, and I’d rather things be a dialouge than perfectly punctuated any day.

  579. What’s wrong with the way you spell? As far as I can work out your spelling is the same as we have “down under” and therefor absolutely, without debate, correct. Seriously, we have whole columns in newspapers where people are always being corrected on spelling and grammar.

  580. A few words to the spelling police: Bite me and get over it! (I think I spelled all of that correctly!) Blogs are communicative in nature, and there may be errors occasionally. Deal with it and move on—it’s called acting like a grown-up! And, a bit more on that note, be a grown-up who’s not a coward! A fake email address?! Are you kidding me?! If you’re going to be a critic, at least stand in the kitchen and take the heat! YOU GO, HARLOT!

  581. (I love parentheses, too.)And while we’re speaking of “personal learning disabilities,” mine involves “who’s” and “whose.” Anyway, don’t let the buggers, or boogers, or whosamitis get you down. Keep on purlin’.

  582. My coffee pot worked the same way. There is a little plastic apparatus-thingie which is triggered by the lid; mine broke, and I also experienced the coffee coming out of the reservoir, super hot and really confusing! (Incidentally, it took me 3 months to locate a replacement – during the interim, I had an affair with a French Press!)
    Sorry about the jerk. As an American, I find his/her behavior really embarassing. I love your blog and read it all the time, and I can’t thank you enough for all your posts!

  583. Dear Coffee Deprived Harlot,
    When my husband started drinking coffee in the morning, he kindly took over the job of setting up the coffee pot at night. (I have one of those automatic self-starting coffeepots that you program and it turns itself on, What bliss! I just can’t live without it!) It took quite a few coffee messes for him to finally figure the whole thing out. It wasn’t pretty. You have my sympathy! I’m generally a nice, cheerful and happy person as long as you don’t mess with my coffee in the morning. To do this is to risk the life and limbs of the offender. A girl has to have some limits.
    As to your heckler, some people are just so asinine (Yes, this word is spelled correctly. They should look it up in their dictionary if they think otherwise.) that they totally miss the bigger picture. What a small and petty life this person must have to get their jollies out of writing mean spirited and offensive letters. I mean, what kind of a life can you have if that’s what you do for fun. How sad. My suggestion is to ignore and block this person so you don’t get anymore emails from them. I know they are using a false email address, but you should be able to get the IP address of the machine that originated the email, and put it on your spam list. You could also pass the IP address along to other bloggers so they could block them too. Life is just too short to deal with such ugly, petty, ignorant, hateful, and asinine behaviour.
    Oh, I wanted to add a third group to use a gram scale like yours. It’s absolutely a must for dyers! I never appreciated the metric system until I started dyeing fiber. I weigh everything in grams now. Now you should go and have a big honkin’ cup of coffee!

  584. I get cockroaches in my loungeroom (and kitchen) at present. Apparently, it’s the hot, dry weather we’ve been having (not a reflection on my housekeeping skills – or lack thereof). {[Hooray for parentheses]}.
    After thinking about it, I’d rather have the cockroaches than your uninvited guest; at least I can spray mine and chuck ’em down the loo…
    Having said that, it might make you feel better to think about treating your pest the same way.

  585. I work on English Language Teaching books for the publisher of your beloved Oxford Dictionary. I am currently changing a previously published English book for use in the American market. I hate American spellings. They should learn to speak proper English. Oh and I’m Irish by the way!!! I love your blog and treat it as if it’s a conversation rather than a spell checked piece of prose. If it bothers that nasty person so much, why on earth do they read it??? Thanks for the continuing entertainment. I work at home alone all day and reading your blog keeps me sane.

  586. As a Brit who has returned home after living in the USA for 6 years, I am thrilled to be able to spell all those words the same way as you do again! However, while in the USA I was polite and respectful of their culture (as a visitor should be) and would never have ‘corrected’ spellings or pronunciations.
    Just ignore the e-mails, I love your blog and your books – when are you coming to visit the UK on your tour?
    Ann

  587. THATS why I enjoy reading you so much – you spell the english way! – indeed, the correct way!!

  588. Yay! Go the Harlot! Sometimes one despairs of the pettiness of humanity – what a dull individual (your nemesis, not you!)
    And here’s to Canadian/British spelling. I work for a U.S. company and it is very difficult for me to remember to spell my reports ‘wrongly’ – lots of edits.

  589. How very rude… A language that has been changed does not make the changed version correct. Or for that matter incorrect.
    It’s amusing to see that once again someone’s way of doing something is being pushed on to another, just because they feel they are right…
    Ah well, so much for each to their own.

  590. It’s people like that creature that make me cringe with embarrassment at times to be an American. Your gently dignified reply/post thoroughly outclasses your lurking flame troll. I can only apologize on behalf of an ignorant countrman, unfortunately only one of many (hey, there’s a lot of people here, so even if the percentage of idiots is the same as elsewhere it adds up). And it’s not petty. I agree with the person who suggested that you have your ISP look into it if this has been an ongoing problem.

  591. I enjoy reading your blog and seeing the proper spellings you use(that’s how it strikes me). By the way, I also adore parentheses more than is necessary but I don’t care, they please me. 🙂
    Also, I like your scale! I want to get one of those, though I think I’d only use it for sock yarn dilemmas.
    I hope your week gets better. As for being .. “the universes cat toy”, I’m right there with you for the last couple of weeks. It’ll pass (it’s got to, right?).

  592. Go You!
    As someone who lives on the other side of the world, who has always prided herself on her excellent spelling abilities (but has similar doubts about her grammar, as well as an inordinate fondness for parentheses), I sympathise (and yes I spell it with an s not a z). There is nothing that pisses me off more (well quite a few things do actually, but this one rates quite highly on my list) than Americans who cannot conceive of a world (and a very colourful one at that) beyond their own borders.

  593. I don’t usually bother leaving a comment because you usually have so many but I’m with you completely on this…being british well we spell things differently aswell and it would be as petty and stoopid as me writing to my knitting friends over the pond and correcting all the spellings, some people really need to get a life…I think the 650 + comments speak for them selves but I just want to stand up and be counted!

  594. Welcome to the club Stephanie! A visitor to Knittingand.com once told me that I should use American english because only Americans were going to use my website anyway.
    Hmmm, I have a terrible urge to go and sign up for the letter zed webring…
    😉

  595. when the revolution comes, you can string them up with all the bad acylic we have here.
    and i feel the need to apologize for whomever in my country said those horrid things to you. i know you know, but we’re not all bad.

  596. I’ll just keep on trying to bring (some) Commonwealth spellings to the US. (While I was born and raised in the US, apparently I read a lot of dead white British males as a child. I didn’t even realize grey could be spelled with an “a” until I was in college.) Perhaps that will irritate people out of their US-centric spelling before they get to you. 🙂
    On the other hand, I can’t help you with constructions like ” are…”. You’re on your own there, if you even use that. (I haven’t seen it show up in my Canadian husband’s writing, so I suspect it may be truly a Britishism.)

  597. What a wanker. I’m American but I live in the UK and honestly the only time I register the differences is when I need to fill out something with English spelling. Also, I’m with you on the its and it’s. I keep thinking I have it down but alas, I do not.
    Hope the trudging turns to something much more fun. Like flittering through glitter flakes, coffee in hand. Or something. 🙂

  598. I actually made coffee wrong four times in one morning — I, too, forgot to put the lid on (and we all know how that turns out!) then on the second round I forgot the grounds, then on the third round I forgot the filter (also another mess, we don’t speak of it) and finally I forgot to turn it on.
    Then I got in my car and went to Tim Horton’s.

  599. So sorry you’re being plagued by such a jackass…if they were truly intelligent, they would know that some English words are spelled differently in different countries! Good grief…get a life already, whoever you are.

  600. They got their optic nerve crossed with their rectal nerve, and it gave them a shitty outlook on life. Really though, how gutless to use a fake email address.

  601. Regarding the nasty e-mails…
    Perhaps this has already been suggested–I’m not wading through 600+ comments to find out 🙂
    Your e-mail account should permit you to report spam, putting the nasty e-mails from that particular address into your trash & delete folder, which is where they belong.

  602. With a force of knitters like you have at your beck and call, one rogue commentor could be found easily (if they are a knitter at all). I can only imagine that the email editor kicks puppies, hates babies, and despises flowers too…. we’ll not even mention whiskers on kittens or brown paper packages wrapped up with string.
    I kind of feel bad for the email editor, they spend their time correcting Canadian spelling on a web log instead of knitting- we should pity that person.
    (if I had a guess, I think it would be one of the authors you mentioned from a few posts ago who questioned why anyone would read a knitting book [overlooking that you were the most successful author there]. When we feel bad about ourselves, we try to find [and critisize] the same bad in other people….. perhaps the editor feels bad about themself because they are not a knitter and not Canadian*.)
    *totally plausible, even Eddie Izzard discusses about how universally well liked the Canadians are- its a fact.

  603. To the phantom emailer, who doesn’t have the guts or the confidence to give his/her actual email.
    (Sniveling, hypocritical coward that you are.)
    If you aren’t well-read enough to know that there are two acceptable spellings (or more) for lots of words, and that Commonwealth countries use the British spellings, not the bastardized Americanisms that Noah Webster left us here in the US of A, you are certainly not qualified to comment on anyone else’s spelling.
    Get YOUR head out of YOUR ASS, and leave Stephanie alone. She’s doing just fine, and you’re just showing your own ignorance.
    Julie
    (I’m a published novelist, an editor, and a copy editor. Do not argue spelling with me.)

