Disgusting Thieves

Its getting to me how artists can't even promote their trade without getting ripped off. Remember how Iggy Pop and his band came to Montreal and got robbed of their equipment and instruments, some custom made particularly to accomodate the physical challenges of the musician?

Thieves strike again. I paste here the email sent out to Montreal Knits on our email list:

This past Monday I had a visitor from Vermont staying with me—she was
not any ordinary tourist, she is Beth-Brown-Reinsel — one of the
knitting community's A-list teachers and historians with a specialty
in Gansey sweaters--- how they evolved and how to make them. She was
here teaching a workshop on Ganseys and another on Latvian Mitts for
the Montreal Knitting Guild. Her suitcase containing all of her
workshop samples and reference books (some out-of-print) was stolen
from the trunk of my car while I was giving her a tour of our fair
(?) city—a city she was so excited to be finally visiting.

I need the public in general (not just knitters) to keep a lookout
for this black suitcase containing 5-6 sweaters (some adult, some
children), ornately knit Latvian mitts, approximately 20 mini sample
sweaters which represent all the workshops she teaches, a pair of
Scottish Sanquhar gloves, a multi-coloured tote bag-the one from
Interweave, three books on Latvian mittens, and other items we may
have forgotten to list. On our tour we visited the Old Port, stopped
briefly by the McCord museum near McGill, then up to St. Denis and
Duluth (Plateau area) to meet up with friends. I would ask people who
live in these areas to pay special attention as there is the chance
whoever took the suitcase will dump it once they realize there was no
street value to what they stole.

That is not to say these items are of no value. They are actually of
tremendous intrinsic value to those of us who understand what it is
like to knit something from one's own hands and have it worn by your
family; the value of a research book which records historical data
but is now, sadly, out-of-print and from another country far away,
making it that much harder to find a second-hand copy; handknit items
illustrating specific historical and cultural techniques which have
been personal gifts and mementos from travels afar. And from a
teaching perspective there is nothing like having something tangible
to pass around the class that the students can touch and view
intimately for details which may not be caught in photographs. We
all know knitters are "touchy-feely" people.

Should the knitting gods be merciful and someone does come across the
suitcase please take it to a local police station, or if unsure where
the nearest station is, flag down a police car and give it to them.
There is a police report on file and they will contact the
appropriate person to retrieve the suitcase. And if not for the love
of knitting and doing what's right, then do it for the financial
reward which I am posting. Just leave your name and contact info
with the police so I can send it to you (the finder of the suitcase).

And for all the knitters in our community, please support Beth by
buying her book and patterns so she can fund the replacements for her
workshops—she is at knittingtraditions.com and on the patternfish
website.

And M, if you are still part of this group, any chance you can
get this info out on the airwaves? The more people who know, knitters
and non-knitters alike, the greater the chance of someone clueing in
if they see a black suitcase just sitting there. I am taking
inspiration from a similar incident which happened this past summer
to an esteemed quilter in Nova Scotia who had her samples suitcase
also stolen from her car then found a couple of weeks/months later by
the side of the highway and the fellow who found it knew what he'd
found because the quilting community had gathered forces and
publicized like mad. Thx to all who can get the word out.


A few years ago a hard working member of my family had entire vehicle and its contents stolen from a packed movie theater parking lot. His tools of his trade went with the truck. The truck was recovered later, totally stripped of everything.
Christmas is on its way and how many presents will get stolen from family's cars and homes? It could happen to anyone, even you and me. My wallet was stolen two weeks ago from my purse by a customer when I was at working and didn't notice her getting around where we hang our coats etc. Thieves abound everywhere, even in friendly, safe places like our jobs and our schools.

Where did these people get the idea that it was OK to take what does not belong to them? Where did the message of Do Not Steal get twisted apart for these people?
Boohoo drugs...Boohoo lost jobs....boohoo my daddy beat me when I was a kid..... Boo fuckin'hoo!! No mater how bad your life is there is ALWAYS someone who has it worse and you DO NOT have the right to take from people that which does NOT belong to YOU.