Reopening the Etsy shop for a limited time

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!

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Shopping Online - Pros & Cons

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.

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Catching Up

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.

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Pretty Tape, part 2

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):

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An Open Letter to LYSOs - Promotional "Goody Bags"

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.

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Patience is hard

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.

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Updated Snake Scarf Pattern Available

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

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Knitting Finds: Robot, Darning Needle Case

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.

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Introducing: Urban Legends Yarn

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!

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Gadgets, part 1: Needle Gauges

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!

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This is not easy

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.

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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.

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Can you hear me now?

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.

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Phatfiber & me

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.

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Acorn Finds

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):

1. Wide Silver Oak Ring


2. Candy Dish (she does them in chartreuse!)


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


4. Steel Oak Leaf Key Chain


5. Steel Acorn Necklace


6. Steel Acorn Keyring (I have and love)


7. Wooden Spinning Top


8. Hand-carved Stamp


9. Candleabra*


10. Acorn tassles on knitted loafers


11. Rusted Acorn (scroll down the page)

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

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Fabric Hunt

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.

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If I only had a gumball machine

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.

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Score!

Yesterday, John suggested checking out a nearby Salvation Army thrift store that I'd found online (I'm on vacation all week). Sadly, the listing was very, very out of date, but we continued on to find a couple other stores. A partial listing of my finds follow:

Store #1

• Women's orange cashmere turtleneck sweater, with price tag still on. Original price: $165. My price: $4.29. The fiber is too thin to unravel and use as yarn, so I'll be felting it and using to to make something (armwarmers, toy elephant, something fun).
• Super soft gray shrug of indeterminate fiber content. Not a lot of yarn, but really nice. The care tag says "dry clean only" which means it's not acrylic, so I snatched it up for $1.50 or so (half off blue tags). Upon further examination, the fiber content is present and it's 60/40 cotton/cashmere, worsted weight. The seams are not serged, so it can be carefully taken apart and used for something yummy.
  
  Normally, people might scoff at such a small sweater, but I like small projects. There is at least enough for a hat and pair of mittens. I'm most excited about this find, now that I know the fiber content.
  
  
• Electric tea kettle, which looks to be new (my pretty blue kettle didn't make the move for some reason. I'll recover it, but for now, I have something to use); pair of trays with folding legs (breakfast-in-bed trays).

Store #2

• Men's gray cashmere cardigan. Same fate as the orange.
• Books: one for me (Frankenstein, which I've been meaning to pick up for months) and one for Jdub that John spotted (he knew she wanted a copy: Give Me a Break, by John Stossel).

Store #3
Totally an accident. I spotted it as we drove past and made John turn around and go back. Unlike the other two, which were Salvation Army, this is an independent, local shop (I think we were in Wayne; and I think it's called Tried & True).

We found a chair frame for a project that John is working on, and I found a glass that goes with a couple others I have. Well, that's what we bought. What we found is a small shop with very reasonable prices that we'll be going back to!

I also almost brought home a concussion, but it was my own fault. They had an old waiting room chair for $2 and I went to sit in it to test it. It was under a shelf, so I moved it out from the wall a bit... but not enough. Bam! Ouch! Totally forgot to buy the chair.

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On Thrifting

(We're closing on the house "today," so I've prepared something in advance. I'll probably be back at least once before the move, then off for several days.)

Welcome to visitors via Derfwad Manor! I think I'm up for Slow-cook Thursday.

Back in the day when I made a little bit of mad-money selling feast gear (for SCA & Rennies*), I used to go to thrift stores frequently. I had a whole route that I traveled, looking for wood and (new, food-grade) pewter tableware. (Pictured here: sorting buttons on my miraculous acorn plate, a total random find, which I adore.) That hobby is long over, although I still collect wood and pewter. I still like visiting stores, although I haven't lately (with the move coming up, the more stuff I buy = the more stuff I have to move). When we are all settled, I'm hoping to find some stores to hit on a regular basis.

