Another Roommate Vlog

Onward and hatward!

I finished the hat I was talking about the other day, It's a 50/50 wool and soy silk mix that I knitted from my own handspun. I didn't blend or dye this one (the dye lot is called "tossed salad" I'm laughing about it) , but I did develop the pattern It's a really simple one-skein pattern that works for men or women.

Of course, after all that bragging about easy crafting for the single and childless, the dog walked by while I was getting my knit on and hooked a few yards away with his tail.

Off to the gym with me, I've lost enough IQ points watching Toddlers and Tiaras for the day.

My search for more things to do

I figured that if I am going to start posting crafts for the single and childless, I should probably research some to try. So I entered "Crafts for the Single and Childless" into my favorite search engine and landed in my own blog.

Then I saw some articles that discussed all the thigs that were wrong with women who choose to remain childless, some of which probably ended with something to effect of "there's nothing wrong with us, asshole"

It seems to me that I've hit upon a niche market, but I don't know where to start. After all, most of the things that I do can be done with children around, the trouble is that sometimes those children (and the men that I date) simply make it difficult to execute said craft. Kind of like how my cats used to like to play in the fabric after I carefully laid it down on the floor for measuring and cutting.

Children ALWAYS want to try treadling the spinning wheel (and sometimes I let them) and the guy that I see sometimes has been known to pull my knitting needle out of my knitting. Kind of like my cat used to. I can't decide if he wants my undivided attention while he watches TV or if he's just a brat. I'm going for the second there. It's not animal cruelty if I stab him with said needle, however, and is only a crime if I break the skin or leave a bruise so, retribution does occasionally occur. And by occasionally, since I only see him occasionally, I mean rare indeed.

So think I should start brainstorming crafts that involve things that kids just should not have access to. Like drugs and hard alcohol.

I kid. That stuff is expensive. I just don't have the funds for clever cocaine sculptures. (that ought to bring in some interesting search hits) AND, I wouldn't know where to get that sort of thing anyway. AND blog fodder simply isn't worth a felony. Can I blog from prison? Who would take care of Chango and Baby? I would have to make soap out of... oh my goodness, lets not go there today.

NORMAL stuff you really aren't supposed to let your kids handle generally means something sharp, and chemical-y, and hot. I'm pretty sure I have all that stuff so as soon as I finish knitting that hat I'm making out of yarn that I spun (gee, I hope I have enough of it!) I'll get on that. Meanwhile, I think the hat should count since its sitting out in the open and is not in any danger of dropped stitches, cookie drool, or boogers.

The other moral of this story is that cats and men can be buttheads. But since they are cute and furry and snuggly, they are forgiven.

More Shameless Bubbly Creations Promotion

I try not to market here on the old personal blog because, well, if you wanted to know what the business was up to you'd head on over to the Bubbly Creations Blog or you'd like BC on Facebook (search bubblycreationssoap).  But I figured that you might not know that there is fun stuff going on over at the blog and on FB so I'd better tell you. Unless I already did in which case, I'm getting old and am that lady who tells the same story over and over.

In all seriousness, I'm doing some pretty fun (so thinks I) shit through the mail and if you would like to get in on it, I would recommend getting on my mail list by shooting your information to gina.bubblycreations.com. If I already have your address from Secret Crafters or you are in my family,

While I'm at the promotion game, I talk a bit more about derby and post more pictures of our bouts on Grace N Motion's FB page if you want to go like that one too. I'll really start talking it up once we are practicing again!

I almost forgot.

current savings. $19.02 and 10 little balls of felt. pparently I'm not a very good saver.

I havve decided

That I need a drum carder. (this is a gaget that will make my wool processing easier)

I am fortunate to have been gifted with many, many pounds of unprocessed Alpaca fiber. Soft, luxurious, warm, Alpaca. It is pretty clean but not ready for spinning. I can card a couple of ounces each night before I start to get blisters on my hands. It will cost at least $10 per pound to have everything processed by a mill. I am also exploring the idea of trading fiber for drum carder time with a local spinner who has one. As soon as I find one.

So, I have decided that I need one. They are really expensive. (for me) This isn't a "need" as much as a home is a need so I will NOT dip into savings for it and I certainly WILL NOT use my credit card. That is, after all, how I ended up in debt in the first place. Instead, I will be doing what I did when I started saving for my car. I'll be collecting loose change in a can. (yeah, I walked into the car dealership with my can-o-two thousand dollars. I am ca-lassy!) You know, whatever is in my wallet or comes in "extra" goes into the can. I wanted to create a widget on my blog so you can follow along with me (this is a tool that helps keep me on track. otherwise I forget what I am doing. I have to make up "games" to keep me focused. You would be amazed at how I have learned to cope with the way my brain works this way) but I ran into the same old issue. I couldn't find one existing, and I don't know how to make one.

If I understood HTML, if my brain didn't shut off every time the term came into play (I once checked a book out from the library to learn it but couldn't get past the first couple of pages. HTML for kids? nope. I'm just not language savy) I would be making my lovely widget right now instead of just talking about it. I would also have made my website beautiful by now instead of fucking around with widgets.

Current savings: $19.05 and 9 balls of felted wool. I think I am going to go couch digging. because right now I am 4/10 of the way there and I am feeling really optimistic!

I'm going to go play with Excel to make myself a graph. Graphing on Excel is fun.