Holding

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I have no idea what non-knitters do when they are on hold.

Flhandspunswst5309

I do this, and for several hours today it was the only thing standing between me and purple, vicious rage.

(By the way? I think there’s several “customer service” reps who could really use a little wool time.)

244 thoughts on “Holding”

  8. That’s looking great.
    Soooooooo, which customer non-service clerk were you speaking with?

  10. beautiful february lady. and i agree completely with the customer service comment…not everyone who is a customer service rep, should be one.

  11. After 5 minutes I hang up and try again later. That may not always be wise if I really need to speak to a live person.
    BTW, did you find your circ or go out to buy a new one?

  12. That must have been a LONG time on hold. Don’t you wish it was a little easier to get to a real person!
    Beautiful color! BTW, did you ever find a 4.5 mm circ?

  14. Lol, oh I’ve been there!
    I’ve also been a customer service rep at one time too, and let me tell you, wool time definitely helped me when I got the nightmare customers. 😉

  16. Looking Awesome! I love all those beautiful colors.
    Isn’t dealing with customer service a fine way to elevate one’s blood pressure?

  17. Tee hee! I’m off to my doctor just now. I’ll placidly knit away on my lace scarf, and watch the other people fret away, flipping mindlessly through 10 year old magazines and fiddling with the games on their cell phones 🙂

  18. Actually I think you have to say thank you … that is an outstanding piece of knitting! It truly does justice to your spinning … Excellent!

  20. I can totally understand. Even with my knitting to calm me down, I still get visions of strangling them with my yarn. The only thing that holds me back sometimes is a) I can’t reach them over the phone and b) it would stretch out my yarn.

  22. Maybe they need to knit with it, or maybe they need it wrapped very, very tightly around their necks? Someone dear to me is in the hospital, in another state, having cardiac surgery tomorrow, and if it weren’t for a fairly good-sized shawl I’d be a total crazypie right now. Practically am anyway, but holding on by my fingertips.

  25. I couldn’t agree more!!! Lovely sweater… You are right on the money–color, texture, size, puffiness–ALL OF IT!!!
    Must.Finish.What.I.Have …

  26. Beautiful sweater the yarn works perfectly with it, but one question, I see a circular needle, where did it come from?

  27. Once, years ago, I had a rep hang up on me because I wanted to cancel my call waiting (this was back when you had to pay $5 extra per month for it). Why oh why?
    The sweater is amazing. I can’t wait to see it grow!

  28. That sweater is gorgeous. I guess that’s the one bright spot to being on hold for so long. Next time I have to call customer service, I’ll be working on a sock.

  29. Love the start, and also hate dealing with customer service or not as the case may be. last time I tried that I got no answers and pushed off on a different guy who at least TRIED to help.
    And were did you find the circular?? Home or store??

  30. I couldn’t agree more!!!(customer Service wise!)
    Lovely sweater… You are right on the money–color, texture, size, puffiness–ALL OF IT!!!
    Must.Finish.What.I.Have …

  32. I suppose this would not be a good time to notice that the button holes are on the wrong side?…if that matters to you.
    I have a ‘crick’ in my nect today because I tried to knit and speak to daughter on phone…she called and didn’t ask for money!

  33. OOOh – the hold thing…my worst time was Christmas time, after a concert in San Francisco, in a parking garage that was about to close and I was on hold with AAA and they were playing cheerful Christmas music while the garage guy was getting angrier and angrier by the minute that he couldn’t go home. It was me and my friend and we were just about 20 years old. I can’t believe he wanted to throw us out on the street in a horrible part of town…

  34. So, where’d you find your needle?
    My husband didn’t understand why I insist on a speaker phone until he found me on hold one day – knitting instead of being snarky. Now when I get grumpy he just hands me my knitting 🙂

  35. Your handspun is knitting up beautifully, Stephanie! It’s obviously the perfect cure for holditis. LOL Will you share with us the rest of that circular’s story? Please?

  36. Oh you’ll definitely have that done by the 12th, especially if you have more “hold” time. Are you going to do the sleeves 3/4 or full length?

  37. If the sweater comes out too big for you, I’d be happy to take it off your hands.
    Gorgeous colors.

  39. A truly fine example of ‘when life gives you lemons make lemondade’. Congrats, although that colour really complements purple.

  40. How cool! I’m at the exact same place in knitting my February Lady Sweater as you are! Oh wait. I’m getting a vibe here…Oh, yeah, there you go again. In the time it took me to type this comment, you went and finished it, didn’t you? 🙂

  42. I think those “customer service” reps could maybe also use a little poke with the pointy end of a knitting needle????? muhaaaaaahaha

  43. The colours are beautiful – I think it is awsome that you have spun it all yourself – Í would feel I could not be in the room for myself and my own awsomeness if I ever did such a beautilful job.
    How does it feel to have done so well?

  44. First off… I saw your twitter re: Bell Canada and I couldn’t agree more… that’s why we’re no longer with Bell!
    And second… I only wish that I could knit as fast as you do, I’ve been knitting the same sweater, same size for about a week now and I’m here:
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/kittyvankat/Picture021-2.jpg
    And you’re almost there! LOL I need more practice!
    Gorgeous yarn btw! I need a spinning wheel cause all I have is a drop spindle! lol

  46. My mom isn’t a knitter, but she is a grade school teacher, and she said she gets huge amounts of grading done when she’s on the phone.
    If she didnt, she may have killed someone now.
    Beautiful knitting by the way!

