Of Computers and Colinette and Other Screwy Things

I hope this post comes out all right...my computer decided to blow up last night. The Tech (aka dh) thinks it's a power supply. Let us devoutly hope that's all it is. Not only does that computer contain every digital photo we've taken in the past 7 years, but also an extensive number of songs I've managed to download, but not get on my ipod yet. What's that, you say? Recover all this from your backup? Well, you would think that since (a) dh is in a technical field and a certified computer geek, and (b) he purchased this massive external hard drive (like 360GB), we would have a back up. But no, dh has been "too busy." Thank god for laptops, cable modem, and wireless routers.

Two sick kids today and dh is at work. The younger one, age 2.75, who shall be dubbed The Instigator, has a sinus infection. The older, age 5.5, who shall be dubbed The Negotiator, has some unidentifiable stomach ailment that requires him to lie about on the furniture and moan periodically, then demand very specific food, take one bite, and declare he can't eat it. Luckily we have two televisions, as The Negotiator is dead set on watching "Max and Ruby", while The Instigator is insistent on a really stupid DVD. On a side note, I am pretty sure that the creators of "Boohbah" were really high when the concept for that show occurred to them.

My main bitch of the past few days concerns Colinette yarns. On my Stitch 'n Bitch calender, which I am loving, thanks-for-asking, there is a beautiful feather and fan wrap featured as the January 5 pattern. It's made in three different types of Colinette yarn. Unfortunately, the local yarn store only stocks Colinette kits. And all the places I've found online that are US based don't have the specific yarns I need in the colors I need. Not to mention that they all charge exorbitant prices--to the tune of $75 plus shipping for 3 skeins of yarn. The same yarn could be had for the equivalent of $38 if only I could order from the aforementioned UK site. But they will not let people from the US order from them (only the mill ends, no yarns or patterns, they said). Apparently it violates some sort of agreement they have with the US distributor , whose website, I can unequivocably say, really needs some work. Come on, guys, if you're going to give a list of U.S. distributors with links, how 'bout making sure that (a) the links work, and (b) the stores in question still do sell Colinette yarns. The whole situation irks me no end, because it's just blatant price-fixing. It's not like I can get the yarn cheaper in the UK because the dollar is strong (haha!)--there's just an unreasonable profit margin being charged by the gougers, excuse me, I meant US distributors and retailers.

So it looks like I shall be forced to pick and choose from my old friend, eBay. It seems there are some sellers there who have the right idea. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for capitalism, but if a hank of yarn is being sold by a UK retailer for 6 pounds sterling (roughly $12 US), and you know that retailer is making at least some profit, why would that same hank of yarn suddenly jump in price by $10-14 merely by making a transatlantic journey? Was the yarn strapped into first class on BritishAir perhaps? Because I can't think of any other logical reasons why this would be so.