6/22/2021 Mild Plagiarism
They call me traveler. They call me adventurer. They call me nomad. They call me cyclist. That's not my name. That's not my name. That's not my name. THAT'S NOT MY NAME.
They call me homeless, but I just live here. Doing some camping, always the same. That's not my name. That's not my name. That's not my name. THAT'S NOT MY NAME. They call you worthless. They call you lazy. They call you immature. They call you dumb. That's not your name. That's not your name. That's not your name. THAT'S NOT YOUR NAME! They call you burden, but you're just breathing. Chillin' will cost you, always the same. That's not your name. That's not your name. That's not your name. THAT'S NOT YOUR NAME! 6/12/2021 De-Stigmatize
In the world we live in now, we can only act naturally when no one else is around. More specifically, we can only be silly and take creative risks when we are alone. Maybe around those closest to us, but even then, it must be done with tact and proper timing, or else you will fall flat before their raised eyebrows. It's not so much the falling flat that keeps us from being ourselves as much as it's the raised eyebrows.
I think what's even more sad than living that way in this world is that while we are all imprisoned in such a fashion, we are all simultaneously holding the keys to the prison cells that hold others. Everyone's doing it to everyone.. So why are we all doing this to each other? I think it's widespread, well-ingrained mental illness. The powers of denial and repression can be extremely strong. You could go your whole life thinking you are one thing but acting like another. In fact, I know a great many people like this, not only that, but I used to be one of them! So I think that denial and repression are tools we use to exclude ourselves from the "jailer" role and cement ourselves in solely the role of "victim." How is it, though, that each and every one of us is a victim of the oppression that prevents us from being ourselves, full out, in public, yet none of us is an oppressor? Something just doesn't add up there. So the only logical answer is that we are universally insane and using denial and repression to block out that which we do not wish to see in ourselves: that we are also the oppressors, sustaining this drab and suffocating way of life. Most people will read this and agree, and say "yes! This happens to me!" But their mental illness won't let them complete that thought. They won't look at the full picture which reveals the fact that they, too, are oppressive while being oppressed. You are in a state of denial if you don't believe you are guilty of this. No one wants to admit their faults, and therein lies our problem. So long as this willful denial continues, we will remain in hell. The choice is entirely yours. On the flipside, while a rare few people might look at themselves and be willing to admit to their oppressive, bigoted, prejudiced, malicious behavior, it is even rarer still that any one of them actually makes a stand and says, "I refuse." "I won't participate anymore, this is hell, and our only way out is to change." ...and then making the fucking effort to change. Some of the most stingey, closed-off, narrow-minded bastards I know are the ones who insist they are the most open-minded and accepting. And if you think you aren't one of them, think again. Then think again. One thing I've heard one of them say in reference to another of them is, "He'd give you the shirt off his back," but the truth is: he'd give you the shirt off his back then turn around and pay the salaries of the cronies who took your shirt in the first place. You see, in order to make the change, you have to be unwilling to support the system of belief, which includes the government, that upholds and enforces this behavior and mindset. When you stop supporting that system, and I know this from 14 years of experience, you get kicked out of your home, your belongings literally chucked out of your dwelling where the vulture-neighbors ransack it for loot, you are potentially arrested, but if you have a little money, they'll let you go. After they let you go, they leave you to die, and in some cases actually try to expedite that process, death. If you're lucky, you might have some relatives with wealth willing to set you up with some supplies so that you might live in a tent in the forest, but even then, you are scraping the bottom if dumpsters for food and wearing clothes until they are literally hanging from your body in tatters. We know this because we conceive, commission, pay for, and run the system that does this. No one wants to be treated this way, so they stay in line, upholding the oppressive principles that keep their very selves in shackles. So by all means, continue living your life in those chains. You'll never be yourself, you'll never realize your full potential. You can put that key in the lock and turn it. You can de-stigmatize yourself. You can take the creative risk, and you can allow others to do the same. I hope you do, but I don't think you will, but I don't pity you, for you are the one holding the key. 6/6/2021 Crispy!
