Melissa Rambles On

Shocked and Furious

2011-08-31T21:43:00.001-04:00

Appearances can be deceiving. This looks like a jack-o-lantern platter that I got at a thrift store for $1.99. It is, but it's also a souvenir of a very negative thrifting experience, something that will remind me to never shop at a particular shop again.

If this post is visible, this means that my email to the overseeing organization has gone unanswered. Services to Enhance Potential (STEP) operates Tried and True Thrift Stores in Wayne and Southgate, MI and employs several adults with disabilities. It's a shop we supported and visited when we could, but not any longer - our last visit was, decidedly, our final one.

On Wednesday, August 24th, my husband and I visited the Tried and True thrift shop in Wayne, MI. On this visit, I didn't fine many items that I wanted, but I had to have the platter pictured here. While we were in the part of the store with the register, we witnessed an employee who appeared to be a manager of some kind berating the other staff. (When we discussed this incident in the car, I found that both my husband and I had determined at this point that we probably wouldn't return.)

A sweet young girl, A-- (name withheld for privacy), checked us out and asked the woman for help with a bag. The woman held open a bag and A-- tried to insert the plate we'd purchased; however, the plate was in a box with an open side and the plate slipped out and fell. The plate wasn't damaged, and we were not upset by this; however, the woman slapped her pretty hard on the shoulder and yelled at her, and I thought the girl was going to cry. We were kind of in shock, or I would have yelled at the manager, but all I could do was assure A-- that there was no harm done and everything was fine.

I beat up myself for awhile afterwards for not yelling at the manager, but later realized that if she would strike an employee in our presence, who knew what she'd do in retaliation after we were gone. Instead, as soon as we got home, I fired off an email to the address listed on their website. I'm writing this post on Friday, but am giving them until Wednesday to respond in some way. Since you're seeing this, they did not respond and I'm going to be taking steps to report this incident to whatever licensing board I can find.

Smash Book - Follow-up Pics

2011-08-18T20:25:00.001-04:00

My book is ready for smashing!

I made the little case to go with my tablet, but it wasn't quite big enough for everything I needed to carry (reading glasses, microfiber cloth & earphones). I made a replacement for it today and was wondering what to do with the old one. Well, the strap needed to be shortened about an inch and it fit my Smash Book perfectly!

The orange polka-dot Washi Paper Tape is from Cute Tape, which had great shipping prices (<$2), and comparable prices on the tape. The green roll is from a pack I got at Michael's Crafts (Martha Stewart line?).
The squirrel clips are from Jet Pens.

Smash Book

2011-08-18T18:21:00.000-04:00

My Smash Book arrived this afternoon. I got the orange one, because it's the "simple" version and you can't see the interior pages before ordering. One of my two favorite colors is orange, so that was also a factor. I'm a little bummed that the pen/glue stick combos only come in black, pink and blue, and none of my faves, but it's still a new venture. If all goes well, I'm sure they'll come up with more.

These actually premiered in the spring, but I'm a bit out of the loop, since I don't scrapbook anymore (these books are big with scrapbookers), but when I heard about them, several thoughts went through my head:

I could probably make one. But they're only $12.99 each, so it wouldn't hurt to get the official one and try it out.
This would be a good exercise to get away from all things digital. Nothing wrong with digital, but I'm online a lot. I used to be the person who collected ephemera: ticket stubs, fortune cookie slips, etc.. Mostly, I kept it in a box, but sometimes I stuck it up on bulletin boards, etc. I can't remember the last time I held onto a movie ticket.
I am SO getting one for my niece for Giftmas. Maybe my nephew, too. (She's 13 & he's 9.) It's good to have plans for a couple of gifts already.

This book seems very solid and well-put-together. If I felt the need to make my own, it wouldn't be to save money (time is worth money and it would take a lot of time to make one), but if I wanted a highly customized version, then it might be fun.

The thing is...I'm a little intimidated by it. Where do I start? What do I put in it? I'm going to spend a little time on the blog to get some inspiration.

There's a demo video, if you want to see more. Once I stop holding my breath and start smashing stuff into the book, I'll post again.

Reopening the Etsy shop for a limited time

2011-08-09T15:11:00.001-04:00

I've temporarily opened my Etsy shop and have added a variety of items, mostly related to crafting. Here are just a few items:

I've also added some button stitch markers and twine dispensers. All purchases of knitting-related items come with a free stitch marker. Thanks for looking!

Brownie Coins

2011-05-03T19:44:00.009-04:00

Third post of details from our little "dinner party" over the weekend. Ages ago, I posted about making miniature brownies in my acorn "cakelet" pan. The pans are still around, but A) it's spring, and B) the pans are a serious pain to wash. So I looked around for something else to make brownies in.

Now, regular brownies that you put in a square or rectangular pan and then cut up are all well and good, but I have to say that I love these brownies. My husband named them "Brownie Coins" and they're great on their own, but would be even better with a tiny scoop of ice cream between two of them.

These brownies are thinner than the average, and have a crispy edge all the way around. This isn't so much a recipe as my list of steps. This will come in handy when they note I have stuck to my fridge with a magnet falls off or something.

Brownie Coins

Mini Muffin Top Pan. Non the same thing as a mini muffin pan. These might be tough to find (I've had mine for well over a decade). This one on Amazon looks right: Fat Daddio's 24-Cup Mini Muffin/Teacake Pan. I don't know how silicone would work. Mini muffin pans would be thicker and the cooking times would differ.

Spray pan(s) with cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 325º.

Shh, don't tell, but I usually just use a box mix and follow the standard directions (not the "cake-like" ones with the extra egg): In a bowl, mix the egg, oil and water together, then add the mix and stir until moistened. If you have them laying around, dump in some chocolate chips. I used about a cup this time (whatever was in the bag), but would either use fewer or smaller chips next time.

Plop the batter into the oiled cavities. It's hard to gauge, but you want them about half full. A tablespoon was too much.

Bake for 12 minutes (your mileage may vary). Cool and enjoy.

The bonus is that one mix should make at least 3 dozen tiny brownies, usually more.

Canapes #2: Peppered Parmesan Crisps

2011-05-01T20:23:00.017-04:00

So easy! In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, mound freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, about 2 teaspoons per crisp. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper. Heat until the cheese is melted and the edges are brown. Cool on a rack.

They spread out a little, but you should be able to make several at a time. I just did one on its own (left) for the picture.

It takes a little longer and is a bigger pain, but they came off the pan for me a lot easier if I turned off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes. If you're handier with a spatula than I am, just get them ont a rack right away. (If I didn't wait, they were perfectly edible, but not even remotely close to round.)

These were also yummy, but I found the flavor of the cheese to be a little strong for my taste. I will try this again, but with a milder cheese, or a blend. The "recipe", from A Slob in the Kitchen, called for 1 T. per crisp. We liked them a little smaller, and my husband suggested the pepper, which added a great flavor.

Canapes #1: Parmesan & Onion Canapes

2011-04-30T23:17:00.003-04:00

Years and years ago, I had this little appetizer cookbook. I never made anything out of it, because I didn't entertain much, but I liked to flip through and read the recipes. There was this one recipe that sounded really yummy and I always intended to make it someday. But, during the course of a move (more than thirteen years ago), the book was misplaced. It actually didn't occur to me to just search for the ingredients - I just kept my eyes open for that one book. Silly, right?

A few months ago, I bought a copy of this (now out-of-print) book called A Slob in the Kitchen. I stuck it with my cookbooks, and then forgot all about it, until a couple of weeks ago when I did some reorganizing and spotted it again. I spent some delightful time reading through it. And I found THE recipe. Or at least it's close. I couldn't wait to try it, but I had to wait until I had company coming that would eat them with me.

When I knew my friend Julie was coming over for an afternoon, I verified with her that the ingredients sounded yummy, and put my plan in action. They turned out great, but I have some notes. Plenty good though, for the two of us to plow through. (My husband doesn't like mayo and our other guest didn't make it in time.)

Kiss-Me-Not Canapes, adapted from A Slob in the Kitchen

Ingredients
Thin white bread
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. finely-diced sweet onion

Directions
Use a round cutter to make small rounds. (The book called for 1" - I just used the cutter I had, seemed about right.)

Optional: lightly toast the rounds in the broiler (keep an eye on them - it won't take long)

Mix the other ingredients and spread onto the bread. (See my picture? Spread it a little thinner than that. Set the canapes onto a cookie sheet covered with foil or parchment paper.

Broil for about 7 minutes.

Serve while warm. (We just ate them right off the rack. Informal gathering and all.)

Notes: My friend Julie and I really enjoyed these. I went a little heavy on the toppings because I wasn't making that many and didn't want the stuff to go to waste (didn't think it would keep long). After about ten minutes, they seemed a little soggy, so I popped them in a non-stick pan and toasted the bottoms of the canapes that way. Using a little less of the topping mixture or toasting the rounds first might help. I would probably get (thinly) pre-sliced bread to save some time. Also, larger slices would probably result in less wasted bread.

Sweet Tooth

2011-04-12T06:32:00.120-04:00

Marshmallows (with tie) and Caramels
packaged up for my niece & nephew.

I kind of have a new hobby, and it's not good. First of all, I'm diabetic with some impulse control issues. Second, I'm seriously trying to eat healthier and lose weight so I can get that pesky diabetes under control. So candy-making? Probably not the best hobby to pick up.

Friends and family aren't complaining, though, because after my husband and I eat a couple/few pieces of my experiments, I package up the rest and mail 'em out. With the summer approaching, I'm going to have to take a break, and only do this when I have a special occasion to cook for, but it has been a blast - all two weekends of it.

It started out innocently enough. Several weeks ago, I stumbled across a book on Amazon and wishlisted it: Sugar Baby: Confections, Candies, Cakes & Other Delicious Recipes for Cooking with Sugar. When I have a chance to get myself a small treat, it's usually a book, so a wishlist is a great way to see what I want (in case I forgot) and what's on sale, etc.. So, when I had the opportunity to pick out a new book, this was it.

My first caramels, using Hungry Girl's recipe.

In the meantime, one of my friends on Facebook (Hi, Debbie!) shared a link to a recipe for some yummy-sounding Demerara Caramels. There I was, all in the mood to make some candy, and the book wouldn't get to me by the weekend, so this was destined to be my first candy-making* experience.

My attempts to procure a candy thermometer could almost earn their own blog post! In just a little over a week, I have owned four thermometers, three before the Sugar Baby book arrived and I just followed her recommendations and got a classic Taylor Thermometer (around $10 at my "local" grocery (local is relative in the country)). The first one broke in the utensil cup of my counter-top drain rack before it could be used once. The second one, although found with the caramel apple-making supplies at a concession-supply store,** was really for meat and the temperature did not go nearly high enough. Number three would go high enough, but was digital and I got it wet somehow when I rinsed off the probe (should have just wiped it down, yes?). It's what I used for the first attempt, but it was a little glitchy.

It turns out that we own pretty decent pans for candy-making: heavy-bottomed stainless steel. I didn't think I could get the Demerara sugar called for in Hungry Girl's recipe (turns out I didn't look closely enough), so I used Turbinado sugar and dark corn syrup instead. Despite have a glitchy thermometer, I actually managed to get my first batch of caramels done on the first try! They were the perfect (to me) consistency/texture, and the flavor was deep and rich. We had a couple pieces each, and the rest went to family & friends. (I posted a message on Facebook, offering up caramels to anyone that wanted them (in the US -- I wasn't sure about mailing them internationally.) The folks that chimed in got a package of sweets in the mail.) They were pronounced "yummy," and it was good.

Then, the book arrived. Being a ~~very novice~~ beginner candy-maker, I'm probably not the best reviewer, mostly because I don't know what I'm talking about. From my limited perspective, it's fantastic! Great pictures, clear directions and tips that made this beginner comfortable enough to dive in.

One batch of Marshmallows. I actually got
a plate dirty to take the picture.

First up: marshmallows. Oh, yes, I can see myself making these again. I'd like to try piping them or, if poured and cut again, I need to find a way to keep the goop from sticking to the sides of the pan. (Wondering if cooking spray would work?) I did the full recipe, adding in the (optional) egg whites. Since I've never done it before, I'm not sure if I did it all exactly right, but they sure looked and tasted like marshmallows when I was done! The only thing I think I'd do differently next time is add more vanilla, just because I think I'd like the flavor even better. I also want to try some variations -- strawberry marshmallows are calling to me.

Fleur de Sel Caramels, poured and salted. (Next time,
I'll measure the salt for the top!)

Caramels, take two. These had the perfect, traditional caramel taste, with the sea salt making the flavors pop even more. I kind of had a reading comprehension fail while I was making them and added the butter, salt and vanilla too early, so I don't know if that accounted for the texture difference. (Basically, I skipped a step, but was able to get the mixture to the right temperature anyway.) These were much closer to a hard candy than the first type I made (they also called for twice as much cream, so I'm hoping that's the explanation). Seriously, these were beautiful. (I don't have the book handy, but I think they're called "Fleur de Sel Caramels.")

Cutting the caramels. (That's a pizza cutter, not a machete.)
They hardened up pretty quickly and that, along with the
butter, kept the pieces from sticking until wrapping.

The only real problem with these? Cutting the caramels into smallish pieces as I did was a good thing, because bigger pieces could give you a sore jaw if you insisted on chewing them (I have little patience with "sucking candies"), but cutting them small yielded way over 100 caramels and wrapping them seemed endless. Oh, that and the fact that they were there, all weekend, taunting me. Yup, that's my big complaint: it made a lot of candy and I ate way too many of them.

It became immediately clear that I had to get most of those caramels out of my house! I went through a rough patch recently, and several people helped cheer me up by sending surprises in the mail (and email - knitting patterns are a great pick-me-up!), so I made cute little bags out of gift wrap and put together little "Thank You" packages for several of them. A few people commented on the pictures on Facebook again, so some packages went to those folks as well.

PS: There's a companion blog for the cookbook, with extra photos, video tutorials, etc.: SugarBaby Cookbook.

*As fun and cute as they are, I don't count melting those candy discs and pouring them into molds as making candy. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not knocking it, and my collection of molds is staying put -- but it's a different thing altogether.

**I need to write about that. Fun times!

Shopping Online - Pros & Cons

2011-01-06T19:02:00.009-05:00

I kind of live in the country, so my opportunities for shopping are limited and I do a lot of shopping online. Most of the time, everything goes smoothly. On Monday, I placed an order with Adagio (feel free to ask me for a $5 gift certificate) for some tea and paid for their basic shipping. The box arrived yesterday (that's 2 days). I'm thrilled, but if it had been shipped within a couple of days, I'd have been happy as well.

I was a little nervous about ordering John's Giftmas present from a place I'd never heard of, but had to take that chance. Luckily, droidpad.com did everything that I expect from an online store: when the item I ordered was unexpectedly backordered, they contacted me right away and offered a refund or some bonus goodies if I wanted to wait. The present arrived, packaged very well (with the promised bonus items), exactly one week after Giftmas, but because of their communication, I wasn't panicking (much). John knew all about it (we picked out our own gifts this year - I got a vibrant orange (persimmon) Kitchen Aid mixer because I've wanted one for just ages) and has been having all kinds of fun with his Archos 101. (Now I'm saving up for one!)

Sadly not all experiences go like this. Because I'm a knitter, I hear about questionable yarn shops all of the time, although I'm sure that all hobbies have similar scenarios. What's terrible is that people frequently allow themselves to be bullied into waiting. What everyone should know is that some payment options have limits to how long you can request refunds. Credit cards might have longer windows, but with PayPal, you have 45 days from the time of your payment to file a dispute. After that, you're SOL and the shop owner gets to keep your money and your product. There might be other ways to get the refund, but PayPal is out of it.

Rant: don't get me started on the "it's only yarn" thing. No it's not. It's money. My money, which I paid in exchange for a product. If you don't deliver the product within a reasonable amount of time, and you don't communicate with me, I'm going to want that money back.

There's no excuse for an order to not be in the mail within a week, unless you ordered something custom-made. Never, ever wait a month for someone to send you yarn, unless they're spinning it and dyeing it to order, and even then you are going to want it before your 45 days are up!

It had to happen eventually
Yesterday, I filed my first dispute with PayPal. It had only been eleven days since I'd placed my order, but I couldn't get a response from the shop about the status. Not that I was expecting it in my hands a little over a week past Giftmas, when I'd placed my order during the holiday, but I started getting nervous when there was no word about the package shipping. After a week, I sent an email asking about the status. I waited a little over 24 hours, and sent a communication via the website. Another day went by. I tried to call, after finding a phone number on file with PayPal. After finding the voicemail box full, I filed the dispute.

Turns out, if I'd done a little more research, I would have found that this is a pretty common-place experience for customers of The Backwards Loop. I found a conversation on Rav that started six months ago, with people waiting over a month for their orders. If I hadn't read this thread, I might have assumed the full voicemail box was due to the holidays, but no: it was mentioned at least three months ago.

It appears that filing a PayPal dispute is just about the only way to get this shop owner's attention. Eleven days after I placed my order, but just a little more than 24 hours after I filed the PayPal dispute, I had a refund. I wonder how long I would have had to wait for my yarn if I hadn't filed the dispute?

Note: PayPal doesn't involve themselves immediately. All communication about a dispute is handled in their system, though, so they can make a determination. If a refund is issued, as it was in my case, the dispute is closed. If the the other party doesn't respond (I think they have 20 days), they money is automatically removed from their account and refunded. Assuming there is money in the account.

Next
Now that I have the refund, I'm going to try ordering from one or two small, "indie" yarn dyers that I've heard good things about. I'll report back once I have some news.

Catching Up

2011-01-06T07:03:00.600-05:00

Sorry I haven't been around much. I sold my soul to Blizzard and have been playing lots & lots of World of Warcraft, thanks to a surprise gift card from an unexpected source. I have in the past had difficulty treating myself or deciding what I want. Not this time. I opened the envelope, saw the card and couldn't get it activated fast enough. We immediately started downloading all the patches and the Cataclysm expansion. It had been over a year since we played, so it took several hours to get all the files downloaded. (Luckily, I learned this last time and had zero expectations of playing that first night. We set up the downloads and watched a couple of movies.)

We decided to start new characters and try to level them together. As of last evening, I now have a level 32 Goblin priest (shadow, naturally) named Sereknity (dorky, I know, but I wanted something knitting-related). I love everything about playing a goblin except the transportation (motorized trikes, which are cute, but loud). I'm getting close to the point where I can get a wolf mount from Orgrimmar and then I'll be happy. (John is playing a warlock, and they automatically get a horse, so he's already set.)

Other geeky fun
After watching the crazy prices for years, we found a pretty good deal on season 1 of Star Trek and I'm really enjoying it. I watched it in the 70s, mostly under duress because we had one TV and it seemed like the males in the family dictated the TV-viewing a lot of the time. I didn't become a geek until I was in my mid-twenties. Watching it on my terms is fantastic.

Before the holidays, I also got a great deal (better than shown now, although these prices aren't bad) on the first 6 Trek movies and the Star Wars trilogy with the original theatrical versions, which is the only way I'd consider owning them. (Han shot first, dammit. Stop messing with my childhood memories!) Firefly will always be my favorite, by a narrow margin, but I love the other two. (Pic found online - if anyone knows the source, I'd love to credit it. Update: friend Kristin IDed the source - a meme called either "Nerd Rage" or "Troll Quotes," a collection of which can currently be seen @ know your meme.) We've stalled on watching the Trek movies at #5, which is our least favorite. But we'll get through it eventually.

Squee!

2010-12-10T12:50:00.001-05:00

This kind of made my day yesterday. I was going about my normal day, when I got an email (actually a forwarded PM) from someone who found my Leia hat project on a knitting site and wanted to let me know that the picture of the hat was currently on the front page of CNN. What!? I was kind of useless for the rest of the day.

The pic isn't on the home page now (I did get a screenshot (below - click to make bigger)), but the article is up (hat pic is in the slide show) and it's a really great article about Katie and all the support she's received. Totally worth a read.

The pic was also used on the Cake Wrecks blog in one of the funniest entries ever, Star Wars: The Next Generation. (Imagine trying to work out the plot of the Star Wars saga based only on how cakes were decorated.)

Today is "Wear Star Wars, Share Star Wars" day. Details on the Facebook page.

Brownie Pop Display

2010-12-07T07:01:00.080-05:00

This summer, on another blog, I wrote about my experience making brownie pops (and the steps I followed). One thing I've struggled with is exactly how to serve/display the pops.

Because I make the pops the most basic way (add the sticks while baking), the bottoms are rounded, so the pops really need to be served brownie end up. I haven't had the patience to go through the steps needed to invert the process. Maybe the next time I make these, I'll give it a go.

