Monday 16 August 2010

Friday. A strange, strange day ...

I have had a wee break (in both senses of the word), have scoffed the scrunched up manky looking remnants of my yummy fudge, and am ready to type. I need to nip out to the bank soon, so will leave Saturday and Sunday until I get home.

Be warned - those of a nervous disposition may need to look away now, I did NOT enjoy Friday morning ... nay indeedy, this little Yorkshire lass was pretty pissed off. Swear words may appear.

Friday, the 13th. Spooky eh.

Right - I had been looking forward to this day. I booked the class in January, had always quite liked the tutor's blog and designs etc, and thought a class on professional finishing techniques would be invaluable.
We had a mad dash to the bank first to get my float for the afternoon, got lost and got to the class about 5 minutes late, for which we apologised. Big class, I think 22.

I am still umming and ahhhhing about naming the tutor, but I will - I named the excellent one, so will name this - and quite honestly I doubt that a successful American publisher / designer will give a flying toss what a Yorkshire unknown wannabe writer has to say. Annie Modesitt. I name you.

Within 30 seconds I nudged my friend and whispered 'She's bloody rude. I don't like her' - my friend replied 'I do! She's funny!'
10 minutes later my friend nudged me - 'She's rude, I am furious.'

Ok - when I speak nobody else speaks, I can understand that - does it need to be said with such venom so many times? Later on she commented how quiet everyone was - er ......
When I sat down she glared and said 'it's like an old lady eating sweets' - I apologised and said I was turning my mobile off - and the entire row did the same, saying 'oh hell I forgot that!'

Sheesh.
'Do you mind if I pick on you? You have a badge with a skull on, you won't mind - and they will enjoy it.'
Hmmm .....

I won't go into the whole 3 hours worth, suffice to say that - as I have posted elsewhere - arrogance, rudeness, humiliating people, inappropriate comments (endless gun and shooting comments - 'oh I am just being SO American'), have no place in any teaching classroom at all.
You do not use 'humour' as a facade for rudeness.

Now I know from having read other blogs that some found her delightful and funny - maybe I am just an uptight Brit - but I felt decidedly uncomfortable for the whole morning. I have a sense of humour, I am very hard to offend, I am pretty easy going I hope - but I did not enjoy this session. 22 people had each paid £35 for the pleasure ...

Utter disorganisation ( not enough copies of the one sheet handout), apparently making it up as she went, forgetting what she was about to do, endlessly complaining about her health - I am sure I was not the only person there with health issues but I certainly wasn't discussing them - sorry, if you are too ill to do the job then don't bloody do it, or plan around it and make sure you have notes to prompt you and the room set out to suit you. It is called planning in advance and being professional. At one point she totally forgot what she was doing and said the immortal line 'This is my 5th class and my brain has stopped working completely'.

So if I ever go back to teaching I will just say 'this is my 3 rd lesson, I can't be arsed to do it well.'

I am a fairly laid back teacher - I have to be, I teach teens who have been thrown out of school, usually for extreme violence, and I also teach many children with severe autism. But I am also an absolute professional in the classroom - without blowing my own trumpet I have repeatedly been classed as oustanding, I am Head of English and middle management, so I do feel qualified to comment on what I see as very poor 'teaching'.

I found the seaming advice very useful indeed - but that was it.
Picking up stitches? None.
It really seemed made up - 'oh, shall I show you how to ....' rather than 'next I am going to look at ....' and then asking if there was anything else people would like showing.

I gritted my teeth and got on with it - my gut instinct was to walk out.

Will blog the afternoon later on, I am knackered! It might take a long time to slap enough makeup on not to scare small children today .... back in a bit.

64 comments:

Tracey said...

Thankyou for posting a completely honest account of your trip.
I am so glad that there were parts you enjoyed.
By the way I loved your 'I can do the sock knitting class as I have feet'

Tasha said...

Interesting. I find the "gun & shooting" part particularly interesting. I live in Texas where guns & shooting are perfectly normal & I find that inappropriate. And I'm offended she touts it as being "so American" - geeze. Sorry about that :D

StashDiva said...

