Is It Just Me?

....or is everyone else totally wiped out from the weekend?  I can hardly function. 

zzzzzzzzzz

Come on, people!  What's up with the low turnout to write to Panera?  Just log in to panera.com, choose "contact us," tell them you'd like them to sponsor the Red Scarf Project.  Do I really have to offer a prize?  Do I have to show you pictures of poor orphans feeling sad that they don't get care packages at college?  Won't you just do it to help out the cause?  Geesh. There are 63 or 68 Bloglines subscribers to the Red Scarf Blog, and a lot of red scarf knitters who are not subscribed through Bloglines.  I expect 100% turnout for writing to Panera.  Don't make me come over there!  (I know some of you don't have a Panera near you -- in fact, I don't.  But for those of you who do, please do write and let us know about it.)  Thank you.

Don't laugh, but I ordered yarn.  What?!  The next big thing I want to knit is Brier, and I'm anxious to cast on very soon.  I saw Margene's in person last week and she said she doesn't mind if I copy hers completely, I love it so much. It's the absolute perfect color and style for me.  I was going to do the moss stitch jacket, the pattern for which I bought last year, but Margene took one look at it and reminded me the style is so similar to Brier, without all that pesky moss stitch, I should do Brier instead.  I was always intending to knit Brier anyway, and I already have the Rowan pattern book.  So that required an order of chestnut Black Water Abbey. I did give a half-hearted look in Rhinebeck for something that would be an approximation of that yarn for that sweater, but I really decided why mess with perfection, ya know?

So there you have it.  Now I'm back to work, which is not an easy thing to do right now. I'm sure I'm not alone in that sentiment. 

I'm trying to decide what if anything I should do about the wonky sleeves in my Heather sweater (the green one I wore this weekend) before I call it "finished." I have to schedule a photo shoot for it soon, I suppose.  Feels kind of silly, since it's plastered all over the internet in Rhinebeck photos.

Plain Vanilla is most definitely no longer vanilla.  Details about that later, as well.

Now, for a more serious topic.  Martha left the following comment yesterday: 

The reason I'm writing is that my mom has Lymphoma and I'm running a contest on my blog to help get blood donations. She was in dire need of blood and we had to wait DAYS for her blood type to be located and transported. Simply, I need your help to get the word out. Please help.

Please go to her blog for more details and donate blood if you are eligible.  It'll feel good. 

Comments

[Kristen]

I thought the sleeves looked fine! So is Plain Vanilla now Plain Chocolate?

[Kristen]

PS I've just been online looking at real estate near Rhinebeck. That's my post Rhinebeck disease!

[Anne]

You know, I _would_ write to Panera, but I'm guessing that the .uk at the end of my email address would give the game away that I'm not that likely to head over and spend money there...

[Laurie]

It's been an unexpected hangover, yes.

Call the sweater done and move on. I didn't notice anything wonky about the sleeves. Take a poll. :)

[Carole]

The sweater is A-OK, don't even bother. As for the Panera, I don't have one that I would call "local." Sorry.
And the Rhinebeck Hangover? Still hanging on, damnit.

[Carla]

Okay, I feel like a goody goody but I get a gold star and before 7am! I wrote Panera and I give blood every 8 weeks!

[ann]

Norma, will you puhleeze get to the part where you've unpacked your bags and then chug down some Horny Goat Weed? I cannot wait to hear what happens next!

[Priscilla]

I am one of those Bloglines subscribers to the Red Scarf Project, and it turns out that there are several Panera restaurants not all that far from me in CT. So I wrote them a note this morning. And hopefully I'll have a scarf to add to your gallery in the not too distant future! Thanks for all your work on this project.

[rock chick]

There is an *extremely* fine young man that works at my local Panera. If they post his pic and promise to clone him as the shop Red Scarf Project ambassador nationwide, I believe the response would skyrocket.

[sandy]

You dyed PV? Give up the goods, sister!