A few weeks ago, I made some pops for a bake sale. Once again, I had to figure out how to display the pops. Somewhere online, I saw a picture of the pops displayed in a flower pot. I liked the idea but, to my surprise, the huge craft store I visited (the only one on my way home from work) had only terracotta pots, which I did not to deal with.

I found a planter that I liked, and a foam disk fit inside. I weighted it down with a bag of pebbles. It was almost perfect - I'd like it better if the foam was up a little higher, but for a practically out-of-the-box solution, it worked okay. (Sadly, they didn't sell well, so I'll stick to making them for parties.)

Pretty Tape, part 2

2010-12-05T08:30:00.076-05:00

Continuing from this post.

My order (placed on Tuesday) from TapeSwell arrived on Friday. So already, I'm impressed. The shipping was a little steep, until I considered the weight of the tape. And, like I said, the discount coupon code (link in previous post) helped make that easier to deal with. Since it arrived in 3 days, I have zero complaints.

This was a 2-roll combo pack. If you don't need the canister, order the rolls separately. (This was on sale, so it was worth it to pay just a tiny bit extra for the canister). In fact, if they're not on sale, I wouldn't buy the combo packs unless you're really bad at math (2 rolls of tape + empty canister = $16; combo pack, regular price = $20)

I was pretty impressed with the packaging. The 2-roll set was in a clear drawstring bag (reusable), and the single roll and 2 blank containers were packed in a second bag.

The test
As stated before, most of the decorative tape I've purchased isn't sticky enough. Most of it has required a strip of clear tape over it, so it may as well have been a strip of scrapbook paper. What I wanted was a tape that would add a bit of interest to my packages, but just stick on its own. (Not so much to ask.)

The Result?
So far, so good. I used 1 strip of the Faux Bois tape on the top and the bottom of the box (to ship my POS cell phone back) and waited several hours. By that time, most of the other tapes would already be lifting at the ends, and there is no indication that this will happen. I can't give rave reviews until I've used it a few times, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

Just for fun, I gathered up all of my packaging stuff. It doesn't all quite fit, so it has to be piled on top, but it's organized as neatly as possible (click on the pic to go to Flickr and see notes):

An Open Letter to LYSOs - Promotional "Goody Bags"

2010-12-04T15:20:00.003-05:00

After the very disappointing goody bag I received some time ago at an LYS which shall remain nameless*, I started thinking about how many other cool things they could have done without a huge outlay of money. A lot of these would have the store's info. on them, to reinforce shop identity.

Back story: Some time ago, I attended an event at a Local Yarn Store (LYS), Around the same time, friends of mine attended several. At each of these, some kind of "goody bag" was promised. To keep this preamble short, let's just say that our combined experiences were less than positive: a couple of the stores had nice, or useful, bags, but the rest (and my experience matched this), appeared to be a way for the stores to offload all kinds of crap that hadn't sold. (And for good reason.) While talking about it with one friend, I started telling her about all kinds of ideas I had to create promotional hand-outs for my imaginary LYS (many of which were ideas I implemented for my Etsy shop when it was active). I realized, of course, that with the economy the way it is, the costs of the bags needed to be low. They also need to remind people where the goodies came from (something that the goody bag I received did not). The cost for these could be kept low, with time being the biggest investment. With planning, they could be worked on well in advance of an event.

Goody Bag Ideas
Business Info is very important. Make sure that, at minimum, your store information (logo, website, address, etc.) is in/on the package at least twice: a business card with a stitch marker tied to it, a stamp or sticker on the bag, or a tag stapled to the top of a mini goody bag. If the bag is good, you do not want people forgetting where it came from, especially if they're hitting several stores in one day (shop hop kind of thing).

Cute (or clever) packaging is both fun and (in my opinion) essential. Size is not as important as quality. Doesn't have to be a big bag, or even all that fancy. Cute, clever, useful, memorable (in a good way) are the adjectives we're going for.

Get creative. A store I used to shop at (until the owners retired, happily) used (new) flat popcorn bags with their store info. stamped on it. These were used for small, flat items, but would make cute goody bags as well (fold over and seal with a label that has all the store info. on it). Mini shopping bags (3/$1 at the dollar store, probably less somewhere in bulk). That kind of thing. Chinese take-out containers totally rock. They're not cheap in small quantities, but I'll be a hundred or so at a go would garner a nice discount. Add a tag and shredded paper and you've got an adorable package.
Other packaging. Clear cellophane treat bags (sold in packs of 100 or so) with an easy topper, folded and stapled = adorable and memorable. Stick a couple of small, cute, USEFUL goodies in there, with a business card, coupon, etc.

Contents

Not new, but always handy: needle index cards. Very easy to make. I used these as freebies with my first sales on Etsy, along with other things. Business info on the front of a business card, needle index on the back. Consider a crochet hook card, too.

Stitch markers. Shown here are a couple different kinds I've done for promotional use. All were original ideas of mine, although I'm sure they've been used by other people, coincidentally. (Great minds think alike.)
A: simple marker in the acorn/gumball capsule with a tiny tag (acorn shaped) upon which was printed my shop's URL.
B & C: Shrinky-dink markers. I've done 'nekkid guy' and some hand-drawn ones of my sheep character and an acorn. Some special materials required, but you can make tons of them with 1 package of good shrink material, permanent ink (contact me for specifics), a hole punch (1/8") and some jump rings. I punched 2 tiny holes in business cards and tied the mini acorn/sheep markers to the cards with string or thin ribbon.

Samples of things available in the store. This one might cost a bit, but not being an LYSO, I'm not sure how easy this stuff is to get, or how expensive. Eucalan sells samples of their wool wash in little one/two use packets. At the time I inquired about the price, I thought it was pretty reasonable. I don't know how much Gloves in a Bottle samples run, but I do know that after trying a sample, I went back and bought a bottle.
Samples of yarn. Divvy up a couple skeins of sock-yarn into several-yard mini skeins. One person at an event balled up samples, stuck them on a lollipop stick and wrapped them like suckers (cute packaging makes SUCH a difference).
Patterns. Most patterns that are available for free online have a statement that they are not to be copied and distributed by stores. Perhaps a designer would be willing to release a version of the pattern with permission on it for a particular store. I shouldn't have to say this, but just in case: it's not okay to buy 1 pattern and pass out copies, or to reprint tons of copies of free patterns if the designer hasn't given you permission to do so.

I've done this with my Emergency Yarn Ornament pattern: the store in question can print out and distribute that document, with my blessings. It has their logo on it, plus all of my info. Nice partnership. I think it would be a really cute goody bag to get a small (empty) glass - or plastic = ornament and the pattern together, so the recipient could make one right away.

Other notions: mini emery boards, whatever oddments knitters/crocheters like to have in their notions pouches. It would be cool, although I don't know how expensive to get mini boards with a store logo. That or a small needle gauge if that can be done inexpensively.
1" badges/pins (flair!) Individually, they're not cheap, but in bulk they can be a deal (even Cafe Press gets reasonable with 100-count bags). Some pro-yarn sentiment (just one more row) or something, on a pin.
Doorprize kind of thing. Let it be known that in one random, unmarked bag, a coupon for something special (class, %-off coupon, gift certificate, etc.) can be found. (Only worth it if the volume of bags given is high.)
Stickers with yarny sentiment (something with store logo is not a prize, but an identifier to put ON the bag). Make your own or see if there is an inexpensive source for ordering. Moo.com makes fabulous books of stickers that can be used on packages or cut up to give away.

Pens or pencils with store name. Kick it old school. Everyone needs a pen or pencil in their knitting bag.

Successful promotion gifts I've heard of. These were memorable enough that people mentioned it positively to friends:

Pricier gifts, available when a certain purchase limit was met. One store gave out tape measures (with store logo) when people spent a certain amount. Another gave out a tote bag (again, with store logo).
Coupon redeemable at a later date. Certain %-off, usable in the next month, encouraged a return visit.

*I'm going to avoid giving any information that could identify the store in question, because this is not about a single store.

May the Force be with Katie (& with you, too)

2010-12-03T13:55:00.008-05:00

If you're a self-proclaimed (loud & proud) girl geek, you may already be familiar with Katie's story. If not, in a nutshell: at the tail end of Anti-Bullying week, Katie's mom, Carrie, wrote about her daughter's recent experience of being teased at school for - gasp! - carrying a Star Wars water bottle. (Doncha know? Star Wars is for boys?!)

Carrie asked her female readers to chime in if they were Star Wars fans, too, so Katie could see that the boys at school were misinformed. It kind of snowballed. I read about it after someone posted a link to the epbot blog (which I read, but was behind on) entry Geek Girls, ACTIVATE!! Since Carrie's blog was tough to comment on (I tried & tried), Epbot's Jen (also of Cake Wrecks fame) invited people to comment on her blog instead.

As of this date, the Epbot entry received over 3,000 comments. Carrie had to create another entry in her blog to handle all the comments (over 2,000 in the combined posts). Katie's story even has it's own Twitter hashtag (#maytheforcebewithkatie - still active).

Katie hass read many of the blog comments, or maybe all by now (that's a lot to keep up with) and they'll all eventually be put into book form. She's worn a Star Wars t-shirt to school and is, of course, back to carrying her water bottle. (More updates on Katie - An Ordinary Story with an Extraordinary Response. -- check it out for info. on the Dec. 10th event "Wear Star Wars - Share Star Wars.")

So, what's with the pic? Well, I immediately wanted to comment on the original post, but was unable to get my login to work. I had a picture I wanted to share with Katie anyway (one of my niece ("K") dressed as Leia for Halloween a few years ago), so I tracked down Carrie's email and sent a little note along with it. On a whim, I offered to knit a hat for Katie, too. They accepted my offer, and I got to work. My niece even got into the act after she heard about Katie and helped me knit a bit of the hat on Thanksgiving. I mailed it off on Monday of this week, and Katie got it yesterday. Word is, she wore it to school today, with Storm Trooper tattoos on her arms. (Pic by Carrie Goldman, used with permission.)

Follow-up on Carrie's blog: Adopted by the Geeks and Nerds.

Pretty Tape, part 1

2010-12-01T07:02:00.035-05:00

The first thing you need to know is that I have a thing for stationery. This includes office supplies of all kinds, pens...and tape.

I love sending packages to people and one of the highlights of the experience is adding a row of fun, patterned tape to keep the envelope/package closed. Note: from personal experience, I don't recommend using the pirate/skull-and-crossbones tape on the exterior of a package being sent via US mail. The last time I did this, the package eventually showed up, but it took waaay longer than it should have!

Some of these pics are a little old - I just went with what I had on Flickr - some of it had to go. As fun as some of this tape looks, it's not really usable. It doesn't stick well at all. (Pout)

I recently discovered a company that sells some tape that looks promising: TapeSwell.I immediately ordered a couple rolls of tape and a couple of their canisters. The canisters are way cool -- the small ones will either hold a roll of tape, or can be decorated with a length of the tape. (I'm also a sucker for all kinds of packaging!) I found an coupon code online at RetailMeNot (a place I check before I order anything online), and saved almost half the shipping. (I imagine that 3 rolls of packing tape might be a little heavy.) I'll come back & share the results. Will it stick, or not?

Care Tags

2010-11-30T12:45:00.028-05:00

Quick Lunchtime Post.
I made these care tags a couple of weeks ago to attach to hand-knit gifts, and thought I'd share. They're still a work in progress - I want to add a "for:" line in the next set - but I'm pretty happy with them.

The images were snagged from a nice PDF of care instructions. Since PDFs can be resized, I set the magnification very high, then used a screen capture program to grab each image. In Photoshop, I switched them from black to white, and made them transparent.

I've been printing them out (6 to a sheet) onto cardstock, then punching a small hole in each and using some of the baker's twine (that I'm never going to run out of) and a tiny safety pin to attach the tag to the knitted item.

PS. I'm not sure I'm back to posting regularly, but I do have a few topics, so I'll be around for awhile.

Hiatus

2010-06-21T19:36:00.004-04:00

Hi, all. I thought I'd officially announce that I'm taking a break from the blog. (As if my absence since March wasn't already saying that.) There's a lot going on in my life, but:

There's not a lot that's all that interesting to blog abou
The stuff that is interesting to blog about has to stay confidential for now, or needs to.

I'm going to try to post at least weekly on my Halloween blog, but am going to take a break from this one for awhile. Thanks to everyone who has been reading, here and on LJ, all these years. I hope to be back when I have something fun to share.

Redux - Play Food: Felt Cherry Tuturial

2010-03-03T18:46:00.004-05:00

Shamelessly reposting the occasional tutorial from my old blog. About three years ago, I had some kids in my life that I thought would get a kick out of play food. I gathered up a bunch of felt, embroidery floss and poly-fill (etc.) and made up quite an assortment. Following are the steps for making my favorites, the cherries. (Inspired by the second section on this page.)

Materials: Felt (I used a wool/poly blend in a splotchy red/black), .5 mm brown leather cord, embroidery floss, needle, scissors & filler (e.g. felt scraps, polyfill, etc.) Note: I really recommend felt with some wool content.

Top row, left to right:

Cut 2 circles (1¼ - 1½") for each cherry.
Don't cut the leather cord yet. First, tie a double knot about ½" from the end (don't need to be real precise - just need to have something to grab and pull), then about 2" from that, tie a single knot and pull TIGHT.
Cut close to the second knot. This is the tip of the stem.
Cut about a 15" length of embroidery floss and separate. I used 2 strands. Thread needle and tie a knot. Insert the needle through the first knot in the "stem" and push the needle through a single layer of the "cherry." Pull thread through. The 2 knots will be hidden inside of the cherry.

Second row:

Lay the second layer over the first. Start sewing by stitching very close to both sides of the stem, then continue around the circle, using a tight whipstitch.
Continue stitching until you're just a little past the halfway mark. Stop and stuff the cherry with felt scraps or polyfill. Sew shut.
You could be done now, or you can take another step and SQUISH the cherries so they look a little rounder. Tip: if your cherries have some wool content, then you can mist them with a little water prior to the SQUISH, and they should dry in a somewhat round shape.

My method: I cut out a few sets of circles and followed all the steps up to sewing past the halfway mark (partway through step 6), assembly-line-style. I cut short pieces of floss on purpose: so I could just stop sewing and pick it up again later, without wasting a lot. Then, once I had a bunch, I'd stuff them and finish sewing them up.

For fun, I used parts of a felted wool sweater to make a huge, catnip-stuffed cherry for our cats. It was quite a hit. (Craft felt is not recommended for cat or dog toys, regardless of what they sell in stores. Take it from someone who has had a cat ingest and poop out an entire toy.)

Patience is hard

2010-02-13T09:06:00.008-05:00

Back in my early days of blogging I was pretty quick to rush to the keyboard and report whenever a company had pissed me off. When I moved over to Blogger, I decided that I'd be a little more patient and hold back when it came to reporting my frustrations. Now, I still get annoyed and do my bit by "voting with my wallet;" I'm just a little more restrained when it comes to what I'll share. Oh, the stories you have all missed! (Pic is because there has to be a pic, right? Also, the buttons on the cowl are from the store I'm about to rant about, from a previous trip.)

I think of myself as a fairly easy-going, responsible consumer. But I won't beg a store to take my money, and I will reward poor customer service with my one-woman boycott for months (or years, in the case of Target, and that ain't easy!). On the flip-side, good customer service will gain a store/company/chain repeat business. (Oh, JetPens, I am SO coming back and ordering more!)

The economy in Michigan is not good right now. Stores are closing left and right, there are near-empty malls & shopping centers everywhere. Many people have less money to spend. So why on earth would a store allow their employees to turn customers away? Especially when they have a competitor in the same shopping center!?

One sacrifice we made when moving to the country is the lack of local shopping. The only grocery store nearby is scary, so we have to drive several more miles to a Meijer. It takes John over 3 hours to do the grocery shopping at 2 stores (1 fruit & veggie market, plus Meijer or Walmart). There are no book stores, no yarn stores. There aren't even any craft stores. It's inconvenient, sure, but we traded for space. And more quiet. I was pretty excited to realize that I could get off a couple exits early on one route home from work and, just a few miles out of the way, I could stop at a JoAnn Fabrics, sort of on the way home. (It's not LYS, but I'll take what I can get!)

I'm not a "customer is always right" kind of person. I don't make unreasonable demands. What I do want is to be able to pick out my items, pay and leave. Imagine my surprise when I got to the register the second time I stopped in at that store and as the cashier started ringing me up, she was interrupted by a senior staff member and sent to another part of the store to help another customer. I was left standing at the register with a pile of greeting cards, yarn and other crafty "necessities."

Help a customer? What was I?

I know some people would have picked up all their stuff, and gotten back in line or even demanded that the woman who sent the cashier away ring them up. But that's not how I roll. I don't beg people to take my money. So what was I? Not a customer anymore, that's for damn sure.

What cracks me up is that there is a Hobby Lobby just a few doors down from that JoAnn! Must be nice that they're doing so well they can send people away. (I'm not a huge fan of HL, because of the music playing, but I can tune it out well enough to grab what I need and get out.)

That all happened a couple of weeks ago. Two weeks ago yesterday, to be exact. Two weeks ago today, I fired off a letter to corporate and haven't heard "boo." (I win the bet I made with myself.) I decided to wait and see if they responded before I blogged about it (I immediately posted to Facebook, naturally). Of course I haven't been back to that JoAnn. Well, not any JoAnn, but I'm not going to say I'm never going back to any store in the chain. That one, though? Nope. And since it's the only convenient one for me to go to, that does mean they'll lose a good portion of my disposable crafty income.

I bought what I needed at the drugstore, Walmart (yes, Walmart. This is the country) and Hobby Lobby, or went without.

Good Auntie: Candy-Dipped Pretzels

2010-02-06T10:13:00.008-05:00

I'm trying something new this year. Now that we're living out in the country, we don't see my family very often - mostly birthdays and major holidays. I thought it would be fun for my niece & nephew to get regular mail from us: packages, cards, etc.

So, back in January, I started sending mail to the kids. Vaguely remembering being a kid, I figured that what arrived isn't as important as the fact that they're getting mail, so I've made liberal use of my "swap basket"; a large metal basket into which I toss things I find on sale that look interesting or things I might have received in a swap that I couldn't use. Of course, now that these packages are planned, I'm always on the look-out for more things to add to that basket!

For Valentine's Day, I made a batch of acorn brownies and sent those, along with some themed goodies. Except that I got into the whole thing a little early and had to send it a couple of weeks ago so the brownies wouldn't get stale!

I mailed a letter last week, and Valentine cards today. I woke up this morning, knowing that I had to make the candy-dipped pretzels I'd been thinking about doing off & on since I got a canister of pretzels along with a dish (I bought on clearance). I already had all the other ingredients. And today was the day. This is so easy! You need about 3 ingredients, some paper plates & bowls, a double boiler (or facsimile (see below for mine)) and some wax paper. Doing it this way (with disposable bowls & plates) made for very fast clean-up, too (about 90 seconds).

Candy-Dipped Pretzels
Ingredients: mini-pretzels, candy melts (I used <1 cup of white melts to make approx. 3 dozen pretzels), sprinkles (optional)

Other "equipment": double boiler, paper bowls & plates, plastic spoon, wax paper, treat bags & tape (if not self-sealing)

Following package directions, start melting the candy. My double boiler consists of a small saucepan and a stainless bowl that sat on top - in enough to keep in steady, but out enough that it didn't get stuck). Inside the bowl, I added a paper bowl and a couple handfuls of candy melts.

While the candy is melting, sort your pretzels. Put the unbroken ones in a bowl and set the broken ones aside (these can be eaten as is, or broken up even more and added to some leftover candy and spooned onto wax paper (ever had a Pretzel Joy?)).

If sprinkles are desired, pour some into another small paper bowl. Not too much -- you won't use as much as you think -- enough to cover the bottom of the bowl about 1/4" thick.

Lay squares of wax paper on plates/cookie sheets. You won't want the pretzels to touch much once they're dipped.

Turn the heat down a bit, so you can comfortably work near the heat, then dip the pretzels into the candy, covering 1/3 - 1/2. (Note: When I took this pic, I'd already dipped several pretzels and had to add a few more melts.)

If you're not adding sprinkles, skip the next step.

Immediately dip the candy-dipped pretzel into the sprinkles, moving it a bit to grab more of their colorful goodness.

Put the pretzel on the wax paper and pop in the fridge to chill for at least 10 mintues.

When you've dipped all the pretzels, try breaking up the remaining pretzels even more (not quite crushed) and stirring them into the remaining candy (unless it's a lot and you want to refrigerate it for later use). Spoon mounds of the mixture onto wax paper and chill.