Thank you for a very informative blog!

sulkycat said...

thank you for the lovely comments

tasha, my american friend said exactly the same thing - she cringed at the 'its because i am american' attitude

Anonymous said...

Three of my friends went and had similar experiences. One is still inclined to tears when she talks about it. You have written clearly and fairly (and very well).

Annie Modesitt is beyond belief... and now, thanks to you, there are many more people who realize it.

Twelfthknit said...

Thanks- I get so fed up of people not wanting to be truthful when something has been bad. Boy, that was bad....

Knitosaurusrex said...

Thanks for being truthful and I am cringing at the "just being American" thing. Way to give us all a bad name. I got annoyed with her attitude on her blog so I'm sure I would have wanted to sink through the floor in that class.

Spinningfishwife said...

I went to an Annie Modesitt class on Combination Knitting last year...I must say I found the class very interesting and informative but I really didn't like her style of delivery. I am really a bit to old to be talked AT like I was a slightly dim child, rather than talked TO as an equal.
And yes, lots of us have or have had health difficulties or personal troubles. It doesn't make us "special".

Melissa / Mithranstar said...

Yes, i've met her and had a similar experience - she was very offhand and rude. I was helping out on the front desk of a show last year and and was as polite and helpful as I could be but she was very dismissive and I could just tell that she was miffed at being helped out by "the staff" rather than the event organiser (who had already talked to her). I think she was also a bit miffed that I hadn't recognised her and had to ask her name when she asked where her class was...

Alice Starmore, on the other hand, was very pleasant and thinks that I am a computer genius, so it wasn't a completely bad experience.

AnniePurl said...

Argh, another chiming in to say we're not all gun-totin' freaks over here!

What the poop?

-AnniePurl

Anonymous said...

I had a class with her almost a year ago now, and she was exactly the same. Rude, Arrogant, Loud to the point of obnoxious (that might be the Brit in me) and NO HANDOUTS. And I didn't learn anything particularly useful. Swore off knitting classes from that day on. I'm sorry she gave you a lousy class too. Your spinning class sounded absolutely amazing though, I'm glad you had a great time and it would definately be on my list of "must do's" too.

Anoush said...

I'm so sorry you had this experience. As an American--and one who lived in Britain for a number of years--I want to apologize on behalf of my entire country. Thanks for being honest. I was unimpressed with her initial response to the problems at KC, and I'm really unimpressed--to say the least--with this. I'm never, ever giving anything she does my time, attention,or money. There are plenty of great teachers and others in the knitting world to support--ones who know how to have respect for their fellow human beings.

Mia said...

There is no excuse for rudeness in a teacher regardless of nationality. I do not read this individual's blog for many of the reasons you listed in post. I have been ready with interest the issues surrounding Knit Camp. I love to hear honest opinions not sugar coated ones.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for saying what so many other people think about this tutor. Her enormous ego and constant whinging are legendary. Be grateful she didn't ask everyone to chip in a quid or two to fund some other of her tragedies. Her Rav posts made it clear that she was happy for a chance (once more) to be in the limelight.

I'm so happy someone is finally saying how things were without all the sparkles!

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I've always said you could comment "Poor, poor Annie" to any of her blog posts and it would always be appropriate. I can't begin to count the times someone who's hired says never again. I also can't count the number of times I've been told by yarn store owners that every time she's taught there a few people ask for their money back.
She's a giant ego on sticks.
Thanks for going public. The public needs this.

Mia said...

I sent a link of your post to my best friend who has met this teacher at TNNA. TNNA is the big national trade show in the US. HEr comment on this instructor after meeting her was she was incredibly rude. And she said that all this person tweets about is her health. So you were apparently getting her standard behavior. But this has further turned me off her designs and such now.

PrincessPurling said...

