Everybody needs one

My life is not ideal. I don't think anyone's is, though if you look at some people, their lives appear to be ideal. Overall, though, I'm generally pretty happy, which makes the times I am NOT happy that much more noticeable, both to me and to my friends and family.

Yesterday, I was NOT happy. I had, it seemed, hit a wall in dealing with a family matter, and felt, momentarily, that I had no one available to whom I could turn for help. In part that was due to the nature of the situation, in part because as with most good eccentrics, I hate hate hate to ask for help with ANYTHING.

This is where family comes in.

I called my godmother and talked for nearly half an hour. My godmother is a wonderful human being. Everyone should have one just like her. She will go absolutely to the mat for you, but she will tell you flat out if you're wrong or crazy, and she has absolutely no problem telling it exactly like it is. She listened to me cry and snuffle and wail, then told me flat out what needed to be done. She rounded it out by saying, "And if you don't, I'll come up there and slap the shit out of you." And she would, too.

Yep. Everyone needs one of those. I felt much better after our talk, and while I won't tell you any more about the situation, as that's not really critical, I did essentially what she said, and it was all fine.

So, if you don't have a godmother like mine, or a family member like that, go find one. Adopt one if you need to. Or get a BFF who fills those shoes. (My BFF rocks, but she's not quite as blunt as my godmother, which is also good. She wouldn't pull it off as well, and I love her just the way she is anyway.)

Who thought that up?

Ever wonder who first thought of picking the needles off of that bush over there, pouring boiling water over it, then drinking it? How about who came up with the idea of picking those red berries, taking the middle part out, grinding them, pouring boiling water over them, and drinking that?

Yes, this is an Ode to Caffeinated Beverages, more popularly known as coffee and tea.

Caffeine is the elixir that welcomes the day for most of my friends. It is consumed in some form, whether it be a "cup of joe," a "cuppa," or a pop. (Yes, I'm from the Midwest. Deal.) It can come in paper cups, or fine china, in a plastic bottle or a tall glass. Tea once dictated the fortunes of the world, and coffee was once more doubted than alcohol.

But, this morning, I raise my cup, and salute the people who came up with the idea in the first place. Though you are lost to the mists of the past, your discoveries live on!

I need a new post

Sorry, folks. There has been much drama in my life of late. It's kept me from paying attention to many of the fun things that I normally do, and more than a few of the necessary but not quite fun things. Hopefully, all will quiet down. I've got several thoughts that need to be shared, they're just dying to be shared.

So, be patient. It's coming.

A Poll Of Sorts For My Readers

So, a variety of mildly-stress-inducing circumstances have taken place over the past couple of weeks. One result is that I may start offering some of my knitting and crochet patterns. Not sure if I want to sell them, or just offer them for my dear regular readers (or anyone else who stumbles across them) as a free download.

Now, perhaps this is a tough thing for you to answer, because I've posted little of my work on this blog. Some of you have seen pictures of my work elsewhere (both designs and my crafting based on the designs of others). I'm more or less asking for blind input.

So, what say you all? I know there are about a dozen of you who look in fairly regularly. Come on, tell me. Does the Web need one more spot to find patterns?

Inquiring minds want to know....

Superstitious? Who? Me??

Ever notice how bad things really do seem to come in threes?

Take today, for instance. First, I got hurt this morning (long story, thought my hand was broken, wound up calling in to work and going to the hand specialist instead, not broken but it's going to hurt for a while and at the moment it's swollen and looks rather like a baseball). Then, I get a letter telling me that even though I have been been living up to the terms and conditions of the contract, a long-time relationship is about to be terminated because of something else going on in my life that has absolutely nothing at all to do with this contract. And yes, it's totally legal. And furthermore, it's going to severely mess up a plan I had just put in place to deal with that problem.

I think I'm going back to bed. I don't want to know what the third thing might be....

Knitting, Crocheting, WIPs, UFOs, and On The List

So, it's no secret I'm a crafty eccentric. I knit. I crochet. I sew (by hand only, mostly because I don't have a machine but also because I can and I somehow think it's an art that's primarily been lost and should be preserved). I embroider and cross stitch and do needlepoint. I've even been known to make hooked rugs. I also cook and paint and garden and create in a variety of ways that most of my friends and acquaintances are only peripherally aware of.