If you're serving them, store in a container with an airtight lid. They should be okay for as long as regular pretzels would be if stored that way. If you're giving, package up. I stuck several (all "facing" the same way) into a treat bag and taped it shut with some fun Japanese tape that has fruits & veggies on it.

I also took advantage of the container the pretzels came in and made a spiffy gift box, by punching a circle for the top and cutting a strip to go around it out of heavy-duty scrap-booking paper and gluing in place. I made a label using photo paper and faux-matted it with the same paper from the lid.

It's already boxed up to be mailed next week, along with some stationery supplies, in case the kids want to send mail back to their old auntie, or friends, etc. I made return labels for each, found fun patterned paper at the dollar store, and am sending a box of envelopes to share.

With a little help from a friend

2010-01-02T10:04:00.008-05:00

We had a rocking New Years! Okay, not really. It was lovely, though. And productive. My good friend Anita came on the afternoon of the Eve, to hang out, help me clean my craft room, spend the night and ring in the new year. It was fab! We got to celebrate without worrying about being on the road at the same time other revelers were doing the same. We actually had booze in the house, but totally forgot about it. We didn't even ring in the new year. We were exhausted and the clicking over of the calendar happened while we were preparing for bed. (Poor Anita. Some day, we'll have a guest bed of some kind. (She was prepared and brought an inflatable mattress.))

What we did was spend a bit of time in the craft room, then return to the living room to watch something. Then back to the craft room. Anita got to watch the first few episodes of Firefly (I knew she'd like it). We also watched an early MST3K episode: The Crawling Hand. (Next morning, while John slept, we broke out Unconditional Love, best viewed under those circumstances. It's terrible and wonderful, and I was glad to get to watch it with her.)

Have I gone on about the diet here yet? Well, doesn't matter. It's boring. Effective (for lowering blood pressure and losing weight), but boring. So, for holidays, we allow ourselves a treat. Like a regular meal, the kind that other people eat. John made a superb roast beef pie, with onions, potatoes, corn, carrots and a bit of salt pork. Swoon. We also had popcorn, for the first time in months. After a tiny slice of the pie for breakfast on the 1st, we were back to the regular way of eating.

While we haven't painted anything yet, we have gotten most parts of the house organized. The exceptions have been the entry room (large room with no purpose yet, so stuff kind of accumulates) and the craft room. The latter because our basement kitty, Lily (Cass & Charlie's mom), selected that as her hiding place and freaked out if we went in the room too often. So, I didn't use it much -- just dashed in when I needed something -- and left her on her own. She passed away a few weeks ago, and I decided to get the place cleaned up and organized.

I don't have pics of the whole room yet. It's not going to be an impressive room for a long time, if ever. Right now, there are boxes, totes and baskets on two large sets of utility shelves. It gets the job done. But we did get the yarn area reorganized and it's acceptable for viewing. (Click on the image to see notes for all the cubbies.)

Up on the top shelf is large basket that is now full of projects waiting in the wings: yarn and pattern, bundled together. As mentioned in my last post, I'm determined to knit more for me. The last project on the needles (that isn't just a random scarf project-in-progress) is a pair of large, very warm (thrummed) mittens for John. I expect to finish those this weekend. (They match a hat that I'll show in a bit.)

After that, I'm going to knit up a pair of mittens for me, and line them with some felted cashmere. Then, a cowl or scarf (haven't decided, but probably the former, since it's COLD and I would like a matching set (the yarn choice unifies, regardless of pattern)). Then, on to the project basket:

My nephew got me some yarn for Christmas that he picked out all by himself. It's a lovely olive color. I'm probably going to make these Ballet-Style slippers. (Got a second ball, in case I don't have enough yarn.)
Baby gift (obviously not for me): Right now, Baby Sophisticate is the front-runner.
Using some recycled cotton/cashmere yarn, Mitts of the Dystopian Future (Rav link) are destined to be mine.
These Delovely cabled fingerless mitts are intended for a gift. I've earmarked my two skeins of Silky Cashmere (actually picked out the yarn first, then had to find something that would do).
More slippers: I was recently shocked to discover that I love Mary Jane-style shoes and slippers. These Mary Jane slippers are in the queue, but with a closure like these (I can't crochet, or I'd just make these). The more I think of it, the more I'm inclined to using this pattern for my "nephew yarn.")
Socks for John and me are also on the list.

I also put together a couple of emergency sock-knitting kits, one for each car. Pictured here is one kit; the other is on Flickr. Each contains a ball of yarn, appropriate circular needle (for Magic Loop), corresponding pattern for the combo, and accessories like stitch markers, yarn cutter or scissors and darning needles.

Finally, a brief knitting update. Still some Giftmas presents that haven't been received, so here are a couple of hats that I did for John. One is a replacement Jayne hat, and the other was part of his Christmas gift (as are the thrummed mittens I'm almost done with). Detail will be with the image, on Flickr:

Where have I been?

2009-12-28T19:14:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I've not been around a lot. Not since November! Whoa. The thing is, I started a new job at the end of November and I have been wiped out! It's a longer day, and I just don't have a lot of energy, time, or much to talk about that's blog-worthy. (I've had some knitted things to share, but they're gifts (and I didn't get great pics).) Hope everyone reading this is well.

Big news is that I've declared 2010 to be the year of knitting for me. At least every other project (on average) will be for Mel. I have a bunch of small projects lined up: hat, mittens, scarf, cowl, slippers... just things I need or have been wanting.

Happy New Year!!

Hack, Cough, Wheeze

2009-11-22T21:00:00.004-05:00

(Just a note -- blog posts turn up on my Facebook feed as a note; this is old news for anyone reading on FB.)

I've been sick since last Tuesday evening: allergy-induced Bronchitis. I get it at least every other year, around the same time, with the same symptoms every time. Throat suddenly hurting? Inner ears starting to itch? I know exactly what to expect. Knowing what's coming (and that it will pass) does not help me be any less of a big wuss. I'm tired of the deep, painful cough and the phlegm. (Let's leave it at that, shall we?) Whine, whine, whine.

I can't really nap, because laying down makes the cough worse. Things were so-so until Friday night (at least I got through the work week mostly unscathed), but I spent the weekend propped up on the love seat in our little library room here, with some DVDs (the entire run of Frontier House today) and my Giftmas knitting. If nothing else, I got quite a bit of knitting/finishing done! (Working with the pink stuff to the right at the moment.)

It's very important that I get over this in the next few days. We have family coming Thanksgiving evening, I have some knitter friends coming over on Sunday, and on Monday next, I start a new job.

You read that right! I'm sure many people who are reading this have been in similar predicaments: your company is going through rough times, or maybe is already reorganizing; rumors are flying, and you don't know what's coming at you next. So, you get your resume updated and maybe post it online -- doesn't hurt to be ready, right?

What I didn't expect was to have a call within 2 hours of posting the resume, and a request for an interview the next business day! I posted my resume on Friday, had a formal interview on Tuesday and a job offer the same afternoon. (Right about the time my throat started to hurt!) I'm very excited about this new opportunity. With the market the way it is right now, I know precisely how lucky I am.

Hope this finds everyone healthy and well!

Giftmas Crafting Starts Early

2009-11-15T20:51:00.005-05:00

I made stockings for John & me about 4 years ago. They made the move - we used them last year - but I can't find them. It's a little early, but I have plenty of knitting to do for Giftmas, and I figured I should get this out of the way. Stockings are one of my favorite things about the holiday. It goes back to my mom (I think they were one of her favorites, too) -- she'd start collecting things for our stockings in January. After she died, the family tradition died as well, until John came into my life. Now, we exchange stockings the morning of Dec. 25th every year. So the old ones had to be replaced (if they turn up, we can always rotate.)

As luck would have it, I'd found the perfect material for the stockings, in the form of a (probably very scratchy) sweater I thrifted last winter. It was made up of hundreds of short pieces of yarn, so there was no way it was going to be unraveled & recycled. I felted it, but it didn't turn out as fabulously as I'd hoped. But, yes: perfect for stockings! Here's what I did, if you want to give it a go yourself.

Get all of your materials together. You need a paper template (see notes at bottom), felted sweater, long straight pins (mine have the leaf topper) and scissors (sturdier ones than shown -- I ended up using a different pair than the one pictured). Not shown: sewing machine (you could also hand-sew, if you have the patience).

The sweater was an adult small, and felted, was even smaller, so I couldn't quite get two stockings out of the body. I wanted our stockings to match as closely as possible, and I was lucky that the sleeves, taken apart and laid with right sides facing, were an exact fit for the template (I could also have just resized the template, but we each usually end up with a DVD in the stocking, so the right width was important). I put the two pieces together, right sides facing and pinned the template to the material in several places.

It always seems like when I cut something out and try to sew it together, something shifts and it ends up uneven. So, I thought I'd be clever and sew around the template first, then cut it out. It worked pretty well, although it was a little tough to maneuver at times.

Here is the first stocking, sewn and cut out. (You can see why the sweater couldn't be unraveled.)

Turn right side out and kind of push the seams into shape. Our new ones need a tiny bit more attention.

Stocking #1 complete. (Pic of both stockings, pre-hanging. They look different because the sleeves and the body felted at different ratios. So one has a firmer, fuzzier fabric.)

When you're all done, add a loop for hanging. I used some random scrap yarn and crocheted a 4-5" chain, then used the tails to knot the loop firmly to the back edge of the stocking. Hang by the chimney (or wherever) and stuff with gifts at the appropriate time.

Notes: For the template, I did a Google Image search for "Christmas Stocking Template." As luck would have it, the first result was the shape I wanted.

Not very observant, I guess

2009-11-11T06:59:00.001-05:00

I bought this nesting doll, made in the Ukraine, several years ago at a silent auction (I had organized the entertainment for the charity event, which was Renaissance-themed). It's beautiful, and I've taken good care of it, but guess what I never did? That's right. I never opened it.

The other day, we had some friends over to celebrate Halloween (a little belatedly) and watch some bad Sci-fi movies (Plan 9 From Outer Space and Robot Monster). One of our guests, a young lady who came with her parents, asked if she could open the doll. After awhile, she came to me with a tiny doll the size of a peanut (not in the shell). "Do you think this is the smallest?" I said that it looked pretty small to me. Then she twisted it open; there inside was yet another doll, just a squinch larger than a grain of rice.

Squee! I never had dolls like this as a kid, and have never seen one that nested so deeply (if that's a good way to describe it). For all I know, this may be typical, but it still brought me a bit of joy. I had no idea what a little treasure I had.

Finishing

2009-10-25T21:51:00.006-04:00

John is a faithful reader of
nataliedee.com, and makes sure to send me links to any knitting-related comics (plus any other geek thing that he thinks I'll find funny (he's almost always right)).

This is appropriate because I decided that I had to finish any works-in-progress (WiPs) before I got too deep into my Christmas gift knitting.

I'm doing really well, too. I finished ½ of a pair of socks a friend's baby several weeks ago, but hadn't gotten around to starting the second half. Earlier, I ran out to the car and found the project bag(gie) and knit while we watched our usual eclectic selection (Dagon and 1 disc of Monty Python's Flying Circus). It's a cabled sock - my first cabled project ever - and I've got about an inch to go in the foot before I start decreasing for the toe. This little guy has rather large feet -- the socks I knit for him pre-birth didn't come close to fitting when he was a couple of days old -- so I hope the toddler socks will fit!

Other WiPs: a gift for a friend that really requires a small amount of knitting, then some finishing and sewing, and my socks. I'm not counting a scarf I started, because I'm not sure I want to finish it anyway. I figure if it never made it into my Ravelry queue, then it's not official.

In other news: I don't think I mentioned that I'm on a crazy-strict medically-prescribed diet (and John is on it with me). I have pledged to not use my blog (or Facebook or Twitter) to continually post updates on what I'm eating (or not eating), how many calories taken in, how much weight lost, etc. But I'm feeling so much better, and that's excellent. Whenever I'm tempted to cheat (actually pretty rare), I just picture my dad's feet. He lost both legs below the knees - in stages - and I had to help change bandages on occasion. Now that I seem to have high blood pressure in addition to the diabetes, I have no choice if I want to hang around.

I do need to plug one of my favorite finds (may have been mentioned before): Fage 0%. It's Greek-strained yogurt, but I use it as a substitute for sour cream. May not be the best thing that the yogurt reminds me of sour cream, but hey, it works. Some of the food we get is pretty boring, but some "sour cream" and low sodium salsa really makes a difference.

Holiday Knitting

2009-10-23T18:57:00.004-04:00

I'm sure most people on my Christmas list appreciate the fact that I don't always do handmade gifts for everyone, every year. I try to alternate (unless money is impossibly tight). There are also few surprises, especially for knitted gifts, because I've learned that - at least for my people - it's best to find out if what I have in mind is something they'll actually use. (I'd much rather be told "no," than spend time and use yarn for something that's not going to be used/appreciated.)

Last year, I contacted the moms of kids on my list to see if any of them might want hats and, if so, what style. Some said "yes," some said "no." Those whose parents thought they'd appreciate hats, got fun hats. Those whose parents did not think so, did not get anything knitted.

This year, I'm getting a late start, but in my defense I didn't think I had that much knitting to do. Once I started making the list, and had a couple of conversations, I found out how wrong I was! Most of these gifts aren't surprises, so I thought I'd share some of my plans, in case other were looking for ideas.

First on the list is a young lady who wants the same kind of hat I knit for her guardian (mom??) last year. My goddaughter, at the ripe old age of 21, has become legal guardian to a high-schooler. I've been assured that this doesn't make me a "grand-" anything, but I'm happy to add K to my Christmas list. Like I said, she wants the same kind of hat I knit for Sarah last winter. Sarah, in turn, asked for flip-top/convertible mittens. And K would like the same, please, in her color (pink).

This Slouchy beret is not tough to knit and it works up fast on size 11 & 13 needles. I might go down a needle size, because I'll be using 2 strands of worsted-weight (Cascade 220 Superwash) instead of the bulky it calls for.
Peekaboo Mitten (Ravelry-only link, sorry!) - I plan on knitting a pair of these myself. But for now, I need 2 pairs.
He's not a boyfriend - he's my goddaughter's fiance - but The Boyfriend Hat (aka Hat Fit for a Boyfriend on Ravelry) is also in the queue. Planned yarn is more Cascade 220 Superwash.
I hope to get this monster, Olivia, knit up for honorary niece, M, and add a little tutu, like some of the images show. M takes ballet and I think she'll get a kick out of it. (If you like this pattern, check out the multi-pattern deals available in the shop. I believe all of her patterns are also available via Ravelry downloads.)

I kind of still owe at least one hat from last year (have had a rough time getting my hands on the right yarn), have a couple of things in mind for John, and one other Christmas hat. While I wait for my yarn order to get here from Oregon, I'm still plugging away on a pair of socks for me. I love how they fit (sock #2 is about 65% finished)!

Other "me" knitting: My favorite scarves have turned out to be basic ribbed numbers in squishy soft yarns. Add to that the fact that I finally learned how to do a basic cable, and this "Rib Rib Cable" scarf is a natural choice.

Emergency Yarn Ornaments - Now in PDF form

2009-10-22T06:10:00.005-04:00

This isn't new; it's a "pattern" (really a tutorial) I created a few years ago and posted on my old blog. But I've always meant to convert it to a PDF and make it available for download -- other things just always got in my way. Recently, people have been having trouble accessing the original blog post, so I finally got my butt in gear and finished the PDF. It's not perfect, but it's not that bad, either.

I originally called it the "Emergency Knitter's Ornament." I know of at least one person who did, indeed, break open the glass to get at the yarn. But she was nine and loved pretty yarn to knit with, so I cut her some slack.

Now, called "Emergency Yarn Ornament" (because "yarn" is shorter than "knitter's/crocheter's/weaver's/spinner's/dyer's"), the pattern is currently hosted on Ravelry as a free download. You should be able to obtain it using the following link:

download Emergency Yarn Ornament now

This is the ideal time of year to churn out a bunch of these. The clear glass ornaments are available at most "big box" craft stores and are frequently on sale.

Limitations: Only one store currently has permission to print and distribute copies of these (Nestucca Bay Yarns, in Oregon). Otherwise, making more than the necessary couple for personal use is a no-no. (Giving a copy to a friend who isn't online a lot is fine. Printing out stacks to hand out anywhere is not.) Store owners interested in an approved copy (with store logo added) to distribute should contact me. See PDF for the traditional copyright notice.

If you do make some, and are on Ravelry, please add them to your notebook. I really love seeing what other people turn out!

Interim House Contest Results

2009-10-02T17:31:00.001-04:00

(Finally, right? I wanted to give the other person a really good chance to respond about her package. Plus, I needed to make this fancy-schmancy collage so you could all see the goodies that these fine people sent!)

Before I get to the winner, I first have to say how very much in awe I am of the generosity these packages represent. Some were large, some small, some seriously tricked out, but they all are going to a great cause and the ladies at IH really get a kick out of hearing about them. They love the cards/postcards and notes that are frequently included, and the tools and yarn area great addition to their therapy.

It's all wonderful, and I don't want anyone to think that by calling out a couple of things that I don't think it's all fantastic! We had a small helper this year, with one (very) young lady helping photograph her mom's box. "WMK" included a card that read "It's Mel's Birthday/And I'm celebrating/By sending presents to YOU." Tvini sent one of her (now) famous (to me) scarf kits.

Sarah, Pam, Robin, Nadine, Stephanie, Tvini & WMK: thank you so much!

The winner: Robin! She will get a skein of Urban Legends yarn and a project bag.

She already knows; I emailed her after the drawing when I knew the announcement would be delayed.

However, everyone is going to get something. I'll be in touch to check on mailing addresses. If you want to send me an email now with that info., go right ahead.

IH Results Delay for sad reason

2009-10-01T12:28:00.000-04:00

I have the IH results ready to share -- they'll be up tomorrow. I'd planned on posting them tonight, but while I was looking for links for all the participants' blogs, I found that my dear internet buddy, Sarah, also known as "gwensmom" lost her sweet angel last week.

I'm kicking myself for being so bad at keeping up with friends' blogs. Hopefully I can rectify this before another friend goes through a severe crisis. I just don't have it in me to have a super upbeat message go live.

New post on Halloween Blog

2009-09-22T07:15:00.003-04:00

Post on Books on the Halloween blog, including review of a children's book, and great resources for free downloads (PDF or Kindle) of great spooky classics.

Red Scarf 2010: Care Tags & Wraps

2009-09-21T07:21:00.002-04:00

Finally getting these uploaded & live again.

Red Scarf Care tags:

Wrap (2 per page):

letter-size paper
legal-size paper (not sure about the quality of this one - if it's bad, I'll fix it tonight)

IH Contest - Did I miss anyone?

2009-09-16T11:00:00.004-04:00

I'm going to give this a couple of days to make sure I have all of the entries. (I've searched my in-box for every keyword I could think of; I think I have them all, but if I don't, please get in touch ASAP.) I'm preparing a collage to share as well.

Heather H.
Robin. *
Stephanie *
Clara
Pam
Sarah T.
Nadine *

I think you all ROCK.

*+blog

PS: 22Sept -- I'm waiting to hear from one person who indicated that she was going to send a package. As soon as I do, I'll take care of the drawing. (It's a special case; normally I'd stick with the deadline, but this is the person whose blog brought IH to my attention in the first place.)

Why over-packing is good

2009-09-11T13:24:00.006-04:00

Greetings from "Beyond."

Beyond is the property my brother and I inherited from my dad. John and I have been here for about a week, and have been working on a horror/comedy film. Tomorrow is probably the last day of principal shooting -- secondary shooting will pick up in a week or so around home.

I have so much more to write, but not much time. There have been close to 30 people here, total, some for one evening to play drones/zombies, others for longer stretches. I came along, mostly to be emotional support for John; I was also going to be having a small spoken part (as a "peep"), and act as combination production assistant and co-producer.

To prepare for the extra-with-one-line role, as requested, I dyed my hair black (badly, as it turns out). I packed a variety of outfits, suitable for 9 days camping out in a barn and running around. I always over-pack. Always. I wish I'd packed more, but I'm glad I had as much as I did (clothes were stuffed into one of the huge blue bags from Ikea), because I ended up with a significantly larger role. Like, one of the main 4 parts.

On indie movies, at last on this one, a lot of times cast is responsible for their own wardrobe and makeup (except for specialized stuff). I have 2 pair of pants and 4 tops that I'm rotating, depending on which scene we're shooting. And wow, are they limp. It's just what I packed -- 1 outfit for my little part, and the rest for just day-to-day stuff.