  47. Lovely, gorgeous work!
    I almost always have knitting with me in the front seat of the car. I knit at stoplights and in traffic jams. Heck, even winding yarn is a good cure for road rage. I promised Mom I would try not to knit in anything over first gear, and have been pretty good about keeping that promise.
    I hope the rep was able to help, after all that time. (An upcoming title for a chapter about knitting while on hold or in airports could come out of this, perhaps. “Terminal Hold: Making Worsted out of a Wait.”)
    I’m sorry.

  48. The day I was finally able to be completely free of Bell Canada was a very happy day indeed. So far, I haven’t had to deal with any Vonage customer service people. Nice when things just work. (Have I just jinxed my phone? I think I may have)

  50. OK, I have a question. How do you manage to knit when you are on hold? Do you have a speaker phone or what? I try to prop the phone on my shoulder – which, incidentally, I was able to do just fine when I was a little younger – but the thing slips and I end up dropping either it or my knitting. I keep a magazine handy for “holds”, as I can manage that with one hand. I do keep a small bag containing a sock with me most of the time, so that I can knit whenever I have a waiting time in the car.

  51. Your February Lady looks lovely! I just finished a top down raglan for a toddler and was about to scream with all those sleeve stitches on the needle; I can’t imagine what an adult sized raglan would be like.
    At least you have your knitting to keep you from killing others. Just think of what the muggles would have to do when they’re on hold!

  52. I believe non-knitters quickly start seething with white-hot rage, and then yell at customer service reps when they finally get one on the line. Which really doesn’t make life any better for the rest of humanity.
    Beautiful sweater! Love the handspun 🙂

  54. Is that the beaten-up, short 4.5 mm circ? The knitting world wants to know.
    Also, as above, we all hope you got your ‘service’ issue resolved after all that fricking waiting. At least you have a great amount of Feb. Lady progress.
    Which is looking amazing. Totally. It makes me want to beg/borrow/steal/okmaybebuy a wheel and really figure out this spinning stuff (just learned how to run a spindle, but plying is a whole new tantalizing world).
    I am happy, though, finishing up my lace shawl of Twisted Evolutions slow-color-change shawl. If I can’t spin cool yarn yet myself, at least I can knit someone else’s amazing hand-dyed. I am knitting like a demon (at least for me) just to see the color morph. Fastest lace I’ve ever done. Beaded edge tonight, I bet! (One must take one’s knitting victories where one can get them, eh? I’ll be wearing it at Madrona!)

  55. I knit in the grocery store line all the time – and let me tell you, my grocery store has some serious lines. Before knitting I hated them – now I am totally fine with the lines.

  57. Stephanie–I am wildly jealous and it’s gorgeous. I wish I’d have followed through with my spinning-a-sweater plan two years ago. Perhaps you will have inspired me…maybe when I get back from the very warm Bahamas and am faced with the cold, cold weather again.

  58. I have never figured out what non-knitters do while holding, or waiting in line at the doctors office, bank, post office, airports, courthouse (maybe that is not as often for non-attorneys), or anywhere. How can people just sit there with their eyes glazing over without killing someone?
    Love the sweater. The colors appear less orangey than they did in the previous pictures. Very pretty.

  60. That is ONLY gorgeous. I’ve found I almost look forward to being on hold when there’s something good to knit. Being on hold is a lot better than actually trying to talk to the people at the other end. (Unless of course there’s really awful hold music, in which case there’s scope for a whole other flavor of rage. But even that doesn’t mar the good knitting.)

  61. You know, I am not a fan of the FLS in a varigated yarn. Never have, in face stripey yarn and lace really offend my eyes.
    Yours I am warming to. I kinda like it and it isn’t so like “omg lace and stripes”. I like how the colours are more muted and they flow in a bit better. Pleasing to the eye.
    I knitted while waiting for my husband in the doctors office yesterday. The kid she is 3 and was serenading me with a song about not biting your friends) and I were in the car waiting. I was waiting for him, talking on the phone to my mobile phone company and knitting.
    that is talent.

  62. Wow, thanks for the great idea. I bring knitting with me for many outings, kids swimming lessons and tennis but I must say I have never thought to knit while on hold. You will certainly help my blood pressure.
    Beautiful sweater.

  65. After listening to music for 10-20 mins and a snarky rep answers( and you can tell by the way they speak and the tone of their voice ) I just say ” Listen , I’m VERY sorry to have to bother you with my problem , but I must do it . I HOPE this doesn’t mess up your good day”. Believe it or not it ganerally works but then again there are those days when you wish you just had more music and knitting near by. WHAT in the world has happened to peiple who work at these service jobs that are supposed to be polite pleasant and helpful ? Enough from me , by now you know I’ve been there and done that and I feel your frustration. THANK GOODNESS for knitting is right! I see you have the circs on that lovely Feb. Lady and I will have to go stash diving now and hopefully have enough of one colour. Keep smiling, better days ahead.

  66. I am also at about this same point in the FLS and am enjoying knitting it very much. Mine is a soft gray. This is my first top down raglan and I think all of my subsequent sweaters just might be the same style.

