Cast On - a podcast for knitters

How long has this been going on that I missed out on it?

Probably because I was boycotting anything with the word POD in it.
iPod, Podcasting, storage PODS, Pain Of Death, Payable On Death,
P.O.D. is a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum, Nu metal band from San Diego, California.
And then there's the infamous 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie:
Pods = scary (Sutherland, Goldblum, & Nimoy are forever linked in the fear zone of my memory)
I never wanted to work in a Pod - a cubicle, a cube farm, a huge office with little spaces and no windows and no view outside, ... Yeah, well, get over it, sometimes a knitter's gotta do what a knitter's gotta do to finance the habits (addictions, obsessions).

Anyway, with the help of my technorati / geekology progeny, I am now seriously addicted to podcasts. This Cast-On podcast is definitely the gateway podcast for knitters. The kids turning me on to this pod cast thing ranks right up there with when my DH emailed me a link to a game site with the Subject: "Check this out, it's addictive".
What was he thinking, and then how dare he complain that I spent too much time playing computer games! If you have an addictive personality, or know someone who has issues with this; do us all a favor: Do Not give them this link.

But, nonetheless, I'm thankful that they did. Bless those little enablers' hearts.

The Knitting Guild Association Forums

I was just over at the TKGA forums. Very nice place, actually. A poster was writing about finding offensive patterns online. How do you feel about that?

When I first started this blog, I was seeking out those kind of things. I was taking the line "You Knit What?" to the limit. And, I was going to be Snarky and critique stuff that people put online. It was going to be fun. I was looking for the funny, "Fuggly", and odd.
There's some bizarre stuff out there. There were people selling knit stuff on eBay that had never even occurred to me. Some of it was funny, but I couldn't put it on a blog that I knew my DD might read. Then, I started finding the sick and twisted. Some of these knitters really need some Dr. Phil. Maybe it's a therapy for them to knit what they can't otherwise talk about. If the examples you listed make you truly sad and disappointed, the other stuff would really get a reaction out of you. Without undue description; in one week, I found pattens to knit: anatomy one doesn't usually see, items you would have to be over 18 to buy legally (or view), alternative definitions of "fantasy items", "toys", "tools", and marital aids, the list goes on. Even with the safe searching features on, I found all kinds of stuff that had deviant meanings for common words. I know that a lot of it is there for the shock value. When I started this, I thought I was a worldly, culturally savvy, tough, grown-up woman. I thought that I wanted to know all about everything out there. How bad could it be?

I was quite overwhelmed in a very short time. And then, I didn't blog at all for a while. I've come to realize that I don't want to know everything that's out there. Sometimes, I want to put my head in the Sand; I want the filtered and sanitized version. Like the newscasters and talk radio people that won't say the Shooter's names when reporting on the recent Killing Sprees; I have decided to not give them publicity. By showing my horror and reacting, aren't I reinforcing their problem behavior?
Not knowing the whole story, but only seeing the photos and reading the blogs, how can a person know when they're egging someone on in their self-destructive spiral? How can we help give others the positive reinforcement they need? But, the actresses that are acting out really don't need the publicity. The Buzz they're getting should be enough.
With everything in the media, is is possible that we are so Jaded by the bizarre? Constantly needing more excitement, more shocking, more unbelievable? Does everything really need to be the MOST ? Biggest, Baddest, Ultimate, Horrific, ? What's next after that?

Ravelry ?

https://www.ravelry.com/account/login
Has anyone out there been using the Ravelry site? I don't even know what it is really, but I signed up for an invitation. About 5 minutes later, I typed in to "check my place in line".

• You signed up on Today
• You are #111471 on the list.
• 5680 people are ahead of you in line.
• 4 people are behind you in line.
• 93% of the list has been invited so far

Then I notice that the title line on the page that gives you this information is "antsy".
Good humored Snarkiness? Right back atcha:
How good must this be? Wow! Is this what one would call a phenomenon?

organize. Organize your projects, stash, needles, and more.