It's freaking hot here during the day, and almost freezing at night, but beautiful. It's been absolutely beautiful every day. Not a hint of rain (so far), and cold nights are excellent for fog scenes. We've had issues with bathroom and shower availability and I've gotten almost good at getting changed just around a corner or under a nightshirt...there is little privacy (it's like a giant slumber party).

I have so much more! But I have to go kill some monsters now.

IH Contest Extended, Knitting in the Movies

2009-08-24T07:01:00.001-04:00

I totally forgot that I'm going to be neck-deep in monsters the week the contest was supposed to end (working on a horror movie that John is directing), so I'm extending the deadline to September 19th. (I'll update the main post, so there is no confusion!)

Packages already sent by: Heather H. & Sarah T. Many thanks, ladies!

Speaking of horror movies... if you think you might be interested in acting in a movie, or - at the very least, playing a zombie-type extra - check out http://www.chartarum.com/. Filming starts September 5th in the NW part of the state (south of Cadillac, MI), and all the zombie stuff is happening that first weekend (Labor Day weekend). It's a low-budget deal, and we're camping, and it's going to be TONS of fun!

This is a fun bit of news: There is going to be knitting in the horror movie. Once details are finalized, I'll be back to share the sponsor info.

Updated Snake Scarf Pattern Available

2009-08-19T12:30:00.003-04:00

I forgot all about this! A few months ago, I updated the pattern for the snake scarf I designed for my nephews (bio & honorary) and put it up on Ravelry as a for-sale download.

One thing I love about Ravelry is the library section. You can save patterns (free or purchased through the system) in your library, and they're available to download whenever you want. I didn't realize until recently that I could add this little button and offer the pattern via my blog. (I don't know if a Ravelry ID is required to purchase or not.)
Just $2.00
The pattern has been test-knit (by someone other than me), and is very robust -- I even included a template for the felt tongue and charts for the head & tail sections.

If you can access Rav, click on the link in the first paragraph and then the projects tab to see how others have interpreted the pattern - there are some really fabulous versions!

I also have a free pattern available on Ravelry: view Bath Scrubby on Rav; or download PDF now

Knitting Finds: Robot, Darning Needle Case

2009-08-17T17:16:00.001-04:00

The story's happy ending first: Check out Danger Crafts for a super-adorable knit robot pattern (and several other great toys). I just placed my first order with Rebecca this morning, the 5-for-$20 deal, and had to have the robot as one of the selections. (See end of post for the beginning of the story.)

I received my email well within the 24-hours promised (more like 2 or 3) and am very impressed! The patterns appear to be very clearly written, with lots of pictures showing all the steps. (As a visual learner, I always appreciate this kind of thing.)

If you have babies or small children to knit for (or monster/robot fanatics), I highly recommend these patterns! I cannot wait to cast on for one... just have to decide which one* is first.

*I also got: Daphne & Delilah (Momma & Baby Monster); Frances, the Charismatic Monster; Olivia, the Audacious Monster; and Penelope, the Empathetic Monster.

My new knitting accessory
This was my birthday present to myself. It's a (darning) needle case, and it's even prettier in person. These fabulous cases are hand-made by a gentleman by the name of Dr. A (I don't know if it's cool to share his entire name).

Here's a quote from an email I received from the good doctor: "I work in rare and beautiful woods from around the world and especially America, all harvested from otherwise what would have been scrapped wood. If you have a particular piece of wood with sentimental meaning, I can also craft one from that. Also, as you know, I also work in acrylic plastic, which has an infinite range of color possibilities."

My case is acrylic, because that's what I wanted. The cost was $25, including shipping, and it arrived the day after I paid. (Delivery times could vary, I'm sure, depending on several factors.) It was the orangest one he had in stock and I was too impatient to wait for one of "my" sick greens or other shades of orange. I have no regrets; not only is it very pretty, it also kind of matches my dagger. I'm going to add the sock needle gauge (mentioned in the previous gadget post) to the ring, as well as another gadget that's on its way, and pop the whole thing in my main notions bag.

Check out other samples of his work on his daughter-in-law's blog, Reading While Knitting (link goes directly to the needle case entries). Directions on how to order can be found in the entries.

The beginning (for me) of the Robot pattern story
Once upon a time, there was a pattern for a really cute robot. It was available for a very limited time, in a small booklet, which sold out very fast (two printings). The designer opted to not release any more booklets, as is her right. Right now, you can only get legit copies at very high prices on eBay. I knit one of the robots myself (not well -- it was my first attempt with insartia), and while it's little more than a square with arms and legs sewn to the sides, it is a cute pattern. I remember getting pretty pissed-off at a magazine for featuring the robots on the cover, with a statement implying that the pattern was included (even though I already had it). I've been on the lookout (casually) for another robot pattern to recommend. So glad I found it.

IH Contest Update

2009-08-13T12:40:00.003-04:00

I heard from Kathy, the social worker at Interim House (the one who created the program this contest helps out), and she shared some current special needs with me:

Straights size 8 and up
Circulars size 11, 13, 15
The ladies love the multicolored Red Heart kind, and they always love fun fur.

Feel free to send whatever you'd already planned. This is for folks who wanted some guidance.

Also -- the post card isn't a requirement. Just a request/suggestion. If that's the only thing holding you back, don't worry about it.

I've heard from several people who were going to be working on packages: thanks to you all, and to anyone who is thinking about it!

Happy Birthday to Mel - IH Contest Time Again

2009-08-08T08:49:00.010-04:00

Please note that the deadline has changed to September 19th. I'll be updating the graphics as soon as I can!

For the last few years, I've held a contest that ended on my birthday. This year, I had to mix things up a little, and I'm starting it on my birthday. Help out a worthy cause and win stuff! This is the 5th contest, but the 4th I've held linked with my birthday.

Short version of the details

First Prize: 1 skein of Urban Legends sock yarn in a to-be-determined (and dyed) colorway)
Second Prize: 1 Urban Legends project bag (There may be more, but I don't want to promise until I'm sure)
Deadline: Package mailed and email to me by noon on September 19th, 2009
You could have up to five chances to win (1 for mailing, 1 for blogging, up to 3 for referrals) - see the part about spreading the word. Of course, you need to enter yourself for this to work!
Absolutely EVERYONE qualifies, no matter where you live or if you won last time.

Longer version of the details
Interim House is one of a very small number of charities that I both trust and support. It's a rehab facility that (very successfully) added knitting and crochet to their curriculum. Volunteers come in to teach and show off projects, and all the clients learn at least one of the crafts. It contributes a huge boost to their self-confidence to finish something tangible. You can read more about it at their blog. Please note that you'll never see the faces of the clients in the images for privacy reasons, but you'll see their volunteers and interns modeling the clients' work (and their own).

On to the details: It's simple!

Between now and noon (ET) on September 19th, send a package to Interim House, containing yarn (see notes at end about what to send) and/or notions/tools. Make sure you take a picture of the contents!
Please include a postcard from your area (the ladies like knowing where the packages come from!)
Send stuff to: Kathy Duffy, Social Worker
Interim House Inc.
333 W. Upsal St.
Philadelphia PA 19119
Send me an email telling me that you sent a package. Please include a picture (or a link to one) of the assembled goods (and who referred you, if that's the case (you can't refer yourself)). My (spam-proofed) email ends with @gmail.com and starts with crazycatladymel (just switch the order and pop 'em together).
Keep track of updates via this link, or click on the button in the sidebar. I'll post about developments, update about prizes, etc.

Please, please, please spread the word! Don't think of it as lowering your chances of winning. If you're meant to win, you will! Feel free to grab the button and link to this post. In addition, to sweeten the pot:

If you post about this on your blog (and let me know), I'll put your name in a second time. You can post about it before you mail, of course! As long as you get a package out before the deadline, both entries will go in.
If someone enters and says you referred them (and you entered too), I'll put your name into the basket again. Up to 3 more times!

Sometime after noon on the 8th, I'll put all the names into a basket (including the bonus entries) and draw the winning name.

What to send

Please send at least a couple of complete skeins. After that, feel free to pile on any partial balls. (It's absolutely fine if you shop from your stash 100%.)
An assortment of accessories and tools would also qualify (new or gently used). Lingerie bags are helpful because of the popularity of felted bags. (Update: requests from IH.)
Please send what you feel led to; however, if you need ideas, I'd consider sending things like feltable wool (felted bags are very popular) circular needles (short for bags, long for shawls & blankets), darning needles, etc.
Please don't send scary yarn. Barring texture and fiber preferences (e.g. fun fur or acrylic), if you wouldn't knit with it, please don't send it. This is my request, not necessarily theirs, and I've never yet had an issue with it. But I've seen the kind of things people donate to charity... it's okay to throw some things away!

A great thing that more than one person has done in the past is to put a kit together, with everything needed for a project: yarn, needles and pattern. Most of the women that come into the program start out as beginners, but some of them progress really quickly, so they can use virtually any kind of project (cotton washcloths, felted bags, lace shawls). If you're a sale-watcher, watch for clearance items like tape measures or yarn. If you're a knitter/crocheter, then you KNOW what to get (anything!).

New Blog: Mel's Halloween All Year

2009-08-03T06:45:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to do this for ages: Mel's Halloween All Year. You can follow it in Google, or subscribe to it in a reader. From now on, I won't put full Halloween posts here, just make tiny announcements that there's new content over there.

Urban Legends Yarn In the Shop!

2009-07-27T07:26:00.001-04:00

All limited edition colorways, including "Dark & Stormy Night" (above), "Golden Arm" (I want my golden arm!), "Amityville," "The Babysitter," and more! Shop link.

More Showing Off

2009-07-26T09:51:00.004-04:00

After my little run-in with a not so pleasant client, I backed off from making myself available to do ads for Ravelry (and elsewhere). I'm still working with existing clients, and taking new ones on a referral basis.

Nestucca Bay Yarns & Fibers (www.nbyarns.com) was an early client and has kept me busy throughout the last year plus. It's kind of become my LYS (local yarn store), even though it's not remotely local (Oregon). They recently launched a new site that's even easier to navigate (and is connected to their in-store sales, so the quantities available are pretty accurate).

This little baby on the left is something I whipped up for them, although I can't take credit for the artistic elements (except the picture of the yarn (that's my own Malabrigo)): just the composition is mine. This one is in the current knitscene magazine (fall09), and will be in an upcoming Interweave Knits. It's my third such ad, and every time, I get pretty excited and have to show off. (I can't wait to see the Facebook ad pop up!)

The Pens Cost More Than the Planner

2009-07-17T13:02:00.007-04:00

By request/suggestion:
Last fall, I needed a planner.I don't know why I didn't have one for the calendar year already, but I didn't. I picked up a spiral number at an office supply store, relieved that they had some that started in September. I popped it into a (slightly beat up) planner cover that I'd been saving for some reason, and went on my merry way.

What I didn't realize is that it only had pages through the end of June (and the first few days of July, to finish the week). Well, crap. (It wasn't a traditional studen planner -- no homework schedules, etc.) I tried muddling through with printouts from my work scheduling program, but I needed something more solid, something that I could carry around with me and, you know, plan stuff with. Ordering one now would a) land me in a similar predicament next year, and b) would require an expenditure I didn't want to make. I decided to make my own.

I consulted a co-worker, who sent me several online possibilites, including the Hipster PDA (index cards & a binder clip). I finally settled on my interpretation of the DIY Planner.

This would have been SO easy in InDesign, but for reasons I can't go into, I had to create it in Publisher (ick). Still, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out.

I used some scrap paper to make a "mechanical" so I could get the pages laid out correctly (they needed to line up right when printed on both sides and folded together). The first few pages are month calendars, followed by some notes pages, then each 2-page spread has a weekly calendar one one side and a to-do list on the other. At the very back are some more notes/ideas pages. I stuck 2 sheets of slightly thicker paper together with adhesive, and used that as the outer cover (to slide into the cover's sleeve) and stapled the center several times with a long-reach stapler.

To make a six-month calendar, I used 18 sheets of paper, printed on both sides I might be short 2 weeks, since I started it on 13 July, so a full calendar would be 20 pages. If copying costs were 10¢ each, that's about $4. Half that if you get a deal and can print for 5¢ a side. Because I'm also using this for work, I printed it on a duplex machine here. So... free. (If you want a PDF of this calendar, leave a comment with your email address.)

The only thing that bums me out is that I started filling in the dates with an orange Flair pen, which started to give up the ghost. So I picked up a package of metallic gel pens to continue the job. Now it doesn't match! If I decide to make a planner for 2010, it might have the dates pre-printed and will probably be spiral-bound (cut in half instead of folded).

What I love about doing it myself is the fact that I can have the pages the way I use them. I don't have a lot of appointments, but I do have a lot of things to do! (I do have an appointment tonight: meeting John & my friend Jdub at the movie theater to see Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince.)

*A "mechanical" is a way to confirm page placements when you're doing things manually. In an application like InDesign, you do your pages in the order you want to see them, and a plug-in will - ziiip - put them in the right order.

Introducing: Urban Legends Yarn

2009-07-09T13:14:00.004-04:00

Squee! I renamed my Etsy shop (same user name, though (edited to fix link -- thanks, Sarah)) and have been added to Ravelry as a "yarnie," in preparation for the launch of my new endeavor: hand-dyed yarns! Over the weekend, I plan do do some more dyeing, and some sewing, to get some stock into the shop.

When the dyeing bug bit, I knew that I'd eventually have to come up with a theme for my colorways, even if I didn't sell them; it's kind of a tradition, but it also just sounded fun. Urban Legends was born out of my love for horror movies and supernatural TV shows. When a skein of yarn I dyed for John turned out nothing like I expected, I put it in time-out for awhile, then decided that I liked it. I thought it looked like a field of wheat, and named it Crop Circles. The Urban Legends line was born.

I've since done Swamp Thing, Bloody Mary, Bathtub Kidney (by request) and Area 51. (If you can't get to Ravelry, you can see some colorways under my "urban legends" Flickr tag.) Colorway names will fall under the categories of urban legends, monsters, conspiracy theories, lore and phenomena (maybe some phobias, too).

Also coming to the shop are some sewn items: project bags similar to the one shown in the previous post (less complicated bags mean lower prices), some skull pillow shams similar to ones I made a few years ago*, and more! I hope to do an update by sometime on Sunday.

I have a couple of goals. Mainly, to make enough money to buy more yarn to keep dyeing more (and learning more); also, to make some "mad-money" so I can buy doo-dads without worrying about making ends meet. Just because I'm working full-time and bringing home a paycheck (monthly, eeew), doesn't mean I haven't forgotten what it's like to be broke and wondering if I could make my insulin last until I got benefits (I did!).

*I'm thinking about picking one pillow size (say, the travel pillows you can find everywhere) and making just the shams to save on shipping costs for my customers.

Mystery Solved
I don't believe I shared here that I solved the mystery of the Crop Circles yarn (that was supposed to be Mossy Green). Weeeel. It's kind of embarrassing, but I'm sharing anyway. When you work with acid dyes, you need a mordant, something that helps set the dyes. A very commonly used mordant is your basic white vinegar, but it turns out that the smell of vinegar (spread by the steam from the boiling water) makes John nuts. No problem -- another one that's fairly easy to get is citric acid. I had just been given a bag of it, but remembered having some with my bath-salt making supplies, so I figured I'd use that up first. Guess what? It wasn't citric acid. At least not entirely -- I must have mixed some salts that were just waiting for scent to be added and forgot. Tossed the whole container in the trash and haven't had a problem since!

Born on the 4th of July

2009-07-05T20:54:00.005-04:00

I did a little sewing on Saturday morning. I wanted to take a little gift to the daughter of the people we were going to be seeing at a pro-freedom rally/tea party protest, and I really needed a small sock bag that I could hang from my wrist while I wandered around. At some point, I'll try a drawstring version, but I liked this one just fine.

I stitched up two bags before we hit the road:

The one shown above was made using one of my favorite cherry prints (I hoard those pieces!). For the lining, I used a nifty red print from Jennifer/Feltmouse (I won a contest on her blog ages ago -- haven't done a lot of sewing since, but I'm ready to start working through it). I made it long, and kind of deep, so it holds a small notebook, a big ball of sock yarn and a sock-in-progress. During the event, I also managed to cram a bottle of water and my camera in there, along with some literature. Now, it's back to just holding the notebook, yarn & sock.
The green one, which you can see on my Flickr page, was made using some really cool green vintage fabric that reminded me of strawberry leaves (the recipient loves strawberries), also received from Feltmouse; for the lining I used a fruit print that I had in my stash (second from right, here).

I'd love to talk about the event, but I need some time to collect my thoughts. There were three excellent speakers, but the remaining speakers veered way off the course of pro-freedom discussion. In every other way, it was a great day; I met some fascinating new people and even got to take some video that John may use in an upcoming Think Twice News episode. After we got home, when it started getting dark, we were treated to a pretty decent backyard fireworks display (our neighbors had a professional set-up). It's a short video:

On Friday, I visited a local cemetery with KarenD. I'll be posting pics to my Flickr account in the next couple of days (need to do some resizing).

Gadgets, part 1: Needle Gauges

2009-06-25T11:55:00.002-04:00

This started out to be a post about shopping early for ~~Christmas~~ winter and other holiday gifts for knitters. It got really long. So, I'm breaking it up.

I've been collecting a list of links to things I'd like in my notions bag(s). I thought they'd make good stocking-stuffers (etc.), so I was going to wait to post it, then someone started a similar topic on Ravelry, and I realized that people might want to start shopping now (for themselves or friends/family who knit). I started it, but like I said, it got looong. Then, yesterday, I got a new gadget in the mail, and had to show it off, so the series was born!

Go-Go-Gadgets Part 1: Needle Gauges/Sizers
Needle gauges are a real must in a knitter's notions/gadget bag. They're used for exactly what the name says: to determine needle size -- helpful because a lot of needles don't come with the size printed on it (KnitPicks) or the info. wears off after use (any bamboo/wood needles). Most gauges also have a small ruler so you can figure out your stitches per inch (also called "gauge," in the US at least).

The gauge shown here is a great item for sock-knitters! I ordered mine from ScoutJ on either Sunday or Monday, and it arrived on Wednesday. Most gauges just have the even needle sizes, except the 10½ (all sizes given are US), which makes it tough when you have sock needles in sizes like 1½ & 2½. This one only goes up to size 4, because that's the usual range for socks. The mini ruler is 2" long -- a standard length for ribbing on many sock patterns. ($12)
The same maker has a regular needle gauge (same page as linked above) that starts at 8-0 (that's 00000000) and goes up to size 15 (doesn't seem to have 0, but I could be missing it), with a 4" ruler. ($16)
These metal ones come in a wide variety of colors are are pretty enough to wear as a necklace. Even though they don't have the odd half sizes, I want at least one. This link goes to the best price I found ($16).
I found the "i needle u" man-shaped gauge yesterday, and think it's hysterical. This link goes to the best price I found ($10).
You can get simple metal ones from any craft store for under $3. They're perfectly fine, but can be a pain because they bend so easily.

There are even more options out there, but these are my favorites!

Related gadgets:

The Knit Kit - Many gadgets in one! This is like a Swiss Army knife for knitters, with a tape measure (how it fits into this topic), tiny scissors, and lots more. ($19.99)
Tape measures - range in price from $1 (small metal ones from places like Home Depot) to $10 (fancy sheep-shaped ones). I lose these things pretty frequently (they eventually show up again), and any child that gets their hands on one tends to pull the tape right out of the case, so I like to find them on sale and stock up. This one from KnitPicks is only $1.99, and since it's yellow, would be easy to find in a dark bag!

Socks!

2009-06-16T17:16:00.011-04:00

I've been knitting for about five years, and the idea of knitting socks both fascinated and terrified me at the same time, up until about a year ago. Some people start on socks as one of their first projects, some wait awhile. I waited a good long while!

I taught my friend, Anita, how to knit a couple of years ago, and she was knitting socks (two at a time!) within a year, while I was still intimidated. Then, I found a book that changed everything for me. Come to find out, with the right instructions -if socks are something that appeal to you - they aren't that hard or scary at all; in fact, they're downright magical. Wearing hand-knit socks is like having your feet hugged all day long.

I've found it to be rather difficult to knit socks for people when I can't see them a few times during the process and try them on, so I've declared that - from now on - I only knit them for John, myself, and babies.

Before I made that decision, I got some yarn to knit some socks for my friend Heather's birthday. I ordered three skeins, because she's kind of like an Amazon (tall! biggish feet (although if you took my shorter feet and multiplied by width, they're probably similar in size)), and I wanted a pair, too. We have matching tattoos, so matching socks (at least with the same yarn), would be no big deal. I got the bright idea to ask her if she wanted me to knit the socks for her, or if she wanted to learn herself. Woot! Off the hook: she wanted to learn how to knit socks.