  67. So we have to know. Is that a brand new 4.5 or did you find the special 4.5 circular needle storage container that you forgot you had purchased?

  69. I absolutely love the gentle color gradient your handspun is giving. The sweater is coming along wonderfully.
    I have a friend who sings along while she’s on hold, but I can’t imagine doing that for hours…

  70. Very nice! I love the way it’s working up.
    I also knit when on hold, especially with a certain cable company. The thing I hate the most is being moved around to different departments, and then you magically end up with a “Oh no, we can’t help you with that problem” and there goes an hour of your life.
    I’ve noticed that since I’ve started knitting, I find myself to be a very impatient person. I can’t even wait for five minutes anymore, good thing I bring my knitting everywhere

  71. I know -this- customer service rep could DEFINITELY use some wool time!!!
    Dealing with frustrated customers is sometimes way more maddening for the helper than it is for the helpee. Yourself excluded of course. 😉

  72. dude. that represents a LONG TIME on hold. I have a sock that I keep in my purse for out & about knitting – in the car, at swim lessons, on the bus, in line anywhere etc. I can do a sock for my (admittedly tiny) feet in about 2 weeks this way.

  73. I was on hold with Rogers (my internet provider) last night for 2 hours (total – they shifted me from department to department, then I had to call back) on a corded phone, with no internet and no knitting within reach, listening to lousy Muzak and the endless repetition of “Your call is important to us. All our customer service reps are busy. Please stay on the line to maintain your call priority. Visit us online at http://www.rogers.ca to pay your bill online…” Talk about frustrating – if I was able to get online, I wouldn’t be on HOLD!!!
    Glad you had your knitting at hand to make your wait more bearable!

  75. Around here we call it “being on drop dead”. I can’t prop my phone on my shoulder without cutting off the call – heck, it happens when I am holding the phone with my hand and yawn or move my jaw the wrong way (badly placed button). Definitely sounds like speaker phone is the way to go!
    The FLS looks lovely and you should be very proud – “you made it all by yourself” (to paraphrase an old commercial). Can’t wait to see the finished garment!

  76. Now see–it’s the only thing keeping me from stroking out in the middle of Sacramento traffic–I hear you, sister!
    (I once opened up with a stream of profanity that would have melted metal on the 150th recorded repetition of “We’re sorry, we’re encountering overload right now, a customer service rep will be right with you.”
    The service rep picked up somewhere in between “Whaddafoo” and “Kdooyatinkyrdoin” and he was, well, offended to say the least.)

  77. Glad to see you either located or acquired the correct needle for your February Lady Sweater. It is gorgeous so far!

  79. I’m knitting the same sweater in a lovely heathered apple green/yellow Cascade 220 superwash and trimmed at the collar, sleeves and bottom with Puck’s Mischief from Blue Moon. I am in love with this sweater and knitting it is a pleasure. I must say I’m impressed with how fast you progress. I started mine on Jan. 2 and should be done this weekend.

  82. Customer Service is a really tough job. I keep my knitting sitting at my desk for inspitration…

  83. even worse is being on hold like that while you’re at work where knitting is frowned on. i came very close to exploding. by the by, as a very clueless american, is there an update on canada’s political world? i remember a big to-do a while ago…

  84. The color is absolutely amazing! Beautiful, beautiful!
    I pace if I am at home on hold or mix up cookie dough or fold laundry. Depending on said hold time, sometimes all three {G}

  85. When you showed us the swatch I thought your beautiful multicolored yarn had become rather… uniform, but oh how wrong I was.

  86. How impressed I am with those buttonholes knit right in the garment like they are supposed to be there (and evenly spaced to boot!). I always horrendously screw those up and have to reknit huge amounts of a project. It drives me to the crazy place.

  88. My friend is a customer service rep (hopefully not one that you talked to), and she does knit between phone calls! “Wool time” at work!

  89. I have no idea what non-knitters do when they miss the express bus and have to take the regular slow one. Personally, I rejoice a little for the extra knitting time without (much) guilt. 🙂 I can avoid the guilt as long as there is still time to feed my family when I get home…

  90. I’m late with this but do all of you know that you can say into the phone “I need to speak to a person.” and get transfered to a human being almost immediately? I’ve tried this with a dozen companies and it works!

  91. Knitting has saved my company a lot of tech money. I do LAN Admin work, and knitting is the only thing that keeps me from dropping computers down the stairwell some days.
    Love the colors in your sweater! Gorgeous!!

  93. Holy crap. That’s pretty.
    Makes me want to stop spinning the somewhereinbetweenlaceandfingering weight yarn I’m spinning and whack out a sweater’s worth of worsted.

  94. If this isn’t important to you, just go about your business…but I thought I should mention it now, before you get too far… button holes in ladies garments are usually on the other side. Aren’t they? Cara (who is STOKED beyond anything that I should be that I got in the first 10 commenters)

  95. Soooo pretty, as soon as I finish my Henley Perfected, I might just finally get the FLS on the needles! (btw, I’m knitting while on a conf. call right now…)

  96. I like the idea of the phone message asking you to knit while they put you on hold. Just a wee word for the customer service reps, even though I know there are plenty of bad ones out there, if you only knew who they have to deal with ALL day, every working day. Life cycle isn’t too long on the job.