Is this an answer to my prayers? Or what? Man, this is worse than waiting for - what? I don't even know what I'm waiting for.

And then, I notice It's In BETA. So this isn't even the final product yet, and we're all lining up to get it? Man, that's serious HYPE! Or not......... We shall see what the future holds.

Buying Patterns online

Have you ever bought a pattern online? How was it?
Except for one, the only patterns I have downloaded are the free ones from the yarn companies, and Knitty, and other websites that I'll remember later. The one that I paid for, I was never able to successfully download because I didn't have enough bandwidth or a fast enough connection (at the time). The vendor "cheerfully" refunded to my PayPal account.
Anyway, I've been searching for years for a true "wedding ring shawl" pattern. I once found a book listing it on Amazon, for $45. At that time, I wasn't willing to pay that much.
I just don't know if I'm willing to pay from $4 to $25 for one single pattern.
Downloading instantly from the internet would be great though. I might get started sooner and not get sidetracked onto another project if I didn't have to wait for the pattern in the mail. Or, would it just incite me into starting even more UFOs that would go lurking in the attic to haunt me?
I did order a pattern from someone on eBay that was wonderful. They sent it all printed on nice paper with a "real" photograph attached. And it didn't take that long to get it. The first one came out fabulously. Since then, I lost it halfway through knitting it the second time. I think it was Curlicue, or Cirlicue maybe? Oat Coature doesn't seem to sell online anymore, none of my LYSs carry it. One of the many tribulations of being chronically disorganized. Someday.........

Back to Looking for Dragonscale stitch - without holes

So, if the DS wants mitts, he'll get mitts, by Golly! Vibrant Lime Grasshopper Green : that's a Dragon Color isn't it?
Which puts me back to the search for a Dragonscale pattern that isn't lace, and doesn't have vertical lines making stripes. I'll be taking the suggestion of a poster at the TKGA forums (http://tkgamessageboard.groupee.net/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8291079361/m/1491070303) to use a lace pattern, but use a mk1 instead of a YO. This may lead to SWATCHING! Ohhh Noooo!

It's off to the hunt......... How dangerous can Dragon Scale Hunting be anyway?

But, he doesn't want socks. He wants Mitts

Ok, so I'm all excited about the Cat Bordhi Sock book. I'm seeing some stuff in here thats Manly (in a very RenFest way). Remembering the DS that has not received anything knitted in a long time, the one that started all this knitting obsession with his Harry Potter Scarf. And I've found the best hot green yarn in the stash: Cascade Fixation Cotton - bright lime green. I coral the 12 yo DS to have him pick out one of these cool patterns for Socks. I even knit up the first pair of the practice socks; so some baby in the future will receive a very distinctive pair of camo color socks. DS patiently hmms, and well's his way through the Sock Book and then declares that what he really NEEDS is a pair of MITTS ! This yarn is "begging" him to be mitts. So, now what? I've probably started 10 pairs of mitts in the last 3 years. I do fine with the kind that has NO fingers whatsoever, but this time he wants to have the fingers except the tips. He reminded me about the cheap $1 store gloves that we chopped the fingertips off and flame sealed the frayed ends for Halloween. And then he proceeded to wear them for the rest of the winter. He even reminds me that his hands are only going to get bigger, so now would be the easier time to make them. While his hands are still almost as small as mine. Way to make a Mom feel Old.
Yep, no time like the present. Green Mitts it is.

Why would I think that starting reading a new book...

Why would I think that starting reading a new book would be the right thing to do right now?
Why do I start new things when I'm stressed out?
Why am I even really feeling stressed?

I've had the book for a while, and I was saving it as a reward for ____? For what?
Good Grades? Cleaning my Room? Why do I continue to treat myself as if I'm a child?

