blissmorgan. Entries tagged with crochet

Academia/Edumacating
The Future of Bisexual Activism - an extract for this paper of particular interest because it contains the written-in-1990 Bisexual Manifesto. I didn't even know we HAD manifesto. I'm going to paste it at the bottom of this post.
What color is Mulberry
The origin of the phrase "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" (It wasn't Steinem!)
Thalassophobia: an intense and persistent fear of the sea/sea travel

Music
My first George Winston CD remains one of my favorites; playing the music of Vince Guaraldi.
The playlist I made when I gave myself permission to fail at cleaning and ended up actually succeeding

Yarning
Webs' year-end-blowout-sale theoretically ended yesterday but they still have stuff up
Crochet Pattern: Tiny Bubbles (Ravelry)
Crochet Pattern: Althea Shawl (I need to get back to working on the shawl I'm making with this pattern, it's like 90% done but I got distracted)
Crochet Pattern: The Yipyip aliens from Sesame Street
Crochet Pattern: The Not Knit Cowl - ends up appearing knit, but isn't

Omnomnoms
The Foundry is spendy but SO delicious. I need to go there again sometime instead of just staring at their menu online.

Social
Trying to figure out Friendica
A Buzzfeed quiz: which pair of wild animals match your personality (I got lion and tiger. That doesn't seem correct.)