  604. As a Norwegian who were taught English as a second language, consequence in spelling method (Brithish vs American) has never been a big issue. The beauty of languages is that we can understand each other just from learning a few words of someones language, even if it seems that something went terribly wrong somewhere in this case…
    (And no, I haven’t looked up any of the words in this comment, so some may very well be misspelled.
    Sue me.)

  605. Steph, Now that I’ve vented at the spelling-police idiot (who doesn’t know from spelling anyway) that Mercury retrograde thing sounds darn accurate: Had to unpick a big chunk of needlepoint because I put the wrong color there, and it was going to show, then started a knitted lace curtain and had to frog it when I discovered, 4″ into the complicated lace patt, that it was WAY too narrow. I may just veg in front of the TV until March 7. Sheesh! Julie

  606. The moron must be a Death Eater bent on sucking out life and soul because they have none.
    Ever had coffee ala the kitchen shelf because the brewer was started but the pot was still in the dish strainer? Straws for everyone!

  607. Mr. or Ms. Spellorama ought to find something more constructive to do with their time…for the love of all things good! It isn’t like you’re writing a thesis and going to get marks…! Some people. 😛 May he/she choke on the fibers of their next project and hack up a hairball.

  608. I had to chuckle at your rant. I was brought up in the States but have been coming to Eastern Ontario since I was 2. When I was in second grade or thereabouts (in the early 60’s) my mother went to bat for me with the teacher after a spelling test. You see the only words I had wrong were colour, neighbour and labour. I thought the Canadian spelling was cool but the teacher was not impressed. Although she finally admitted that yes, that was an acceptable spelling for those words, “The words are to be spelled as they are taught in the spelling book.” I never was very good at giving teachers exactly what they wanted. Following my younger self’s preferrences, I am now a Canadian citizen living in Eastern Ontario.
    Got to go get my next cup of caffeine

  609. Nay, lass, dinna tak on! Tha spells reight gradely! Someone allus chelps on abaht summat.
    ‘Appen tha “editor”, the gurt gawmless gawp’ead, ‘ll ‘ave a bit moare trouble wi a bit ‘o broad Yorkshire:
    Ther’s nowt so queer as fowk. Ther’ all on ’em queer, bar thee an’ me – ‘an sometimes Ah’m nut so sewer abaht thee!
    Ta ta.

  610. I’d say that this person writing you about your spelling needs to get a life. I think he or she has to much time on their hands.

  611. Bad spellers of the world – UNTIE!
    Seriously Harlot – it’s been said here before and I’ll say it again: you’re a terrible American.
    –giggle, snort–
    Just kidding…

  612. …sigh…
    What is this, “if you can’t say anything nice, be repeatedly rude to a stranger” week?
    Well, anyway, sorry about the coffee. I really feel only pity for the emailer, because BOY. What a small life s/he must lead.

  613. We don’t come to your living room for the spelling…we come for your whit, your talent and as a gathering place for like minded knitters. There is a jerk in every bunch,(usually an insecure, jealous, ignorant, inadequate fool, that probably can’t knit anyway). Unfortunately, fame and popularity often brings the creeps out of the woodwork. Blow ’em off and keep knitting (and writing, please). The point is you are read and understood…beyond that who gives a ………We love you and thank you for opening your living room to us.

  614. I swear to God I know who that wacko person is. She used to work in my office! Totally warped perspective on the universe. Calls herself a perfectionist when she’s really a totally insecure person who makes herself feel better (maybe) by pointing out everyone else’s (perceived) errors. Arrogant. She is living a miserable existence because she cannot, as it is said, see the forest for the trees. It’s a lonely place to be.

  615. You mean I’ve lived my entire life in the US, and I’ve been incorrectly using “doughnut” instead of “donut” that entire time? Oh, I’ve been such a fool! I should shrivel in shame!
    Or maybe Anonymous Spell-Checker Person needs to shut off the computer and get out once in a while.
    You have a very nice living room, and I think it’s very nice of you to invite us all in.

  616. Great, another person who feels the need to “correct, American style” You are from Canada, the spelling is different, the culture, politics, language, currency is different. I get it, I’m not stupid, it is in part who you are. It is why in part, why we visit. We all don’t look the same, act the same, are not educated the same and it just boggles me when because you don’t do it their way you are wrong. Get a life, preferrably your own. If all you have to do to feel better than someone else is to send nasty emails, prehaps the time would be better spent in therapy. Not using your real emails means that you can’t stand confrontations, or are not mature enough, or wise enough to realize there is a whole world out there that you are missing because of your behaviour.

  617. Good for you for setting the coward straight. On a more upbeat note, I bought your “At Knit’s End” book last week, read part of it that night, went and bought three more for knitter friends the next day. Getting a jump on Christmas shopping, but don’t know if I can wait that long. Thanks for sharing knowledge and humor.

  618. our cable box/dvr has “language options” and i set our language to “canadian” (cos i love the spelling of “colour” and “favourite”), just cos i’m sick of reading american english. good for you for sticking it to the spelling police.

  619. Good grief, I think some people need to get out more (not you, by the way).
    Here’s some more Yorkshire, to go along with Alison K’s:
    “if tha ever does owt fer nowt, do it fer thisen”.
    Trans: if you ever do anything for nothing, do it for yourself. Not a sentiment I am particularly fond of!
    I among many am glad you spend what must be precious time blogging for us, it’s inspirational, it makes me laugh, it has led me to knitting information I may not have found otherwise. Spelling pedants (who cannot even get their facts straight, it seems, as to your nationality) should realise We Are All Armed with Pointed Sticks ;o)

  620. You get so many comments that I usually just keep my mouth shut. However, as an English teacher in the United States, I have appreciated your blog for its wit first and foremost, its erudition, and the fact that you do not resort to stupid, non-grammatical e-mail language. I think there is only one cure for the delusional idiot sending the red ink — the DELETE button. I look forward to seeing you in the Mile High city on April 5. Jo

  621. I posted a question once on a knitting board, asking about a problem with my pattern instruction (newbie knitter!). The one person who responded gave a very sarcastic comment on why I couldn’t figure it out, before launching into a list of why she couldn’t help with my question. ??? Turned out she was rude to almost everyone she commented to. My hurt feelings were soothed when I read one knitter’s advice to ignore any “snarky” people on the boards, that it doesn’t take long to get to know who they are. But in this case, Stephanie, I am glad you didn’t ignore the RUDE GUEST in your home, and you have a roomful of other guests who have your back. Thanks for brightening our days!

  622. Jerk, jerk, jerk! too bad he/she missed the entire intention of the blog. Not a spelling test……..

  623. Drat this being back at work thing that prevents me from commenting in the afternoons. And makes me fall asleep with at the boychild’s bedtime. Everything I want to say has already been said, and probably better. And I now have girl crushes on half your commenters, notably Presbytera, Carrie, AlisonK, Julie, and Kathleen. Happy sigh.
    I am, however, obscenely curious to see how your malignant little pen pal will respond to this. I have no doubt that s/he will.
    Oh, and Steph? It’s Wednesday. All day. So don’t forget Knit Night. Sounds like it could make you feel better. And I promise I shall do my best to refrain from calling you Madam Yarn Harlot Stephi-lady, even though I’m rather charmed by it.

  624. Years ago there was an excellent PBS series called “The Story of English” produced along with a companion book. It’s all about the history of the English language and the different forms it has taken across the globe, and that inspite of the regional differences, a speaker of English from Appalachia can communicate with an English speaker from Wales. The book also demonstrates how the language is ever changing and evolving. If you ever find out the jerkwad’s address, you should send them a copy of the book(if it’s still in print).

  625. I think if I were you, I would not be able to resist the temptation to reply with:
    “Me= best-selling author
    you= arse with email and too much time
    kthxbaibai!”
    haha, some people are just ig’nant.
    I don’t know about the mercury in retrograde stuff, but I’m sure you’ll tough it out and things will get easier (and warmer!) soon.

  626. Good for you! That person has way too much time on his or her hands.
    By the way, it’s not only when it comes to English that these things happen.
    I went to hotel management school in the German speaking part of Switzerland and being German, my spelling and use of words was corrected into “Swiss-German” every test. While I understand that there are differences, I do not know why I got points deducted when I used the German speaking equivalent of eggplant instead of aubergine in a test. I protested and got the points adjusted, but it does make one wonder where common sense ends and pettiness begins.

  627. I did scan the almost 700 comments to see if anyone suggested my source for digital scales. Not yet. I’m also a coffee fiend, even beyond your own self-description, since I roast my own coffee at home and put it through over $2000 of equipment in order to make my top-o-the morning elixir. Coffee roasting is an exact science and so requires exact weighing in grams. If anyone who wants one googles “green coffee digital scale”, several of the most well-known coffee scale providers will show up. My own is a Salter brand, which can be had for $45 or so. And by the way, it’s absolutely perfect for for splitting 100g sock balls for a pair of equal length toe-up socks as well as weighing out my coffee fix.

  628. I love reading your blog. Funny, informative…a slice of YOUR life on YOUR blog in YOUR words. Bozo the editor needs a life… and perhaps a blog where he/she can bitch about what idiots we bloggers are and leave you alone. I hope Bozo reads all the support you have here and backs off.

  629. It makes me very sad, when you give so much of yourself to us who read your blog, that you should be subjected to all that. Especially under the cowardice of not allowing you to respond to the emails.
    If the person is so bothered, why don’t they find an American English professor’s blog?
    This, too, shall pass but you hang in there.