I used to look at thrift stores with a mixture of dread and horror. Once I finally figured out how cool they can be, I gave them a chance. There are some things I won't buy (socks, underwear, hats), and there are things that I don't bother with (clothes, usually, because of the sizing). However, they can be great sources for things like sweaters to felt and/or unravel, some kitchen ware, etc. One thing I started noticing, though, is how crazy-high some prices are! Even when thrifting, one has to be an alert consumer, because sometimes the prices are better at the regular retail stores.

I really don't get the justification for the high prices I see so often. The product is free. The facilities and utilities are not, nor is some of the staff. But still, I see things that still have the dollar store sticker on them priced at a thrift store for $2-$3. I don't think they understand that if they priced things more reasonably, they'd sell more of the stuff they didn't pay for in the first place: moving more product = higher profit. (It doesn't stop me from trying, but I frequently walk away, shaking my head.)

I'm looking forward to seeking out a new set of thrift stores once we move, and see how my luck fares a couple counties away.

Completely unrelated
I'd love some tips for moving cats!

*SCA = Society for Creative Anachronism; Rennies = Rennaissance Faire folks. SCA more than the other has regular "feasts" where participants have to take their own table setting, and many like to get as close to authentic as possible.

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Better Than I Thought

Last week, John called to tell me about something he'd heard on the radio: recent studies show that chamomile tea is very good for diabetics (here's a link). I'm all about the black tea. I don't like herbals, generally, or greens; however, I decided that if I was going to try this, I was going to go all the way.

I popped over to Adagio, and ordered a bunch of stuff (got a partial Christmas present done while I was at it): a 4 oz. canister (huge) of the chamomile, which is not all chopped and processed, but looks pretty much like the picture shown in this entry. I also got some of the sample canisters, which are adorable and only $1-$2 each (great way to try out flavors), and some paper tea bag/filters. I have a press, but it's frequently a pain to use, so I figured the paper filters would be easier. (They are, and they are not expensive - 100 for $3.)

The box arrived yesterday (quick shipping!), and I dutifully packed up the tiny sample canister of chamomile and a handful of filters to bring to work. (I figured I could keep the big canister at home and refill the little one as needed. We'll see how that goes.) I remembered reading that chamomile is especially good sweetened with a little honey, so when I went through the McDonald's drive-through for my morning caffeine fix (large unsweet tea, xtra ice), I got them to sell* me a handful of their little honey packages. (Next time I go to the grocery, I'll get a honey bear.)

The 2-and-4-oz. sizes come in nifty canisters with a clear lid and sturdy metal closure. (Tea needs to be kept out of light, so I'm not sure why the lid is clear, but I'll keep it in a cupboard anyway.) ETA: Mystery solved! The lids are UV-protected, so they're safe to keep out.

Results
This morning, I made my first cup of chamomile tea w/ honey (brewed 7 minutes). And, hey -- it's pretty tasty! I can easily manage the recommended 2 cups a day, at least at work. (After my morning caffeinated version!) I have a lovely tea kettle at home, but tend to flake on stuff there. Here at work, there's a "cafe" at the end of my aisle, with hot water at the ready.

Gift Certificates
If you want to order some tea (you can make your own blends, too), I can highly recommend the chamomile, as well as the cherry and peach (black teas), oh and Christmas. Yum. I can get you a $5 gift certificate if I have your email addy. It will cover shipping (only $3.75 ground, free if you spend over $50). Just drop me a line. I'm not signed up for anything -- I don't believe I get any points or rebates or anything.

*McDonald's has cracked down on all condiments in a big way. You can only have a couple of sauces, ketchup, etc. before you have to pay extra. Since I wasn't ordering anything that needed honey, I didn't mind paying at all (10¢ ea.).

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It's Official: Hell Has Frozen Over

My husband has a cell phone.

What with buying a house over an hour away, there is just no way we can keep on without him having one. The conditions were: (1) cheapest phone possible (free is best) and (2) only I have the number. (He really hates cell phones.)

Now, his free phone (Motorola) is better than mine (Samsung), which was free about a year and a half ago*. He's having fun creating ringtones, where I can't even download ones I'd have to pay for. (I've hated this phone since it arrived. Sucky design, limited in so many ways.)

*We're similar in our hatred of expensive cell phones. Me, because I tend to drop them (or have a cat pee on them (happened)); him, because he hates cell phones (why pay extra?).

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