  97. I just thought I should mention that button holes for ladies usually go on the right hand side…if that’s important to you, I figure it is better to find out now. Best,
    Cara
    who is STOKED beyond all reason that I made it into top 10 comments…and who read up on button placement last night for her own FL sweater). Knit on!

  98. Ahhhh! That is so pretty!
    I’m still amazed by handspun knitting every time. Everytime. When I knit it, I’m really disappointing to finish. It’s such a delight!

  103. Wow you’re fast, and that’s gonna be just beau000tiful!! I can’t wait to see the end result. Mine is languishing- boo hoo.

  104. Knitting while on hold is a lovely idea, but does it keep you calm enough that your tension doesn’t get all screwed up? That’s my problem; when I call in a state of “purple, vicious rage,” the longer I have to wait the more rage-y I get, and even knitting doesn’t necessary get me calmed down enough to keep my tension from totally going kablooey, and I end up with something small enough to clothe my cat.
    The sweater is knitting up *gorgeously,* though!

  105. Beautiful FLS — so sorry about the hold time. I don’t do well on hold, knitting or not. Unless there is abundant hot coffee. Of course, sometimes this just means that I’m superfueled and bugger-all pissed when the service rep actually gets back to me, but hey.

  106. Your sweater is absolutely gorgeous!!! One of these days I want to try to spin enough for a project…

  107. The sweater is looking good! One of these days I need to try spinning. But right now I need to make a sock by tomorrow (3 rows of ribbing so far….)

  108. I know all about the holding and knitting at the same time just to save even a little bit of your sanity. i just also wanted to be sure that you have the “new version” of february lady. She has a version 2.0 now.. i was just making sure

  109. Or waiting in line, or on a plane, or riding in the car, or on the train…
    Dance class Mom #3 says “I don’t know when I would have time to knit…” Mind you, she homeschools and has no job other than taking care of her household. That’s a big enough job, but, says I, “You could be knitting now. I’m a graduate student. If anyone is short on time, it’s me.” While all of this is going on, we’re waiting for the kids to be done. I’m knitting and Dance class moms #2 & #3 are sitting there talking.

  110. Hey look! It’s a circular 4.5mm needle! For the record, I love circulars and I can’t find any of my 4.5mm needles either… hmmm…

  112. When I was a non-knitter, I’d… I’d…. wait. And hold on. And reddit until the person says hello on the other line. Thank god for speaker phone. XD

  116. It’s a situational remedy, but I’ve found hitting the button for “new sales” rather than “customer service for completed transactions” gets you a real live person in a fraction of the time.
    Of course, then you miss out on all the lovely knitting, so it’s a bit of a trade-off. That yarn is working up jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

  117. I am in love with the yarn and the way it is looking in the sweater! And I’d really like to know the rest of the story about the needles:-)

  120. Non-knitters do the same thing on hold as they do waiting in line, get really frustrated and take out their frustration (justified or not) on the customer service rep. I used to do product support over the telephone, fun times.

  121. I have to laugh! There are some people on the other end of the phone doing the exact same thing, I promise you. I had a job in college that involved calling people and begging them to donate money. That’s when I picked up knitting and crochet again.. there’s a lot of ‘down time’ in that job where you just hold the phone and let the person on the other end rant and rave for a bit!
    your FLS looks lovely btw!

  122. I know this is silly, but I find it pretty depressing that I cast on for the FLS well before Steph started plying, and I’ve still only just finished my raglan increases (which is to, like, the bottom of the sleeves.) Sigh! At any rate, I am LOVING the colour of Steph’s! (And mine, but I didn’t spin mine, so it’s not so cool.)

  124. Just wonderin… I’ve put buttonholes on the left before just cuz I forgot to do them on the right. What’s your reasoning?
    Lovin’ the handspun!

  125. I even have a headset that plugs into my phone so I can knit hands free. Don’t know what I’d do without the ability to knit while on hold. I know that there are several customer services reps who work for HP and a couple who work for Intuit who are alive today because I could spend the considerable hold and stupid time knitting.

  126. I love your description of ‘purple vicious rage’…I suffer from that from time to time. LOL

  127. I just got back from the dentist – I wish that I could knit while lying down in that chair!

  129. first, here is the number of the executive Bell Canada office for Ontario: 1 866-317-3382
    and when dealing with customer service that isn’t customer focused, you know what works for me?
    this:
    me: hello random agent of doom, may i have your name and number please?
    agent of doom: sally, employee 425
    me: fantastic, now sally, in my letter to your executive office, the better business bureau and The Blog, would you prefer to be the fantastic, helpful agent that got the ball rolling for me? or the 7th person on my complaint list? it’s totally up to you… no pressure
    this USUALLY works

  131. Wow – you’ve zipped right past me… although I haven’t worked on my FLS for a while now. If you are in an answering questions mode, please let us know if you did raglan decreases all the way to the armpit area vs. the yarn overs stated in the pattern (this is one of my hang-ups). It looks like it from the pic, but I can’t be sure. Also, any other mods?? I think I’m getting inspired to pick mine up again!

  132. Check out episode #253 of This American Life (radio show)for the awful but true story of someone in customer service limbo. It makes me SO grateful every time I talk to my phone company.