This is such an interesting post. I always read and liked her blog too, but was immediately put off by her contributions to the Knit Camp debates on Ravelry. The way she treated you all just further proves that she's not that great a person. It's a shame, because I am such a daftly naive person that I always assume everyone (particularly knitters) is lovely. She's *clearly* not. I'm sorry your money wasn't well-spent. But I'm glad we can all learn a lesson from your experience. x

sulkycat said...

i am staggered by all the comments saying the same thing - how sad that this is the norm for her and not a one off

fear not my american readers, my friend becca and the many americans i met last week more than made up for miserymodesitt

Anonymous said...

I was at a retreat with Annie Modesitt 3 or 4 years ago and your experience is not uncommon. While the info she provided was interesting and valuable, her manner was offensive to most people there to say the least.

Anonymous said...

She had an identical experience in Kansas City, where she berated the students for being humorless. Berate was her operative verb, in fact. Throughout class, and then through her blog, later. People got refunds, one woman wanted to give up knitting entirely.
She is so utterly self-absorbed, there is nothing to be done about it. Those who are gobsmacked by her will ignore her barbs and cruelty to students; those who believe in the communal sense of knitting and teaching? Will never take a class from her again.

Anonymous said...

Having done a class with AM last year it seems that her style of delivery is unchanged.
In my class the knitters knew each other fairly well and we found it rather odd to be told to be quiet, like a class of 6 year olds. As the day went on we did talk, how could you not? It's very odd to sit and knit in silence and listen to the teacher discussing other people's knitting, it's like eavesdropping rather than incidental learning.
However we felt pretty self conscious about chatting, and were expecting to be told off any minute.

I did a class with Nancy Bush recently, who held her audience spellbound with the quality of her information, and who commented half way through the day that her classes were usually much noisier. We got through all the planned work in the class because we were concentrating so hard WITHOUT being told to, eager to not miss a single word.

Compare and contrast, as they say.

Fluffykira said...

Wow. The experience you describe is exactly how she was in Kansas City, only later we were treated to not one but two posts on her blog bashing us as a knitting community. I'm sorry you got to experience that. :(

Anonymous said...

I didn't know much about AM beyond her name before the whole KC disaster, nothing I've heard from or about her since then has made me want to change that....

I'm glad your other classes were better!

Anonymous said...

I took a class from her a couple of years ago and she was hideous. Spouted the "don't talk" rule over and over and then berated us for being too quiet. When I expressed that I had difficulty with something, she snapped at me because she claimed I was bringing a negative tone to the class. It amazes me that she still works as a teacher.

Joy said...

I took two classes with Annie Modesitt at I Knit last year, and I hate to go against the grain but actually I enjoyed them both - Modular Knitting and Combination Knitting.

Yes, there was "no talking while I'm talking" - which I think is fair enough, and yes, she mentioned her health, but I don't recall her being any other than hepful and informative.

I'm happy to be in the minority ;-) but I did just want to say that my experiences were good ones. I've spoken to people who were at a class with her in Edinburgh shortly afterwards who had a different experience altogether.

Freyalyn said...

My stall was next to her at the marketplace, and she completely blanked me! Not that I was expecting best buddies or anything, but you'd have expected a bit of a 'hello' and friendliness. Woolly Wormhead, on the other side, was joy itself!

Anonymous said...

Just up the road from Stirling is Dunblane where, on April 13th 1996 a gunman entered a Primary School and went to the Gym where he shot an entire class of five and six year olds and their teacher. All, save one, died.
My own children were 5 and 7 at the time, we live about 20 miles from the event and I well remember my own mother's frantic phone call from London when she heard on the news that there had been a shooting at a Primary School in Scotland.
There were many tears at the school gate that afternoon in my village, and at every other school.

I doubt Annie Modessitt would have known this, why would she?
However, I am afraid that had I been in the class, I would have had no hesitation in telling her that her comments were ill advised under ANY circumstances.
Perhaps it's time people were less tolerant of such crassness.

Anonymous said...

Very informative blog entries!

I've now merrily deleted all AM items from my Ravelry queue. She sounds like she really doesn't deserve the business.

underdutchskies said...