Images
CAROL

~~~~~~~
The Bisexual Manifesto
First published in "Anything That Moves", 1990

We are tired of being analyzed, defined and represented by people other than ourselves, or worse yet, not considered at all. We are frustrated by the imposed isolation and invisibility that comes from being told or expected to choose either a homosexual or heterosexual identity.

Monosexuality is a heterosexist dictate used to oppress homosexuals and to negate the validity of bisexuality.

Bisexuality is a whole, fluid identity. Do not assume that bisexuality is binary or duogamous in nature: that we have “two” sides or that we must be involved simultaneously with both genders to be fulfilled human beings. In fact, don’t assume that there are only two genders. Do not mistake our fluidity for confusion, irresponsibility, or an inability to commit. Do not equate promiscuity, infidelity, or unsafe sexual behavior with bisexuality. Those are human traits that cross all sexual orientations. Nothing should be assumed about anyone’s sexuality, including your own.

We are angered by those who refuse to accept our existence; our issues; our contributions; our alliances; our voice. It is time for the bisexual voice to be heard.

Location George Winston - Monterey

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It is my regular day off today, and my bedhead has decided that I am a brunette lion. I am embracing this.

I posted as much on Tumblr and am now buried under a dude-alanche of internet thirst. This isn't even that good a picture of me. What.

Definitely got a picture that I thought was gonna be a dick-pic but turned out to be a selfie. And now we are talking in French. And I am a lion.

Le what.

ANYWAY.

The day is off, and so I indulged in totally not bothering to get dressed before getting the Spawn up for the day. Enschoolenation went well, and Youngest is primed for the possibility of us going to visit my workfriend's house this weekend so she and I can crochet and drink wine and shoot the shit while our respective Spawn play Fortnite and do LEGO builds. I'm looking forward to it. She's fun. And she keeps sending me interesting crochet patterns! Right now I am working on one that is a stocking, if a stocking were one of the Yip-yip alien puppets from Sesame Street. I need to find some ping-pong balls to turn into eyeballs. Perhaps I will run across some while I am out today.

Yes, out! I am not merely spending the day off catching up on Laundry whilst playing Warcraft and watching Supernatural, tempting though that prospect is. No, today I am braving the halls of capitalism! To wit, I am going to the toy store to see if I can nail things down for my own Spawn as well as for my nieces and nephew. I am hoping that going early in the day will mean not a lot in the way of crowding. Wish me luck and perseverance.

But before that... Warcraft. Supernatural. Coffee. Because the stores are not open just yet.

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

Mood okay

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I’ve been taking on a lot of extra hours at work, which is good for the paycheck but man am I a tired Bliss some days. Today is not technically a workday, but I still had to be up at six to wrangle 2/3s of the Spawn for enschoolenation.

The other Spawn has an appointment in the city, to which I will be escorting them through the rain and fog. They will be cranky about the weather and yet resigned; it seems always to rain when we have to go into town.

I have been doing a lot of crochet this month; the dragonfly scarf is easy, beautiful, and satisfying. I need to scope out my yarn stash for suitable yarns to enscarfenate. Right now my project is the Aleatha shawl in crochet cotton; the main body is green and the very broad border is white. Daughterchild says I should weave red ribbon down the center to make is Christmas colors. XD

I’m doing a little writing, and hopefully should be getting back into posting regular stories on the Patreon sometime soon. This week and last were more for other people’s projects; I edited an erotic short story for Sorcha Rowan that both made me squirm and laugh, and I get to look over some of a Nobilis Reed story soon, which is going to rock because his stuff is always fun.

Last Night Me was looking out for Tonight Me, and set up turkey stew in the crock pot with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey, fresh veggies, barley, and some spices. SALM has class tonight, so it’ll be nice to have dinner done and ready when we land from our travels.

His grandmother passed last week; I don’t think I posted about that yet. He got to visit her the Sunday before, though. They had time for I love yous and goodbyes and tears; there is sad, but there is no wailing or teeth-gnashing. There is contemplation and gentleness.

I should get dressed and get moving, however reluctantly, into the day. I comfort myself with the knowledge that the bed will be full of warm boyfriend again tonight.

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

Mood awake
Location Kitchen

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In America, where I live, it is a holiday called Thanksgiving. It tends to be characterized by an intersection of celebrations and stresses. I am attempting to maximize the former and minimize the latter by not travelling, and by making a small feast suitably sized for and catered to the tastes of the few people I am feeding. For myself, SALM, and Daughterchild, I will be roasting a smallish turkey with a rosemary garlic butter rub under the skin. I will be baking potatoes, for which there are the options of sour cream, butter, salt, pepper. I will steam carrots, and I will bake rolls.

It will be a simple meal, but delicious. Within our means, and soon within our bellies.

I am deliberately not setting unrealistic expectations for myself today. I know I can roast this turkey because I have done this specific recipe before; it was, in fact, the way I roasted the turkey on the last Thanksgiving before I left Spawnfather, when we hosted his family for the holiday. I know I can bake potatoes, because I have done it. Ditto the carrots. The only new thing are the rolls, which are merely brown-and-serve, simple and tasty.

Aside from the food, I plan to shower and do some more fiber arts. I have have spent the morning thus far finishing a scarf. It is the offset dragonflies pattern in a white vintage fisherman's yarn, and it is flipping lovely. After I have gotten the food into the oven, I am going to set about trying to translate the pattern from crochet into knitting. This is perhaps my one unrealistic expectation for the day, because I have not done this kind of translation before. However, I have done the pattern enough in crochet that I know it, and I have enough knit skills that I already have a pretty good idea in mind of how to go about it.

There will perhaps be some picking up in the living room.