  630. I knew I was going to say something else…
    Trudging…reminds me of the movie “A Knight’s Tale” where the character Geoffrey Chaucer comes by them stripped to the skin. When they stop him and ask what he’s doing he says he’s trudging…very funny – you need to have a look at it. (By the way, he does get his clothes back so it really does pass!)

  631. I’m crushing his head. I’m crushing his head. I’m crushing his head. How does that feel now…flathead?
    I am ashamed of my fellow countryman (or woman).
    Canada has shared many wonderful things with us…The Kids in the Hall, The Newsroom, The Red Green Show, Margaret Atwood, William Shatner, too many other actors and musicians to mention (where would Saturday nights be for the past (almost) 30 years with out Loren Michels?). They have also shared, in my community, wonderful neighbors who have shared wonderful traditions with us such as “grad” and Canada Day. They have also given us compliments on the “Zed”-28 which sits (rusting) in the driveway! Canada has even (in times of foreign travel) given us an “alias” country to say we are from…Canada has such a nice reputation around the world, it is just eaier to say you’re from Canada…people leave you alone and wish you well on your journey!
    But most importantly, aside from all the other wonderful stuff Canada has shared with me, Canada has shared the Harlot with us. I thank her and anticipate her blog daily.
    As a teacher I try to encourage my students not to look at other cultures as haveing anything “wrong” with them, but only as being “different.” It is too bad some people have to be so petty and small minded. The differences are what make it fun!
    Perhaps your troll is one of those muggles who think there are only a handful of knitters out there. I guess we showed the troll. Also, I’m with the person who thinks the troll is someone who is a little jealous of your success. After all, it is JUST a little blog/book about kintting, isn’t it? (tee-hee!)

  632. Wow!! 700 comments of support–weigh that against the idiot speller–obsessive-person!! I hope that we have provided sufficient support to kick that nasty person off your email for good!!! I love cultural spelling differences; makes all of us richer. As for the coffee maker, I received a small expresso maker for Christmas. (It has almost paid for itself by now given the price of lattes these days!). Anyway, one day I did not sufficiently tighten the grounds holder thing onto the machine. Fine, HOT, wet coffee grounds and steam blown all over the counter and the stuff strewn on the counter. I’m much more careful now, but it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad morning.

  633. Who ever out there in blogland that is bothering you with spellings and is so cowardly as to not give you the correct email…is such a bored jealous loser. Can you block this person somehow? I guess if they keep using a different fake email you can’t…frick!

  634. What a miserable person!! They would be much happier if they were doing pleasant things instead of bashing others!
    I bought a scale at an odinary US department store (the one with the initials W-M) in the mailing supplies area. Weighs up to 5 pounds, didn’t have to present ID, address or anything!
    Beth

  635. I haven’t read all 679 comments yet, but I did get as far as the one by the NICU nurse. I too used those scales as a NICU nurse but its been ten years and I had forgotten about them until her comment. I have to add that we occasionally had one stolen from our nurseries, and we always believed they were taken by drug users. (Seriously, who would want a scale used to weight dirty diapers!) Crack cocaine causes premature delivery, and sadly many of our NICU babies were born to crack addicts.

  636. In point of fact, your rude emailer is incorrect. The proper spelling of the word doughnut is ‘doughnut’.
    The ‘donut’ spelling is a modern alternate spelling.
    Person is about as enlightened as the woman who tried to out you for being a ‘bad American’, eh?

  637. I have to de-lurk to ask “What is with these people?!?”
    I can’t imagine having so much time on my hands that I would want to get my panties in a bunch over blogging spelling and grammer. Its not like they are being forced to read your blog. If they don’t like it they can click away!
    You are a lovely and entertaining writer…and I look forward to every visit your to livingroom.
    Thanks for all you do!

  638. I never understand how a person (and by person, I mean American person) doesn’t get these cross-border (and cross-Atlantic) spelling differences right off the bat, assuming that English is their first language. Who doesn’t read British lit in high school? Yeah, yeah, a lot of it is Americanized…but puhleeze!
    But let’s assume you don’t know this whole spelling thing, and you are at least well-read enough to be able to hunt down knitting blogs and peruse them for entertainment. Eventually you may notice that certain bloggers of note (you and Amy Singer come right to mind…Kate Gilbert is in Montreal now…and then there are Kerrie and Anna over in the U.K., to name a few (with as many ellipses and parentheticals I can muster)) seem to be “misspelling” the SAME WORDS. Hmm. Perhaps this is meaningful? Wouldn’t that push you to, say, do some investigating? Or are you just going to drive at 100 mph* when you cross that 49th parallel, since the numbers on the signs are all that matter?
    * We pulled over and called On-Star immediately to tell us how to convert kph into mph. Embarrassing but true. It’s been too long since grade school.

  639. Obviously you are dealing with a pure idiot! One who has no idea about the different spellings per country. Never mind the hopeless sap. Just how many books have you had published?

  640. Dear Stephanie, Boy are there some small-minded, mean-spirited, bad-tempered, knit-picking whackos out there, or what? This is the price of the pleasures of the web, you also have to contend with the shut-ins with nothing better to do. I consider that the knitting and spinning bloggers I read are doing us a service by presenting new info all the time, and giving us new links for products and reviews (in a sense) of those products. It’s like getting a knitting or spinning magazine every day, and there is little in life that is better than that. Keep up the good work. M

  641. Parenthetical asides are what makes reading you so much fun. It is reassuring to know that at least one other person out there has their mind going in two different directions at once while writing (and feels compelled to comment upon it)!
    Here’s another word for your anonymous editor: Americentric (because clearly s/he is!)

  642. Good grief…some people need to get a life. I know the internet is full of crazy people, but “spell-checking” a knitting blog…?!?!?!

  643. Man, too much time on their hands. Honestly, I love the English spellings as opposed to the American-English spellings of words. More colourful 😉 Anyway. They need to get over their own self righteous pettiness or hang out on myspace and critique away (have you SEEN the spelling of those 15-20 year olds? obscene!)

  644. It appears to me that there is absolutely nothing wrong with your spelling. The individual who is criticizing has shown stupidity on a grand scale as there is nothing more than a regional (European vs. American) difference between the variations listed.
    As for your unpleasant mail in general, you’ve made the big time! Fan mail is common. You’re nobody until you get hate mail. When you get a comment that upsets you, just remember the majority of us out here adore you!

  645. ahh, trudging. Have you seen the movie A Knights Tale? Wonderful shot of Chaucer trudging down the road naked after having lost everything in a game of dice. Funny movie. At least you have knitwear! Sorry about the coffee and the “editor” and thanks for sharing your life!

  646. Stephanie,
    I can’t take the time to read through all the comments – maybe this has been said already –
    That particular list of words that you shared looks so much more romantic and special in your spelling than ours – when I read Colour it makes me think of Kaffe – when I read Color it makes me think Crayola Crayons (which are fine btw – you know what I mean) when I read Fibre I picture a willow tree gently blown by the breezes with women sitting on stools in white linen spinning and talking softly while their sweet children frolic in the meadow. When I read Fiber I think…well, you know, “if you don’t eat enough of this you can’t ….you know”
    So – keep up your spelling please – it transports me out of the banal and into the divine – if only for a moment hear and there.

  647. What a hoser. Our saving grace, however, is that she’ll probably never come to Canada, because I’m sure she couldn’t stand a) the funny miles – ie kilometres, b) the temperature – I mean, how can we possibly know it’s warm when the thermometer says it’s 26, c) all that furren language stuff on the signs – how do we ever know where we’re going? L’ard T’hundering – if she ever get’s to Newfoundland, bye, or up ta Ottawa Valley, the lads will show her what’s to.
    Does she do the same when she meets a Continental knitter?
    Signed, A Wondering Canadian and longtime speaker of the ‘oots and aboots’.

  648. It’s like students that interupt the teacher for grammar errors in math class, she wants to think she’s the better person(and doesn’t believe she can actually look like a back end of a horse!).

  649. It’s like students that interupt the teacher for grammar errors in math class, she wants to think she’s the better person(and doesn’t believe she can actually look like a back end of a horse!).

  650. Stephanie.
    I am so so sorry you are having to deal with those nasty emails. Whatta drag. There! I’ve added some legit misspelling.
    And then the coffee maker, due to the maker of the coffee. That was the last straw, wasn’t it?
    Please get on travelocity or whatever your agent of choice is and book yourself a week in the sun, before the book comes out, and before you’ll be touring like crazy.
    I mean it. It’ll do you good. No emails, no posts, no nothing to worry about. You deserve it!!!
    Much love, and a big big hug from upstate New York.

  651. It is unfortunate but the critic would be from the good old US. There are so many here that are down right embarrassing!
    I apologize for that kind of treatment.

  652. Do you know what I love about you? (Well, many things, actually, but for now we’ll keep it in the context of this particular post.) I love that you use words like “emender” in conversation. Given the choice between you and some snotnosed troll, I know whose books *I’d* rather be reading. 😉

  653. “Anyone who can’t think of several different ways to spell a word isn’t very well educated.” Benjamin Franklin
    This may be one of those mythical quotes but it was used by a U.S. park ranger addressing a gaggle of middle schoolers at the Liberty Bell. Loud cheers from the kids.
    Oh, the coffee thing could have been worse. A V.P at my former job once reheated the previous day’s coffee by pouring the pot back through the Bunsomatic. Took us a week before the coffee was drinkable again. Lots of very irritated people suffering from caffeine withdrwal, not a pretty sight.
    Cheer up, over 700 people care enough about you post their encouragement. Think about how many more sent good thoughts in your direction without commenting on line!

