Mim’s Blog

Not sure what to write Mim. I could write “ewe’re mah heerroo Mimmikins” but that might just make you snort your blackberry tea out your nose, and we can’t have that. And I’m not much of one for hero worship. BUT, I appreciate the small moments I got to spend time with you, because you really did start me on this great road of knitting lace and lace knitting, and a undieing love for CHARTS (written, it’s written, yuckie, give me charts!) I think I could spend the rest of my life knitting lace [**]

But I mostly remember the giggles and snorts, conversations about hubbies, and laughs more than the knitting content.

I do, once in a while, when I’m asked about a shawl I’m wearing (since they are always yours so far) tell them about this great famous knitter who used to live here in town, who designs her own lace patterns, is a published designer, and a great person, (and umm yes, I knitted it…) but since I’m usually talking to non-knitters, that far away look they have in their eyes just gets more faraway….

I had to laugh at that ‘falling up stairs’ comment. I think it’s daily that one of my kids are falling UP the stairs even when I tell them to watch where they are going. I think it must take real talent to do that, bruises and all.

** [I'm on chart 7 of Hidcote, hurry up and design another shawl..... I'm running out of Mim knits to knit (/cheesy grin) ]

Thanks for a thought-provoking post, Mim – this is something I’ve been thinking a bit about recently, since I met a fan of my blog who gushed over me. That REALLY freaked me out…

Ugh…. Sorry. I didn’t mean to creep you out. I was kidding about the autograph, in a way, but I would have been honored to meet you and have you sign my copy. I was more interested in getting to know you as a talented knitter and designer than a “celebrity”. Good points in your post though.

You mean we’re supposed to change our sheets every two weeks??

Seriously, you make some good points. I’m not any kind of celebrity so it’s making me think.

We’re all people, right? And we all have human frailty, despite any achievements we’ve made in life.

But some of us are people who admire other people’s talent, drive, and creativity, and want to honor their achievement. Yes, there probably are creepy people out there who might want to build their own sense of self by, say, claiming non-existant friendship with you or having an autographed copy of your Interweave pattern. But I suspect Lisak’s not one of them. Mostly, we’re knitters, and we want to honor women whose work we admire. It’s about achievement, not personality.

Want no recognition? Achieve no success.

You mean to say that knitting celebrities need to concern themselves with mundane things like moving, instead of flitting from one fiber festival to another? What a drag!. (Just kidding. Well, moving is nearly always a drag, so I guess I’m not completely kidding about that.) That’s a great example to illustrate your point though. Misconceptions about “celebrities” abound.

Nice, thought-provoking series of posts.

I had more to say, but then my browser flipped out & I lost it, so I’ll have to cut my comments short.

** {As the wife & daughter of former teachers who went on to make much more money doing other work, I completely understand where you are coming from with regards to your footnote. My elder stepson is on his second year of teaching high school Spanish, & isn’t sure that he is going to continue teaching or move on to another line of work. He got a second job over the summer break, & is continuing to work there now that the school year is back underway.}

Whether you like it or not, you’ll always be the Famous Miriam Felton to me! :)

I’ve always said that celebrities are just as entitled as the rest of us to screw up (Britney & baby on lap for eg). If we had people watching US every day, we’d be doing the same thing. So give it a rest! That said, I think that people who truly do have a hard won skill do deserve recognition for that and if it makes them a celebrity, so be it! (BTW being exceptionally pretty doesn’t count!) (not that you aren’t)

You are too cool, Miriam! Thought provoking indeed, and I agree that we, as a society, are often off the mark as far as who we worship. But think of it as honoring your talent, and don’t let it freak you out. :)

Very thought-provoking!

I won’t even get into how society values sports and the stars over teachers. That could take up way too much space. We’re losing way too many good teachers because our teachers aren’t paid enough.

I think blogging is a wonderful way to meet other like-minded people and while I love your designs and admire your talent, I promise not to go stalking you:) I did get a lot of compliments on my Icarus when I wore it to the library and the LYS today. I love shawl weather!

I think perhaps you are taking your e-mailer’s message in the wrong spirit. Bloggers of a certain vintage, particularly those who are fortunate enough to be published, enjoy a comparatively large readership. When people read a blog on a regular basis, they become attached to you, they care what happens to you – births, deaths, accomplishments – and think of you as one of their own. A request for an autograph is likely to be a gesture of congratulation and support.

I know that the first time someone recognized me, I was taken aback, and said something stupid and awkward. Thinking about it later, I was a little ashamed of my response. I realized that by broadcasting my knitting and countenance all over the internet I was giving other knitters the “secret handshake” – basically letting everyone know that knitting is what I love and what I do, and that I was willing and eager to talk about it publicly. The knitter I met was not recognizing me as much as acknowledging and attempting to share our common interest. I think that once I realized that people who I reached out to (via internet) were trying to reciprocate (in person), I was able to appreciate it in a deeper way, and make some great friendships as well.

This is the message I was trying to get accross to my Sunday school class about making judgements. You said it beautifully. I may have to borrow some of theos quotes for the kids.

Change the sheets?

Now I think I was too harsh. Sorry!

And that’s why we’d love to interview you on the podcast about your creative process!! If you’re still interested in doing the phone interview, I’ve figured out the whole recording thing. I’d love to do an interview with you about this post, where you get your inspiration, your little oopsies — email me if you still want to do it, and we can set up a time – I do everything from my end, you just talk on the phone!

Take care!

Wendy

Who wears underwear?