Like nearly everyone else I know, I've got a ton of things going on. I have stash (yarn, fabric, thread, canvas). I have tools. I have books and magazines and free .pdf's printed out from various Web sites. I've even got various Web sites bookmarked. These are for the lists of, "Oh, I'd LOVE to make that!" items that everyone has.

I'm preparing this weekend for my annual culling of the stash, where I fish through and find things that are either "What was I thinking?" level or "I'll never get to that" level. They get priced, packaged, and sent to my LYS, where they're sold, and I get store credit. This year I'm going through the WIPs and UFOs too, to see what needs to be frogged and reassigned, or frogged and sent to the LYS. I'm sure there's a thing or two. And a couple I should finish.

In fact, there are many things I should finish. So here are my questions on this one for my crafty readers (the rest of y'all just won't get it):

1. Are you one of those people who only has one project going at a time, and finishes that before starting something new?
2. Do you have a time limit on WIPs before they get shifted in your mind to UFOs?
3. Do you have a list of things you want to start? How do you prioritize that list? (Thank you to my favorite on-line yarn shop for the idea for that question.)
4. Do you get the yarn/supplies (buttons, needles, hooks, beads, etc.) for those On The List items when they hit the list, or do you wait until you're ready to start work?
   

Perhaps my next post will look at some of my WIPs. Or my FOs. Then maybe some of my On The List items.

Pop Culture

I guess I'm getting old, because here are a few things I just don't get:

• Lady Gaga. I just don't get it. She looks like she should work at a strip club or hang out on a street corner, and while her music is sort of fun, there's nothing spectacular or memorable about it, except for the X-rated content in the videos. I've listened without watching the associated video, and I just don't think there's a lot of talent coming through beyond her of-the-moment music/lyrics and her shock-value videos/costuming. Perhaps I'm missing something?
  
• Tattoos. Do people realize that you age? And that when you are 60 and wrinkly (or 35 and wrinkly if you're living a particularly hard life), they're going to look stupid? Well, most of them anyway. Depends on what and where. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some fantastic tattoos, but really, after a certain age, most people (men or women) just don't carry them off well.
  
• Crocs. Aside from being hosable gardening shoes, what's the point?
• Blue and brown together. I do not like this color combination. It's different than my dislike of the colors pink and black. I've seen use of pink and black where I appreciate the color (say, in some combinations of pink and yellow together that are really lovely, or orange and black for use on halloween, things like that). But the combination of blue and brown? What gives? I find it dingy as a combination. It screams outdated to me, just as a harvest gold refrigerator and avocado stove would.
• Older women (50+, in some cases 40+) in long hair. Makes most of them look older. Sure, Michelle Pfeifer can do it and get away with it, so can a few other stars. But let's face it, they have things that most normal women don't. Many of them, due to their careers, have had some sort of plastic surgery to modify the natural sagging that happens to a face (and can be accented by long hair), and they also have a team of stylists every time they're seen in public for any event, whether it's on the news, or something to do with a movie. Have you ever seen those pictures of celebrity women in public with no make-up wearing mom-clothes or Saturday-working-in-the-yard-running-errands clothes? Trust me, they look just as bad as anyone else. But I see a lot of women who both wear their hair too young, AND dress too young. You see them from the back and they look fantastic. You get an expectation of a lovely smooth-skinned young thing in your mind. Then they turn around, and they may not look bad for their age, but as their hair and clothing are more geared toward someone 20 years younger, it comes as a shock, and you think they look horrible. A tweak here or there would mitigate that shock, and still have them dressing in a very trendy fashion. You don't need the short, old-lady hair. But you can't wear it like you did when you were 20, either.
  
• Fear of getting old. While we're talking about people trying too hard to hold on to their youth. Aging is certainly not for the faint of heart, but seriously: if we're lucky, we all do it. Doing it gracefully should be the goal, not avoiding it altogether.
  

The Thing About Etsy

My BFF showed it to me a few years ago. I was skeptical (as I am about most such thing).

Now I love it. Or at least a few people on it.