  654. “Anyone who can’t think of several different ways to spell a word isn’t very well educated.” Benjamin Franklin
    This may be one of those mythical quotes but it was used by a U.S. park ranger addressing a gaggle of middle schoolers at the Liberty Bell. Loud cheers from the kids.
    Oh, the coffee thing could have been worse. A V.P at my former job once reheated the previous day’s coffee by pouring the pot back through the Bunsomatic. Took us a week before the coffee was drinkable again. Lots of very irritated people suffering from caffeine withdrwal, not a pretty sight.
    Cheer up, over 700 people care enough about you post their encouragement. Think about how many more sent good thoughts in your direction without commenting on line!

  655. Three things I learned from this…well, two things and a question.
    I spell woolen like an American. (Ok, that one I already knew.)
    I spell cancelled like a Canadian. Don’t we all spell cancelled that way? I thought we did.
    Question. I know, I asked one up there. But that one wasn’t the one I was talking about. Question: is ‘draught’ pronounced drawt, like I have always thought, or is it pronounced draft, like, well..draft?
    Also, if this comes up again, Stephanie – you can throw in grey and gray, too!

  656. Honestly, there are SO MANY MORE important things to get worked up about than the grammar and spelling on a knitting blog. I’m sorry you’ve been targeted by someone who obviously doesn’t have anything better to do than to pick on you.

  657. Probably just a closeted — and very repressed — knitter in a family of gun nuts or monster car enthusiasts: no outlet. Sorry you’re the target.

  658. As an Australian, it’s lovely to see words spelt ‘correctly’ on a blog. Some people just display their own ignorance.

  659. As an Australian, it’s lovely to see words spelt ‘correctly’ on a blog. Some people just display their own ignorance.

  660. Well darn! Now I have to go to my blog and check the spelling, remove all the parentheses and undash the dashes. I thought all this time that blogging was a casual thing–a time when we all let our hair down and not be concerned with perfection. Guess not.
    Stephanie, I say that if YOU can’t write the way you want, and use whatever spelling you want, there is no hope for the rest of us!

  661. Y’all, I’m from Texas, and even I understood that her spelling was different because she’s from another country. Even all the way down here, we understand that not everything is all about the US, and we ALL need to understand that cultures differ from area to area.
    Any asshat that feels the need to go back and correct someone else’s spelling on a personal website should have their internet access removed. They are not using it responsibly.

  662. I don’t know if this helps but there are many, many readers who live to find mistakes in published books, magazine articles, blog entries, etc. And the only thing better than finding said mistakes is making sure the author is told about them. LOUDLY. USUALLY IN CAPS. The book is published! The blog post is out there! What can you do about it besides nothing??
    There’s no understanding the mindset but no you are absolutely NOT ALONE.
    BTW I am an American who believes grey is greyer than gray and that fibre is infinitely softer to the touch than fiber ever will be. And yes I am edited into submission (thanks to the Chicago Manual of Style) every single time.

  663. Wow, someone has a lot of time on his/ her hands don’t they? Either that or they are an out of work editor and need their daily “correction” fix. Either way, what an ASSHAT!

  664. I don’t know if this helps but there are many, many readers who live to find mistakes in published books, magazine articles, blog entries, etc. And the only thing better than finding said mistakes is making sure the author is told about them. LOUDLY. USUALLY IN CAPS. The book is published! The blog post is out there! What can you do about it besides nothing??
    There’s no understanding the mindset but know you are absolutely NOT ALONE.
    BTW I am an American who believes grey is greyer than gray and that fibre is infinitely softer to the touch than fiber ever will be. And yes I am edited into submission (thanks to the Chicago Manual of Style) every single time.

  665. I know there’s something painfully ironic in this but I screwed up in my initial comment. “no” for “know.” I thought I stopped the submit in time but apparently I didn’t.
    You have to admit a typo in a comment about typos is almost as emotionally satisfying as a big basket of Kureyon and lots of time on your hands!

  666. I can’t a “knitter” could be so petty, mean, and ignorant. We “knitters” have to stick together, right? Thank you so much for you blog and your wonderful, wonderful books. I have all of them. Because of your willingness to open up your inner knitterly life, I know that I am not alone in my obsession! Could you continue to write more about your spinning as well?
    Thanks Stephanie!

  667. If it helps any, I will vindicate you with my B.A. in English. By “vindicate you,” obviously I mean,”slap the mean creep upside the head with something heavier than a degree.”
    Add this to the pile of comments on your side. And heathen though you be, I’m praying for you. ^_~ (By the way, for a heathen or saint either one, you manage to be a damn fine person and I’m proud to “know” you at all. Thanks for letting me hang out in your virtual living room.)

  668. I can’t believe a “knitter” could be so petty, mean, and ignorant. We “knitters” have to stick together, right? Thank you so much for your blog and your wonderful, wonderful books. I have all of them. Because of your willingness to open up your inner knitterly life, I know that I am not alone in my obsession! Could you continue to write more about your spinning as well?
    Thanks Stephanie!

  669. I can’t believe a “knitter” could be so petty, mean, and ignorant. We “knitters” have to stick together, right? Thank you so much for your blog and your wonderful, wonderful books. I have all of them. Because of your willingness to open up your inner knitterly life, I know that I am not alone in my obsession! Could you continue to write more about your spinning as well?
    Thanks Stephanie!

  670. All I can figure is that said emailer must be a non-knitter because a) as a generally rule, knitters are a pleasant bunch and care more about content than correct spelling and b) no knitter worth his/her salt would waste precious knitting time emailing you such b.s.
    Here’s hoping all of your chaos settles down soon.

  671. 739(well now 740) hee hee, comments.
    You are my hero!
    Let’s do a memory block on the nasty emailer.
    Hey, just bought your book!

  672. I applaud you for standing up for yourself.
    I look forward to reading your wit and wisdom every day, so to know that someone could be so mean and ignorant is appalling.

  673. I would call this person “Anglo Challenged” – I’m a professional proofreader, and nothing in your spelling is incorrect. There’s no reason in the world you should use American spelling!

  674. Yeah, I agree with operaknitter, maybe someone have to teach this mean person how to knit. I just cannot believe there is a knitter who can cast away his/her precious knitting time to be such a jerk to you. This person should have hell much of spare time to consume for doing nasty things. Unbelievable. We knitters don’t have enough time always…Jealousy is so ugly. I wish this person could one day realize this ugliness.
    Thank you always, Stephanie.

  675. Hmm . . . how should I spend my day? Should I be a kind, normal human being and enjoy reading a fabulous knitting blog? Or, should I try to relieve the pain of my sad, sad, petty life by incorrectly spell checking someone who gives other knitters such unspeakable joy? Decisions, decisions!
    Seriously, even though I love reading this blog, I have never been compelled to comment. But I can’t let this cowardly and spiteful person get away with being so mean. Mean Lady (whoever you are), knitting is all about the LOVE. So stop wasting your time with the red font, and pick up some yarn.

  676. While this trollish behaviour is far from funny, the thought that while we were all busy last year with the Knitting Olympics, this person was off ranting to the networks for mistakenly calling ‘Turin’ Torino amuses me to no end. Even better, perhaps they took it up directly with those uppity Italians! I mean, clearly they aren’t spelling it the ‘American’ way!
    Ignore the troll and it will get bored and move on.
    As for the coffee mishap, I too have fallen prey to the incorrectly placed carafe. Unfortunately the furnace grate was perfectly positioned to catch the coffee and grounds and transport them down a level, through the suspended ceiling and onto my (luckily) dirty laundry, washing machine, freezer, and candle-making supplies. Driving to ‘bux is much easier than cleaning that mess up!

  677. lemme at’em!@
    what a lame-o!
    obviously, (i hate to admit this but it’s totally obvious) this person is ….an AMERICAN!
    yet another reason to want to live in Canada and become a Ca-knitty-an.
    :o)…(please let me know if i am incorrect in any of these statements).

  678. This annoys me on several levels. We all have different styles of writing that we use at different times, as we deem appropriate. Am I going to write a letter to my best friend in the same tone I would use to write a paper for a professor? Of course not, because my best friend would think I was a stuck-up nerd. You are using your very creative artistic license to make your blog conversational and warm, and you do such an excellent job that tons of people love it JUST THE WAY IT IS!!! I big red heart your liberal sprinklings of ellipses, and parentheses because they are funny, and let me know what you are thinking. Who gives a (insert Yosemite Sam-style cuss word rant here) if it’s grammatically correct?? I’m very sorry that someone with no life, friends, real hobbies, or redeeming qualities has decided to harrass you. Block the sender from your inbox! Or talk to one of your computer genius friends, because there must be a correct email in there somewhere.
    Also, I just have to say – as a young girl, I read almost exclusively British fiction, because the culture and comedy made a huge impression on me at an early age. As a result, I sometimes spell words that here end in -ize with an -ise ending, I spell theater as theatre, and so on. People who don’t like it, can lump it.

  679. I’ve never noticed any major spelling errors in your blog, but then again, I can’t spell for anything! And despite being American, I know that all of the words you listed have alternate spellings. How sad that others are not so enlightened. I personally use parentheticals *all* the time, so I think it is great to see someone else who loves them as much as I do. And here is my tip for remembering its vs it’s (and I apologize if someone already said this; I haven’t read all of the comments here). Unless you mean “it is”, then it is always its (no apostrophe). The apostrophe is for the contraction “it is” only. Not sure if that will help, but that’s how I remember it. I reread any sentence using it’s, and if it doesn’t make sense when read “it is,” then take out the apostrophe. But using that incorrectly will not, as you said, prevent you from living a full and complete life. Apparently, the red pen of this unnamed person *is* causing much disruption in their life, by their own choice. How sad.