I laughed out loud when I read the name. I took a class from her last year at IKnit and swore I'd never take a class from her again. I had the same reaction as you (and I'm American) - rude, arrogant, obnoxious. I was embarrassed to be an American because of her. I'm also not shy about telling people about my opinion of her and her class. I will not waste my money like that again.

Anonymous said...

Just read your comment on AM's blog; wonder how many of her loyal readers will be able to resist coming here and reading your reports - and the comments!

Anonymous said...

I knew who you were referring to without knowing her name. Took a couple of workshops from her a few years ago and could not believe how rude she was. My neighbour whispered to me, she thought I said something and screamed at me it was my fault that she forgot what she was going to say. I broke her train of thought.
I am still angry at myself for letting her speak to me that way, but didn't feel I had any support from the organizers.
Cannot believe that she is still being hired. Yes she has an amazing amount of knitting knowledge and is an incredible designer, but I won't even buy a magazine that has one of her designs in it now.

We need to speak out so that others know what to expect. I wish I had known what she was like.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your lively reporting; the comments are very interesting.
I'm a Brit, living years in the USA, which is a wonderful country, with great spirit and energy. I love Americans! I've heard quite a bit about Ms Modesitt from friends who've taken classes, and all of whom say never again, so my question is this: how is it that she continues to teach, and to be in demand? She must surely have much to commend her?

Anonymous said...

Annie MOdesitt- isn't she the one that went on a fab vacation with her family in Europe, only to have her purse stolen and they were suddenly stranded with no money. Never mind how broke they supposedly were before they even went on vacation. Yeah- I never liked her, sure as hell don't trust her.

Anonymous said...

She apparently made several people cry last year at the Squam Arts Workshop. She certainly will not be asked back there.

sulkycat said...

reply from AM:

Annie says:
August 19, 2010 at 9:08 am
After reading your comments about my class on your blog I was stunned. I’m sorry you thought my class was “shite” – it wasn’t – but you may have enjoyed it more if you hadn’t been chatting all the way through it.

Reply
sulkycat says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.

August 19, 2010 at 11:05 am
Annie, NOBODY was chatting through your class because you were so rude whenever anyone dared speak! Good try, but completely incorrect.

If you read through the many comments on my blog, and if you could see the myriad messages I have received from places that refuse to have you back, you would know I am not alone in my opinion.

A teacher who is afraid to learn – and that means being gutsy enough to accept when your ‘lesson’ is less than perfect – is in the wrong job.

Making students cry because they felt so belittled and humiliated? Putting people off knitting because their confidence has been shattered by your rudeness and overbearing manner?

If that makes your lessons good then so be it – this teacher disagrees.

reposted here because it might magically vanish from AMs blog ...(not sure where shes getting the 'sh1te' quote from - i may have thought it but didnt say it or write it!)

Anonymous said...

Wow, so many unhappy students, yet Annie M can't seem to see she's the one consistent element across cities and countries of dissatisfied customers? Instead it's your fault for "chatting too much."
Narcissistic doesn't even begin to diagnose her.

Anonymous said...

psst. It was in your Tuesday post. "sh1te teaching..."

This blame the students for the instructor's behavior crap is tired. From the various comments I've seen here and about, I definitely won't be attending any of her classes at any events.

How thoroughly unpleasant for everyone who paid a great deal of money over the different events, only to be treated poorly.

sulkycat said...

thanks anon, was wondering where i had said it!

Anonymous said...

Please do not view Annie's attitudes as "American." We all cringe when we hear stories about her. Well, not "all" of us -- there seem to be a few worshipping followers who believe she walks on water and never acknowledge her outrageous behaviors. Most of us, though, are flinching left and right, especially every time she leaves the country.

Anonymous said...