Anyway, Cat Bordhi is awesome. Do you think she teaches the way she writes?
If more teachers did, so many more kids would get math.
I always loved math, and geometry, and all that stuff that girls were NOT supposed to be good at.
Oh, well.
But, back to Cat ... Some of her stuff is really goofy, and I just can't see anyone wearing some of it except at the Renaissance Festival. But, man would it be COOL for the RenFest! Lots of her stuff will be very appreciated by my LOTR and D&D crowd. And everything has such Great Names. Quirky just barely begins to describe this.

Got a new book - Cat Bordhi New Pathways for Sock Knitters

Got a new book today! Yeah!
Where to start? What to do first?
Wow! love it, love it.
I'm beginning to think I have a problem though.
I seem to like to read about knitting more than I want to actually knit.
Maybe.
Surely not! It cannot be so! Banish the thought!

Lion Yarn - Felting experiment

Puppy Coats:
To knit a coat for a puppy seems pretty sensible. But, DH and DD want it to not be yarn. We had a scare with this puppy early on with yarn. DD was playing with him, teaching him to "chase" a ball of yarn, holding onto a piece of yarn pulled out of center. Pup got a strand of the yarn wrapped around a tooth, bleeding (and screaming and crying) ensued. So, DH forbids yarn as a toy or clothing for the pup.
DH has always been anti-knit-toy for babies too. On the theory that they could chew loose a piece of the yarn, get a long ravel going, and choke or get hung up in the yarn.
So, wouldn't felting work for that problem too?

Lionbrand Yarn has a Charity Search

Do you use Lion Brand yarn? I've got a ton of it in my stash. Yes, lots of the "real knitters" aka "yarn snobs" will tell you that it's inappropriate for serious knitting. But, let's be real; it's affordable, available, trendy or classic, reliable. Lion has textures and colors that everyone can relate to. They have the traditional basic afghan yarn to the trendy hot colors that come and go faster than a teen changes moods.
Anyway, I never noticed it before, but their website has a whole Charity Search area. You can look up charities several ways. Just type in your location, and how far you're willing to go to send or deliver your craft, and they'll fix you up with a list of what group in your area needs what. Or, you can type in your interest: say "hats", "chemo", "Veterans", "Prison", or "transplant" and it'll search for those words in the name of the organziation and their description and requests lists. In just a couple of minutes, I found seveal nearby ministries that need finished crafts as well as some that are asking for YARN ! So, if you bought tons of Lion yarn when you were first starting out and now you've moved beyond that phase: You could Donate the Yarn. Stash Clearing! What could this do for my OCD-hoarding thing? And now that I'm doing my taxes, I bet it could be a deduction IF I can Document it Properly (Get A Receipt).
Something to think about.
And, while you're there, they have lots of free patterns and even a stitch finder.
Peace - Out........

Warming Families Charity organization

This charity has a really good utube video. Very nice idea for giving tribute to their contributors. This would be a great idea that other volunteer organizations (like my own church) could use to "thank" their donors. The Video Has music (by the Osmonds whom endorse this charity) and everything. Has lots of links to patterns and resources. http://www.warmingfamilies.org/donations_scrapbook.aspx Is a "scrapbook" of photos of the items and sometimes the donors. There's a drop down list "Pattern Menu" with what must be hundreds of links to pattern pages all neatly sorted into categories.
The focus seems to be on helping the homeless and those living in shelters of one sort or another. So, there's links to directories of shelters all across the US. Check it out to see what's in your area.
There seem to be Area Volunteers that you can contact about where to take your donated crafts in your own area.
Which works on one of my conundrums: shipping stuff round and round the world.
It really seems to help out the shipping companies: USPS, UPS, FedEx - but doesn't it dilute the actual aid that the end recipient receives? So, if I don't have to pay so much to ship it to the end user, maybe I can give more, give more frequently, give easier? Right?
What ever happened to the saying "Think globally, act locally"? Maybe I had it wrong. That should be my next investigation, shouldn't it?