[Paul]

Since being home from Rhinebeck, life has been moving in slow motion. It's like everything is almost at a standstill cause I'm not surrounded by thousands of people and millions of miles worth of yarn and roving. I'm sure I'll be out of this haze by the weekend. Or I hope to...

[Martha]

Thank you Norma you are AWESOME! The more blood I can get the better! I should be a vampire for Halloween! :)

Thanks again!

Martha

[Emily G]

Chalk up one more email to Panera.

[Lucia]

OK, OK, I've roused myself from my stupor, I've been, I've begged. Gently, of course, and mentioning how I would buy their food and drink. Now heading over to Martha's blog...

[Kathy]

I wish I had a Panera near me! I keep hearing about their bread and keep hoping to actually *try* some, sometime.

Thanks for bringing up blood donation. It's something everyone who is able should do - the rewards are huge, the downside pretty small. I donate blood regularly and just recently started donating platelets as well. Even got my needle phobic husband to try donating blood :-)

[jenifleur]

OKAY, NORMA! I wrote Panera. If I begged them to sponsor and if I knit red scarves for the project, can I skip going there to knit?

[Angie]

Ok, I e-mailed Panera, I have yet to start my Red Scarf, but I DID e-mail Panera. Thanks for reminding me.

[Kathy]

I am still recovery too. I'll email Panera . . .

[Edith]

I've sent comments to Panera; I gave blood for the first time in a while 3 weeks ago; I'm looking forward to knitting a red scarf, but I may not start until January! I guess I'm just accustomed to the rush of panicked, last minute knitting.

[Tish]

OK, like a good sheep I emailed Panera. Since we are there at least once a week (bagels by the boxful, Broccoli-Cheddar soup ummmmm, iced green tea, shortbread cookies) I figure they can do this little thing for me. :) Perhaps I'll try to convince my library knitting group to wander 2 blocks down the road and stage a knit-in til they agree to collect the scarves. "What do we want? A collection box. When do we want it? NOW!" "Oh and can you give me a pink ribbon bagel with plain cream cheese and a hot chocolate too? Thanks." Anxiously awaiting photos of Plain Chocolate...Plain Pumpkin...Plain Espresso...Plain Eggplant????

[Vicki]

I wish there was a Panera close to me... and a Coyote Grill! ; )

I can't wait to see Plain whatever-it-is -- maybe not so plain anymore! Maybe it's all fancy now.

Going back to work after a fiber fest is pure torture.

[Ruth]

I will email Panera. I have also emailed Starbucks.

[Kim]

Hmm...I heard rumors of what happened to Vanilla....sad

[--Deb]

Mmm. . . .Black Water Abbey yarn . . . I need to get more of that stuff at some point.

And, it's not just you. I'm just today starting to feel like myself, and I was just there for the day on Saturday. No late-night Winebeck festivities for me!

Okay--heading to the Panera website. (Their bread really IS good.)

[Sharlene]

Oh I love it! That's funny because I'd been thinking about knitting that jacket from Tweed Three, but I do like the Rowan version better. Off to go hunt down that issue now...

[JessaLu]

I didn't notice anything 'wonky' about your sleeves...but then I was pretty high on fiber at the the time ;o)

[Ann]

I came..I Panera'd..I scarved!

:o)

Ann

[minnie]

i promise i will email panera. there's 5 or 6 in the city, and one i frequent in particular. however, i don't know if i'll knit a red scarf or not!

[Marcia]

Can you please post a link to the Smuggler's Notch sweater pattern?

[Marcia]

Oh yeah. I forgot to say that I hate all y'all's asses.

And yeah, it's personal.

[Anne]

Norma, did you crash Martha's site? ;) I faint when I give blood, and they spend so much time making sure I'm alive that the nurses usually don't seem to think one pint was worth all that trouble.

I definitely have blog hangover, maybe because work is kicking my hiney.

[Birdsong]

I hadn't ever heard of Panera, and had to google it to figure out what they sold... guess I live a sheltered life.

[Kimberly]

I will do what I can here in RI. A friend is a manager at Panera. Wish me luck!
=:8