  680. BASK in it, dear Harlot (or is that “basque”). Over 700 comments, I believe you’ve broken your own…. and any other….records. I am a HUGE fan of ellipses…can you tell? (And I use parentheses at any opportunity.) I’m good at spelling/grammar too, having newsprint in my blood, but you know — (love hyphens too) that’s the sort my husband calls “the Perpetually Outraged”, and they absolutely do not warrant the slightest attention. He (or she….it?) has had it. There are NOT misspellings in your posts, and if there were, we who read for CONTENT would neither notice nor care. Your fans and friends and commentors are carrying you on our virtual shoulders (and there are a LOT of us and you’re a little person) so there you have it. (I like the comment above about how we are numerous and all equipped with pointy sticks!)

  681. As with Kathleen I applaud you for standing up for yourself and the knitting population overall. I to look forward to reading your wit and wisdom every day and the way you combine the everyday nuances of life (both good and bad) with the calm and beauty of knitting seem to make my every day occurances a little bit more normal and easier to process.
    The fact that you proclaim rather than apologize for your Canadianship makes me proud. I am constantly amazed by how so many different parts of the world (as shown here – Canada, US, Australia, England and I am sure many others) can so easily come together in one location on a daily basis wih one notable commonality – knitting. Please do not let one individual belittle the grandness of yourself and the many others that take joy, pride and inspiration from your words.
    Thank you.

  682. You have got to be kidding me? If somebody has that much of a problem with you or the way you write why in the Hell is he or she even reading your blog or feel complelled to write you about it? I am NOT the worlds best speller but dear GOD you get the point of what I am trying to say when I say it! Forget them Stephanie!
    Hey, when you come to Colorado I will bring you your very own cup of coffe at the Tattered Cover! Do you take cream and sugar?
    Marly
    http://www.knitthing.blogspot.com

  683. Perhaps you should go through their knitting with some red yarn and do a little “spell checking” of your own! “No, no. You should have used a right slanting decrease here. This right here should be a bar increase, not a yarn over. You know you really ought to do this the right way if you’re going to do it at all.”
    BTW There have been college studies about communication and spelling. Entire papers have been published where all the words have been spelled phonetically and the message is still understood.
    And doesn’t colour just look like what colour should be?

  684. As soon as I read that the lid of the coffee pot was involved I started giggling… We had the very same disaster several years ago. A friend was staying with us and figured he needed to get the coffee going in the morning before we came downstairs. We walked into the kitchen to find him in a total panic because coffee was overflowing from the basket and none of it was making it into the pot! He was totally baffled by it despite his being an engineer. It was hilarious watching his frantic efforts to resolve the problem. Granted he hadn’t had his first cup of java to help him sort it out. He never did figure out that the missing lid was the reason and we still chuckle about it… Thanks for the reminder!
    I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and books, Steph. Keep up the good work!

  685. I think this is comment number eleventy-billion, but I had to come out of lurkdom to say Jeezaloo!! (Sorry, not sure if I spelled that correctly). Who do some people think they are??!! (Oh, yes, and in addition to excessive use of ellipsis, parenthases, and gibberish words, I also enjoy overpunctuating in my spare time…) Sounds like this person has way too much time on his/her hands. Of course, it IS a bit hilarious that he/she was SO “meticulous”…yet so inaccurate. Love reading your blog.

  686. Oh, dearest Yarn Harlot, you responded to the ignoramus so well, few of us would have that kind of self-control when dealing with a chickenshit! (If I had been in your situation, I would NOT have been able to just hit “delete” for those e-mails, because that kind of ignorance is like a train wreck; I wouldn’t have been able to look away!) I know I would never have been able to compose such a perfect reply while my internal coffee gauge was reading “a litre low”. Good on ya!

  687. Pfft. Yes, many US citizens live in a bubble. I’m a Canadian, temporarily transplanted to the southeastern US. I still use my Canadian/British spellings, and I still say “Zed”, not “Zee” and “Mum”, not “Ma”.
    Because I do work in an academic environment, I spell “American” for outside work other than that, I use Canadian spellings. I get irritated with certain twits who feel the need to correct my Canadian spelling, grammar, and pronunciation. I remind them that there is a big wide world out there, much of it not similar to the US.

  688. A guy at work has a saying taped up in his cubby “the people who say it can’t be done, need to get out of the way of people doing it’. Personally I’m praying for the mean-hearted person that they give up the burden of nastyness.
    I join the thousands each day who are grateful to share your living room and have our lives enriched by your projects, your global perspective, inspired by your get-up-and-go and sweetened by your principles in action.
    What is it with coffee pots when they back up – I’ve NEVER had a cleaning job so tedious (at such a bad pre-caff time) as when the coffee grounds travel for yards (metres) over the kitchen, in every cravasse, gag every sponge, cling to all surfaces…most dis-heartening.
    Keep up the awesome job of living your life in the BIG lane. 🙂

  689. It’s people like this who make people like me ashamed of my country (USA). Unfortunately, there seem to be too many of them these days.

  690. I almost “abused” my own coffee when i read about your adventure. LOL!
    As to the other matter, wow it sounds like he/she has a LOT of time on their hands. They must not be a knitter, if they were their hands would not be so idle. What an asshat!

  691. good god, lady, i quake to imagine what your inbox looks like on a regular basis…
    i’d like to tell the mean-spirited misguided miscreant to take off to the great white north, eh?

  692. Good for you for using the (as we all know) correct spellings for words such as “colour” and “cheque”. I use them as well, and anybody that doesn’t like them can go…
    Re other mis-spelled words: I’m a bit of a spelling nut, and I’ve rarely, if ever, noticed an incorrect word in your posts.

  693. Good for you for using the (as we all know) correct spellings for words such as “colour” and “cheque”. I use them as well, and anybody that doesn’t like them can go…
    Re other mis-spelled words: I’m a bit of a spelling nut, and I’ve rarely, if ever, noticed an incorrect word in your posts.

  694. I am just so tickled at the use of “rectifying”. Coming so close on the “ass” comment it sounds delightfully double-edged. Don’t know if that was intentional, but I’m going to happily assume it was, and congratulate you on a fine, fine choice of words.

  695. Steph
    You are a wonderful writer – This is your blog and you can do what you like – thanks for all your wonderful words, knitting inspiration and heel turning tips

  696. i am also out of lurking to tell you i can’t freakin BELIEVE someone was even doing that, let alone so incorrectly! INSANE! love your writing, as well, always a joy to read. 🙂 is it bad that I long for said drug dealer scale and am placing it on my wish list for the holidays? 😉

  697. Hm, now what did I say awhile back about never posting on your blog? Three times a charm! As you can most certainly tell, dear Stephanie, your fans and supporters far outnumber the detractors out there. And I LOVE the Canadian spellings. To me, they are the true English spellings. American is what it is but it’s not “true” English. Love ya!

  698. Well. I don’t know what people like me, who don’t participate in blogs, are called – Hiders? Watchers? At any rate, I’ve yet to comment on this blog and I don’t even knit. However I believe that you write beautifully and I enjoy ‘popping in’ from time to time.
    I am ashamed that the jerk is aparently an American. Jeez – like we don’t have a bad enough name through the world. My apologies.

  699. Yours is the only blog I read on a regular basis. I love everything about it. Your writing. The mix of ethics, yarn, family, and fun. I love the insights into Canadian culture. I am amazed that you can balance family, blog, book writing and an amazing amount of knitting. You are a powerhouse. Don’t let the jerks get you down.

  700. hmm you mean there is another way to spell those words?? hmm and this is coming from an American.. I just listen to and watch the BBC too much!

  701. You go, grrl! Some people need to get a life.
    Also, those of us who work in labs use balances (or another word for those of us without word bigotry – scales) which weigh small things, too!

  702. What kind of sicko reads a blog to critique the grammer and spelling. Really, it’s pretty friggin’ funny if you think about it. The rest of us can’t wait to have a few spare minutes to catch up on the happenings of our favorite bloggers. Then there is this one sinister reader who logs on for an entirely different reason. I’m pretty sure it’s a writer who’s book didn’t get published, or a knitter who just can’t seem to master garter stitch. Some people jsut can’t stand for others to have success where they have failed.

  703. No one can make more spelling mistakes than I. The problem is that I think faster, way faster, than I can type. My fingers can’t keep up and mistakes just naturally happen. People should understand this and let it go as long as they can understand what’s being expressed. However, the words you showed weren’t spell wrong and that person should get out more and get a life.
    I would like to comment on a pet peeve of mine, though. It’s all of this Canada vs United States stuff that so many people who comment stir up. For one thing, while I am more than willing to admit that there are a lot of stupid, rude people here in the states, from my travels, I found that there are a lot of stupid, rude people everywhere. The U.S. doesn’t have a monopoly on that any more than we have a monopoly on smart, kind, friendly people. It seems to me that people are people, with all of their virtues or faults, everywhere in the world.
    Also, I was born here in southern California and I’ve lived here all my life yet I routinely use many of the spellings that you listed, such as fibre, colour, doughnut, etc. My dictionary lists both spellings as correct without requiring you to live in certain countries to use them. So keep up the good work. I love your blog and your books and I for one don’t care where you live or how you spell as long as you keep writing.
    Sorry for the rant.