  135. LOL – I am a customer service rep and I knit to keep my cool during trying calls!

  137. I read in a travel magazine that we wait in line for *two days* of our lifetime. Who knows how many more days we wait on hold, wait in the doctor’s waiting room, wait around for the family to get their act together so we can go somewhere, wait for the tea kettle to boil, etc. etc. etc. Now, we knitters, are actually accomplishing something during that dead time and slowly taking over the world in the process.

  138. That yarn is just plain gorgeous. Reminds me of being on the Oregon Coast on a pink sky, purple water day. Congratulations on getting it SO right.

  139. I was once with one of my customers when he called his bank’s Customer Service line. After being given the run around for several minutes and getting no help whatsoever, he told the person on the other end “I’m sorry. Obviously, I’ve reached the wrong department. I was calling Customer Service, and you don’t seem able to provide any.” I’m here to say he wasn’t asking for anything out of the ordinary. Just basic banking help.

  140. Sooooo-oo, let me guess… either the knitting is flipped in the photo (can’t get an eye on the lace pattern well enough to discern side), or, golly, the photo was flipped?!
    Knit on – the 3 ply is inspiring, encouraging, to those of us who winge (should be a word!) at the prospect of all the fine singles that must be spun.

  141. I am mesmerized by the gorgeous color striations and transitions in your handspun! There isn’t a millspun on the market that can touch it for artistic beauty! Well done you! I’ll just sit and whimper in my corner that MY handspun doesn’t even come close! LOL!! (just kidding!)
    I am SO waiting for that cowl pattern! I have a skein of quivit blend burning a hole in my knitting bag… and being a lazy knitter it’s just SO much easier to wait for your pattern than to try and figure one out on my own! Thanks ever so much! :o)
    And I was surprised (and humbled) that Barb sent a pack of my Spinner’s Notecards to you. I’m glad (spelled r-e-l-i-e-v-e-d) that you liked them enough to pass them along! It really made my day!

  143. Computer solitaire (Spider) kept me almost sane while I was on hold with NW Airlines trying to explain to a real person why their global ticket policy makes no sense. I wouldn’t trust myself to knit properly under those circumstances.

  144. Ah, I have to quote from my Demotivator Calendar: Customer Service: Because we’re not satisfied until you’re not satisfied.” 🙂

  146. I spent 45 minutes waiting for a real live “person” to come on the line yesterday. My niece’s scarf is coming along well now!

  147. Poor baby. I happened by chance to get a decent customer service rep today, although his Mexican accent got in the way a tiny bit. But overall Enrique was a good one. Personally, I play solitaire on the computer when I am on hold.

  149. That’s lovely! The yarn seems like it’s working up pinker than it looked as a ball.
    Makes me want to call my phone company. Just for the hell of it 🙂

  151. Stunning!!! My husband stopped questioning my knitting on the phone while on hold once he had to call in a cable service problem 🙂 Now he makes sure to have a book handy if he is the delegated caller.

  152. I’ve been reading your blog for almost a year now and this is the first time commenting.
    It’s beautiful. You’ve almost inspired me to learn how to spin and ply.
    But not quite.

  154. That is SO BEAUTIFUL! I clearly need to get busy with the spinning to make my February Lady sweater; though the yaradage in the XL that I’ll need will be a bit more daunting than your XS. And I’m happy to see you apparently found a 4.5mm circular somewhere; did they stop laughing in the beat up van near your house long enough to have pity on you and bring your needles back?

  155. I understand the frustration, and I agree that some customer service reps could use a bit more wool time, but, honestly, if being on hold could result in such productive knitting time, I think I could be happy on hold!
    Gene

  157. When my sister lived outside of Washington DC about 35 yrs ago, she rang the bus company for a timetable to be sent out to her. She rang with a book handy because she had been forewarned, she says she was ‘deep into page 12’ before the call was answered by a bewildered employee – they weren’t used to people hanging on to actually speak to somebody.
    It rather spoils the story to say that the writing in a book doesn’t begin on page 1, but ‘never spoil a good story by telling the truth.’
    The many joys of sock knitting have become apparent to me with long waits.
    When I finally get to speak to a rep I try to be as pleasant as possible, 1) one of the worst jobs in the world, 2) it isn’t usually the reps personal responsibility that I have a problem with the company they work for.

  159. SWEET MARY & SAINTS PRESERVE US! LOOK AT THAT SWEATER! EEEEK. C’est magnifique. Wait, was there a question in there somewhere? Probably bang their heads against the nearest hard surface, cursing the futility of life. Or something.

  160. It really is a very beautiful sweater, despite the frustration. As I hope that one day my sweater will be a beautiful jacquet. Hang in there! We’re all rooting for you!

  161. That’s really funny! I am a customer service rep and guess what I do when I go home at night?
    Knit. Yes. It is a wonderful way to unwind. I am just learning and so far, have made my two granddaughters one sweater each. I have also knit two scarves for friends and am currently working on one for myself. I have enough knitting planned to be a customer service rep for at least another 10 years.
    I love, love , love your blog and look forward to reading it everyday!

  162. My sweet Lord! You are by far the fastest knitter/spinner I have ever witnessed.
    By now the sweater’s blocked, sewn, and enjoying its first wear.
    However do you do it? Please share your secret.

