Commercialism

I've asked before but nobody answered. What do you really think about commercialism on blogs? Do you hate me for being an Amazon associate? Will that prevent you from linking to me? Could it be a reason that you would not look at my blog if you like it otherwise? Do you ever buy things from ads on blogs?

Here's the way I see it: There are lots of blogs that are hosted on blogspot or various free servers, and they have advertising on them that the blog owner has no control over. Sometimes it's pop-up ads. Some of these servers are notoriously slow to load. I pay for server space, and the hosting quality is pretty good. Although I intended to use this space to promote my farm and fiber business, and I do some of that, my life is taking a different direction and I'm just not getting as much fiber stuff done as I would like. If you're on the market for fiber, or for sheep, I do have some available! But I have to pay the bills somehow. Just so you know, Amazon doesn't come close to paying the bills. I haven't sold enough stuff for them to even be issued a check. I do like books though, and I actually like seeing what books come up on the ads on my page. Sometimes I find out about new books that way in my areas of interest. The ads are all down the side of the site, so they don't get in the way of anything. You don't have to look at them if you don't want to.

So, what do you think? I could use some answers. For some reason, I keep getting the impression that it isn't okay to try to make a living from things we enjoy. My husband feels bad thinking about charging anyone to play the bagpipes when they ask, even though he would have to take off half a day from work to do it. A friend of mine is good at Reike, but can't bring herself to charge people for the healing she is able to give them. When I was trying to make money at various home business programs - everything from selling kitchen tools to coordinating international exchange students - I felt so bad every time I had to ask someone to buy something, host a party, open their home to one of my students, etc. because even though I belived what I was offering was worth it, I felt guilty trying to make money or asking people to help me make money. Trying to run a farm goes the same way - nobody is going to give me hay and the supplies I need for free, but they sure don't want to pay anything for my animals or products either, and I feel bad for wanting to get enough income out of it to be able to afford to keep going, let alone to expand and improve or have any extra for my own support.

Do you ever feel this way? Where is this guilt coming from? Please let me know what you think. I don't think it's just me, but I can't be sure. I could use a little feedback here. Thanks!

Figure 8 Toes

Didn't I promise that I was going to explain how to do Figure 8 toes? I think I'm only a couple of weeks late on that. I learned it from Ethnic Socks & Stockings, by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts. If you haven't seen this book, it is absolutely beautiful. The socks in it are wonderful, and the techniques she explains are even better. I learned more new things about knitting from this book than any other single book I have read. Since it is about socks from the other side of the world, the methods could be expected to be different. They are. Trying it out was a valuable learning experience, with applications much broader than just socks.

Okay, I got side-tracked there, but I really love that book. And no, I don't have it, but the library does. I want my own copy though.

Back to Figure-8 Toes

• As in the picture above, start with the figure 8 cast on. This is as it sounds: wrap the yarn in figure-eights around two dpns. I like a width of 6 or 8 stitches to start a toe (that is the number on each needle).
  
• Use a third needle to knit back and forth on one needle, forming a
  square. Work two rows more than the number of stitches on one needle. Actually, the first row I work across one needle, then I turn it over and work across the second needle. This helps to secure the end of the yarn, which I work in as I knit.
  
• After knitting a square, pick up stitches along the sides. Now you are working with five needles, including the working needle. The tricky part is done.
  
• After knitting around all four needles once, begin increasing. You can do this any way you like, but what I did was matched increases at the beginning of one needle, end of the second, beginning of the third, and end of the fourth. Knit one round plain and one increase round alternately until you have as many stitches as you need for the foot of your sock.
  
• At this point you may begin any pattern you would like to use for your sock. You can continue on dpn's, or switch to two circulars if you prefer.

Here I am - It's been a while again

I guess I don't blog much when stressed. I was going to write about my toes (sock toes) and still have not gotten a round tuit, but believe me, I will get there. I had a big test last week and didn't know if I passed it (now I think I did). There was other stuff going on to that I don't want to get into here. Anyway, I think I'm back now. I've still got lots to get done this week though.

Ever thought about writing a novel?