  704. No one can make more spelling mistakes than I. The problem is that I think faster, way faster, than I can type. My fingers can’t keep up and mistakes just naturally happen. People should understand this and let it go as long as they can understand what’s being expressed. However, the words you showed weren’t spell wrong and that person should get out more and get a life.
    I would like to comment on a pet peeve of mine, though. It’s all of this Canada vs United States stuff that so many people who comment stir up. For one thing, while I am more than willing to admit that there are a lot of stupid, rude people here in the states, from my travels, I found that there are a lot of stupid, rude people everywhere. The U.S. doesn’t have a monopoly on that any more than we have a monopoly on smart, kind, friendly people. It seems to me that people are people, with all of their virtues or faults, everywhere in the world.
    Also, I was born here in southern California and I’ve lived here all my life yet I routinely use many of the spellings that you listed, such as fibre, colour, doughnut, etc. My dictionary lists both spellings as correct without requiring you to live in certain countries to use them. So keep up the good work. I love your blog and your books and I for one don’t care where you live or how you spell as long as you keep writing.
    Sorry for the rant.

  705. I love you Steph! Sad to hear someone is trashing your blog – I have never commented here before but I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog and your books! Keep up the terrific work and ignore that ol’ rotten apple.

  706. I love you Steph! Sad to hear someone is trashing your blog – I have never commented here before but I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog and your books! Keep up the terrific work and ignore that ol’ rotten apple.

  707. There’s an amusing series of books by one Jasper Fforde (British) which attributes the lack of l’s and u’s in American English to a great shortage of these letters, resulting in the rationing of them, so the Colonies got screwed because of their general illiteracy at the time. (The Eyre Affair is the name of the first book for anyone who is interested). As an American who grew up on British children’s books, signaling looks wrong to me vs. signalling, and it pains my boss (who is British) to have to edit all of my British spellings back to American English before we submit our papers. I do get away with my spelling for talks.

  708. Well done, Stephanie!
    Your spiteful spell-checker is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He/She has now enraged many in the knitting community. It is not wise to anger the thousands of deft, needle-packing, yarn-loving public. A slip knot is just a smaller version of a noose. God knows all of us could fashion one in our sleep.
    Your despondent respondent should stick some needles where the sun don’t shine.

  709. Gosh, I knew there was a reason that I (a Scot in exile in a land lacking in “u”s and replete with “z”s) found your blog so easy on the eye. I thought it was something to do with your wit, ethics, and style. Now I know. It was the down-home spelling!
    Now remind me again, do you say “knitted” or “knit” as the past tense of the action we love? Someone recently tried to put forward the proposal that “knitted” was an archaic usage that no-one actually employed anymore. I felt compelled to politely point her to the little space on the map I like to call “the UK”.
    Now if I could just explain to them about the whole “Queen of England” thing…

  710. wow, you get a lot of comments and heeerrree i am, waaaaay at the bottom 🙂 just wanted to say that people can be so mean in email (have you seen dooce.com’s review of the doozies she’s been sent?) and the comments (as evidenced recently on januaryone) and these people apparently have nothing better to do than just be mean. it’s a shame really that they take up such vital oxygen.
    also, i’m no grammar queen but i wanted to pass along my its and it’s trick. it’s worked for me!
    so, the possessive forms of pronouns are what you can look at to guide you. mine, his, hers, yours. none of those have apostrophes in them so neither does its. so writing “its sweater” (the sweater belonging to “it”) is correct. for pronouns, an apostrophe equals a contraction, i.e. it is, he is, she has (it’s, he’s, she’s).
    that’s how i think of it! you wouldn’t believe that i didn’t even realize some of this until i took a foreign language and had to dissect my own language in order to make comparisons. learning japanese was good for something! 🙂 take care!

  711. Oh my! The coffee pot had me laughing because it sounds exactly like something that would happen at my house.
    And to the spelling critic, obviously he/she is clueless as to where you live and the normal spelling of certain words in Canada. Totally crazy too.

  712. Brava to you for your wisdom, intelligence, heart, superb sense of humor and your phenomenal gift with words.
    I agree that the spell checker is a stalker TROLL, an unfotunately psychotic one at that, and that the emails need to have the headers completely opened and fwd:ed to your ISP. Also that you should just make a folder named TROLL and file the emails without reading them too closely for later as EVIDENCE in case you need to PROSECUTE (having learned too late from having my own psychotic stalker that the behavior needs to be documented to be punished). Sad that it seems to be an American troll, but trolls are a fact of life in every country, so I don’t feel compelled to apologize for the whole country, even if it is going to hell in a handbasket! 😉 It appears that this troll is sadly ignorant on the very subject for which it’s reaming you, as well as pathologically mean, which is a reflection only of it’s own mental illness, lack of social skills and most likely extremely low IQ. I am rather shocked though that most of the posters assume it’s even an actual knitter!
    Personally from this American’s perspective, I love the Canadian/British spellings. I was an English major for 4 years, and after reading the Canterbury Tales in Middle English, reading about “fibre” is pure heaven! While reading your blog I feel transported to your lovely country for a bit, and it is so refreshing!
    As for the coffee, my hubby did the same thing, and at least I was in the kitchen and heard it slopping over (thinking “Wow, the coffee maker sure is loud today!”) and caught it, but not before it had overflowed the counter and run into the drawers and cupboards underneath, plus poured grounds into every crevice of the $200. device! But, it’s okay, he’s a dreamboat for making the coffee as much as he does in the first place, since he doen’t even drink it himself that often. As for knocking over the fresh cup, though hellish at the time, it makes for incredible sympathy and heartfelt and compassionate energy coming your way for days or weeks at least, which should help offset some of the Mercury retrograde BS, which I have been through enough of to find it seems to be true… especially it’s impact on all forms of communication! 😉
    Take care and be well!

  713. She missed one – aluminium v. aluminum. There’s a reason why we say it differently. Of course this may just be an English thing and you may be right there with the Americans. I’m hedging my bets.

  714. It’s an English/Canadian vs American thing. I don’t even think about it anymore. (I’m an ex-pat living in NYC going through cherry blossom and coffee crisp withdrawal — see you on 3/22). Did anyone mention GREY and GRAY? I’m sure there are more, but I’m not sifting through nearly (OMG) 800 comments to find out. (see, i’m fond of parentheses too)

  715. Any bets that your nasty corrector is a 12 year old in Montana who likes to feel superior because s/he gets picked on in school?

  716. Stephanie,
    Am terribly embarrassed that an Ugly American felt compelled to “correct” your spelling. *sigh*. Sometimes I think our entire country is insular and inbred. I think every American citizen should be required to spend a semester abroad just to open up those closed minds a bit.

  717. As a coffee (or really strong tea) loving, knitting English teacher from the US, I apologize for the narrow-mindedness of my country(wo)man. I get to red pen spelling irregularities for a living, and I just think “Oh, Canadian, Brit, or Oz?” when I see the _original_ spelling of words. The British did it their way first. We (southern) colonials just wanted to be different.

  718. I live in the U.S. and love your more ‘proper’ spellings. Your casual writing style makes me feel as comfortable as if I’m reading an ordinary persons’ journal rather than reading the blog of a ‘superstar’ knitter. (that you are!) And your sense of humor never fails to make me laugh, even if I’m having one of those ‘coffee not available’ days.
    Thank you!

  719. OH MY! I’m still laughing.
    This post reminds me of the one a bit back about you not being proud of being an American 😉
    I still randomly laugh about that one…..
    Thanks you so much for sharing the craziness of life with us.
    I so needed a good laugh today.
    Love and Laughter,
    Amy
    (who is a great speller but a HORRIBLE typist)

  720. Hey, I’m not Canadian and I still spell a lot of those words the way you do. Some people just need to get a life, seriously.

  721. OOOOweeee….it looks like someone has a superiority complex and can’t stand the sight of another’s happiness/success. I like your blog for its knitting info and witty observations on life. Do not feel discouraged by these nay-sayers. I, as a self-proclaimed ugly American, support you.

  722. Ignore the mean person…you have hundreds of us who adore your blog; the “mean spelling queen” needs to get a life, maybe knit and relax. You rock Stephanie!

  723. As a recent convert, to both knitting and your blog, much sympathy over this idiot and over the annoyances of life in general.
    (I am English and thus spell all proper, like, but have to spell American when doing rpg freelance work for American companies. Very annoying. A great relief to get back to the real stuff.)

  724. “Two nations divided by a common language….”
    LOL at the ‘editor’. Has this person never read anything by a British or Commonwealth author? I think I figured out that we have a different slang and spell things differently in the US at about age 8, maybe? The first time though “Narnia” at any rate.

  725. I should add to your list of legitimate uses of such an accurate scale. The one I use for academic research only measures up to 100g but it is good to the nearest 0.1mg. Very handy if you want to know how much water a 15g sample of seemingly impervious plastic can absorb, very very handy when the sample size some test equipment accepts is 10 to 14mg, and yes… nice for weighing fibers be they aerospace grade reinforcing fiber or yarn of unknown composition.

  726. I should add to your list of legitimate uses of such an accurate scale. The one I use for academic research only measures up to 100g but it is good to the nearest 0.1mg. Very handy if you want to know how much water a 15g sample of seemingly impervious plastic can absorb, very very handy when the sample size some test equipment accepts is 10 to 14mg, and yes… nice for weighing fibers be they aerospace grade reinforcing fiber or yarn of unknown composition.