  163. That’s really funny. I am a customer service rep and guess what I do when I get home at night?
    Knit. It’s a great way to unwind. I am a beginning knitter and so far, have knit my two granddaughters one sweater each. I have also knit scarves for two of my friends. I have enough knitting projects planned to be a customer service rep for at least the next 10 years.
    I love, love, love your blog and look forward to reading every day.

  166. So , you actually reached a “live” person??? I can’t remember the last time that happened to me.
    Did they speak English well enough to be understood? When Northwest Airlines lost my luggage the last time, I called the luggage hot line and spoke to a woman in Central America !!!!!!
    How many circs did you go out and buy??? I love straights but after knitting on circs for awhile and switching to straights I keep dropping a needle–I forget they are not attached.

  168. Knitting is a must for hold time, waiting for a train or waiting for a ship to pass through an open bridge. I always have a project in the car or near the phone. Pretty sweater.

  169. You have reached the automated voice mail of Dew U. Wannabeannoyed. To listen to my wonderful voice press 1. I dont ever check my voice mail, but if it would make you feel better to leave a message press 2. To listen to Barry Manilow muzak for 30 minutes press 3. If you really must insist on speaking to a live person, press 4 to leave a breif message and one of our prerecorded messages will call you back in 24-48 hours. For more options like a refill on your valium, press 6. Thank you for calling and have a nice day.

  170. I used to be a customer service rep, and I knitted while I was on the phones – it was the only way I could make it through the day. Also, it made the Christmas knitting a lot easier to finish. The world would just be a nicer place if we’d all just knit!

  171. Beautiful sweater and good constructive use of your time.
    Yesterday at work I had to call about a printer. Maybe other customer reps can answer this. Why did the recording, then the next three people I talk to all ask my model number? Why keep asking if they don’t make note of it and pass it along. Also why transfer me to someone who asks me 100 questions, then tells me he can’t help me. I lost it a little bit at that point. I needed my knitting!

  174. I got a speaker phone so that I could sit and knit while on hold. I kept accidentally hanging up if i had to do a S2k1psso. (That’s with tongue action)

  175. You need one of those phone things that Rachel H. had last night at knit night. You know, that thing I thought was a sex toy.
    Come to think of it phone thing is way better that a sex toy.
    Just saying.

  177. Why is it that I’ve been working on this sweater since Christmas, and mine is only slightly further along than yours, that you started Monday? Those are great colors!

  178. Phone thing?? Hmmm….
    I’m glad you had happy knitting for the trials of the infamous “Customer Service Representative”. It makes me think of a call back in September to my cable company – who had managed to cut off the last 10 minutes of what I was assuming would be the final set in the US Open Tennis men’s final.
    The worst part was trying to explain to the employees [and, oh, I worked my way through several…!] that one of the things that the company normally did was to switch to a Canadian station if it and an American channel were airing the same program at the same time. The cable company switched back to the regular Canadian programming on the hour – despite the tennis not being over. All the channels that should have been broadcasting the tennis were ‘blocked’. Even my ranted analogy [“It’s like cutting off the last ten minutes of the Super Bowl!”] didn’t make them see the light.
    Should have had some knitting.

  179. Do you also look forward to doctor’s appointments when you know you’ll get some good knitting time in? I know I do.
    Your sweater is beautiful. I love the colorway.

  181. :Customer Service – because we’re not happy until You’re not happy:
    I wonder if they lose bonus points if you create something beautiful instead of anger?

  183. LOVE the way your Lady Feb is turning out…I did mine with kauni yarn held double and it looks great too I must say… but handspun is always original! The colors are fabulous!

  184. I actually used to knit while on the phones as a customer service rep. It kept me from saying mean things to awful customers, and being snarky to ridiculously dumb fellow reps.

  185. Wow, gorgeous sweater! I’ve never actually tried knitting, when I’ve been on hold. My knitting bag is never down by my computer! I’m glad it helped, though. Your sweater is gorgeous!

  186. well, i’m another customer service person.. life is much better if i can knit between calls, but on the crazy hold time days, everybody is cranky, and its probably just as wearing on us.. i do love people who know what they want..
    the sweater is lovely.. i’m almost done with mine (last nit of garter on the sleeve).. maybe i should go do that? 😉

  187. Seriously, if it weren’t for my knitting, I would probably be locked away somewhere. My father always told me as a child, “Have patience before you become one.” I think I was around 11 when the full force of that comment really sunk in.

  188. If it weren’t for knitting, I’m sure I would have cussed at many more unwitting customer service folks.

  189. I usually play on line games at places like Club Pogo. I’ve noticed the longer I’m on hold, the tighter my knitting gets.

  190. ok, please be careful with call center people. I have worked in call centers for YEARS and it is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE job. First, you have to spend WAY too much time fixing mistakes made by stupid india and philipino reps. (by the by, if people would STOP FREAKING SUPPORTING COMPANIES that move jobs over there a lot of this would go away… but that’s a complaint for another day). Second, you have NO IDEA what horrid things people will say to you over the phone b/c they can’t see that you are crying. I’ve had people tell me they hope I die a horrible painful death in front my family. I had one man describe in GRAPHIC DETAIL the way he would rape me if he ever tracked me down. I had a friend who was trying to show empathy by explaining that she understood what it was like to have a sick child b/c her own 6 year old has leukemia and the woman told her that was probably god punishing her for being such an awful person (btw, her being “awful” was my friend not being able to waive a FIVE DOLLAR LATE FEE). Remember the comment you made around christmas about people being so stupid as to be so horrid to each other over stupid shite like who gets the last roll of wrapping paper? That moment of horrid mistreatment of your fellow man is what it is like working on the phones EVERY SINGE DAMN DAY. Just saying….

