So, just about the time I get going in my blog, I get an invite for Ravelry. I can say, with no shame, that that is why I didn’t blog. Ravelry has to be the best thing ever for fiber artists, ever.

But, I’ve been working on the business and designing more, and I figured that a blog would be  a good outlet of ideas, personal notes, etc.

I’m working on updating everything here, this blog is definitely not in it’s finished state. But I hope you’ll pull up a chair, stay for a while, and enjoy yourself!

The rest here I am shamelessly ganking from Violet’s (of Lime and Violets) blog because she says it so much better than I can:

According to the Overstock.com agreement to vendors (which they sent to someone they wanted to rip off), they take your item from you and mark it up THREE HUNDRED PERCENT. So those “poor people” they are helping are making something like 30 cents for every dollar they’re charging you. Doesn’t sound so humanitarian or helpful, does it?

Worse, etsy hasn’t deleted this asshat company’s account. The items are, under most definitions, handmade, but they aren’t being sold *by the artisan*, which was supposed to be in the TOS over there. This creates competition for the eyeballs of all the etsy visitors, which is kind of what etsy was supposed to be about — having a place where indie folks didn’t have to deal with corporate bullshit.

If you are an etsy buyer/seller, PLEASE EMAIL ETSY at abuse@etsy.com. Flag/Report all of worldstock’s items. Get the word out there that this is EXACTLY the kind of crap indie people have to deal with elsewhere, and that it’s cheapening etsy into a great big garage sale.

Please people, email, email, email! Etsy is for indie artists – not for multi-million dollar corporations. Feel free to copy this to other blogs, email it, get the word out!

Last weekend I just kind of sat on the couch, feeling that I should do *something*.. but not sure what. Then it dawned on me.. I could read ANYTHING I wanted, do anything I wanted, without feeling like I needed to do something for school. Justin and I went to the library, where I got books on cookies and bread making.

I have been knitting, too. I finished one of my Monkey Socks:

I love the Risata. But with Christmas coming up, I set the socks aside, and I started a hat for Justin. I am using the Fake Isle Hat pattern, and using Lambs Pride Worsted. The last time I tried this the edge of the hat curled horribly, and I frogged it. So this time I used a size 5US on the ribbing only, and then changed to a 6US for the hat. And I also changed to a 2×2 rib.

I started it yesterday, so I think that’s decent progress. Working with the mohair in the yarn makes me itchy sometimes, but it’s just a hat, and I’m not gonna be the one wearing it. :-p And it’ll make it warmer for Justin.

And speaking of Justin, his birthday was last week. I asked him what type of cake he wanted, and he said “cheesecake”. So I kept sending him recipes, and he kept veto-ing them. (Hey, if I put all this work into a cheesecake, I want to make sure he *really* likes it.) And then I stumbled on this Oreo Cheesecake recipe. And it was love at first sight. I made it for him, and it took 2 pounds of cream cheese and a full box of oreos. And it was gone in a weekend. I’m sorry, hips.

Ok, back to knitting.

And today my new baby arrived:

The boyfriend got me a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas. I am so *thrilled*. As soon as it was opened I dove into a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies with it. It’s amazing. I’m gonna have to behave myself and study and not just bake. I do want to try bread soon, though, but that would be best left to when I am not so rushed.

I can’t wait till next week is over and I can kick back and just knit, guilt free, thinking I should be studying or writing something!

A picture will be forthcoming when my battery is charged.

So I have been attending college and studying history, but I have been specializing in women’s history, and primarily in the history of violence and rape. Not a pleasant topic, by any means.. but one that can’t be forgotten, either.

And I am an activist, too. I am active at our local Planned Parenthood, and I am vice-president of the on campus Students for Choice group. So I tend to speak up about things.

The university I go to offers a Masters degree in Women’s Studies. And the with that, I could teach at the local community colleges – there are tons around here. And they are clamoring for more diverse courses to be taught.

I thought I would graduate in the spring and work in social work, like at Planned Parenthood or at the YWCA. While I don’t have a degree in social work, I have “street experience”. And I’m still gaining it. As a social worker, though, you don’t make much money.