  727. …well, I still love your blog even is it is not up-to-snuff for some freak (or freaks as the case may be.)
    Keep Up the Good Work!
    🙂

  728. …well, I still love your blog even is it is not up-to-snuff for some freak (or freaks as the case may be.)
    Keep Up the Good Work!
    🙂

  729. OFF-SIDE??? Sounds like you’ve been invaded by a non-knitting hockey fan.
    I’m sorry you’re so stressed lately. Re: ‘trudging’, I went through a very bad patch at one time, and a great friend said to me, “Sometimes you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, every day, and eventually you’ll get there”. That was very good advice.
    I hope the Fates lighten up on you soon.

  730. I feel your pain – When bitter knitters strike with blind ineptitude! I personally prefer the Canadian spelling of lots of things b/c it looks prettier (yeah I like words to look pretty) It always amazes me that anyone has the time to read(or listen to)anything they don’t like or enjoy and then actually use MORE precious time to criticize, correct, lecture, kvetch, whine, cry, bleed and throw up on people who really don’t give a flying Wizard of Oz Monkey’s hairy butt about what they are talking about. Doesn’t she know you get like a MILLION comments per post? Doesn’t she know the smack back is gonna be worse? Chaucer’s revenge – Something about immortalizing a person’s idiocy in literature…. yeah, that’s fun.

  731. I’m sure I’m not the first to comment that the bonehead writing the nasty emails has some mental-health issues, not to mention way too much time on their hands.
    I think the way you spell, as well as the way you write, totally add to the charm of your blog. I enjoy your writing!

  732. i love reading your blog. even if you spelled poorly i would still love it.
    some people – like this coward sending you irrelevant and nasty emails – are just stupid and/or mentally ill, and has waaaaay too much free time on his/her hands.
    keep up the good work, mcphee. we all love you!

  733. Coming out of lurking to add my support and thanks for your wonderful blog. It truly brightens my day.
    Artists sign their work. Vandals do not.
    Knit on!

  734. I’ve been lurking on your blog for a very long time and this is the first time I’ve ever commented–because it is about spelling/grammar–that which I spend my entire day focusing on (I’m a production/copy editor). All I have to say about the nasty e-mailer is that unless they are a copy editor or an English instructor, they have absolutely no business being a nit-picker about other people’s grammar. Bad grammar happens to everyone–even English teachers, copy editors, and published authors. It’s not the end of the world. When you think about how many horrible things are going on in the world today–wars, the homeless, child abuse, animal abuse, poverty, hunger, etc., the idea of a person blog-stalking you is just disgusting. Is that all they have to worry about in their small lives? Don’t they work? Or volunteer? Or have a hobby? I agree with one of the other posters–I’m sure that it is an ignorant American (you have my apologies) who is clueless as to the difference between British and American English. Whomever it is needs to spend their time reading the Oxford English Dictionary instead of stalking the best knitting blog around. Hmph!
    Keep it up Stephanie! I can’t wait to meet you on 3/22 in NYC!

  735. How RUDE of her! I don’t even correct students in that way, and I teach English.
    I suggest she give up her editing duties and take up a nice soothing hobby… like knitting. Who has time for this kind of nit-picking meanness (is that a real word)?
    To follow your model: ellipses, parenthesis, and all CAPS 🙂

  736. I love that you responded to the “get your head out of your ass” comment by calling the commenter “rectifying.” Indeed, the pun is mightier than the sword. Ha!

  737. Oh, dude. Seriously, here.
    Asshats are almost always anonymous…(ellipses AND parenthesis!)…because they’re giant cowardly morons. We used to get comments on the podcast blog that were just heinous, until we disabled anonymous posting, and all of a sudden it didn’t seem so important for Anonymous Asshat to tell us his/her opinion anymore. (What? You have to have an identity for your conviction? How DARE WE!?)
    We still get them from time to time on iTunes reviews, but I’m learning to not even look. It’s just easier. Because, really, you can’t argue with Crazy.
    And emailing someone to correct his or her spelling to a way that’s less offensive to your US-centric sensibilities? That’s Teh Crazee if I’ve ever seen it.
    Some people really need to do more knitting and less criticizing.

  738. Growing up in Michigan, close to the Canadian Border, I learned to spell both spellings as being correct.
    However, moving a bit more south and rural, I have to say the person set on correcting your errors probably has an “r” in wash
    No point, merely observation….

  739. Growing up in Michigan, close to the Canadian Border, I learned to spell both spellings as being correct.
    However, moving a bit more south and rural, I have to say the person set on correcting your errors probably has an “r” in wash
    No point, merely observation….

  740. what a perfect, effective, and lovely retort to this mean-spirited and dreadful person. bravo!
    my blog is very young (about 6 months old) and a couple of months ago i got a horrid, shocking, racist email from an anonymous person with a fake email address. it shook me to my core and i spent days trying to figure out if i should respond, privately or on the blog… in the end i didn’t because i didn’t want it to escalate, and i was traumatized and angry and shaking, but it made me aware that sadly, not all blog readers are kind and loving folk. their loss for missing out on this amazing community.

  741. what a perfect, effective, and lovely retort to this mean-spirited and dreadful person. bravo!
    my blog is very young (about 6 months old) and a couple of months ago i got a horrid, shocking, racist email from an anonymous person with a fake email address. it shook me to my core and i spent days trying to figure out if i should respond, privately or on the blog… in the end i didn’t because i didn’t want it to escalate, and i was traumatized and angry and shaking, but it made me aware that sadly, not all blog readers are kind and loving folk. their loss for missing out on this amazing community.

  742. what a perfect, effective, and lovely retort to this mean-spirited and dreadful person. bravo!
    my blog is very young (about 6 months old) and a couple of months ago i got a horrid, shocking, racist email from an anonymous person with a fake email address. it shook me to my core and i spent days trying to figure out if i should respond, privately or on the blog… in the end i didn’t because i didn’t want it to escalate, and i was traumatized and angry and shaking, but it made me aware that sadly, not all blog readers are kind and loving folk. their loss for missing out on this amazing community.

  743. I loved seeing all the scale uses. My sister used one of those as an archeology student to measure and catalog artifacts. Funny story about traveling into South America with a scale and many, many small plastic bags.

  744. I loved seeing all the scale uses. My sister used one of those as an archeology student to measure and catalog artifacts. Funny story about traveling into South America with a scale and many, many small plastic bags.

  745. In all fairness, Steph, if they’re going to be so rude as to criticize your (horribly proper) spelling, I think you should out them. I would love to have their email address; possibly their blog url as well.
    Of course, I’m a cruel and vindictive person working toward a degree in English and have been lovingly(?) described as “That crazy grammar chick”, so perhaps it’s better you’ve held off. You’re a better person than I.
    Go have some coffee. 🙂

  746. I have a preference for the British spelling of words, even though I live in Georgia. So I take great pleasure in saying leisure (yes, you have to rhyme those – isn’t it fun?) and I adore spelling things with the “our”, such as colour and armour. I’m afraid I am a stickler for grammar (just ask my kids) but I love your spelling and I certainly wouldn’t criticize someone’s grammar if it was in her blog. Now, if it’s on someone’s website and he/she is trying to make it look professional…that’s a whole different subject. And don’t get me started on reporters who kept telling us how Saddam was “hung” instead of “hanged.” Think about it – do you really want to know how he was hung? TMI – I just don’t want to go there.

  747. OMG- LOL – OMG
    Steph, NOT laughing at you here. It’s just that it really is quite funny. For this person to get so worked up over something like that to send you nasty emails is, well, laughable. (did I spell that right?)… and then for the person to not even realize/realise that there are different spellings for English in different English-speaking countries, well, again, (giggle)… And since the spelling is obviously from books used here in America… oh, LORD. I’m both embarassed and amused by it all. Please, don’t let this colour (yes! colour!) your view of us Gringos. We ain’t all that bad in these here parts…
    Oh- here’s a trick that’s helped me:
    read “it’s” as “it is”, and see if the sentence makes sense. If not, use “its”…
    I’m still laughing at it. LOL.

  748. It seems almost foolish to leave a comment so far down but as a I take great pride in my excellent grammar and spelling skills (I belong to the Letter Zed webring) and I take care to use them even on my blog, in emails and MSN. I’m glad you addressed what is happening in your post. Although it is a little surprising, obviously some people are unaware that there are different spellings of same words in different countries. To behave that way toward a complete stranger, without checking facts first, is so unimaginably rude, I’m stunned. You, however were witty and gracious in your response. Good show :)!

  749. Groan.
    There is a never-ending supply of jealous bitter people on the internet who hate anyone who has any measure of success or happiness.
    Keep on keepin’ on–800+ people think you rock enough to leave a comment. 1 idiot wants everyone to be as miserable as they are.

  750. How happy I am to know that Canadians use the same spelling as do we Australians.
    I also love your clever use of language and correct grammar.
    What an anally retentive sad little person that must be!!! I think they are just jealous

  751. I think you get the heat because you’re a writer. There’s some English teacher out there that thinks that you’re setting a bad example by publishing anything but the most polished literature on the internet. Frankly, if his/her students are reading your blog, it’s probably a step up from the quality of literary education that they’re getting. Furthermore, who has any more time than passing irritation for any mechanical errors on the internet? Here we need to be worried about the richness of content and truth, not ellipses.
    Now, for all your Canadian spellings, who knew that I was supposed to be spelling woollen W-O-O-L-E-N!? That’s it, I’m moving to Canada! I hear that BC is really nice.