  191. I hope you were able to resolve whatever issue(s) needed addressing. However, if this is not the case, I hope you are enjoying your lovely sweater progress. It looks so very nice.

  192. The Sweater looks fabulous! The handspun is gorgeous and no better way to deal with customer service stress than that.
    My high stressed lately by familial maniacs life has been blessed today with an anti-stess dose of a fibre fix. 3 beautiful batts from All Strung Out in Guelph almost had me playing hookie from work so I could go home and spin my stress away.
    Can’t wait to see the rest of the sweater.

  193. Ooohh that is stunning!!!! I just love the colors!!! I too am the proud owner of a kilo of Francine’s hand dyed roving so I just have to ask you…….How did you get the colors to come out like that? Did you spin it a certain way so the colors slowly morphed into one another or did it just seem to work out that way? I have to ask because that’s the way I would like the colors to flow when I spin my roving up and knit it. I’ve haven’t started spinning it yet because I’m trying to figure out the best way to do it. I’d like to get the colors to flow into one another gradually like it does in your sweater. The roving is beautiful but it’s more expensive than I can usually afford to spend on fiber (I usually buy white top and dye my own) so I to make sure that I get the type of effect I want. Good luck with the customer service reps!

  194. Non-knitters add points to their blood pressure and up the national average for heart attacks and strokes….
    The wool is absolutely gorgeous btw!

  195. I really wouldn’t mind the time I am on the phone with some of our vendors if I could knit. It would certainly make me calmer about the process. Barring that, I try to multitask (though that occasionally backfires too!).
    Your sweater is coming out so well. Maybe I’ll find the time to pull mine out this weekend and finish the sleeves. I’m so close to done that it doesn’t make any sense that it has been in time out for a couple of months.

  196. Dear Stephanie,
    Are you still a doula? I was just rereading your story about sitting with a mother and the single sock, tears pouring down. There hasn’t been anything on the blog about ‘your’ babies lately, so I was wondering if you still doula, and just don’t blog about the babies for privacy, or if you’ve stopped.

  197. Although I have knit while on hold, last week I put the phone on speaker sat it on the counter and half assembled a vat of spaghetti sauce while waiting. I also have a telephone headset in my workroom and often work while either on hold or talking to someone. Everyone knows the recorded phrase “your call is important to us” is a joke. If your call was that important they would have more customer service reps and more satisfied customers (I’ll bet there is a high turnover in reps as who wants to deal with callers made even angrier by being stuck on eternal hold)

  200. That sweater is turning out great! I love the subtle gradation in the yoke.
    I knit while on hold as well. Hands-free FTW! There was actually one point where I was knitting along, then the representative decided to finally grace me with her presence. I told her, “hang on, I’m almost done with this row” and made her wait!

  201. That’s what headsets are for. Better for you neck and shoulder when knitting while being on hold. LOL

  202. I knit while I nurse my 4 month old (mama equivalent of “hold”) and my other two kids run around like yardapes.
    I get really fidgety and agitated when I am out somewhere and nurse, and I *gasp* don’t have any knitting, or my nursing pillow so I can support the munchkin while I knit…..
    so sad….I am joining the “crazy knitting lady” (CKL) ranks at the age of “not quite 32 yet”
    Oh wait, that CKL thing started when I started carrying a sock in my coat pocket….just in case! LOL.

  203. Oh cr$*. Sorry about the double post….Stephanie, you understand the whole “hit post until something happens” mentality, right???
    OK, you said it was refresh that you hit a lot…same yarn different ball….

  204. I am a customer service rep. I knit on the telephone and it does indeed do wonders for my mood.

  205. If you decide that you care about the buttonhole thing (meh), you might just turn it inside out. That would still mean ripping out the lacy part, but not the whole yoke.

  206. I worked in a call center for three years and I did regurarly knit on the job…(Proof is here:
    http://peony67.blogspot.com/2008/07/finally-got-it.html )…
    Bad customer service is rarely the fault of the actual operator you are talking to… if you have to wait long? The leaders got to few employees. You can’t get the answer? The menue took you to the wrong person… etc. I am not saying we are faultless , but also have to say, that what is written somewhere above about some of the customers is true. I got yelled not knowing the customer’s identification number, for the late fee she got because SHE didn’t paid in time, whatever… At the end i got very good let these pass by, and kept on knitting. Just as I knit today for the four hour wait in the dr’s office to find out I have pneumonia… the result? Half a sleeve of my Amelia cardi.
    The sweater looks gorgeous! Where did you found the needles?

  209. I was on hold with the Bay for 12 minutes the other night. They had delivered the wrong mattress and after I was super nice to the poor, downtrodden CSR when he answered, he told me to call the local Bay for the SKU#… I understand that it’s a shitty job, so I’m always nice (I’ve had customers who were idiots who yelled at me), but when he tried to pass it off, I decided he was a twit. He also thought that he was dealing with an uninformed consumer. I gave him the SKU#s and he set up the exchange. Twit, twit, twit.