I had an appointment with a professor, though, who said that she would like to see me get my Masters – and coincidentally, she is also head of the Masters program on campus. She said with that I could also supplement what I make working full time. I won’t be making much, but I’ll be doing what I love. And getting a teaching position from time to time might help make the ends meet.

So it’s been pretty interesting. For a while I thought I was going to be going down one road.. graduating, working, (finally getting a spinning wheel!!!), but then a door opened that might help me grow some more. It’s going to take some more thought, but it might be worth it.

This is the Celtic Cable Scarf (PDF). In wonderful Cascade 220. At first I was using a cable needle, but then into the second repeat I decided to see if I could remember and successfully cable without a cable needle, and it’s working great.

And here’s a somewhat decent picture of the Orchid Lace Scarf. I took about 30 different pictures of it, and this is the one that turned out the best so far – anything with a flash at all causes the Sea Silk colors to look garish and you can’t see the lace pattern.

So I’ve just been working on both of these. Tonight I might pick up a pair of socks that need the heel turned, and get that done.

And Socrates got his nails done!

No, that’s not nail polish, that’s Soft Paws. Putting them on was really simple – I thought he would get crazy like he does when I’m cutting his nails, but he just sat in my lap and watched me. You just put some of the cat-safe glue they give you in the tip, and slide it on. Socrates has been scratching up the boxspring and the corner of the couch – and he has outsmarted everything so far. We Saran-wrapped the boxspring, and pretty soon he would go UNDER the bed to scratch. For about the first 5 minutes he walked around like something was stuck to his feet – that was pretty funny. But he got used to them pretty fast, with just some licking. But they are all still there and secure, and he can’t scratch anymore!

I’m only about 2 repeats into the scarf.. knitting has been a little slow. My PMS symptoms decided to show up early, and since its the first period since my ovary removal.. it’s been bad, since my estrogen is evening itself out. I’ve been eating Advil like it’s M & M’s. (If anyone is doing the math, yes, it’s been over a month since the ovary removal.. but I’m on Seasonique, and I only have my cycle once every three months. So I’ve been reading knitting blogs and going to class, and doing knitting here and there.

Today I planned to stop by Knit On!, my fav LYS, but when I stopped by the bank to cash a check, I realized it was Columbus day, and the banks were closed. So that’ll be postponed until tomorrow. I want to knit the Celtic Cable Scarf (PDF) out of Cascade 220, in a nice fall color. Cascade 220 is my savior when it comes to wool.. it’s a wool yarn I can make a scarf or a hat out of and actually wear without itching. I guess it’s with the way it’s made.. I did the “bra test” with a swatch, and it was too itchy, so I guess a sweater is out of the question. But having it for accessories is great, because it’s nice and warm, and I do *a lot* of walking on campus this semester.

And since this is such a disjointed post, I’ll leave you with one more thing..

My cat in a necktie.

Not much knitting.. I am making some progress, slowly but surely, on my Orchid Lace Scarf. And yes, PinkPorcupine, I will have pictures soon.

But I trimmed down the yarn winder a bit, and c’est fini:

You might notice there is no treadle. But looking at the picture, I do notice a cat in the corner :-p. I fiddled with the foot peddle for a while, and finally, just to try it out, I took the attachment I had made for the peddle off the yarn winder and turned it with my hand. That part looks like this:

I just turn it with this (kinda like a ballwinder), and I can get a thing of lace on there in 10 minutes. A whole heck of a lot faster than when I was doing it on the swift! A lot less manpower needed, too. It seems really sturdy. I used a rubber band and put a clip on the end of one of the arm thingies to hold the yarn as I get it started. Works really well, and it really speeds up the process. So I just decided not to mess with the treadle and go the simple route. And it works great!

It showed up *this afternoon*.

Awesomeness.

Now I have almost 30 skeins of laceweight to play with, and 2 new colors of dye. I already have yarn soaking, and Justin claimed defeat and said he would stay out of the kitchen and dining room this evening. (Both rooms are incredibly small, and it’s hard for 2 people to be in them at once.. sad, eh?) He can’t stand the smell of wet wool, so the fan is in the window and the pots are on the stove.

Ladies and Gents, it is time to dye.