  752. Stephanie, there are some of us down here (USA) who know, as you do, that the PROPER spelling of the round pastry with the hole is DOUGHNUT. Not “donut,” which is part of a (rather poor quality) doughnut chain’s name.
    It’s kind of amazing to me that this person would be so clueless as to not realize that not all English speakers spell things the same (or call things by the same name, for that matter).

  753. Thank you for blog entry. This Canadian enjoyed it very much. Since I now live in the US, I tried to remember to use the US spellings, but sometimes I slip. It’s always a breath of fresh air and a way of keeping in touch with home when I read your blog and see coloUr, etc. The rude person who posted owes you an apology.

  754. I’ve CANCELLED the CHEQUE that I wrote to buy the DOUGHNUTS. I must LABOUR to improve my BEHAVIOUR which was OFF SIDE as I was eating too much. I will now CENTRE my attention on FIBRE instead. I’m going to the WOOLLEN mill to buy yarn to make a knitted snake to put in front of my door to keep the DRAUGHT from coming in. I haven’t decided what COLOUR to make yet. I may also knit one for my NEIGHBOUR.

  755. I’ve CANCELLED the CHEQUE that I wrote to buy the DOUGHNUTS. I must LABOUR to improve my BEHAVIOUR which was OFF SIDE as I was eating too much. I will now CENTRE my attention on FIBRE instead. I’m going to the WOOLLEN mill to buy yarn to make a knitted snake to put in front of my door to keep the DRAUGHT from coming in. I haven’t decided what COLOUR to make yet. I may also knit one for my NEIGHBOUR.

  756. Muggles! They have no idea how small their world is and how enormous ours is!
    Oh and the scale is similar to the one I use for making soap. Lavender of course!

  757. Muggles! They have no idea how small their world is and how enormous ours is.
    Oh and the scale is similar to the one I use for making soap. Lavender of course!

  758. Just goes to show how narrow minded some people can be. Good for you on setting them straight. I enjoy reading your blog and never gave a thought that it was your duty to teach english or any other language for that matter. This person would be wise to not anger knitters. We carry sharp pointed instruments and a lot of “string”. hee-hee

  759. I came here from Language Log, so forgive me for the linguistic and non-knitting nature of these comments, in addition to being the 837th poster or thereabouts.
    First of all, I am yet another American who supports the use of different spellings in different anglophone countries, and finds it detestable (if all too predictable) that some of my fellow-countrymen are so accusatory and inaccurate; the combination is, of course, poison.
    Anyhow, in response to various comments, American spellings are neither better nor worse: sometimes they are traditional, like plow, where plough is the innovation; sometimes the American forms are the innovations, as in the -er and -or endings where the rest of the anglophone world as -re and -our.
    Zed for Zee is one of the traditional ones: Zed is a shortened form of Zeta, the name for the corresponding Greek letter. I suspect it was Noah Webster, who is responsible for most U.S.-specific spellings, who changed this one; his Spelling Book and Dictionary were incredibly influential throughout the 19th century.
    The -ize spelling, though, is a traditional British one that is retained in North America, and also by most of the Oxford dictionaries; the OED (the big one) specifically retains it in all -ize words that are of Greek origin(most of them). From what I understand, both -ise and -ize are acceptable in the U.K.; North America is -ize territory, whereas Australia is -ise-only. I don’t know about other countries.
    Mrs. H, Canadian English sounds pretty American to non-Canadian ears (I like to play a game called “Spot the Hidden Canadian” on U.S. television), it’s only the spelling that looks British to Americans. It doesn’t necessarily look so British to Brits, though. I was discussing this very subject in mixed company once, and contrasting American tire center, British tyre centre, and Canadian tire centre. One British person said that to him tire centre suggested a place you go to in order to get tired!
    Tanya, theatre is very common in the U.S. in the theatre business, and therefore in the names of legitimate theatres as well. Movie theaters and theaters of war are another matter.
    Carolyn, Saviour is still used in old-fashioned American English, so that joke’s quite on point.
    Dollface: spellings like “Kandy” and “Kare” are a lot easier to trademark; that’s why companies use them.
    But Arachnera, when it comes to dates, I am a total bigot. The One True Way is 2007-03-02, period. That’s the way they do it in East Asia and Computerland. And nobody can possibly show up on February 3rd instead of March 2nd.

  760. I too came here via Language Log and while I may not come back, not having a huge interest in knitting, I have to give a back-handed thanks to the meathead who began all of this because I have enjoyed my visit (I too like to use parenthsis) – and that may not be spelled correctly because this comments box doesn’t have a spell checker and I always have trouble with it -(but the point I was going to make in the previous ()s was that I like the way you write) -which I wouldn’t have made (and I’m now back to my visit) had siad meathead not begun it all, and if said meathead is reading this I know that I misspelled a said but I can’t be bothered going back to correct it.

  761. “Oh, dearest Yarn Harlot, you responded to the ignoramus so well, few of us would have that kind of self-control when dealing with a chickenshit!”
    I personally would “correct” the spelling of that first descriptive noun to IGNORANUS.
    ;D

  762. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I grew up in Hamilton, but I’ve been living in the states for some years now and I’m tired of people telling me I can’t spell. Indeed I can, it just happens to be different from standard American spelling.

  763. So Stephanie, did you put 3 fingers up for the meanie to read between the lines? Like it has been said many times, those who can, do, those who can’t, teach … Methinks the ignorant sourpuss perhaps needs to go get a life. Oh well, one can’t really take a mind that attacks under cover of stealth (fake email address) too seriously.
    While I do admit to annoyance at incorrect grammar and atrocious misspelling, your blog is such a joy to read, so entertaining, spellbinding, and informative that if you have been guilty of whatever, I for one am having too much of a good time reading your blog to notice or to care.
    You go girl!

  764. Some people are so stinkin’ rude. I too enjoy the parenthesis. I’m also a dot dot dotter… Writing needs character…you keep bringing it on!!! =>

  765. Came here through Language Log. Non-knitting French-speaking Canadian, here. (My mother is an avid knitter but isn’t spending any time online.)
    Been trying to use Canadian spellings as much as possible. Although, we weren’t specifically taught them in school. Makes it a bit difficult.
    Stand up for your rights! Language prescriptivists aren’t just boring. They’re unhealthy.
    As it so happens, coffee is one of my passions. Not only as a morning ritual but as a drink with extremely diverse flavours and aromas. Been homeroasting green beans to get the freshest aromas possible. Often using a Bialetti Brikka moka pot (the lid is supposed to be open during the brew). Coffee is more than just good. The odours filling my house do more than wake me up. They maintain my happiness.
    So… Keep up the good work!

  766. Oh ….. for goodness sake – this is supposed to be fun, not a test of your English! I work in education and normally I’m very picky about spelling, grammar etc …, but this is the wrong place to pick someone up for personal quirks.
    I love your books – they make me feel normal – likewise your blog. It’s like having a chat with a friend. I’m sure very few people use grammatically correct English when having a friendly chat. I know I don’t and those who do come over as pompous idiots.
    Keep blogging, knitting and what about a new book?
    Sally P

  767. Oh ….. for goodness sake – this is supposed to be fun, not a test of your English! I work in education and normally I’m very picky about spelling, grammar etc …, but this is the wrong place to pick someone up for personal quirks.
    I love your books – they make me feel normal – likewise your blog. It’s like having a chat with a friend. I’m sure very few people use grammatically correct English when having a friendly chat. I know I don’t and those who do come over as pompous idiots.
    Keep blogging, knitting and what about a new book?
    Sally P

  768. On days like these — I just go back to bed, because it just seems like the safest thing to do!
    As for the spelling police — they seriously need a life!

  769. Let’s just pretend for a moment that you didn’t live in Canada and you didn’t spell some words differently there … who cares?!?! Someone wouldn’t have to have perfect spelling and grammar to be intelligent. I’m sorry people are so rude and have such an inflated sense of ego. I love your blog and writing; it makes my day! Also, I think you are the only other person I know of that uses “…” as often as I do. 🙂 Thank you for your time.

  770. Hi Steph,
    I also had a problem with its and it’s. I try very hard not to confuse the two, but its happens.
    Someone corrected your spelling? Your different from the U.S. spelling of certain words? Who was the ignorant twit? Oh. Wait. They were too chicken pooped to use a real name/email address.
    Can you use your email program to funnel their fake address to the trash?
    Hmph. I enjoy reading your blog. Spelling errors? Don’t remember seeing any. Doesn’t matter anyway. That’s not why we read your blog. We read your blog because you’re funny, even when you’re stressed out, you’re funny.

  771. Cancelled/canceled and donut/doughnut are also perfectly valid variant spellings in American English. My guess is that your spelling gremlin is working from one, abridged, collegiate Webster; a terrible handicap for the poor dear. Given the beauty and scope of the English language, to be ridden so by a foolish consistency is rather sad.
    My coffee maker doesn’t work without the lid, either.

  772. Sorry I am a little slow on my reading but I was reading your Feb.26th entry on the person who is so intent on correcting your spelling. Does this person not know that you are Canadian and that is the way you spell them? Also, you may be correct in the spelling and we Americans may not. We Americans tend to get quite lazy in our English. So hats off to you for retailiating.
    Off to a much nicer subject. I am new to your blog (my knitting buddy told me about you and I read 2 of your books. Laughed my butt off) and I enjoy all of your writing, including your spelling. Keep up the good work and I am a believer in alot of things you say.
    I also HATE the snow. Feb. 6th it started here and didn’t quit for 17 days. I live in Mexico, NY You probably heard. We were on national tv.
    Keep it up Stephanie, you’re great!!!!!!
    Terri

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