I am another knitting teacher who has had the experience of teaching alongside AM at various knitting events in the US.
I've not taken any of her classes personally, but have many times been privvy to the comments of students of mine who were still incredulous at her behavior after having taken one of her classes.
Personal problems, medical conditions and political leanings have NO PLACE in a class that students have paid good money to partake in. They are there to learn and talk about knitting and are not just students, but CUSTOMERS who should be treated with respect. AM needs to get over herself in thinking that every detail of her life is up for public consumption. I am extremely embarassed for her and the opinions of Americans that she's left in her wake at this event and feel the need to apologize for her.

Anonymous said...

Sulkycat, thank you for your honest assessment. While I did not take AM's classes when she was at the yarn store I worked at, I was working while she was teaching. I got to see the students during the break and after class concluded. My heart broke for some of these dear friends and customers who were verbally abused by AM, and they had been looking forward to learning so much. Some of these folks were in TEARS! TEARS! This is knitting, it's supposed to be enjoyable. And you can be frustrated, but have a breakthrough and still enjoy learning and knitting. ARGH. I could go on from what I saw and heard from these dear friends. Please, please, please do not consider AM as representative of all US citizens.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU for being honest about a negative experience. This "teacher" turned me off years ago with her self-absorbed whining on her blog, but I had no idea what a problem she was in class. Now I'll know never to waste a dime. It's so rare to find someone who is willing to talk about the bad players in this industry.

To the other Americans apologizing: Sweet of you, but I refuse to take any responsibility for living in the same country as this nutcase!

sulkycat said...

absolutely no need for apologies from any american reading this - i have enough wonderful, generous and caring american friends to know that AM is a blip and not the norm

Anonymous said...

Eerie parallels between the way UK Knit Camp Disorganizer, Jo Watson blamed everyone else and how Annie Modesitt responds in the same way!

Two people who clearly cannot see their own faults!

Anonymous said...

I'm with Aknita & am happy to be in the minority, I've done two of Annie's classes, learnt alot & enjoyed them both! Maybe I'm just a broad minded Brit? (or broader minded than I thought, especially after some of the tutors I get allocated regularly!) Again yes there was a no talking rule which was repeated but then a blonde woman & a person next to her, sat with their backs to the window, did rudely keep talking & knitting throughout whilst the rest of us listened quietly & made notes about the finishing techniques...! I was just sad that the class wasn't longer so I got to try out the techniques covered in the short time incase I got stuck with anything. There just wasn't enough time to cover everything & give it justice!

Tammy said...

I am delighted to see someone with the courage to put into words what I've thought of Ms. M's whining for quite some time. For someone with so many health and money issues, she certainly spends an awful lot of time, money and energy tripping around the world, leaving her children and ill husband behind. I gave up her blog some time ago with the complaining over her terrible lot in life became so tiresome.

Anonymous said...

The saddest thing about this story is that she has been behaving this way for SO long. Seriously - back before ravelry, when blogs were just getting started and people were exchanging knitting know-how on yahoo groups - the stories were the same! Rudeness is the number one complaint. It's amazing to me that *anyone* hires her anymore. Even though there are a few of her patterns that I like, I have personally boycotted them over the years simply because she's been rude to everyone I know who has ever encountered her.

Sarah M said...

What astounds me is the fact that her husband is desperately ill, in constant severe pain, and yet she leaves him to cope with the household. I understand the need to earn a living - she leaves us in NO doubt about that and her great 'heroism' - but then, surely, you do the work and return ASAP? And lest I be accused of not MMOB, she invites comment by her constant postings. I feel for her poor kids.

Anonymous said...

AM is a real MARVEL isn't she? How DOES AM do it? From reading her blog, AM is suffering from fibromyalgia and therefore is contstantly sick and in pain with frequent flare ups, her husband is recovering from cancer, (thankfully), and due to their health problems, her family is not doing well financially and must resort to asking for donations from others on her websites and blog , yet STILL she manages to have the energy to travel to Europe 3 times in 5 months! She begins teaching (again) in Italy 2 weeks from now. Is there no one in the US who is willing to hire her to teach anymore?

sulkycat said...

hmmm, i am missing a trick here

i am in desperate need of a new job (thats absolutely true), am off sick long term because of my current job (absolutely true)- would anyone like to offer me a lovely new job, ideally requiring me to move to the seaside, on the same salary?

thank ewe

dammit, i forgot to be incredibly rude when i asked
pah

Anonymous said...