  211. That sweater is looking great!
    And pray, do tell – did you find your circs or did you buy new ones?
    As to the customer service: mankind is not aware how many more wars would be raging in the world if there were no knitting…

  212. Customer service…I think I remember what that was…but its been so long I am not sure I would know it if I saw it now…
    Your sweater is gorgeous and has inspired me to get back to spinning. I can’t wait to see more pictures.

  213. Hey, those are some beautiful colors. I really like how the fabric seems to be lightening up as you move down the body. Is it a fun and quick knit?
    My daughter has learned that when I am having a meltdown she brings me yarn to pet. She has even learned which fibers are the most helpful (usually something with Alpaca in it).

  214. Any other situation that combined near purple seething rage & sharp pointed sticks would be a recipe for disaster.
    To knit, it’s a good thing.
    Customer service is oft an oxymoron, ugh.

  215. Oh yeah, I make sure I have knitting with me if there is ANY possibility of waiting time. Otherwise … let’s just say it’s not pretty. I have even been known to hand friends a ball of yarn and say, Hold this, you’ll feel better!

  217. Looks like we had the same day yesterday! I got the at-home-service-through-the-computer with my home/business phone.
    Yesterday it was completely dead for no real reason. We spent 2 hours on the phone with the company!
    Wool helps…..

  218. As someone who was a non-knitter until recently, I think the answer to what they do while on hold is ‘stare into space.’ Which explains some of the spitting and fuming that happens in customer service conversations! At least knitting on hold can lower your blood pressure a few points.

  219. I call those, waiting projects. One day i knit a whole mitten (minus thumb) granted it was a mitten to be felted, size 10 needles, but a whole mitten just the same!

  220. I’ve been on both sides of the phone – as a rep and a customer. It’s hard on both sides. I’ve talked to some very rude CSRs, and some very rude clients as well. So it goes. I wish I could knit at work while dealing with the rude customers, though!

  222. As one of those customer service reps, the wool time is what keeps me sane when I have to deal with the dipsticks from both sides of the fence. (I have to deal with both internal and external customers).
    More of us could definitely use it!

  224. CSRs should try JUST ONCE to put themselves in the position of the person needing help.
    There is a This American Life story titled “On Hold, No One Can Hear You Scream” – it’s worth a listen.
    I can’t knit at work – it’s frowned upon – boo.

  225. Sorry to hear about the long waits, but it does appear that you have found/procured/stolen some circular needles. I am so glad because I am living vicariously through you as I wait (and wait and wait) for some yarn to come to make one for myself.

  226. I get where you’re coming from……it goes back to that “how do you have time/patience” to knit thing. If you really LOVE sitting around on hold, with nothing to do, I guess it’s fine. But some of my best knitting has been done while waiting…for customer service, for a kid, for a doctor appointment, for my DH to finally get off the phone…really the list is endless. Why get all huffy and frustrated when you can use all that frustrating wait time, knitting?
    One thing…..how do you get the waitstaff of restaurants where you’re knitting while waiting for your dinner to arrive to not think you pulled out your knitting because you think they’re slow? I pulled out my knitting, because I WANT TO KNIT!

  227. I got to call the IRS the other day (for information it turned out I didn’t need) and sat on hold for i don’t even know how long. They play the same 3 songs over and over and over… Thank goodness for suprise baby sweater and speaker phone.
    And before I knit (there were some questions as to what muggles do during long waits in offices, lines etc) I used to carry a book everywhere with me and read during whatever wait i had. Now i have books on my iPod and I can knit and listen and not feel like i’m going to lose my mind.

  229. For me it’s bus knitting. I can’t figure out how all those people can waste so much valuable time on the bus just sitting there doing nothing. It’s the perfect time to knit. I have many garments that I’ve completed that were only knit on the bus. This makes me almost glad for our poor transit system – longer rides just means more knitting time (40 minute commute twice a day). I could drive it in half that time…. but then I wouldn’t be saving the world would I?

  231. That is so beautiful I could weep.
    Darn you small size folks and your insta-sweaters!
    P.S. spin some of that luscious string for me or the 4.5 circ’s get it! Mwahahahaha

  233. Ha ha. I work in customer service and I crank seamless sweaters out while I’m talking to people on the phone. You won’t believe how many people call me to order something, but haven’t decided what they want to buy, so I have to wait while they flip through the whole catalog while others are on hold. I hate waiting too, so I knit.

  235. I’ve done telephone customer service. Yes, you are deadly accurate that they need wool time. Some days, it’s not just the customer who needs to maintain patience.

  240. I spend most of my day calling one store after another; I can only dream of knitting to pass the time. The yarn is knitting up great!

  241. I just put buttons where they are most flattering– hate it when they look weird– other than that- I have no side preference.
    Doesn’t matter to me a bit. I figure the boobs give away the fact that I am a female.. kind of makes it hard to be confused about….

  242. Were they related to the people I spoke with (time share folks who think my name is Marlene and think that I own a time share and call me EVERY DAY)? I asked to speak with the manager and the guy insisted that there was no manager, and finally fessed up that there was a SUPERVISOR (entirely different species, I gather) and then
    transferred’ me, which is a euphamism for ‘disconnect’ I guess.

  244. You didnt hear it from me but some of us customer service reps DO get wool time 🙂
    some calls are equally frustrating on THIS end of the line…lol

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