This post is intentionally specific.
The final clue for Mystery Stole 4 came out last night. I'm only through knitting Clue 3, but imagine my surprise when I scrolled through the most recently released section of the pattern to find the following emblazoned for all to see:
Wait, what?
No, I didn't find this on www.jesuslovestoknit.com or while mingling with a group of Christian Ravelers. I was willing to accept the notion that I wouldn't know what my project would look like till I was done with it. But I did not pay all that money for yarn and beads and needles and then put my time and energy into knitting something only to have someone else's dogma shoved down my throat at the very end.
So I was a little peeved last night. Also, I think the stole gets considerably less pretty the further towards the center it gets. But I digress.
What with its penchant for drama, I anticipated that the MS4 Yahoo Message Board would be rife with unhappy comments (and unhappy comments about the unhappy comments). And I wasn't disappointed. Let me paraphrase the discussion for you.
Knitter 1: [calm and rational explanation about how some people in the majority often don't understand how sometimes it's frustrating and uncomfortable for people in the minority to be beaten over the head with the majority's viewpoint, especially when the majority thinks unsavory things about those in the minority]
Georgina: [short reply, completely missing the point of Lady 1's comment, it's okay see, because she's put other Biblical verses in other patterns, that's just what she does, no problem, and by the way she has a Jewish friend!]
(Aside: Her previous pattern called "Majestic Mountains" was adorned with, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." -Psalms, 121:1 And the "Angel of Music" pattern had "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth." -Psalms, 96:1 Mystery Stole 4 is officially titled "Serendipity". We learned this a few weeks ago in Georgina's nondenominational special notice to the group, in which she described her process designing and naming the stole. Serendipity, hence her explanation, "The most unexpected happy surprise is stated in John 3:16..." Just for background.)
Knitter 2: Are there Christian designs in this stole? I want to know before I continue knitting.
Knitter 3: Nope, it's just pretty patterns.
Knitter 4: Uh, looks a little like a Jesus fish to me.
Me: [out loud] Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on that one. (Yes! I posted a picture of a copyrighted pattern on my blog without the designers express permission! I figure...why not. I'm going to hell anyway, right?)
Knitter 5: I dunno, if someone's going to put all their time into designing a free pattern for us and then she answers all our annoying questions, then I figure she's allowed to put whatever quotes she wants into the finished pattern.
Me: [out loud] Any asshole can design a pattern. BFD. [snarky conversation with Lesley, including this gem]
Aside aside: Now I don't mind "I love Jesus!" I've willingly studied, practiced, and enjoyed a few different religions and faiths, with something of the Christian persuasion among them. I dig on the lovin' of higher beings (or a higher being's kid or whatev else). But I also believe the wording and intent of the passage in question can be a little skewed. The words say, "Those who believe in Jesus will not perish, but have everlasting life," but I think what's going on here is that many can and will interpret it to mean, "Those who don't believe in Jesus will perish." If A then B. But not, If not A then not B. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Now that's alot of math.
I won't frog the whole project, as I was considering in the height of my fiery emotions about the thing. Although I am feeling less inclined to push to finish it. Hey, maybe I'll switch up the center section to have a giant lace Star of David in the middle in honor of Georgina's lone Jewish friend. Or maybe a pentagram, to be worn rightside up or upside down depending on whether I'm feeling Wiccan or Satanic that day.
Or maybe this:
I'm still trying to decide if this is a better or worse surprise than beautiful celtic knotwork lace that suddenly morphs into a swan wing. Hoo boy, folks were upset about that last year!
Wait, what?
No, I didn't find this on www.jesuslovestoknit.com or while mingling with a group of Christian Ravelers. I was willing to accept the notion that I wouldn't know what my project would look like till I was done with it. But I did not pay all that money for yarn and beads and needles and then put my time and energy into knitting something only to have someone else's dogma shoved down my throat at the very end.
So I was a little peeved last night. Also, I think the stole gets considerably less pretty the further towards the center it gets. But I digress.
What with its penchant for drama, I anticipated that the MS4 Yahoo Message Board would be rife with unhappy comments (and unhappy comments about the unhappy comments). And I wasn't disappointed. Let me paraphrase the discussion for you.
Knitter 1: [calm and rational explanation about how some people in the majority often don't understand how sometimes it's frustrating and uncomfortable for people in the minority to be beaten over the head with the majority's viewpoint, especially when the majority thinks unsavory things about those in the minority]
Georgina: [short reply, completely missing the point of Lady 1's comment, it's okay see, because she's put other Biblical verses in other patterns, that's just what she does, no problem, and by the way she has a Jewish friend!]
(Aside: Her previous pattern called "Majestic Mountains" was adorned with, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." -Psalms, 121:1 And the "Angel of Music" pattern had "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth." -Psalms, 96:1 Mystery Stole 4 is officially titled "Serendipity". We learned this a few weeks ago in Georgina's nondenominational special notice to the group, in which she described her process designing and naming the stole. Serendipity, hence her explanation, "The most unexpected happy surprise is stated in John 3:16..." Just for background.)
Knitter 2: Are there Christian designs in this stole? I want to know before I continue knitting.
Knitter 3: Nope, it's just pretty patterns.
Knitter 4: Uh, looks a little like a Jesus fish to me.
Me: [out loud] Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on that one. (Yes! I posted a picture of a copyrighted pattern on my blog without the designers express permission! I figure...why not. I'm going to hell anyway, right?)
Knitter 5: I dunno, if someone's going to put all their time into designing a free pattern for us and then she answers all our annoying questions, then I figure she's allowed to put whatever quotes she wants into the finished pattern.
Me: [out loud] Any asshole can design a pattern. BFD. [snarky conversation with Lesley, including this gem]
Aside aside: Now I don't mind "I love Jesus!" I've willingly studied, practiced, and enjoyed a few different religions and faiths, with something of the Christian persuasion among them. I dig on the lovin' of higher beings (or a higher being's kid or whatev else). But I also believe the wording and intent of the passage in question can be a little skewed. The words say, "Those who believe in Jesus will not perish, but have everlasting life," but I think what's going on here is that many can and will interpret it to mean, "Those who don't believe in Jesus will perish." If A then B. But not, If not A then not B. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Now that's alot of math.
I won't frog the whole project, as I was considering in the height of my fiery emotions about the thing. Although I am feeling less inclined to push to finish it. Hey, maybe I'll switch up the center section to have a giant lace Star of David in the middle in honor of Georgina's lone Jewish friend. Or maybe a pentagram, to be worn rightside up or upside down depending on whether I'm feeling Wiccan or Satanic that day.
Or maybe this:
I'm still trying to decide if this is a better or worse surprise than beautiful celtic knotwork lace that suddenly morphs into a swan wing. Hoo boy, folks were upset about that last year!