I am procrastinating
I have a serious issue of knitterly and all otherly ADD at the moment. I can't seem to focus on one thing for more than 10 minutes at a time. I read a part of a chapter in my very good novel today, but just couldn't hold on to it. I have SO many more things that I want to do. I knitted 1 row of my mystery stole when the incredible urge to blog came over me. As we all know, one MUST give in to urges, I just wish that my brain wasn't so full of ideas that I can't seem to focus on any one of them. It's like those nights where you close your eyes to go to sleep and can't because one idea after another just floods through your brain.
"Hmm, I wonder if these 2 motifes would work well together. I really need to swatch them tomarrow"
"I really want this to go along the bottom here, but I'm not sure how best to attach it..." This is followed by trying to NOT think about it so that you can go to sleep, and really seriously analyzing it in your brain how each stitch would work. "Should I pick up the stitches, do a k2tog on the last stitch with one on the other piece..."
In addition to my random images of being a knitting designer success (yes, I have delusions of this. I even dream of submitting designs to Knitty or Magknits). I have decided that I should make stitch markers for my ebay business as well as recycling yarn. After all, if you are buying cashmere, you REALLY need to have some genuine fresh water pearl stitch markers to adorn it. And, wouldn't it REALLY be cool if I could also sell a nice lace stole or scarf pattern to go with the yarn and stitch markers?! My brain is fried *sigh*
I also took time in the last 2 days, away from the stole, and all designing idea, and beads, etc, to fight with Microsoft Excel. I have a spread sheet that I keep all my business data in. It has a description of each lot of yarn, how much I payed for the sweater, how much it sold for, how much I payed in fees, etc. all lined up across each line. I have a total at the bottom of each column, and a total at the end of each line that tells me my total profit per sweater. I usually rely on my dear DH for all computer related help, but this time he was no help. I know how to enter formulas so that it will add up box A, B and C on the same line, etc, but I get REALLY tired of entering a new equation at the end of each line and then going back and adding in the new line to each set of equations at the bottom of each column. It is tedious and REALLY annoying. I told DH this. I asked him how to get the stupid program to do it for me. There MUST be a way. He says that he didn't think there was. *sigh* Thus began my 3 hour search through the land of help manuals, the internet, and techno-geek speak. WHY can't these people speak in real English? Why can't I just enter the question "How do I add up a whole column" in the help menu and have it give me the answer I'm looking for?! It's not that hard! It's much easier than asking the stupid program to add up all lines that begin with A and happened in January. I guess the writers of such manuals figure that the user should know how to do something as simple as this.
Next problem. My equations at the end of each line:
My equation tells the stupid program to add certain boxes together and subtract others to get my total profit for that line. Thus far I've been entering this same equation manually for each line, changing the line numbers in the equation (ex. E2, then to E3, etc). I ran across a tutorial today on how to use excel for a grade book. "Well, that at least has lots of numbers. That sounds KINDA similar, let's look at that." In passing the tutorial mentioned how to put your same equation into other boxes. "Hmm, is that what I want? Is that going to change the line numbers to the appropriate ones? Well, let's try it." IT WORKED! Here's how:
You click on the box you would like to copy the equation from. Then click on the lower right hand corner of the box. This makes your cursor change from a fat white cross to a thin black cross. Now drag your cursor down your column, highlighting all the boxes you want to have that same equation. Voila! They now have that same equation with the appropriate line number in it and you didn't even have to enter it in for every single line. Technology is wonderful. Techno-geek-speak is not. I wonder if those "for dummies" books is any easier to read.
"Hmm, I wonder if these 2 motifes would work well together. I really need to swatch them tomarrow"
"I really want this to go along the bottom here, but I'm not sure how best to attach it..." This is followed by trying to NOT think about it so that you can go to sleep, and really seriously analyzing it in your brain how each stitch would work. "Should I pick up the stitches, do a k2tog on the last stitch with one on the other piece..."
In addition to my random images of being a knitting designer success (yes, I have delusions of this. I even dream of submitting designs to Knitty or Magknits). I have decided that I should make stitch markers for my ebay business as well as recycling yarn. After all, if you are buying cashmere, you REALLY need to have some genuine fresh water pearl stitch markers to adorn it. And, wouldn't it REALLY be cool if I could also sell a nice lace stole or scarf pattern to go with the yarn and stitch markers?! My brain is fried *sigh*
I also took time in the last 2 days, away from the stole, and all designing idea, and beads, etc, to fight with Microsoft Excel. I have a spread sheet that I keep all my business data in. It has a description of each lot of yarn, how much I payed for the sweater, how much it sold for, how much I payed in fees, etc. all lined up across each line. I have a total at the bottom of each column, and a total at the end of each line that tells me my total profit per sweater. I usually rely on my dear DH for all computer related help, but this time he was no help. I know how to enter formulas so that it will add up box A, B and C on the same line, etc, but I get REALLY tired of entering a new equation at the end of each line and then going back and adding in the new line to each set of equations at the bottom of each column. It is tedious and REALLY annoying. I told DH this. I asked him how to get the stupid program to do it for me. There MUST be a way. He says that he didn't think there was. *sigh* Thus began my 3 hour search through the land of help manuals, the internet, and techno-geek speak. WHY can't these people speak in real English? Why can't I just enter the question "How do I add up a whole column" in the help menu and have it give me the answer I'm looking for?! It's not that hard! It's much easier than asking the stupid program to add up all lines that begin with A and happened in January. I guess the writers of such manuals figure that the user should know how to do something as simple as this.
So, I look for the starter or beginner guides. Nope, I KNOW how to enter a value in the box. I KNOW how to change the format of the cells. YES! I know how to save my work. I must be a genius. NOW TELL ME HOW TO ADD A STUPID COLUMN! Well, I found it. It took me a while. But I now know how to add a column. Would you like to know?
Ok, here is our menu. See that cool little symbol there? That's the Autosum button. It let's you add things. 
Select the box you want to have your total in, then click that button. Now Highlight the entire column (or line) that you would like it to add. See the little dotted box? That's me highlighting. There you go, nice and simple. I added a column. You'd think it would have been easier to find!
Ok, here is our menu. See that cool little symbol there? That's the Autosum button. It let's you add things. 
Next problem. My equations at the end of each line:
My equation tells the stupid program to add certain boxes together and subtract others to get my total profit for that line. Thus far I've been entering this same equation manually for each line, changing the line numbers in the equation (ex. E2, then to E3, etc). I ran across a tutorial today on how to use excel for a grade book. "Well, that at least has lots of numbers. That sounds KINDA similar, let's look at that." In passing the tutorial mentioned how to put your same equation into other boxes. "Hmm, is that what I want? Is that going to change the line numbers to the appropriate ones? Well, let's try it." IT WORKED! Here's how:
You click on the box you would like to copy the equation from. Then click on the lower right hand corner of the box. This makes your cursor change from a fat white cross to a thin black cross. Now drag your cursor down your column, highlighting all the boxes you want to have that same equation. Voila! They now have that same equation with the appropriate line number in it and you didn't even have to enter it in for every single line. Technology is wonderful. Techno-geek-speak is not. I wonder if those "for dummies" books is any easier to read.
posted by Dawn | 12:48 PM
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