It was a little late, but her "birthday" package arrived at her doorstep late last week. I combined the yarn with the book that demystified the process for me, and some other goodies, and sent it off. About 3 months late, but that's how we roll. Heather is ready to get started, so I sent her a big, long email with a bunch of tips. I figured I'd share it with you all as well, with some modifications for a broader audience.

The book I sent: Getting Started Knitting Socks. There are tons of tutorials online (including some with videos), other books, classes, etc. This is what finally made it all make sense for me. Your mileage may vary (YMMV). Heather already knows that the copy she got is one I already owned (not new). I misplaced my first copy, not long after purchasing, and had to go buy another. Of course, a few weeks later, the first book turned up in a drawer (I don't generally keep books in drawers).

TIP: Make a photocopy of the pattern you're going to use, and any supporting pages and pop those in your knitting bag, rather than carrying the book around. As long as you own the book, this is perfectly acceptable.

The yarn I sent is not the yarn she'll start with. This requires a size US2 needle (or thereabouts); pretty small for a first time. But it's fabulous, is it not?

I've suggested that she take a similar pattern for a baby sock, and use worsted-weight yarn to get a feel for the steps involved. This pattern - North Country Cotton Baby Socks (rav link) is pretty much identical to the basic pattern in the book, except for scale.

I've been pretty amazed to find that one can wear wool socks during the hottest days of summer, and have one's feet be the most comfortable part of one's body. The type of yarn I like to use is superwash wool with 20-25% nylon for added durability.

Please note that there are several methods of knitting socks, and each has its pros and cons - and fans. I'm introducing Heather to the most basic, top-down socks.

Stuff you need:

Pattern. There are some excellent free patterns online for beginners.

Notebook & Pen. I highly recommend making notes on something besides (or in addition to) your pattern copies. Why? Notebooks are a little harder to lose. I write down everything that might be different from the pattern so I'll remember for sock #2, or a future pair. Because I lost my notes from John's first pair (see!) I've been extra careful this time.

I make notes like: "7 spi, size 3 needles, DK yarn. CO 68 with MC, 4 rows 2x2, switch to CC, 4 rows, MC - 10 rows." Translation: 7 stitches per inch (actual name of pattern AND my gauge), needle size, yarn weight. How many stitches I cast on, and the pattern I work in (k2xp2 ribbing) I'm using 2 colors of yarn, so this reminds me where to add the stripes.

Needles. I am a huge fan of the Magic Loop method, and do one sock at a time, cuff-down, on one 32" circular needle. You can also use two shorter circs or a set of double-pointed needles (DPNs). I love the fixed circulars from Knit Picks (KP). They start around $4.99 a pair for the metal ones, and the cables are plenty flexible for Magic Loop (more on that later).

Be careful when ordering from KP - they list two size 2 needles (for example), but if you look, the size given in mm is different. The first is a US2, the next would be considered a 2½.

Gauge. Even if you're one of those people who always gets the gauge printed on the ball band, you're going to need to knit up a small swatch in the round, to find out your gauge. Most sock yarn bands list a range of gauges for a range of needle sizes. When you knit in the round, you have a slightly different tension than when you knit flat.

Stitch markers. Most sock patterns are written for DPNs. I use stitch markers to indicate where the yarn would be divided on needles, and just pretend. I mark the end of the round with a double-ringed marker, which makes it very easy for me to figure out where I left off if I was in a decrease (or increase) row. You put it on the first loop when you're on a decrease row, and the second loop for the one after that (always plain knitting). Very simple.

Row counter. You need something to keep track of your rows. For some parts of the sock, I just go by length, but in other areas (like the heel flap), you need to count rows. There are many different kinds. You can get one of the clicky kind at the craft store (use a coupon - they're like $11!), one that hangs from your knitting where your roll a small dial, or just make marks on a piece of paper. (You'll want to take notes anyway.) Another way is to link a series of rings together, and move to the next loop on every row (like these) There are even bracelet kinds, but I haven't made or used one.

Notes on Techniques

Magic Loop (ML) method. I learned Magic Loop by watching a video on KnittingHelp.com (Advanced Techniques - scroll down to "small diameter circular knitting" - it's the third item). I haven't seen the video that KnitPicks has on their site (might even be the same one). If you do ML, you must have circular needles with a long and thin/flexible cable.
Picking up stitches. Probably the toughest part, and it's not really that hard. Just don't get too far ahead of yourself and you'll be fine. One thing at a time.
Toes. Everyone goes on and on about the Kitchener graft. They either love it, hate it or are afraid of it. Count me in among the haters. I just do a gathered toe (back of the book), like at the top of a hat, then turn the sock inside out and make sure I weave in the ends really well. If John can't destroy the toe, I think it's fairly safe.
Cuff. I have big ankles, but even when my socks fit comfortably, I tend to scrunch the sock down. I figure, why spent a whole lot of time knitting a long leg/cuff when it's going to end up bunched around my ankle? I usually do about 3" of ribbing, then a few rows of st st before I start the heel flap. If you have more slender ankles, or like longer socks, just knit longer before you start the heel flap.

This is just one person's view of knitting basic socks. YMMV.

Back to Sheena's - Comfort Food 2

2009-06-15T09:18:00.000-04:00

One night last week, Wednesday, I think, a friend of John's was over, working on the next episode of the news show and helping with something in the basement. They were finishing up just as I arrived, so I suggested dinner -- at Sheena's. R_ had never been, and I'd been craving the stuff for ages.

It was pretty busy when we pulled up, but we received quite the warm welcome! It turns out that Sheena had received my note, linking to the first blog post. She loved the pictures showing off her food, and all the nice things I'd said (all true) about the taste of the food and the cleanliness of the place. (She also said it made her cry, I'm guessing in a good way, considering what happened next.) R_ got a tour of the grill, but no offers to taste things, because Sheena had something else in mind. She told us to order our dinners, and then she'd set us up with some other goodies.

So, we ordered and paid for our meals. R_ and I both got the brisket sandwich (mine with coleslaw, his without) and fries; John got the Red Hots dinner. And we all got lemonade (in larger cups!). I had enough left over from my sandwich to make another one for work the next day (between two slices of regular, boring bread).

I neglected to get a photo of the fries this time, and still haven't seen the making of them in action (I'm so easily distracted), but John says that they're fresh cut, on the spot, not frozen. He also says that they heat up - in the oven - pretty well.

Besides our meals, other food just kept arriving! It seems that the blog entry may have sent some business her way. It was definitely shared during a business expo. in Detroit a couple of weeks ago, showing a possible result of good product and customer service. (It's just as easy to write a bad review, but I find it infinitely more enjoyable to write a good one, with all the trimmings (pictures, details).)

There was a tiny bit of confusion when the food first started arriving. I hadn't heard John's order, so we thought this pile of deliciousness was a surprise from Sheena. Oops! It was John's dinner. But sharing a couple of pieces of Red Hots (that are really too hot for me) wasn't going to be a problem for him, because then the real surprises started showing up!

First, half a slab of ribs and both kinds of beans, with smoked apples. I didn't have much of the ribs, because my goal was just to taste everything; I still had my own dinner to eat! The guys raved about the ribs; I thought they were pretty tasty and really liked the BBQ sauce. The beans were great, too.

I wish I'd taken a picture of the whole table, instead of the individual dishes! R_ did, with his camera-phone. I should see if he'll send it to me.

I am not a huge fan of poultry, because poultry doesn't like me. I am a sucker for good chicken strips (largely because of the Ranch dressing), and Popeye's chicken nuggets, but I tend to avoid the stuff in general. I will, however, make an exception for this smoky goodness!!

This here could just be my new favorite thing. If you like a traditional Irish corn beef & cabbage dinner, this might appeal to you: it's one of Sheena's Soul Rolls, lots of cabbage and some other fresh veggies, tossed with a healthy quantity of juicy, sliced corned beef. This wasn't ours -- I wasn't kidding when I said that Sheena liked my photographs! She called me up to take a picture of another customer's food before he took it away. But then she brought me half of an identical one to try. Oh! It came with the (optional) hot peppers, which I would not order for myself, but I picked them out and devoured the entire half, forgetting about the pile of hot fries, ribs, chicken, etc. I need to point out again that these are only $3.95!

When the weather gets colder, come sometime this Fall, Sheena will close up and focus on her art (she was an art teacher until this calling, and sculpts in her spare time) until it gets warm enough to be outside a lot. I am going to miss it, but since it's only halfway through June, I have lots of time to get my fill until bleak weather takes it all away.

Oh, so many things

2009-06-15T07:39:00.006-04:00

I've had many things to blog about, but not so much the energy or time. So a few short blurbs (light and funner stuff first):

Crafty & Stuff

If you get the joke, you may want one of these stitch markers: Glass Swans. They are not truly suited for practical use, but are truly fun to have and giggle at. Available in my shop.
A new online knitter's magazine just launched (as in last night or this morning): Petite Purls. Focus is on adorable patterns for small children; the first issue has a knitted lobster toy that either gender would enjoy.
I'm about a third of the way finished with the second sock of the pair I'm knitting for John. Sock #1 fit perfectly (woot!) and I believe I'll meet my goal of having these done by Friday. As soon as the pair is done, I've promised something for a charity as part of knitalong on Ravelry. Then, maybe a pair for me again.

Fast & Furious
I've had the 'flu for past couple of days. Woke up Saturday, around 4 AM with what may have been a "regular" migraine, but it could also have been a precursor to the illness. As the day dragged on, I felt less and less okay; until, by mid-afternoon, I was quite ill. Sunday was a day of many naps and lots of DVD-watching and knitting. Today, I'm not at work, because I still have very little energy and my fever kept coming back last night and I hate people that show up to work with fevers (frequently means contagious). I'm pretty confident that I'll be fever-free tomorrow and able to walk the two blocks from my parking lot to my building!

Crisis Averted
We have had a small leak in the basement from the floor above for some time. At first, we thought it was just condensation from the air conditioner; however, once we had a dehumidifier running non-stop, it didn't get any better. So John contacted the home warranty company, and they had a plumber out the next day. There was a crack in the hot water main! Not covered, sadly, for convoluted reasons, but cheap to fix considering the alternative (if it broke wide open)! That wouldn't have been covered either.

So Confused (and this won't help a lot)
You may have noticed that I edited the two posts related to the ad debacle. Well, the ads are staying down, but things have gotten, shall we say interesting(?), and I've had to contact a lawyer. What's frustrating is that I thought everything was resolved, and several days later got a series of emails from official channels, opening up an ever bigger can of worms. People really need to get the whole, up-to-date story before they try to dive in and "help." You know?

Next: Back to Sheena's. It would be a way-too-long post (again) if I included that.

Thank You!

2009-06-08T19:38:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who came by and left comments during the last few days. I do have comment moderation on, but I posted every single one received, and I'm grateful for each and every one of them.

Ad Update

2009-06-07T16:15:00.007-04:00

There's an update in Friday's post, but I don't want anyone to miss it. Ravelry has removed the disputed ads from the site again. ~~The ads were removed, but it looks like it was temporary... again.~~

Kind of back to where things were. At least as regards the ad.

Surprise Colorway

2009-06-07T08:44:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, I decided to try my hand at dyeing some sock yarn with Wilton food coloring (previously, I've only used KoolAid). A sweet Rav-pal sent me an assortment package of the dyes a few weeks ago, along with a skein of exactly the yarn I needed for a pair of socks for John (I hadn't mentioned that anywhere - it was a total random coincidence). I looked all over for color-mixing charts that would get me the mossy green color I wanted, and found one, forgetting that most of the directions out there are for icing. When you add heat to the mix, the colors break up. (I knew that in the back of my mind, but had forgotten for the moment.) Edited to add: I definitely used vinegar in the pre-soak and some in with the dye itself.

First, since I had a few skeins of undyed merino sock yarn (another RAK gift (I am so lucky!)), I decided to try dyeing one of those first. I figured I'd end up with some kind of green, which my feet would always happily wear. I played around with it, combining the yellow and violet, which were just not getting it done. So I added some brown. I ended up with a bright green with a touch of greenish brown splotches. I liked it, so I went ahead with the yarn for John, using the hand-painted method instead of the kettle/stove-top.

Somewhere along the lines, something went really wrong. The yarn I put into a gallon Zip-loc bag (to steam in the microwave) was, indeed, a deep mossy green (mostly). What came out... something else altogether. But John liked it, so I decided to leave it as is. After I wound it into a ball (cake), I christened it Crop Circle. (I'm learning that you must name your yarns.) I haven't named the green yarn yet... still thinking on it.

Yesterday I packed my emergency knitting bag* for a road trip. (John had to film an interview in Ohio.) I cast on and just knit and knit, the whole way there. There was some rearranging once we arrived (due to vehicle constraints), and I stayed with John's partner's wife and young daughter. We did some gardening, and walked around, and blew bubbles, and I just blathered on nonstop. Later, we went back inside, and I took up the knitting again. I got more done than I think I've ever accomplished in one day, especially on a sock! Plus, I was able to spend time with some lovely people, and stay away from this blasted machine (and not think about certain things) for most of the day.

Later, we went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant they like. The food was fabulous, the company excellent, the service... confusing.

Plans: try a different method of heat-setting the yarn; get some other mordant (I think that's the right word) besides vinegar; try some commercial dyes (which will mean a dedicated set of pans, dishes, etc., but might be worth the trade-off for the control).

*It's so corny; I was saving this bag until I could actually pack it as an emergency kit. Someday I will, and I'll tuck it under the seat in John's car. But it's a great regular knitting bag, with little pockets all around. Highly recommended.

Back to knitting

2009-06-06T23:52:00.004-04:00

I know, I can't believe it either! It's been a couple of weeks since I did anything but a few half-hearted stitches on a fall-weight ribbed scarf. Last weekend, I attempted to dye some sock yarn. I'll post about that once I have the photos onto Flickr.

John had to film an interview in Ohio today, and I tagged along. I cast on for his socks as we were pulling out of the driveway (didn't actually join the round and start knitting until after I got something to eat), and knit pretty furiously off & on all day. Tonight, I'm starting to decrease the gusset. Feels pretty good.

It's been almost a knitting wasteland here for almost a month. First, I was having pains in my left wrist, so I figured I'd give it a break. Two weeks ago, we lost Sheldon, and I just haven't been in the mood. Today, it just felt like something I needed to do!

*Can't get two socks, even short crew ones, out of a ball of sock yarn for him.

This is not easy

2009-06-05T19:03:00.008-04:00

~~Update, Sunday, June 7~~: Heard from the folks at Ravelry that they have removed all of the ads. They can't, obviously, police her account, but if I spot any that are this similar again to let them know. Looks like this info. wasn't entirely accurate.

Something's happened to me that happens all of the time to creative people: someone has picked up something I created and used with without my permission. In the grand scheme of things, it's hardly the end of the world. It's just a squiggly line. But my response to that is, "yes, it is, just a squiggly line, so why can't you make your own?"

In mid-May, I was contacted by a Ravelry user about the possibility of doing some advertising. Until today, I had in my profile a link to a "roll call" thread, displaying some samples of my work, and an offer to exchange ads for cash or yarn. I'm not terribly busy with it, but I have gotten a few skeins of yarn out of it, and met some nice people. As reasonable as my rates were (about half of what some designers* charge), after they hear my rates, more than half of the people I hear from don't get back in touch. This person did, and we ended up speaking on the phone.

I was told that there had been another designer on the job; she'd been paid, but the work wasn't exactly what my new client wanted. Could I base an ad on what had been done, but create the artistic elements of it myself (the remaining elements were straight gray lines and her own logo, plus a typed tag line)?

Disclaimer: I didn't know right off the bat who this first designer was, but I honestly saw nothing wrong with her version of the ad. In fact, I still feel that it was superior to mine. And, I must say that I felt really uncomfortable with this, but against my better judgment, went ahead with it, because sometimes, people just can't work together. Later, I discerned that the cause did not belong on designer #1's doorstep.

I created an ad to her specifications -- mostly tweaks of the original, plus a wavy line that I created. I sent it, like I always do with new clients, as a .JPG file with "DRAFT" embedded into the image. Soon after, when the client didn't like many things about the ad, I decided that it just wasn't worth it, and told her I couldn't help her. I did not bill her, because I didn't finish, nor did I deliver a usable product (because of the DRAFT portion).

Imagine my surprise when, a few days ago, I'm reading a thread in Ravelry, and I see an ad pop up. One that looks very similar to mine. As in, pretty much identical. In this image, the one I found on Ravelry is on top, and on the bottom is the one I sent back in mid-May:

At first glance, they look identical, except for the absence of the DRAFT portion. I immediately contacted my ex-client and gave her 24 hours to remove the ad. On closer inspection there are a couple of tiny differences. Since most of it, except for the placement of the items and the wavy line, were the work of the first designer, I sent another message to the client, stating that all I was concerned about was the wavy line; she couldn't use it in any way, but I didn't care about the rest of it.

It was at this time that I got in touch with the first designer. I didn't find her earlier because I'd mis-heard her name. But I took another look at the designers in that thread on Rav, realized who it was, and sent an email, apologizing for my part in the whole debacle. She was gracious and sweet, did not blame me for any of it, and offered to go to "the powers that be" (TPTB) on Rav and support my story.

I won't bore you with the back & forth conversation I had with my ex-client. She offered to pay me for the ad, but by now it had become about the principle of the thing, so I declined. Eventually, she sent an email stating "Hi Mel, The ad you worked on has been pulled." (Emphasis mine.) In the meantime, I'd located another ad, using the same line, just recolored and a bit lopped off the end. I asked her to remove this. She stated that she had to wait to hear back from her designer, to see if she had created the line. So, I sent this (my Photoshop layers, in red, nudged up a little higher so you can see them both - I made the top line red instead of the original green):

I finally had to get TPTB at Rav involved. They removed the above ad, as well as a group badge and banner I hadn't even seen. That was yesterday.

A breakdown of how the line in question was created, so you can see how minuscule the odds are that someone would create the same line:

Today, I discover that not only was there a third ad, but the first two are back, with subtle changes. (However, the group banner & badge have been replaced with completely new art. Interesting priorities there.) Basically, her designer just squished the line:
If you can't make out the text above the red line, it gives the height & width changes (~95% of the width & ~117% of the height, give or take) that were made to the line. Just squishing the line isn't replacing it. (The little dip was cut off for the first iteration of the second ad, the long one with the knitted fabric.)

Ravelry has since stated that they can't control what their advertisers do ("advertisers have control over their accounts...we can not and will not arbitrate these types of disputes.") Which does confuse me, because if someone had a dispute regarding images on another site, that content would be removed pending investigation. Not the case on Ravelry. I'm waiting to hear back from my lawyer, but I'm thinking I won't be able to afford taking legal action. So, here I am. As of this writing, almost 48 hours after the first deadline passed, the ads containing my work are still present.

As a result, I'm no longer creating ads, except for one long-term client and a few past clients. It's not worth the hassle (plus, people steal bigger stuff all the time, and I'm just not going to open myself up for that in an environment where I have no recourse). I left the design group where I've been modding for over a year, for which I created dozens of group badges and banners (for free). I'm not leaving Rav, because I have found a fabulous group of friends, and the notebook and pattern-finding features are out of this world. I do plan on scaling back my participation in other ways.

Really, who does this kind of thing? And on the same site where she found me? Lame doesn't begin to cover it.

*I'm not a graphic artist. I think people that can apply that title to themselves accurately deserve more money.

Crazy

2009-06-02T11:44:00.006-04:00

I'm not addicted to Farm Town. I can stop whenever I want. Just let me plant one more row. (Just like knitting! Sort of.)

This image is of my farm early this morning. I was too tired last night to plant it all, but I did get some commemorative art work done in the bottom left plot before I fell over. (I try to only plant in the evenings because of the growth cycle. Yes, I have thought about it this much.) The dollar $ign will stay -- this is a gulch after all! (Atlas Shrugged reference FTW!)

It's been a lot of fun, and because I have so many friends that play, that makes it even better. I was "hired" to harvest a couple of big farms* right off the bat, which gave me a significant stake, allowing me to plant my entire garden and get the ball rolling.

In turn, I've tried to hire all of my "neighbors" who are just starting out, at least once, to give them the same leg-up. If they aren't online when it's time, I've found a forum I can go to & request help, rather than going to the dreaded Marketplace, which is full of beggars. Plus, the forum people leave my trees alone (I like them for color).

*There's a real false economy in the game. It starts out okay enough - it costs (in-game) $ to plow every square, and varying amounts for the seeds. Then there is the growing period (4 hours to 4 days (a day is 20 hours)). Then it's harvest time. If you harvest your own crops, you make X. But, if you hire someone to do it, they get a 25% cut PLUS you make 25% more.