I'd love to, but probably not next month. If you would like to write a novel next month, check out nanowrimo. I think it's a great idea, and I would do it if I thought I would have the time. You sign up, agreeing that during the month of November you plan to write a (minimum) 50,000 word novel. If you succeed, you get to say that you did it. They give you a cool award graphic that you can put on your website. That's about it - the only requirement is word count, and nobody grades it to see how well written it is. You can always go back and revise it later. Yeah, it's quantity over quality. That's okay - it sounds like a lot of fun, and if you always wanted to be a writer, this may just be the incentive to stop procrastinating and get started.

Opal Socks



I did in fact finish the Opal socks yesterday, as you can see. Since it was my first time using this yarn, and I only had one skein (I knew that one skein is supposed to make a pair of socks), I just didn't know how long to make the first sock and have enough yarn left for the second to match. Although I worked from the toe, up, I didn't have circular needles in a small enough gauge, so couldn't use the two circs method. *Add to wish list - circular needles in sizes 0 and 1.* I could have actually worked on both socks, since I was using the size 1 needles I inherited from my grandmother, and she had 8 of them, but then I would have had to work from both ends of the skein. Regia sock yarn comes in skeins of half the amount, so one skein makes one sock. Maybe that way is better. I generally prefer longer socks, but I'm okay with these as they are.

These socks have the same Middle Eastern style toe as my spiral tube socks. I tried short-row heels, which I had never done before, and it's a good option for toe-up socks. It would work fine for top-down socks too, but there are other heels I like better that work well from the top down. Actually, I have in the past done heel flaps when working from the toe up, and maybe the heel is upside down, but it still works. I have done short rows before, but not in a heel, and I just made it up as I went along. Unfortunately, I forgot about wrapping the end stitches, and wound up with involuntary eyelets on the first sock, which looked fine but I was worried about how it would wear, so after the sock was done I used duplicate stitch (or something like it) and closed the eyelets. Then I looked up some instructions for knitting short row heels and eliminated the eyelet problem on the second sock. Bet you can't tell the difference! I can, but I know my creations.

I decided that I like working with sock weight yarn, but I just don't like the self-patterning thing as much as I thought. I'd rather just work with various colors and have control of the designs. The patterns don't quite match up and don't look very neat, and I got tired of it and went to a pattern stitch once past the heels, then ended with a row of eyelets and a picot edge. I think that the leftover yarn might be enough to make some socks for my 5-year-old.

Need some patterns for socks with short-row heels?
I found some that look nice:

• Knitting a Short Row Heel (more heel instructions and a picture of a really cool looking sock)
  
• Garter Stitch Heels (more really cool socks)
  
• Wool Works Craft (a discussion of the various heel options)
  
• knittingfun (lots of stuff here, including free sock patterns)
  
• Wendy's Knitting Blog (of course Wendy J. discussed the whole short row heel issue, well over a year ago)

If I have time tomorrow I'll explain how I'm doing the toes. I have a big test tomorrow though as well as homework due, so we'll see.

Celtic Knots



My scanner isn't working right now, and it would have done a better job, but here you can see some of my doodling. I have fun with these. Sometimes I cut them out and use them for bookmarkers.

It's Conference Weekend

I love conference weekends. We get to stay home and listen to church on T.V. Yes, it's eight hours, between Saturday and Sunday (two two-hour sessions each) - that's a lot of knitting and spinning time. Usually I'm not daring enough to knit during church, although I probably have resorted to it sometimes when it was the only way to stay awake. I must have had a bad attitude back then. Lately I draw Celtic knots instead - it's less obvious. But when watching church on T.V. from home, I have no problem at all with using my time productively while listening. Honestly, it's nothing against church - my hands just need something to do.

During the morning session today I made quite a bit of progress on the Opal socks. Last night (all right, yes, in class) I made it just a little past the heel on the second sock. I'll have them both done by the end of the afternoon session. When the socks are done I will spin. Although the dogs and kids have broken both of my spinning wheels rough-housing in the living room, I'm pretty sure that one of them will still work. It just needs to be re-glued, and it wobbles a little. Otherwise, there are always spindles.