Mim … I’ve never thought of you as a celebrity … just as an extremely talented knitter I met online and whom I admire for your knitting talents and for always being yourself, and not being afraid to be yourself. Your blog was the first blog I ever read. Ever. And you are the one who got me hooked on blogging (and doing lace!!). “Celebrity” or not, Mim, you will always be Mim to me. :)

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Mim. I think part of our fascination with famous people (knitters and non-knitters alike) is our admiration for them or for their abilities. I certainly admire your talents and your ability to create beautiful designs — I must admit I’m a bit in awe of you, and I’d probably be a blubbering idiot if we met, but I’d get over it. As you said, you are just a person, as are the other knitting “celebrities,” and we’d probably do best to remember that.

And I agree with you on the point that teachers should be paid better than they are. I’m a former teacher myself, and although I really wanted to work in an inner-city school in an urban district, a district like that wouldn’t be able to pay me enough to live off of. It’s a shame — especially with all the hoops you have to jump through to even be allowed to teach these days.

Good point about the celebrities (although some of them beg for rash judgements with things like, oh, say, jumping on couches). I will say that I think there’s no excuse in the whole world for anyone to drive with an infant on her lap, no sir, no way, no how. That other stuff is normal – well, except for the cussing. I mean really, are you telling me that there are times when cussing isn’t appropriate?
I think the autograph thing was just saying, “Hey, cool that your pattern is in this book!”

I don’t know about hero, but you are definitely talented. I recognize you as the great knitter who showed me the way and a great designer :), but I also see you as the *normal* person that you are, hehehehe.

You know, Mim, I love meeting thoughtful people. I also think I’m in the majority; most of us *like* folks like that, in part because they make *us* think. It seems to me that the explosion of blogging and tools which allow us to maintain an online presence have really compounded that–we can not only meet *more* “thinkers”, but we can meet more people who think like *us*. I also think they’ve done something even more important: They’ve allowed us to particpate in the process in very immediate ways. We can comment on each other’s blogs, we can influence each other’s thoughts, we can even carry on a running discussion. I’ve been blogging and working with online communities for 6 years, and I still find myself amazed at how the whole thing works.

I find myself wanting to separate film-celebrity status from knitterly-celebrity status, because I really do think that the “celebrities” of the knitting world can be perceived more as role models in their craft and that it is the craft which first draws the admiration.** For instance, I’ve been doing colorwork for most of my knitting years (which aren’t very many), but your Seraphim was my first attempt at lace, and having done it, my own admiration for the skills that go into designing a beautiful but also clean and well-written pattern–as well as knitting lace in general–have increased exponentially with each stitch. I look at Hidcote and think, “Gosh, I’d love to do that!” Your skills give me something to shoot for–and I really do think that’s a good thing. You encourage me to try something new, to learn a new technique, to recognize mistakes in my knitting, and to grow my own skill. And that, too, is a very good thing.

I agree, though, that blogs and other online tools can be a really useful way to make one a bit more real. I teach writing and literature at the university level, including fully online or distance courses where my students never have a chance to meet me in person. That facelessness is sometimes problematic for students, so my blog serves an additional purpose. In addition to simply reassuring family and friends that I’m not dead when I get into those really hectic periods and all e-mail goes unanswered for a month, and sharing academic resources with students and colleagues, it gives those students a way to put a “face” to the black and white academic voice they normally see. I know that we edit the face we present to the rest of the world on our blogs–consciously or unconsciously–and that there is considerably more to us than even a blog can present, but I still believe they are usefull ways to humanize ourselves. I would miss your voice if it disappeared.

And to end a far-too-long comment . . . You know, I’ve just gotta say that I’m sooooo glad to find that there are others in the world who fall UP stairs! That’s been a standing (er, no pun intended) joke in my family for ages. :-)
Rhonna

**I would assume film students and other actors consider their celebs the same way, however, and that there is a corresponding tendency in sports, music, science, literature, and so on. The novice will almost always consider the successful expert a celeb, I think.

It seems you are a legend in your own mind. Since I have no idea who you are, you seem to think you have become a “celebrity.” Jeez, the person only asked if you would autograph her IW mag. If you don’t want people to think of you as a “celebrity” don’t blog and don’t submit patterns to knitting magazines. Heather I don’t think what you said was harsh. Some people just need to come down their frickin high horse.

Geez, Mimi, who pissed in *your* coffee? :)

Rhonna, what a lovely, thoughtful post. There’s no such thing as a “far-too-long comment” when it’s so well written.

Mimi, blogland is wide. If you don’t like what Mim has to say, go read something else, somewhere else. The magazine thing was clearly a perspective altering moment for Mim, & she was gracious enough to share it with us. It’s pretty clear here who is sharing their own opinions & experiences without slamming anyone else, & who is being too harsh. Mim didn’t name names & didn’t single anyone out.

Just because I blog doesn’ t mean I’m under any delusions that blogging will ever turn me into a celebrity. And thanks to the responses posted here, I’m under fewer delusions that all knitting ‘fans’ are nicer than the average person.

Ooh, coffee out the nose! When I was just starting to design, and I had a couple sweaters on Knitnet, some new ladies came to my Saturday knitting group, and I swear to you, when my identity was revealed, one of them glowed, “You’re THE Terri Shea?!” I felt all the skin on my body crawl up my body onto my scalp. Turns out she’s totally not like that, but for a brief moment I worried for my physical safety.

And another time, which I blogged at http://spinningwheel.net/?p=128, a lady approached me at a spinning event, said she’d come because she’d read about it on my blog, and I made an utter ass of myself.

Fame is fickle indeed.

Wandered over via your silly sister’s blog.

Is there a knitting Hall of Fame? A Who’s Who in American Handicrafts?

Local fame is a moderate thing. Just say thank you.

I don’t do ANY of those things you talk about. My sheets are cleaned and ironed every day. I never ever fart, or pee or anything else for that matter. And there are not cheerios and yogurt dried to my floor that my daughter occasionally picks off and eats. Nope. Not here. I am the picture of perfect. Martha calls me for advice.