On an unrelated note, word to the wise: temper tantrums are not attractive and they don't make people like you or want to help you. After a while, it doesn't matter what your real-life problems are, people are going to quickly move past pity, to annoyed, then peeved.

Online, some people exhibit all the behavior patterns of a troll, even if they aren't intentionally doing it to create drama and tension. I don't know if this makes a person a troll or not, since it's not on purpose. But it's definitely not the way to win friends and influence people. In my mumblemumble years participating in online forums, I've developed a list of things that don't work, and make you look silly:

Constantly demand that an entire site be reprogrammed to match your preferences. The fact that other sites do it a certain way doesn't mean it's the only way, or the right way. Some site owners are innovative and are capable of thinking outside the box.
Keep bringing up the same shit, over and over, after you've been told "no, it's not going to happen."
Refuse to use the tools that are in place to help you avoid dealing with people you don't like. (It's called managing your own experience. Firefox extensions (like AdBlock or MyImageHere) are a prude's best friend. They're also the friend of people like me who are not prudes, that still like managing their own experience.)
When people disagree with you, accuse them of being trolls or being mean to you.
When it becomes obvious that you are in the minority, or that people are not coming around to your view, demand that a topic be shut down or deleted. Better still, just declare that the conversation is OVER. (We saw a thread like that somewhere a couple of weeks ago, and it was hilarious.) At some point, type this in ALL CAPS.
When that doesn't work, start insisting that everyone else is a loser for being online and not doing something real. (Because, friend, you're online, not doing something real, right at that moment.)
Start ad hominem attacks by calling people names based on their user names or avatars, or going through their profile and finding something to use that has nothing to do with the discussion.

The above may be slightly related to events that happened on a forum yesterday, but they're really universal. I've seen every one of these happen (there are more steps beyond #7, but you get the point - I didn't even touch on Godwin's law): on a scrapbooking forum, a cat forum, a wedding-planning forum, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer forum and, yes, Ravelry, time and again. If you find yourself exhibiting any of these behaviors, it's my advice that you turn off the offending browser page/tab and either find something else to do or go for a walk.

A lot of times before it progresses to #7, someone will flounce. That is, announce that they're taking their ball and going home. But usually... they don't. They cannot stay away.

Another thing they might do is get mad and start deleting all of their posts, so the discussion looks lopsided and weird. To that I say: BLOCKQUOTE, people. If you're in an online discussion and what you're responding to is crucial to your post, copy it, paste it in your post, and mark it so it's obvious it's a quote. Some sites have tools for this. If they don't, put quote marks around it and italicize it or something. You'll thank me later.

PS: If you're viewing this via a reader or anything besides the blog page itself, you might be missing some of the formatting. Facebook, for example, does not display the post formatting.

Book Reading

2009-05-27T06:29:00.007-04:00

I'm a little late with sharing my experience at the Laurie R. King/The Language of Bees book signing last Monday.

What happened is, I really didn't feel like going, but knew I'd regret it if not. (I wasn't ill, certainly not contagious, just meh.) I thought I'd arrive early... not early enough: the place was packed! Seating was managed, and I ended up in a makeshift first row, just off to the side instead of in front.

This was my first reading/author talk, and I did not know what to expect. I certainly couldn't tell you if Mrs. King is a typical author or not. She has a very self-deprecating manner, and is quite funny. She read a short chapter that I had just finished, from near the beginning of the book, talked a bit about her process and inspiration, then took questions. Lots and lots of questions. I didn't ask any myself, but there was no lack. Finally, it was time to line up for the signing. Everyone had a ticket, and they had us line up in groups of ten, so we were free to wander about the store & shop until our group was called. I'm not a big autograph collector, but a) I feel a little differently about authors v. other personalities, and b) I was already there.

When I finally got to the table, I gave her a little bee pin that I'd made awhile ago... and said just that. Felt dumb for awhile, but it was the truth after all: I made it a long time ago, when I made such things, and gave her one of the couple I'd saved for all these years. I did find out that she's a cat person, too.

Everyone talked so fondly about a book of hers, called Folly, that I wanted it, but every copy had been snapped up. I finished The Language of Bees, a day or so later, and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you haven't read Laurie R. King's books, I recommend them to mystery lovers. I wouldn't start with this last book -- at least read the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice. You can download the first couple chapters of several books on Mrs. King's site. (Link to excerpt of The Language of Bees, since it's not on the other page.)

This pic is a little blurry, but that's not a terrible thing, considering my actual subject. Not only is the image blurry, but the subject -- the little girl on the floor in the front -- has her face hidden.

Which is perfect, because I'm really not comfortable taking pictures of total stranger's children and posting them online. You can just make out her hands. See what she's doing there? Knitting.

She knit for a good part of the talk, as did the woman I took to be her mom. So did I, as a matter of fact, until I reached the end of the cuff on the baby sock I was working on. I didn't have the pattern with me, and wouldn't really want to consult it at that point anyway (definitely distracting to the people around me), so the knitting went back into my purse.

Later, I went over and said hi, and asked her what she was knitting. For someone with good hearing, I had a rough time understanding -- entirely my own fault, I don't know what was wrong with me (she spoke perfectly clearly, although quietly (I was a total stranger after all!)). I finally got it (headband!), apologized for being lame, and wandered off to shop. Poor kid. Hope I didn't scare her. (She was surrounded by what looked like her entire family - the only time I'd attempt such a conversation.)

Bonus: I found a really nifty, independent bookstore. I definitely plan to return!

Comfort Food

2009-05-25T15:52:00.002-04:00

There was just no way that John and I could sit in the house all day yesterday. We had a long nap, but when we woke up, Shel's absence was just too obvious, and too fresh. So we went for one of our Sunday drives. We discussed places to eat, and John suggested a BBQ place we'd passed several times before (it was near an earlier house possibility).

I'll be honest -- I wanted to go because the place looks like one of those food trailers they have at carnivals, and I like corn dogs. There, I said it. I also like them with ketchup. I guess I'd never paid attention to the signs, because John kept referring to it as a BBQ. Anyway, it was always pretty busy when we passed.

We pulled in, parked, and decided to eat outside at one of the big picnic tables, then proceeded to the window to look at a menu. I knew right away that this was not your standard carnival fare, when we were handed full-color menus with mouth-watering pictures (which we made sure to bring home). When the proprietor, Sheena, found out that it was our first time, she led us around back to the grills (giant smokers) and showed us all the food that just waiting. Then she ran back to the kitchen for one of her Soul Rolls, donned some gloves (very clean establishment) and started cutting pieces off of things for us to try: smoked pork butt, red hot, beef soul roll.

(A Soul Roll is, essentially, a cross between an egg roll and a chimichanga. Chimichanga-size, it's a flour shell, stuffed with fresh cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, and something else (maybe parsley?), plus whatever meat you fancy, deep-fried in peanut oil. John hates cabbage and even he liked the sample he got.)

Oh, dear. This was pretty fabulous food. What to do, what to do?! Reminding ourselves that it wasn't a terrible drive, so we could come back (and therefore didn't have to order one of everything (although we wanted to)), we settled on our orders. I went with a shrimp Soul Roll and a side of Hush Puppies; John had a harder time deciding, and got a pulled pork sandwich combo and a Red Hot, taking half of each sandwich home for later. We both ordered lemonade.

Verdict:

Lemonade: it was cold, tasted fresh and was the perfect accompaniment to the food. It only comes in one size, though, so next time I'll probably bring a bottle of water or something. Again, another thing John isn't terribly fond of, because mixes & fountain lemonade make him choke up a little, but he had no reaction to it at all, leading us to believe that it was home-made.
Hush Puppies: The hush puppies were excellent and plentiful (I took several home to have as a snack later). I can't quite place the flavoring - they weren't traditional corn meal and onion, but they were fantastic.

Soul Roll: Real treat. Big fresh helping of some veggies, with, in this case, some small shrimp (not tiny eggroll ones though). Because they're deep-fried, they do end up a little messy toward the end, but they're worth it.

I didn't notice that they had mini versions on the menu -- this would allow me to have one of these and the pulled pork sammich.
Pulled Pork Sandwich: I tasted the pork butt when we got our samples (yum), but didn't try John's sandwich. However, he said that it was ideal: really nice sauce, but only just enough to accent the flavor of the perfectly-smoked pork (as opposed to mediocre pork swimming in sauce). I will probably try this next time. It comes with a layer of fresh coleslaw on it, so John, who doesn't like coleslaw, will have to order it without next time. As coleslaw goes (I had a nibble), it's also quite good.
Red Hot: John says, "best red hot I ever had." I'm sure it's the smoking that makes it so, although I have no experience. I did get a taste of it right off the grill, and it was quite yummy.
Fries: It's really hard to mess up fries, but sometimes, they can be so good they're memorable. Wow, seriously wow. Sheena sprinkles some kind of lemony seasoning over them the moment they come out of the fryer, and (not related) they seem to stay hot for a long time. I didn't regret getting Hush Puppies, but I was glad John was willing to trade!

Details:
Sheena Barnes BBQ Bones
The prices are actually quite reasonable, if you can resist ordering many things (Soul Rolls are $3.95 & the sandwich combos (including the fabulous fries) are $7.29). We learned that the trailer is their temporary location, while the permanent building next door is being finished. There is a vacant, kind of old-fashion gas station across the street that I'd love to buy and turn into a business. It's precisely in the center of no & where, but there is a lot of traffic passing regularly.

The only bummer is that they're closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and I'm craving more of the fantastic food!

If you go, make sure to grab a stack of napkins and a fork, because there's so much food the buns/shells can't hold it all. Don't want it to go to waste!

There was another restaurant we've found that I've really wanted to write about (I even took pictures), because they have the best soup, but then we had a scary encounter with some sweet 'n sour chicken with cinnamon rice pilaf that kind of killed that whole idea. Still... really excellent soup (at least 3 kinds every night, on the soup bar). You just have to stick to the menu and avoid the specials.

Goodbye, Sweet Boy

2009-05-24T16:11:00.003-04:00

We said goodbye to our dear Sheldon this morning.

John became concerned early this morning (around 5) when he came to bed after pulling an all-nighter (editing) and Sheldon wasn't asleep next to me. He looked all over, then heard a retching noise and found Sheldon spitting up blood. We bundled him up and took him to a 24-hour veterinary hospital; on the way there, we came to the conclusion that it was time for Shel to be at peace. He had been having a harder time eating, and has lost more weight. He couldn't even go outside - he so loved to rush past us and down the stairs to eat some grass - anymore because the grass made him ill. He hardly seemed aware of his surroundings on the trip. They inserted an IV catheter in his front right leg and we said our goodbyes. I stayed with him for the injection; John could not, and I understand why.

We got home without him a little after 7 this AM, and it's been so strange. He was the one cat that got along with all the others (and vice versa), the glue that held them all together.

He'd been with me for almost 16 years (and with John for six), and was my constant, ever-faithful companion. He had a knack for knowing when I was hurting, and would come to comfort me if he heard me crying. He was with me through my mom's illness, and after her passing, and the same for my dad. He was my friend when I had no other. I know he's at peace, and out of pain, but my heart is breaking. I'm still almost catching glimpses of him out of the corner of my eye.

More pics of Sheldon

Charlie has been extra clingy, and Maggie has been hiding. The three of them were nap-buddies; we'd frequently find them nestled together, sleeping.

Can you hear me now?

2009-05-14T06:55:00.002-04:00

Okay, lame title. It wouldn't be so lame if Verizon hadn't driven it into the ground! It's a phrase that's been heard in my car many, many times lately (but not anymore). This is a story about two ears (and their owner (who has a small outer ear and ridiculously narrow ear canals - probably not relevant)) in search of headphones - for both cell phone and MP3 player.

MP3 Player "Earbuds"
I've written more than once about the saga of my earbud search for my iPod (Olivia). Starting almost a year ago, I announced that I was on the hunt for a replacement -- the Apple buds really hurt my ears. A few days later, I announced that I'd found the perfect solution: a pair of buds that went further into the ear and were all kinds of soft & squishy (aka canal-sealing buds).

All seemed well. I had to use the smallest covers (the child-size ones), but they fit very comfortably. Alas! Instant dizzy spell, thanks to my Miniere's, which hardly bugged me anymore. I waited a week and tried again and was immediately dizzy. Well, crap. Pouting, I went back to the original Apple buds, hesitant to spend a dime on another pair that might end up being a waste. With money being tight, they were hardly a priority (The Skull Candy buds are on their way to a reader who has similar fit issues and was looking for resources. I cleaned 'em up really well, and am sending another alcohol pad in case she can't find replacement covers. I did only wear them twice, for a few minutes each time.)

Well, last week, the Apple buds broke a little (speaker side on one of the ear pieces popped off), plus the sound quality has been diminishing (they are three years old and have taken a beating). I took advantage of the Rite Aid campaign* to transfer Sheldon's prescriptions and get two $25 gift cards. Out of desperation, I grabbed the cheapest pair they had ($5.99) and used one of the cards to pay for it. Woot! It's just a tiny bit smaller (see crappy pic, left - new ones on top, Apple on bottom), but that seems to make all the difference: it fits better and is more comfortable. The sound quality is better, too. Haven't reached perfection yet, but I'm closer to it than I've been.

Specifics: Maxell Stereo EB-125 Earbuds. (No link because I don't know what site to link to, since I'm still pissed at Amazon over their indexing SNAFU a couple of weeks ago and have never heard of the other companies that came up with a search, but here's a pic, right.)

*Worth it for the gift cards, but what a serious pain in the ass! I had to go a total of 3 times to get one of the pills refilled - a med that Shel has been taking for two years. No other drugstore has ever had a delay in filling that script, but this store could not do it. And every time I went, the wait was long and annoying. (The third time, they had the pills and they were bottled up, but whoever finished it hadn't followed their process and it had to be repriced. In my favor, so I appreciate it, but this was the third time, so I was annoyed.)

Cell Phone Headset
This headset is dorky as hell, but, for the first time, people I'm talking to can hear me. Apologies for the picture - it was taken on laundry day, so no makeup and hey, there are my sheets in the back seat (in one of the Ikea bags I use to tote laundry to & fro.) I wish my necklace wasn't flipped over, because it's cool.

The headset pictured is, no kidding, my fourth in three weeks. I had a vague recollection of a law being passed forbidding drivers in the city of Detroit to hold their cell phones up to their heads. I'm too lazy to look it up, but don't want to risk a ticket. Besides, the driving is scary at times, so being hands-free is a good thing - I'd do it anyway if there wasn't a law (stupid, useless laws). The speakerphone on my cell kind of sucks, so I've been on the search for an affordable, but usable, headset.

#1: Purchased at Kmart. When I plugged it in, it let loose with a high-pitched squeal and redialed the last number I'd called. Oh, not good, but livable if I could use it to talk to people. Result: nope - no one could hear me, at full volume and shouting. Returned for a full refund.

#2: Borrowed from work. Looked high-tech and expensive. Also emitted the squeal, but did not dial my phone for me (appreciated). Result: Sadly, no one could hear me. I scrubbed it down with alcohol (again) and returned it to the box of miscellaneous phone parts (maybe that's why it was in the box to begin with).

#3: Cheating -- I found an old one in my car that had a broken ear piece (the little speaker was hanging by tiny wires). I glued it back together and tried it. Result: nope - squeal, followed by redial, followed by "You're so muffled." I don't remember if the thing worked with my previous phone. Probably not. Tossed into the trash.

#4: Purchased on Saturday at Best Buy. $14.99 ($6 less than the "best" one, with a really short boom), and recommended by one of the sales associates. I look like a helicopter pilot, but everyone I've tried talking to on it can hear me. Besides not being very portable, the only drawback I've found is that there is no connect/disconnect button anywhere (I have to use the buttons on the phone). The little button that I thought performed that function is a mute button, which could have its benefits. All-in-all, I'm quite satisfied.

Specifics: Rocketfish Hands-free Over-the-head Headset. Also works on X-box Live, or so I'm told. Not suitable for Skype.

What's Happening? Spring & Summer Edition

2009-05-13T06:12:00.004-04:00

I had intended on recycling the one calendar entry, but it's been so long (September/October) since I posted a calendar that I figured I'd better start a new entry. At the moment, I don't have a lot going on, but I hope to change that, so this one will be bumped with a new date as things are added.

Monday, May 18, 7 PM: I have every intention to get to Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor to get a copy of The Language of Bees and meet author, Laurie R. King. I was already a fan, for years and years, but I like her even more now because she was the first person to friend me on Goodreads (because I had most of her books on my shelves!).

Okay, not fair! Other favorite authors are going to be there in the same day at noon, with another new release that I want. Is it a holiday? (Checked -- not in US) I am bummed. Cannot justify calling in sick to work (this early) to buy a book and meet authors. Need to remind myself that I'm not really the autograph-collecting-meeting-celebs type. Still going to meet Ms. King...I mean, she invited me personally... ;-) ('salright I'm not delusional.)

Monday, May 25: US Memorial Day. Not sure yet, but what I want to do is renew our World of Warcraft accounts for 30 days and play all weekend. If we have a chance to be with people, that would be okay too.

End of the month: nephew J's 8th birthday.

Review: Star Trek

2009-05-12T06:25:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a review, so a quick refresher on my rating system: on a scale from one to five, inversely related to how much knitting I got done during the movie. Five balls means I got only a couple of stitches done or it never occurred to me to pull out the project. One ball means I got a lot of knitting done. In this case, it was definitely the latter - what knitting?

The new Star Trek... what can I say? Yes, I'm a geek. I like science fiction. I've even enjoyed some Star Trek - shows, movies, homages. Firefly kind of ruined Trek for me - I started thinking "what if these planets didn't want to be in the Federation?" (You'd have to have seen Firefly to understand where that logic was coming from.)

But this movie... dayum. I've seen it twice, and John has seen it three times (two weeks before the release, a friend of his had advanced release tickets). Seriously, hands-down, a great flick. I'm in awe of Karl Urban, who played Leonard "Bones" McCoy, who gave the distinct impression that he was channeling DeForest Kelley. Apparently, this guy can do anything he sets his mind to.

With an entirely new cast playing characters many of us grew up with, there is a danger that they'd be caricatures or impressions of the original cast. It's difficult to put into words, but let me just say that I cringed a little when I thought of the possibilities (bad Saturday Night Live sketches, etc.). Then I saw the movie. Even though Urban's Bones was eerily reminiscent of Kelley's, it wasn't an impression. The characters were enough like the originals to be recognizable, but they were fresh and exciting at the same time.

You don't have to be a Trekkie or sci fi fan to enjoy this movie. It helps, of course, but overall, it's an enjoyable event.

Other movies
We've only seen a couple other movies (in theaters) in the last few months: Monsters v. Aliens and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I enjoyed them both, but I don't have a lot to say by way of review.

It's a Miracle

2009-05-11T11:59:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, John and I went to a little BBQ/party given by a couple we met last summer (at a BBQ!) and have become friends* with since.

I loved the inspiration for the party, and vowed to blog about it ASAP. The concept, at least is simple. (The cleaning of the house, and buying and prepping of the food, etc., can be time-consuming and costly, regardless.) Essentially, pick something you've always wanted to try, some unusual/hard-to-get food you love and want to share, and throw a party. The result on Saturday was an informal and fun event for adults and kids.

Besides the conversation, which was excellent, there were three main stages to the party. I'm going to talk about them in reverse order, because the final part of the day was the coolest thing and I don't want to lose you before you get to it!

Part III
As the afternoon turned into evening, then into night, it was time for the finale, something that Mel & Rich had been dying to try: Miracle Fruit Tablets. They weren't the only ones -- John and I have been curious about the berries (and later, the pills) since we first heard about them a couple of years ago. These miraculous little berries contain a resin of some sort that temporarily binds to the tastebuds that register sours, and makes them taste sweet. (I'm over-simplifying, but you get the idea.)

We joked that we must trust these people a lot, because they passed out little red pills, and we all obediently popped them into our mouths and dissolved them on our tongues. (They don't do you any good if you chew them.) Most of us agreed that the taste reminded us of raisins, maybe with a hint of cranberry thrown in.

Then, we stood around the table and bravely grabbed for pieces of lemons, limes, grapefruit, sour dill pickles, etc. The things that were hot & sour, like hot sauce, were sweet on the tongue, like BBQ sauce, but hot in the throat. That was strange! My favorite was the grapfruit. I know it's good for you, and I love the smell, but really don't like the taste - unless it's got a ton of sugar on it, which defeats the purpose. With one of these pills (½ might have done the trick), the grapefruit was sweet and delicious.