As you might be able to tell from the last few posts, I've been going through my old patterns and updating them in various ways. The biggest change is that I've finally created a pattern template I'm happy with. Secondly, I'm uploading the patterns to the cloud for direct .pdf download so that they are available off of Ravelry as well. I'm also thinking of contributing them to crochetpatterncentral.com and knittingpatterncentral.com and possibly others. I'd like to reach as wide an audience as I can because I think a good thing, while subjective as to its goodness, is worth sharing widely. So now my patterns will all go into this template and it will be a cohesive collection. I think it looks nice and crispy, and I really like the way the colors, lines, and rounded corners all come together. Adam kindly designed the title page graphic for me when I asked him for one--or maybe it was actually his idea--it's been so long, I can't remember. He's also given me a lot of pointers while working in GIMP, the free and open-source graphics and photo-editing program, so thanks definitely go to him for helping me to get to the happy place where I am. Don't even get me started on the chart-making software he made for me when I asked him for it. It's one of those programs you use, and suddenly it's been 4 hours.
6/6/2021 Pattern: Cluster Puff
Click here to download the .pdf directly. Pattern is also available on Ravelry.
This little ditty came about when I first learned foundation single crochet and starting fiddling around with some scraps. I ended up creating a little decoration for a posy vase (repurposed from a soda bottle). While the posies, the bottle, and the decoration are long gone, I have revived the pattern, bringing it over to the new template and updating the lexicon, and created a few samples with varying weights of yarn. I also renamed it Cluster Puff so as to be a cheeky play on words that also happens to be more descriptive of the stitching. Quick Facts: -very suitable for scraps! -recommend at least 1 yd lengths of yarn -hook should be appropriate to the weight of yarn used -highly recommend blocking as the piece tends to twist when unblocked 6/5/2021 Pattern: Flowerish Octagon
Click here to download the .pdf directly. Motif is also available on Ravelry.
When my cousin commissioned me to make a blanket for her to give as a wedding gift to her step-son, I became inspired by a wall-hanging I had and started designing several octagons. Adam had also recently designed an octagon-shaped shaped cabin, so octagons were on the brain. Of the octagons I designed, my cousin liked this one the best, so it's the one that got incorporated into the blanket design. The pattern offers two versions. Pictured is the first version which is worked in rounds without turning. The second version turns after each of the first three rounds which creates a subtle texture that resembles a flower, hence the name: Flowerish Octagon.
I titled the blanket Stop in the Name of Love, and it combines knitting and crochet. Even though I created it 11 years ago, I have still yet to publish the pattern. In the meantime, feel free to contact me, though, if you want some guidance as to how I made it.
6/5/2021 Pattern: Celebration Leaves!
Click here to download the .pdf directly. Square is also available on Ravelry.
About 10 years ago, upon seeing a blanket I had recently completed, my step-dad commented on how he liked how the squares came together to appear as if they were layered tiers. His comment inspired me to make a blanket for him to use in his office while napping between clients. He enjoys being in nature: has taken several extended canoe trips, has had all kinds of backpacking and camping experiences, enjoys hiking with my mom, and has even published a couple books on wilderness experiences. So I wanted his blanket to reflect nature as much as possible in color and theme. I'm not sure I really nailed it on the colors, haha, but the leaf lace seemed like a perfect fit. The blanket incorporates 8 sampler squares, of which Celebration Leaves! is one. When I originally learned leaf-lace, I knew I someday wanted to incorporate it into a design in some way, and the lace and bobble patterning between the leaves reminds me of trumpets blowing to celebrate nature, hence the name: Celebration Leaves! (don't forget the exclamation point).
The blanket itself is called Squares Dancing in Harmony and is, as of this writing, only available on Ravelry, but it is also free there as well.
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