The thing about Etsy, which enables craftspeople to peddle their wares to those who truly appreciate them, is that there is always something there worth buying. If you are in a depression and need some retail therapy to cheer yourself up but have extremely limited funds, you're guaranteed to find something on Etsy. Like handmade buttons for $3.00. Or some wonderful artisan small batch candy samples.

I've gotten hand-dyed yarn, patterns, stitch markers, accessories for my car, and a tabletop swift from Etsy. I've sent presents to friends, and gotten a few mood lifters for myself. I've supplied needs, and assuaged wants. And out there, somewhere, is an artisan whom I hope knows how much I appreciated them.

No yarn links, you notice? That's because I've bought yarn from too many people to count, and have more favorites than I should. I've gotten a couple of custom batches, and had wonderful service from everyone I've dealt with.

Internet? I'd like to introduce you to the Village Market Square.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

I just had a fantastic weekend. Spent it at The Loopy Ewe's Spring Fling with my BFF and about 123 other fiber loving women and one man. It's what everyone needs: time to relax, recoup, and do next to nothing except your favorite hobby for a couple of days with good food and friends and like-minded individuals. Let's face it, the world is a tough place to navigate. Even if you have relaxing hobbies, such as knitting or crocheting, the few minutes a day most of us get to participate in those is never quite enough to truly alleviate the stresses which build up over time. A few concentrated days are key to really making it work, and trust me, you come home feeling MUCH better!

So, as ever, kudos and applause to Sheri and the Elves for all the hard work they put into this! And thanks!!

Thinking Ahead

Ever know something your WHOLE life? Just KNOWN it?

Ever have a premonition, or a dream that later came to pass?

It's a rather freaky feeling when these things happen. Call it a premonition, call it deja vu: it's still a very odd sensation when it happens.

Why does it happen? Divine revelation? Clairvoyance? Paying better attention to the universe than everyone else?

Who knows. I don't. But I go with it.

And I know. And will thus be ready.

I know, it's patchy at best

It's not that I have nothing to say. I've always got SOMETHING to say. And I've got opinions on most things.

Problem is, I have great ideas when I'm nowhere near a computer to write these up, or I start something, and it gets tricky and complicated and I draft part of it and leave it for later and never come back.

It's not that I'm ignoring you. I just can't remember that fantastic blog post idea I had last night while fixing dinner, now that I've actually got time to write it up.

But, I'm sure it'll come to me. Something always does.

Requiem for a Crochet Pattern Web site

As you know, I both knit and crochet. I do a lot of other things too, but these are my primary year-round hobbies. I am not fond of Ravelry for reasons I will not get into here, but I do have a list of other great Websites bookmarked, where I can look for inspiration and, often, free patterns.

In the course of trying to help a friend find a pattern for a pineapple motif for a bedspread or table cloth yesterday, I looked to one of my favorites, and found that the site was gone. Celt's Vintage Crochet was no more, and Celty left a scathing note behind. I personally was appalled at the reason for her taking down her site: that others were pirating the patterns she'd worked so hard to preserve and that she offered for free, and selling them. Yes, the Almighty Dollar has reared its ugly head again, and there is another casualty.

I don't blame her for being disgusted and frustrated. I don't blame her for taking down her site in the wake of this. I do wish that I'd managed to save out some of the patterns that she so lovingly provided, and this for purely selfish reasons as now I'll have to hunt for them in other places, and I don't consider that my odds are too high of locating many of them.

I think what disgusts me most is that, within our community of knitters and crocheters, we are not immune to selfishness and the kind of dishonesty that would allow someone to take another's work and claim it as their own.

And so, I raise my glass to Celty and Celt's Vintage Crochet. To Celty, for having the courage to take her site down and tell people why. And for Celt's Vintage Crochet, in memory of a good thing that was spoiled by too many bad apples.

Strange connections

Every time I hear the name JAY, I'm reminded of Jay and Silent Bob. I could not tell you why. I couldn't be counted among their myriad fans. In fact, the only movie of theirs I've ever seen is Dogma, which I found funny though a number of my friends found flat out blasphemous.

But seriously. Why do I connect the two? I should be more likely to think of my junior high crush, or a family friend. But no. I think of Jay and Silent Bob. Go figure?

So, thoughts? Weird connections you make? Inquiring minds want to know.