Sulky, you forgot to affix your paypal button to your plea.
janet

Anonymous said...

Hi...thanks for your post and I"m sorry you're getting all the blowback on the instructor's blog. What I don't understand is how she can refer to what you say as lies...what you report is your own experiences and impressions and opinions, which are not lies. They are your truth. This is the thing that I can't fathom.

As a teacher myself, I have found that the best way to deal with negative criticism (which every teacher in the world gets) is to try to figure out what in my actions caused the person to dislike me, and then to assess whether I can and should change that aspect. It takes a lot of hard work, but it is one way to grow as an instructor. I'm always surprised, then, when other instructors do not listen to criticism...or even worse, they just deny that the criticism is valid. Every criticism is valid. We may not like that fact, but it is true.

And I'm happy to leave my name here, but am posting anonymously just to piss the instructor off even more.

Shan said...

I have only taken one knitting workshop: it was from Cat Bordhi, and may I wholeheartedly recommend her as a charming, friendly, personable and humble woman. She is wonderfully knowledgeable and encouraging.

From what I have read here and other places about other instructors, I'm thinking I must have had beginner's luck, getting Cat Bordhi on my first go! Puts me off any other knitting classes, I can tell you.

FUZZARELLY said...

I am a tontant weader of Jean's Knitting and when she mentioned this topic on your blog, I had to read. I have read AM's blog once or twice, and came away feeling disinclined to read her again. Snobby and holier-than-thou was my impression. Look at what I can do!

I took a retreat with Catherine Cobey a couple of years ago. She had taught a two day workshop before for my spinning guild, (which I couldn't attend,) and everyone gushed at how cool and talented she was, and she was asked back to teach another class.

We were all told to be grateful that she was doing this for us, as her health was not good. I was looking forward to meeting her.

Until I met her. You know sometimes when you meet someone and it is instant friendship? This was the opposite. I just got this bad vibe from her.

She began by asking every single person why they knit, (most said for comfort, or for love,) and we were to show and tell about a recent project.

Well. She knits for ART, snubbing the grandmother's in our group who knit for babies and such like, and gave a slideshow of her ART. She was an ARTIST.


There were no hand outs At All. She sat on the floor in the middle of maybe 30 students, and proceeded to teach us this so-called new technique. If we didn't get it, we were invited to come to her, and she would show us. What I wouldn't have given for two or three hand out sheets, but she said that it was too expensive. After the guild paid for her airplane ticket and put her up for two nights.

I walked out of the next day's class an hour into it, even though I had paid $100, driven three hours to attend, and paid for a room.

I wasn't alone in my frustration, and other people remarked that this class wasn't as good as her last had been, but nobody wanted to rock the boat.

Me either. I quietly gathered up my stuff and quietly left.

Maybe it is time to stop being nice. I'm glad you wrote this piece.

FUZZARELLY said...

I am a tontant weader of Jean's Knitting and when she mentioned this topic on your blog, I had to read. I have read AM's blog once or twice, and came away feeling disinclined to read her again. Snobby and holier-than-thou was my impression. Look at what I can do!

I took a retreat with Catherine Cobey a couple of years ago. She had taught a two day workshop before for my spinning guild, (which I couldn't attend,) and everyone gushed at how cool and talented she was, and she was asked back to teach another class.

We were all told to be grateful that she was doing this for us, as her health was not good. I was looking forward to meeting her.

FUZZARELLY said...

Until I met her. You know sometimes when you meet someone and it is instant friendship? This was the opposite. I just got this bad vibe from her.

She began by asking every single person why they knit, (most said for comfort, or for love,) and we were to show and tell about a recent project.

Well. She knits for ART, snubbing the grandmother's in our group who knit for babies and such like, and gave a slideshow of her ART. She was an ARTIST.