Sweet things, like strawberries & oranges, tasted sweeter. Sour apples tasted like the sweetest Red Delicious apples, without the grainy/mealy texture that you sometimes get. It doesn't affect bitter, so the Baker's chocolate tasted even worse, if that's possible.

You want to have some fun? Order some of these little pills (you can get them from Think Geek) and either prepare a buffet of sour treats or, like Mel & Rich did, have your friends bring sour things to the party. This would be a fun party activity for just about any age! The seven-year-old there had a blast, as did her grandparents, and just about everyone in between. A couple of people noticed little difference, which was a bummer. The effects wear off within an hour or so, sped-up by dairy products (so, if you have it for a party, make sure it's after the ice cream & cake!).

Part II
We enjoyed the hard-to-get food, a dessert that Mel & Rich enjoyed on their honeymoon in Hawaii: Mochi Ice Cream. No lie, they had it air-shipped from the islands so their family and friends could sample it.

From the website: Mochi is "...a harmonious combination of creamy gourmet ice cream wrapped in a sweetened rice confection, all resulting in a delectable bite-sized, one and a quarter ounce ball of happiness."

I quite agree -- provided you get a flavor you enjoy. John and I both really liked the Passion Fruit flavor (there were 4 available to try). I can see how they'd be dangerous!

Part I
The first was the BBQ (enjoyed indoors thanks to the frustrating weather): Buffalo burgers and natural casing hot dogs. I had one of each and it was all yummy. (Everyone brought a side to go along with.)

*Good friends, as far as I'm concerned, since they helped us move while Mel was about 7 months pregnant! (I made little socks for their son, Darwin, who is now 3 months old and just adorable. Too bad he was born with HUGE feet and neither pair fit, ever. Soon: I'll be casting on for new, larger socks.) Meeting and holding Darwin was a definite bonus for the afternoon!

Think Twice News - Episode II

2009-05-09T08:35:00.004-04:00

This is where my RL and my blogging life start to intertwine, something I've avoided for awhile. I'm the webmaster for this webcast's site, ThinkTwiceNews.com and am married to the director. Regardless of party affiliation, if you're interested in liberty, please consider subscribing to the YouTube channel. (Once we move it, you'll be able to subscribe to site updates, but its current home doesn't allow that sort of thing.)

For Sale: 1 Bus Pass

2009-05-08T06:16:00.001-04:00

I like my new job very much; however, I'm not a huge fan of my commute. It's frustrating and, at times, harrowing. Then there is the walk between the building and the parking lot. I'm sure it's all quite safe, but it still makes me a little nervous. Really, though, the biggest problem is the stress of the drive. (I may not have mentioned in the past that driving - anywhere - is not something I enjoy.) Recently, a co-worker, who has been taking the bus for years, offered to help me see if there was a way I could do something similar.

Well, we found something and I gave it a try one morning last week. Which brings me to my title. I have 1 Detroit Area Smart pass, with $11 on it. Cost me $10, and I'll sell it for $9 and will pay for the stamp myself.

On paper, it makes all kinds of sense: The total fare for the day costs about the same as my parking fees. I'd get to work about the same time, without the stress of trying to cross a freeway to take a left exit in 1 mile. I'd also save some gas by only driving halfway each time. The bus stop is close to my building -- closer than the parking lot.

What the above doesn't take into account is the fact that 1) the bus drivers have to be willing to stop and pick you up and, 2) be willing to drop you off.

The ride to work was uneventful. Bumpy, but otherwise stress-free. After work... that's another story. After standing in the rain for half an hour, the third bus finally stopped. There was another soaked-to-the-skin woman on board, who had had the same difficulty getting the previous buses to stop. Because it was my first time, she helped me ID my upcoming stop and told me when to pull the cord*. The driver refused to stop. We finally convinced him that yes, that was my stop, so he pulled over to the side of a road, a road with no sidewalk, next to a sign that said "no stopping". And I got to walk back to my car in the rain, crossing an exit ramp, going under a bridge, crossing another street, and finally climbing a hill to get to my car. Around the same time I would have been climbing the steps to my house.

So, I'm done with the bus. I'm serious about selling the pass. I bought it after the uneventful, but bUmPy ride to work, and for some reason, the home-bound bus meter wouldn't accept it, so it's got the full value on it.

*It's "Park and Ride," so there are very few scheduled stops.

Phatfiber & me

2009-05-07T18:13:00.005-04:00

After hearing people rave about these sampler boxes available from Phatfiber, I decided to do a little self-promotion and contribute some samples to an upcoming box. I'm confirmed for May (left). (It's a long picture, but imagine if I was further down in the list!)

I sent 50 of my stitch marker capsules/party favors, each in a tiny zip bag with a folded label stapled to the top.

When someone clicks on the little ad, they'll be taken to a page just for my shop with some more images and a link to my shop (top image). Pretty nifty, huh?

Other news
I just found out today that a certain yarn store in the east is going to have the capsules at the check-out. Great impulse buy! Once everything is 100% certain, I'll happily share a ilnk.

By request
Apparently, there are some patterns that have different directions, depending on if you're on the right or left side of an item. One example is at least one sock in Cookie A's new book, Sock Innovation. I got a request for Left & Right stitch markers. Just one set is in the shop now, to see if there is an interest.

Sign Fail: AT & T

2009-05-07T12:17:00.001-04:00

I spot things like this all the time, but haven't been snapping pics. Recently, I vowed to start capturing & sharing the fun. This one was snapped in downtown Detroit, on an AT&T building. If they'd removed a pair of asterisks, they would have had room for the "ed" on the end of "heighten."

Things might be a little different around here

2009-05-06T17:37:00.005-04:00

Practically from day one of my blogging "career," I've been very aware of the potential to upset people, offend them, or hurt their feelings. I think I may have taken things to the extreme, because while I've been careful, most of the time, to do none of those things, I have managed to suppress some of the better or, at least more interesting, parts of me. I think I may have given people the impression that I'm some kind of Pollyanna or Goody-Two-Shoe. I've kept my mouth shut about a lot of topics that are important to me because I know there are people out there who could be offended, just knowing that I feel this way. Instead, I write about knitting, or other crafts, about books or movies. All of these are real; I don't make up anything. But I suppress a LOT.

But you know what? No one is sitting back, worrying about not offending or upsetting me. Other people don't seem to have a problem sitting back and announcing that their way is the only way and that everyone else is a moron, or going to hell, or both.

I don't plan on doing anything that would intentionally hurt someone's feelings, but beyond that... I'm done. If this means that no one reads my blog anymore, so be it. If people are allowed to promote their religion, belief system, food choice, etc., than so am I.

I'm tired of hearing about how all "the gays" have an "agenda" and are out to force everyone to be gay. Feel free to boycott Pepsi because they won't "stay neutral" in the culture war, but dude, if the AFA boycotts Pepsi, I'm going to start buying Pepsi even if I actually prefer Coke. There is no "homosexual agenda" to convert us all. No companies are forcing their employees to BE gay. They are asking their employees to stop harassing their co-workers because of their sexual orientation. Hardly the same thing.

Quoting John, because this pretty much boils it down:

"Collectivizing individuals into a group and attributing to them an agenda is nothing more than a means of dehumanizing people you disagree with. Saying 'I am against the GAY AGENDA' isn't as controversial as saying 'I HATE BOB BECAUSE HE'S GAY.' or 'I WON'T DO BUSINESS WITH SALLY BECAUSE SHE HAS A GIRLFRIEND.'

"It's just another way of not treating people as individuals, which in my book, would be called 'A Non Optimal Solution'"

I'm straight, but have absolutely no issues with anyone who wants to live their life with someone of the same sex, and I think that if they are willing to make a legal commitment, they should be able to. A lesbian or gay couple that wants to make their commitment legal doesn't affect my marriage any more than an abusive asshole who beats his wife and kids getting to be married does. And, if people want to hook up without getting married, it doesn't affect me any more or less if they're straight or gay.

I'm still going to have craft content, because I'm a crafty person. And I'm still going to post about books and movies, because those are things I'm interested in. But I'm also going to post about other topics that spring to mind. If this makes things difficult for you, I'll understand if you stop reading. I hope you'll stay, so we can learn from each other, but we all have to do what we have to do.

Mel

PS: Adding the following - I just want to clarify that, to date, all of the censorship has been self-inflicted. This thinking of everyone else before me has been something I've been trying to overcome for years. I matter. My feelings matter. And it's up to me to take care of me. Also, there is nothing here directed at any one person, or even a group of people.

Goodreads

2009-05-06T12:21:00.002-04:00

I'm adding the following to my nav bar on the right:

I'm liking Goodreads as a way to keep track of what I'm reading now, what I've read in the past and what I want to read next.

Book Report

2009-04-30T07:06:00.006-04:00

Later in this post is the back story to how I came to have a degree in Literature without reading a lot of the classics.

Whenever I do one of those book memes, I feel a little twinge of regret. I mean, I have read many classics, but most of them voluntarily, and not part of any curriculum. I know some of the books on those lists are crap and don't qualify as literature, and some might be required reading in school but aren't really all that great. But there are some great reads that I've missed. So, I took a poll and asked some folks for suggestions. Some of them I'm going to skip, because I still don't believe in reading some books just to say I've read them. But I am mixing it up and reading great books because they sound great.

Recently finished:

Atlas Shrugged
Jane Eyre (via Google Books)

In progress:

Animal Farm (via Google Books)
To Kill a Mockingbird (loving it!)
In Cold Blood (Non-fiction. Found while I was digging around Google Books; read a good portion of it on preview. Now will have to buy it.)

In the line-up (pdf downloaded):

A Tale of Two Cities

Read in the past (in no way an exhaustive list; these were recently recommended, but I'd already read them):

Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion
The Scarlet Letter, House of the Seven Gables, many short stories, including Young Goodman Brown and The Artist of the Beautiful (which made me cry). Writing this reminds me how much I love Hawthorne.
1984
The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings trilogy
Chronicles of Narnia (over and over and over)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys
Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Color Purple
lots of Shakespeare, some Kafka

Recommended, and planned (have to acquire them first):

Fahrenheit 451
Catch 22
The Bell Jar
As I Lay Dying
Wrinkle in Time and a Wind in the Door

Maybes:

The Giver
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology
Moby Dick

The Back-story continues after the cut

I have a Bachelor's degree in English Lit. I love to read. I don't recall ever learning to read - I just started reading, around the age of four. I started getting in trouble over my reading in first grade, when I was caught reading under the lid of my desk. (Yes, I went to school when they still had desks with lids that lifted up, and you stored your crayons, etc. inside.) I loved mysteries the most, starting with The Happy Hollisters, progressing to Trixie Belden, then Agatha Christie. (Not Nancy Drew so much.)

In 6th grade, at the beginning of the second semester, I transferred from a private school where I'd spent 2 semesters to a public middle school. I was plopped into "Reading," where the entire class read a selection from a reading textbook, then answered questions. No great literature there; in fact, I'd read the entire book for fun when I was about nine. (My paternal grandmother worked for an elementary school and always brought me copies of the books they were throwing away because they were too worn.) The class was co-taught by a pair of women, who were not happy with me when they saw me looking around the room when everyone else was reading. I swore that I'd: a) finished reading the selection in class and, b) had already read the entire book. They made me read it again, and again, I finished before the class.

That was the end of my time in 6th grade reading. Rather than put me into another reading class, I was shuffled off to one of the coolest pigeonholes ever: I was to be a Ditto Aide. (Yes, I went to Jr. High back when they still used mimeograph machines. There was one Xerox copier, but it was locked away and only used for office business.) The teachers had to use mimeographs for handouts, quizzes and tests, and there was a team of misfit students who ran the copies. After that, when people mocked the AV squad or other teams of their kind, I knew that they were just jealous.

I went on to another private school for 8th through 12th grade. Baptist school, where they would never, ever foist those terrible reading lists on the students. Heck, we barely read at all. I vaguely remember some poetry, and some Shakespeare. Oh, dear. And Beowulf and Pilgrim's Progress. But not a lot of lit. In fact, a couple of years after I graduated, they dropped "Lit" altogether, as well as anything resembling composition. Imagine the fun later graduating classes had if they managed to get into college! I'll save for another day the appalling, dare I say, abysmal, state of my science education.

Then I went to college. I do not recommend my academic path to anyone. I went to a Baptist college for one semester. Hated it, hated my roommates. It was almost a blessing when I found out that my mom was on bed rest from a back injury and I was more than happy to be inconvenienced and forced to move back home. I transferred to the only local college still accepting students for the next semester - a Church of Christ school. I got my AA there, and had, for the first time, a true, positive, academic experience. Then I went completely insane and went back to the Baptist college. Two semesters there, and I was ready to run. (I did make a wonderful friend there, someone I'm still friends with today (once we found each other again), so it wasn't a total loss. That, and the Abnormal Psychology in Literature class. I loved that class!)

Finally, I arrived at OU. I wanted to teach, and I had the majority of the core curriculum completed (I'd obviously lost some credits as well, transferring between the school), so I started taking the pre-education courses. I excelled at those, and loved them, only to be told that they were only accepting into the program minorities, males, and people who hadn't transferred in. (Swear!)

Distraught, I made my way to the Registrar's office. "What do I have the most credits in?" Literature. Many of the courses I'd taken at the religious schools had transferred as Literature. "Okay, then. Literature is my new major. What do I need to graduate?"

Think Twice News - Episode I

2009-04-28T18:23:00.002-04:00

Some rare political content

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

2009-04-23T07:21:00.000-04:00

4 years today.

News

2009-04-18T17:23:00.005-04:00

I have news! I start a new job on Monday. Things have been scary financially here, and this will be a big help, depending on how long it lasts (it's kind of open-ended). If health benefits were included, this would be even better, since I'm almost out of insulin. But hey, let's focus on the positive, shall we?

The job is similar in scope to my previous position, is in downtown Detroit, and I'm really looking forward to it! I've met the people I'll be working with, and they're very nice. Bonus: my new contract house has hinted at some side work, doing some tech writing, so of course I said yes.

My wardrobe was in sad shape, but I lucked out at a thrift store on Thursday and found several pairs of pants and a couple of blouses (I usually never find anything that appeals at all), and I'll be hitting the laundromat tomorrow to get them all clean and ready to go. Once I get a full pay check (sometime in June (monthly pay kind of blows)), I'll look into expanding. But I think I have things covered for now. I already have my tote bag partially packed, with mug and tea, plus brownies I just baked.

It's funny... I've had nothing but time to blog lately, but hesitated because I didn't want to spend the entire time whining. Now, I'll have more to write about, but less time. I'll still try to come up with something a couple of times a week.

Pictured here is a shawl I finished for myself. Once upon a time, it was a sweater, picked up in a thrift store for <$5. A short time later, it looked like this. I started it in January, and just worked on it when we were watching DVDs and I didn't feel like working on the other projects I had on the needles. I called the yarn "fuzzy nectarine" and the specs are as follows:

Yarn: Anne Taylor Loft Sweater, XS
42% Acrylic
27% Cotton
18% Wool
7% Nylon
5% Mohair
1% Spandex

Shawl: Third time knitting the Simple Yet Effective Shawl (first time for me, though). Used size 10 & 10½ needles and just knit until I was about out of yarn. Did pretty well there -- I had <2 yards left!

Presenting: Strawberry Whine

2009-04-09T09:07:00.003-04:00

Finally sat down with the giant skeins (too big for my swift to manage*) that I dyed last week and carefully wound them into little cakes. Now that it's wound, I can see the subtle changes in the reds, which is just what I wanted. Yay!

*Never doing that again, at least not until we can build a bigger swift! (Have found some directions online for building a vertical one on a stand with PVC.)

Dyeing Follow-up

2009-04-06T11:29:00.004-04:00

A brief aside to the handful of people who read this blog who might also be getting gifts or surprises for me at any time in the future: Odd flavors of KoolAid (Mango, Pineapple, etc.) would be much loved. As would the little jars of Wilton food coloring. I'm saving up to get some blank superwash wool from KnitPicks and am grabbing a few packs of KA when I shop, but the selection is meager.

PS: If anyone goes to markets that have the Latin flavors, or Klaas brand, I'd like to try those, too. Could possibly work out a trade? Let's talk!

Acorn Finds

2009-04-02T10:05:00.006-04:00

There are some enablers out there, people that know my love for acorns, who send me links. I have also managed to find several on my own. I just keep bookmarking & wishlisting, because when finances improve, I'll be doing some shopping!

First, no $ involved: I've been wanting to do felted acorns for ages (I received one of the bags pictured at the link), but finding large enough acorn caps was an issue. John and I went acorn-hunting many times last fall, and found tiny, kind of pathetic, acorns. For a county named after the tree, Oakland county offered little by way of decent-sized acorns! Last week, on a walk down our new road, we found evidence of HUGE acorns. Obviously the nuts themselves would be no good for display, but the caps were in abundance. So now I have a supply of caps to work with the next time I get around to needle-felting.

On to the shopping (Etsy links will likely point to a sold item, but you can click on the seller and see what's available now):

Wide Silver Oak Ring

Candy Dish (she does them in chartreuse!)

Acorn MP3 Player (I have to say, I desperately want one of these!)

Steel Oak Leaf Key Chain

Steel Acorn Necklace

Steel Acorn Keyring (I have and love)

Wooden Spinning Top

Hand-carved Stamp

Candleabra*

Acorn tassles on knitted loafers

Rusted Acorn (scroll down the page)

*Same store also has doorknockers: style 1 and style 2.

To Dye For

2009-04-01T09:26:00.005-04:00

This could become addictive!

Before:
100% Lambswool sweater sleeves, thrifted. I first attempted to dye these as is. I knew I didn't have enough of the Black Cherry KoolAid I wanted to use, but went ahead, using just the 2 packages I had.

Phase 1:
Not anywhere near the red/burgundy I wanted, but I already knew I wasn't going to achieve that color with just 2 packages.

I finally tracked down some more Black Cherry KoolAid (KA), and decided to skein the yarn instead of dyeing the knitted piece. Yesterday, I soaked the yarn in a large stainless stock pot (this method of dyeing is completely food-safe) and after at least 30 minutes, turned the heat on low. After the water was hot (never, ever boil) I added the first cup of dye solution (~½ c. hot water w/ 2 packets of the KA). After that exhausted, I added the second cup (same as before, but with 1 pk. of Wyler's Jammin' Berry added to the KA). Then, seeing that I wasn't getting the color I wanted, I threw in two packages of some way off-brand 10/$1 cherry. After it cooled a bit, I rinsed it and hung it up to dry.

Note: if you want to try this, please be aware that you can only dye animal-protein fibers with KoolAid. It will not permanently dye cotton, other plant fibers or man-made fibers. Please don't use this entry as a dyeing tutorial! There are some excellent ones online. In fact, if you're on Ravelry, there is a group devoted to dyeing yarn with KoolAid and food coloring, called "What a Kool way to Dye," and they have a large collection of links to online tutorials.

Fabric Hunt

2009-03-29T22:10:00.002-04:00

It's been months since I've been inside a quilting shop, or even looked around online to see what's new. I think I may have missed out on this fabric -- knitting hens -- but if anyone can find even a fat quarter for me (any color), I'd love to trade for it or buy it within reason.

More on Sheldon and His Yarn

2009-03-29T10:16:00.004-04:00

This is not a sad story. I have no bad news to report. I thought I'd better preface the following with a bit of a disclaimer.

The last week has been very rough for John and I. Sheldon has been acting strangely: refusing my leftover cereal milk, not eating much, sleeping a lot more than usual, etc. It's been almost two years since he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and high blood pressure, and at 15½, we thought we were about to lose him. Money is scary-tight right now, and the tests they'd want to do are completely out of our reach, plus with his health the way it is, a trip to a hospital and the battery of tests would put so much stress on his heart (he completely flips out if we go near the car) that we decided to make him comfortable, spoil him a lot, and make the most of our time.

So, we've been running to the pet store and buying up a variety of smelly canned foods to tempt him. The cat-food snob in me did a lot of cringing, but it was more important that he eat (except, still no corn, since he's allergic (read your labels - you'd be surprised to find out how much corn/corn gluten meal/etc. they slip in)). Every time he turned up his nose or threw up anything, I'd hit him with some Nutri-Cal to at least get some calories and nutrients in. Luckily for the food snob in me (not so lucky for our budget (but we continue to economize on things for us)), the kind he likes the most is the best quality we can get around here (Wellness, either beef & salmon or turkey & salmon).

