torn

Ever had something that you are really not sure whether you feel good or bad about?

I’m in that spot right now.

D and I are on vacation. We’re snowboarding in a far away place.

The snowboarding is great. The rest is not.

We’re kinda with a group here. We get discounted lift tickets and there are a few on and off mountain events.  Otherwise, we’re on our own (hotel, meals etc.).

The riding has been great, but the interactions with some of the group have left me feeling horrible.

Since most of you are knitters, let’s put this in knitting terms.

Let’s say D and I have gone to MDSW. We’re knitting with the equivalent of Aero straights, everyone else is on Addi Turbos or Harmony interchangables. We’re being told “those Aeros are unsafe” and “why don’t you go out and buy a complete set of Turbos, you’ll knit much faster with them.”  People stopped talking to us when they found out we’re still using straights.Then, even worse, someone assumed that D is a beginner knitter because he’s a boy (OK, D isn’t really a knitter, but it was someone that made a big assumption about me because I am a girl).  There are also free needle trials at this fictional MDSW and I was standing around wiaitng for them, only to be told that the trials were nearly over even though I’d been there waiting to try one specific pair that was not returned on time.

D says I should point out that I’m a better “knitter” than most of the people judging me.

It’s really putting a bad vibe on this vacation. I’m not seeing the best side of humanity.  Being constantly put down, one little comment at a time, by a large group is really demoralizing.  This is a niche sport, we should be inclusive, instead I’m feeling left out for not having Addis.  It’s not that I am not interested in Addis, I just know they cost a lot and I’d like to understand what Addis offer that my old Aeros don’t.  I can’t get straight information, I just get assumptions, biased views and sloughed off comments.I tried to demo the Addis, but there were none in stock for someone who knits light weight like me.

I’m really debating about writing a letter to the people running the event, but it’s hard to put it into words that don’t sound like a whiney child.  They make a living off people buying Addis so why would they care about someone who still uses Aeros?

but I have a blog, so I’ll blog instead.