There were no hand outs At All. She sat on the floor in the middle of maybe 30 students, and proceeded to teach us this so-called new technique. If we didn't get it, we were invited to come to her, and she would show us. What I wouldn't have given for two or three hand out sheets, but she said that it was too expensive. After the guild paid for her airplane ticket and put her up for two nights.

I walked out of the next day's class an hour into it, even though I had paid $100, driven three hours to attend, and paid for a room.

I wasn't alone in my frustration, and other people remarked that this class wasn't as good as her last had been, but nobody wanted to rock the boat.

Me either. I quietly gathered up my stuff and quietly left.

Maybe it is time to stop being nice. I'm glad you wrote this piece.

Anonymous said...

My LYS was offering classes with Annie, I recognized her name from all the patterns she's had in IK, and I reserved a spot. I started reading her blog to see if i could get a sense of what her class would be like. Finally I went to the shop owner and asked to cancel the reservation. She very politely asked the reason for the refund, and I told her that quite frankly, I had been reading AM's blog and found her personality so annoying that it seemed like spending a weekend cooped up in a small room with her would be pure torture.

When I went back a few weeks later, as she was ringing up my purchase the clerk whispered, "You were so right to bail on that class."

sulkycat said...

the saddest thing about all these comments - and thank you for them - is the theme of people being bitterly disappointed for the same reasons, predominantly rudeness, arrogance and unprofessional attitude, and being too polite to say so there and then

is that the action of a group of mean minded folk? i think not

Anonymous said...

Thank you all for finally saying it!
Reading her blog is painful enough, I'd never take a class with her.
Sue USA

Anonymous said...

I too took a class with her and I have never been treated so badly in a class. When I didn't understand what I was doing wrong on the technique and after asking my neighbor for help I said to Annie I didn't get it. Annie said that if I kept trying I would get it. I didn't and knew I was doing just one thing wrong but didn't see what. I asked her to look at my knitting and she said no. To keep at it and I would get it and if I didn't TRUST her then she couldn't help me and to get out. I was working with the group putting on the workshop and couldn't walk out but I didn't go back for the afternoon class and some others who had been in the morning class didn't go back either. She couldn't understand why people wouldn't go back to a class they had paid for...everyone knew why.

Anonymous said...

I am glad more and more people are posting about their impressions of Annie Modesitt. She is an embarrassment to Americans and knitters. She embodies the brash, loud and RUDE American sterotypes that movies and television portray as the "American tourist." She whines and complains about everything. During the Vancouver Olympics, she commented that Canadians are how Americans should be. Why the hell is she living in the US if she is so ashamed of her fellow Americans?

She's also garnering a lot of sympathy and funds due to family illness and a series of unfortunate circumstances.

Such class she exhibits... lose your wallet your European vacation, ask knitters to send you money (see the May 2nd, 2010 entry on AM's blog. SICKENING.)

Anonymous said...

I have just now reading up on the apparent disaster that is the UK Knit Camp. I had no idea al this had happened. I heard about the scuffle with Ravelry but figured it was just one of those misunderstandings that would eventually iron itself out. Obviously it didn't.

Anyway, I have never heard of this Annie person but from what I've read about her so far, I haven't missed much. My question is, has anybody ever stood up to this bully? I find it hard to believe that people would just simply sit quietly and take in all her bashing? For real?

Anonymous said...

So glad to see this, even if I am late to the party.

I met Ms. Modesnitt (intended) at Rhinebeck back in 2004, before Ravelry and Facebook, back in the day when many of us were just starting to blog and formed some wonderful cross-country friendships that are still going strong today.

We met in a small restaurant one evening, when some of the women I was with introduced us. She looked me up and down, and asked me what the name of my blog was. When I told her she sniffed, looked away from me and said, "Never heard of it. Or you." WOW. I never have, and never will, knit any of her designs.

sulkycat said...

Hi anonymous of December 2011 - thank you for your post - scary isn't it how so many have been offended by this one woman! Thank goodness we all have a sense of humour.Happy New Year to you.

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