There's been a lot of trial and error while we figured out the food he likes and the way he likes it served, and the other cats have been more than happy to eat the mistakes. Lily, the former basement cat, especially: she's actually been venturing into other parts of the house when canned food is on a plate. The first few days were tough, since he'd eat maybe half a teaspoon at a time.

Sheldon likes his food like so: 1 T or slightly less, smeared on a saucer (not too thin) and warmed in the microwave (Power: 2, for 10-11 seconds, just to take the chill off). I'd carry it to wherever he was in the house and guard the plate so the other cats would let him eat. After a few days of this, he started going to the same spot and just sit, waiting for his food.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned to John that I hoped Sheldon would serenade us at least one more time, so we could get it on camera. I've been meaning to do this forever, and had put it off. It looked like I waited too long; then he proved me wrong:

He's not well, and we don't know how long our reprieve is, but he's better. Which we think is fabulous.

If I only had a gumball machine

2009-03-28T11:36:00.005-04:00

It started with this:

I picked up what turned out to be close to 300 of these little gumball capsules while thrifting. Each contained a very cheap toe ring - most of them identical - and I got a pretty ugly blister on my right index finger prying them open. I quit just past the halfway point, because of the blister, but also because I hadn't quite worked out how to do what I wanted. (I knew what I wanted to do: they would have to contain stitch markers, of course.)

The challenge was going to be tagging the stitch markers! I was patient, while my finger healed, and continued to make markers for the shop while I pondered the situation. This morning, I took a peek inside my punch drawer and spotted the little acorn, and set about tagging a set of markers while I tried to catch up on Ghost Whisperer. (Thank goodness for torrents, because CBS doesn't have anything on their site except clips, promos and webisodes!)

Anyway, without further ado:

I love it when a plan comes together! These will make great knit night gifts or party favors, don't you think?

I'll also be selling batches of the gumball capsules the way they came, with the cheap toe rings, if anyone is interested.

Please Help me ID This Label?

2009-03-16T09:50:00.003-04:00

I found this beautiful sweater while out thrifting this weekend, and have had no luck ID-ing the brand. (Googling "Hems" brings up, obviously, a bajillion results about how to hem, or describing hems.)

Label says:
Fully Fashioned
HEMS (I'm nearly 100% certain)
100% Pure Cashmere

The only other label is a tiny size label ("44").

Full-size view

Scrapbook Paper Possibilities

2009-03-07T18:14:00.003-05:00

Oh, what you can do with a pad or two of scrapbook paper -- that has nothing to do with scrapbooking! I mentioned in a previous post that I might do a collage of all the things I've done with the 2 pads of 12x12 paper that I got on sale a couple of years ago. This is what I have pictures of -- a couple projects were done with other papers, but either have also been done with the big set or could easily be:

Row, by row, starting at the top left square:

1. Padded Envelopes,
2. Gift-wrapping,
3. Five Things: Acorns,
4. Small swap parcel,
5. Small birthday gift,
6. Matchbox Bundles,
7. Swap Package,
8. Paper Chain kit1, (see #25)
9. Paper Chain kit2,
10. Christmas Garland Kit,
11. Swap parcel,
12. Birthday Gift,
13. Valentine Swap, (like #10)
14. Swap parcel,
15. Buttonties7,
16. Doorprize1 ,
17. Padded Envelopes2,
18. Deed Envelopes,
19. Bakers Twine1,
20. Cupcake Flags,
21. Advent Calendar,
22. Gift Pouch1,
23. Gift Pouch2,
24. Pile o' Pouches,
25. Paper Chains

My Ad is Up

2009-03-06T20:32:00.002-05:00

Yay!! I was so impatient, waiting for it to get approved.

Padded Envelope Tutorial

2009-03-06T16:42:00.002-05:00

It usually only takes one request to get me to write a tute, so since persephony4 responded to the previous post with a Yes, please, that's my cue.

These really do well as an assembly-line project; by the time you've finished gluing several, the first one should be dry and ready to fold. Apologies in advance for the lack of measurements. I really just eyeballed the whole thing.
Click any image to view it at a larger size.

Materials
Scissors
12x12 scrapbook paper - regular weight
Bubble wrap (I save bits and pieces from other packages, you can also buy it at the Dollar Store)
Rubber Cement

Step 1: Cut up the bubble wrap. For each envelope, you need 2 pieces, roughly 4x6".

Step 2: On the reverse side of the scrapbook paper, brush on the rubber cement. Leave the top third alone. On the bottom two thirds, brush at least a 1" wide strip down the sides and across the bottom, then just randomly swirl your brush across the middle. Just a little glue will hold the bubble wrap in place -- it's more important that the edges seal well.

Step 3: Lay the bubble wrap, flat side down/bubble side up, 1-2" from each edge as shown.

Step 4: The fun part (not really); wait for the glue to completely dry. When you coat two surfaces with the cement and let them dry before sticking them together, the bond is pretty close to permanent. If you lay the sides together while the glue is wet, the bond is temporary.

Step 5: Fold. I take the bottom corners and line them up as best as I can, then gently press the edges together, finally running my fingers down the center to crease it.

Remember that now the glue is dry, it's not very forgiving. So be careful, but don't stress out too much: it's hard to make it exact no matter what, with the extra bulk in the center. You can see that for the demo, I had some creases. It's not the end of the world.

Step 6: If you left the top third or so free of glue, you should now have a flat tube of sorts, sealed at the bottom and 2/3 of one side (with the fold in the middle).

Now, figure where you want the top of the envelope to be and cut across one layer (I usually cut around the 7" mark).

Then cut down the center to the horizontal cut and remove the rectangle.

Step 7: Fold down the flap, then look for any white edges and trim.

If you want to be extra sure of the edges, secure in a couple of spots with some clear packing tape. When you're ready to mail, add your small items and tape the flap shut.

Coolest Padded Envelopes, Ever (IMHO)

2009-03-06T12:18:00.004-05:00

Until my ad on Ravelry is approved, I have no idea how it will impact my sales. On the off chance that it does result in some orders, I figured I'd better be prepared with some shipping solutions. I'm trying to keep shipping costs down, and one way I'm doing that is to make my own padded envelopes (above). It took me just under an hour to make the nine shown here.

These will keep shipping charges down and are cost-effective as long as I have the stuff laying around. Once I have to go start buying materials, I'll need to take another look at the practicality of it. For now, though, I can pass the savings on to my customers and keep my shipping charges down to (hopefully) as close to actual postage costs as possible. (I'm guessing at the costs right now.)

Materials (cost)
12x12" scrapbooking paper (nothing*)
Rubber cement (nothing**)
Bubble wrap (nothing -- reused from another package)

*Real cost, anywhere from 10¢ - 25¢ per sheet if bought individually. I bought 2 pads of ~100 sheets over 2 years ago, and have used them for absolutely tons of projects and packaging (I should do a collage!). I'm trying to avoid using the very obvious Christmas patterns until I have no choice.

**Reg. $2.99 a jar. I had this jar left over from doing my moving announcements. Spray adhesive would be even better, but only if it made sense financially.

I have most of the pics needed to do a tutorial, if there is any interest.

Drive-by: Shop Update

2009-03-05T17:45:00.004-05:00

For a long time now, I've wanted to donate a little something to Ravelry, but am watching my money carefully and that kind of thing isn't really do-able right now. But then - ah-ha! - I had an idea: what if I bought some advertising space? If I sold a few items, that would pay for the ad, and I'd still be contributing in a way. Plus, maybe, I'd sell a few things. Sounds like a plan. So, I have an ad pending, that I will post once it's approved, to go into 3 or 4 groups that I participate in that are large enough for an ad to make sense.

Note: advertising on Ravelry can be very reasonable, cost-wise. It depends on the ads you place. Some ads, like the kind I'm going with, are charged based on the number of page views (by the thousand) and you can enter a budget, so you don't spend more than you want.

Then I spent the afternoon photographing and posting. The only thing left for me to do is to make up some Seek 'n Find "kits" (small baggie full of toys - you add your own bottle and some rice). But everything else I had ready is up: crazycatladymel's shop.

Hope everyone is doing well! I'm hanging in there. Have had a few interviews, and hope to hear some good news soon.

Still Here

2009-03-02T09:55:00.001-05:00

I'm still around, but haven't been much in the mood for blogging. Hope to return in the near future!

Never too early

2009-02-18T18:26:00.003-05:00

My mantle, 15 Feb. 2009

Oh my, yes. Some of my year 'round Halloween decorations are up! These are our David Frykman (resin) sculptures, which we started collecting after our first trip to Hell, MI, where we bought the little devil trick-or-treater. I think the library, with its red accent wall and black bookcases will become the room that always has Halloween decorations up!

Seen 'n Find Bottles
I wanted to give a seek 'n find bottle to the daughter of some new friends, but she's a little 'un (~2 y.o.), so the printed card would not do.

Instead, I laid out the toys - on a sheet of paper - in a rectangular area and took a picture, which I printed and slid into a plastic sleeve. When I filled the bottle, I stopped a few inches down so there was more room for the rice to slide around, making the toys easier to find. A smaller bottle would have been better (the 1 liter size ends up being kind of heavy), but we didn't have anything with a large enough opening to fit all the toys through.

Showers of (Mail) Blessings

2009-02-14T13:34:00.005-05:00

Ever since I heard about "bacon chocolate" I have been dying to try it. But I live in the boonies now, so I can't just pick up a bar. And, I'm watching my pennies anyway (not even buying yarn!), so I was content to leave it on my wish list* until finances improved. Well, yesterday, a package was on my doorstep from sweet woman named Allison, who also likes acorns. Inside was a Mo's Bacon Bar, plus some adorable wooden acorns and a hand-carved stamp. (I keep meaning to ask her if she made that herself.)

Let me tell you: it's certainly not for everyone, but whoa! I like it. I'm allowing myself just one square a day of the "deep milk chocolate" (between dark & milk) with salt and bacon.

Also, dear Leslie sent me some of my favorite ~~caffeine fix~~ tea: Christmas tea from Adagio, along with some paper filters (my mug). Those paper filters are excellent, if you like loose tea. After getting a box of them, I threw out my French press, which was a PiTA to clean after every cup of tea!

As if that wasn't enough, there was also a box of past issues of Martha Stewart Living magazine, including the 2008 issue (lost) and (if I read it right)the first October issue ever : 1991, plus a couple of the Halloween holiday issues (which I own, but are beat up). The sender isn't anonymous to me, but I'm keeping her identity quiet until I hear the word that it's okay to share.

*I love Amazon's universal wish list button! I'm tickled that a few surprises have come my way as a result, but the purpose was simply for me to keep track of things I spotted online and would want to buy someday. You know, if someone said, "Here is $100. You must spend it on yourself," I'd be ready. (I had that happen once, with a birthday gift, and had a really hard time!)

Speaking of wish lists and Halloween, if you're a Halloween fan, check out my list (in the side bar). I've found a couple cool new goodies that might be of interest.

Midweek Update

2009-02-12T17:01:00.002-05:00

I'm not the biggest fan of driving in the stuff, but oh, do I love a foggy morning! I took this on Tuesday morning, while there was a tiny bit of snow remaining to feed the fog. Things cleared up once I got a mile or so away, and the driving was fine after that point.

It did, indeed, put me in the mood for my fave holiday! I was able to get my Halloween links site back up this week, and have gone through the box of books, actually managing to pull out a few to pass on. I think my nephew will get a kick out of them - he benefits when I buy books that end up being too childish for my taste.

A recent acquisition - 1948 ex-library book. It has little value as a party-planning resource (those parties I plan but never throw), but it's a nice little piece of history and fun to look through.

A little part of me is celebrating the demise of a particularly hateful group on a certain knitting/etc. forum I'm on. They're going on and on about freedom of speech and censorship, not understanding that those rights don't apply to private property, and not at all understanding the real reason they were axed.

It wasn't even the always-borderline racist (and other -ist) comments like this little gem. I'm not privy to inside info., but what's been said, simply, is that the mods couldn't (wouldn't?) moderate without supervision and that the group was too much work. They have NO idea how much slack they were given, because everyone I know would have booted the group months ago!

Is it love?

2009-02-10T05:56:00.004-05:00

A while back, I posted about Sheldon's love for a particular skein of peach acrylic yarn.

Well, that yarn is looking pretty ragged, so I joked to John on Sunday that I would put out a stuffed animal and see if Shel would take an interest. I selected the lion - obviously male, but with more bite-able area - and set it in the library (or the room that will become the library). The funny thing is, Sheldon never does what I want him to do. In fact, the more time and effort I put into a toy, the less they're interested. So, imagine my surprise when, last night, John spots him dragging the lion around.

It was one of those rare times when I had my camera nearby (always seems to be in my purse on the other side of the house when the cats do something picture-worthy) and I managed to get one good picture.

I wonder how long it will last?

Speaking of cat toys and effort... Back in August, I posted about an idea I had to adapt a project (for a child's toy) and make kitty-size toys. Well, I did, almost right away. They were met with a mild interest, but were not favorites. When we went back to the house on Saturday to pack up some more stuff, I spotted them and tossed them in a box. Right now, they're marinating in a baggie with a couple tablespoons of catnip. Maybe that will help. (Moo mini card for scale.)

It has nothing to do with the toys themselves. It's their usual pattern: paper bags, boxes, pen caps and milk jug rings are infinitely better than any handmade or store bought toy. Exceptions: the laser pointer and one weird little green mouse that came in a stocking full of mice.

I didn't throw them in the washer to felt all the way, because I liked the texture that a partial needle-felting gave. It's a fun way to use up scraps, if nothing else!

If you want to try this, but don't have cats (or small kids) around, check out Make Your Own Wool Dryer Balls for another application.

The Positive Side

2009-02-09T17:48:00.004-05:00

...of sending random strangers mail:

My teddy bear, Mundy, checks out the wonderful and generous goodness that came in the mail this afternoon from a fellow Rubbernecker, Debi. It's a RAK package (RAK = Random Act of Kindness), and it came on the perfect day.

There is a quartet of SPA goodies* from Jafra, a book I've been wanting to read - The Secret Life of Bees - and an inspiring card, which I think I'm going to be looking at pretty frequently. I feel so spoiled and lucky!

I'm also involved in sending out surprises (although not this extravagant given my current financial situation) within a small group. My previous post wasn't meant to discourage people from giving, just to encourage them to be careful. Getting unexpected mail can make someone's day (or maybe week)!

*Bath & shower gel, massage oil, massage cream, & sea salt body scrub

Alert/PSA

2009-02-09T16:49:00.004-05:00

Watch for scammers, people! Over the weekend on Ravelry, one person was found to have 4-5 IDs and had taken several people for gift cards, yarn and tools after claiming that everything she owned (yarn-wise) had been stolen. People eventually started talking, and it turned out she was the same person who, under a different ID (minimum), had been selling yarn and tools (probably the same stuff she'd just been sent), but never delivering. Many people are kind and soft-hearted, but it pays to be cautious/cynical.

Another user was deleted after making just one post. I'm sure many people thought it smelled fishy, because well, if the first thing you do is start begging for stuff, it sets off some alarms, but I wonder how many others flocked to help this poor woman on the run from an abuser. Who desperately needed...yarn? The needle in my cynicism meter buried itself in the red when she claimed that none of the shelters/domestic abuse centers in her area would help her b/c she didn't have a drivers license. Her area (at least where she claimed to live)? A few miles from where I just moved. Where the shelters will NOT turn away a woman fleeing an abuser because she couldn't take her purse with her. Yes, I called and checked. Then sent her the phone # to the closest shelter who said they'd be happy to help her, and sent a message up the chain.

It seems that the tougher times get, the more people there are willing to scam others, and the more people there are that want to help, in whatever way they can, because as bad as they have it, someone else has it worse. Knitters aren't nicer or more trustworthy than other people. Just because someone says something doesn't make it true. It's great to want to help out, and hey, if you can afford to send out stuff willy-nilly, go for it. But there's nothing wrong with exercising a little caution too!

/public service announcement

Lost & Found

2009-02-08T13:03:00.003-05:00

I make this kind of post a lot, it seems!

Back when I did Ren Faires a lot, and made collections of favours (for people to pass out), I made some little guys like this to be a bonus for customers. I wanted to make more as stitch markers a few months ago, but could not find the box of stamps anywhere!

It actually made me quite sad, because I couldn't find a place to buy him online (nor could I remember the co. that made the stamp). When we were packing up stuff in the garage at the old house, I found a tote full of most of my stamps. Oh, so that's where they went! Right on top? Nekkid guy.

So, stitch markers have been made, and will hopefully be inserted into my Etsy shop (empty at the moment) later this week.

Making them with a gas oven instead of a tiny toaster oven was interesting. First thing that happened: they all flipped over and baked upside-down. Amazingly, I only lost 3 because of that. Next load from the old house will include my old toaster oven!!

Halloween Stuff
Y'all know I love Halloween the most, right? Well, after adding a bunch of books to my wish list, I set about making my first Listmania! List on Amazon: Grown-up Halloween. I know right where my box of Halloween books is, so I might be adding to it as I get that unpacked. Sadly, however, I can't recommend most of the books I own.

My Halloween links site is down right now, thanks to Comcast's so very smooth transition. They promised a seamless transition for movers. What did we get? They deleted all of our web accounts and content. I hope to be rebuilding it in the next few days.

Drive-by: Hat received

2009-02-05T07:01:00.002-05:00

And it fit, and was declared "perfect." Whew <-- me, making a sigh of relief. (She might not look happy in the pic, but she assures me she is. She's just tired from working all night.)

Organizing & Stuff

2009-01-31T19:55:00.006-05:00

Before.
I'm organizing my craft room. Without actual fixtures to sort things into, I didn't get much done for the first month we lived here. And, since things always cost more than you expect, they're out of the budget for awhile. (Plus, the room really needs painting. It looks like an Easter basket threw up in there.) Then John got the bright idea to take the milk crates he collected in college (and has moved with over & over) and zip-tie them together.

After (click any pic to see bigger).
It still needs to be organized better, but now everything is out of boxes. There are some tools to find and some books still to bring over from the old house, but it's so much better than a stack of totes!

I'm identifying yarn that I can give away, and some that I think I can sell. A bag of thrifted yarn is already set aside for SIL C, since she has a greater use for it than I do. (It's enough for a baby blanket, which she can crochet pretty quickly; I've promised myself to never knit a blanket of any size!)

I've also managed to empty and sort out several other boxes. I have one little unit with plastic drawers; one is set aside for tools and one for punches. Now I'm going to see exactly how many hole punches I actually have!

Finally, a little knitting action. I'm still working on Christmas socks, but my goddaughter, Sarah, walks to work every night and asked for a hat, so I think the sock recipients will understand why I stopped to attempt the "slouchy beret" she asked for. Her head is much smaller than mine, so I couldn't tell if it achieved the right amount of slouch. It's in the mail today and we'll just have to see.

Sarah: don't forget - if it fits, I want pictures!

Details
Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino in "That's Pink," held doubled.
Pattern: Laurie Perry's Super-simple fast and easy chunky hand-knit beret!
Needles: 11 & 13 (I'm pretty sure)

Another blankedy-blank zombie

2009-01-29T12:21:00.001-05:00

Almost exactly a year ago, reports came out that a fairly well-known (in some circles) etsy shop owner and designer of sock patterns had passed away. There was a lot of attention: some of her patterns were sold to benefit charity; I think there may have even been collections taken up to send to her family. People she'd owned product to were told there was no money to refund to them, and most of them just felt so badly that this had happened on top of everything else, that they walked away. Those that were still upset were told to get over it -- the family had been through enough.

A couple of months later, a fairly popular yarn dyer in New Mexico, probably inspired by the outpouring of love for the above situation, sent out emails - purportedly from family members - announcing that she was very ill. Then a few days later, that she'd died. There was no money to refund outstanding orders, and they couldn't replace the shabbily-dyed yarn others had actually received. Oh, but we do have stock in the garage and it's for sale, cheap. (image source)

People called shenanigans almost immediately. Sleuthing turned up new business names in the works, with the same address and phone number. Then the zombie dyer was spotted at the bank. I wrote about it a little bit on the old blog. The dyer created a couple of "sock puppet" accounts and posted as her sister (which she didn't have) and a family friend, but finally just gave up and went away.

Weeeel. Remember that first woman? The one whose tragic demise gave the zombie dyer the idea in the first place? Still alive.

I'm not saying more than this, because the sleuths that figured it out are going to be putting together a nice big stack of proof and sharing that online in the very near future. It's been leaked in a couple of places, but I won't give any clues right now. I've seen enough evidence with my own two eyes to be 100% convinced that this person is still alive or - also terrible - that someone has stolen her identity. But the former is the more likely explanation.

Oh, except to give a bit of advice: if you're going to fake your death on the internet, get a new email address.