There will probably be off-brand chambord-type liquor in seltzer, because the sweetness and the bubbles feel suitably festive.
There will likely be a movie and/or minecrafting later on.

I am thankful that I have the agency and ability to use today to care for others but also for myself - that it can largely be a day of rest.

I hope you are well. I am thankful to know you.

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

Mood creative

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Precious few minutes this morning, and I am choosing to spend those which remain with you.

Yesterday was a rarey day off - no work, and the children at school, and SALM at work, and so I granted myself leave to sit in my chair and watch Blacklist in marathon mode while, stopwatch app running to keep track of my time, I finished a blanket that I had been commissioned to make. I'd already done the pattern once before, but this time I added a border as well, which made a world of visual difference IMO in terms of giving it a really "finished" look. It is the size of a throw:

Finishing the blanket made me nervous because the commissioner agreed to buy it not actually knowing what the final price would be, only that it would require me to time myself and that I charge $20/hour for most of my fiber arts work (which, considering that I have over 30 years' experience, might be undercharging, but eh. ::le shrug::). I finished, took pictures, sent them, and they were effusively excited. Then I let them know how many hours it had taken to make, and how much they owed outstanding after accounting for the down payment they had already sent. They went silent. For over an hour. I hate that silence. It is one of the loudest, and most uncomfortable silences, for me. I resisted the urge to fill that silence with offerings of any kind of discounting.

When they messaged me again, it was to let me know they had sent the money. ::falls down:: I'm still not used to people understanding and appreciating the huge difference between a handmade item and something they would pick up at the store, and being willing and able to pay for that amount of work and care. It is both one of the great and terrible things of a highly industrialized society that prices are so low. Great, because it means so many people have access to so many needful things. Terrible because the idea of what a thing "should cost" can get so skewed because we are used to the pricing of things mass-produced, and so unique and handcrafted items seem to be too expensive in comparison, rather than accurately priced for what they are.

I have an additional skein of this yarn on hand, and am making a scarf in the same pattern, albeit with the dragonflies offset. I made a short scarf with the remainder yarn and someone called dibs within five minutes of me posting pictures of it, and paid me so promptly my hair blew back.

Here is my face for no reason other than that I am feeling cute today, and therefore it makes me cranky that my webcam is so shoddy as to not even really pick up my hair.

Alas, you cannot smell me through this picture, which is truly your loss. I plucked a bottle at random from the collection today and came up with Spiked Nog Nutmeg from Solstice Perfumes. I smell gorram delicious.

There was more I wanted to write about, like the Spawn and a tornado project, but alas. I must be off.

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

Mood energetic
Location in the rain

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I have not been super awesome on posting and replying on the regular for the past few days, but I'm not bent out of shape at myself about it. Life has been So Much.

SALM is down in NJ with his mom and grandmother who, as it turns out, not only had a stroke but also has not eaten in the past week. She is mostly sleeping, waking up periodically to tell him she loves him, and his mom that she loves her. She is 92, and I think she has come to the end of her road.

Spawnfather texted with me for a bit last night; his mother has been sent home from the hospital on oxygen. She is in congestive heart failure.

I'm having all the feelings this week, interspersed with a kind of emotional dead air, because that is apparently Too Much all at once and my brain/heart need a break.

I'm doing a lot of crocheting this weekend. When things are a mess and there are endings, working on a project is a defiant act of creation and a definite act of grasping for control.

Hello, Blisstopia. <3

Mood melancholy

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This continues to be a week that needs to be fired. It has included a miscarriage, a stroke, a financial blow, and a sudden pacemaker surgery. None of the medical occurrences are me, SALM, or the Spawn, but they are all people whom we are close to, and I think we are getting collectively emotionally ragged.

I am propping myself up as best I can, which includes spending as much time at work as they will give me because work means both money and immediately tractable problems, as well as spending time on making myself look my best because it is something over which I have a semblance of control. Today I am pairing red jewelries with a dark blue maxi dress, and my hair (which was up all day yesterday drying in a clipped bun) is down loose and curly and moussed to stay that way.

Today I'm also back to experimenting with my smells. I could not find the One Smell I Wanted (which, come to think of it, is probably in my winter coat). Instead, I combined CBihateperfume's In The Library, which smells like dust and old books, with ZOMGSmells' Jäger #1.

In The Library: In the Library is a warm blend of English Novel*, Russian & Moroccan Leather Bindings, Worn Cloth and a hint of Wood Polish
Jäger #1: Clean as freshly-washed dirt, sharp as a brick. Lemon oil, oak moss, patchouli, white aniseed, and a pink rose in the lapel, because...well, yu never knows...

This, I smell like a Jäger in a library, which would quite possibly a confused but intrigued creature in such a place. It's an off-kilter sort of smell, which suits this week quite rightly.

Ooof, my back just reminded me that I have pulled a muscle somewhere in the vicinity of that awful area between left shoulderblade and base of neck. And there is something going on in the outside edge of my foot, too; hurts to stand. Hurts to sit criss-cross-applesauce with any amount of pressure bearing down on that side of the foot. WTF, meatsuit?

The one thing in the list of woes over which I might possibly also exercise some control is the financial hit. That hit is this: My car needs some massive repairs, to the tune of nearly $3K according to the dealership. I applied for a loan; it was approved, but only as a counteroffer of $1K. I'm going to accept, and have another half a grand in savings, but am trying to figure out ways to make up the rest of that money to actually get the repairs done. I'm going to take it to a different mechanic, because I have no doubt the dealership's pricing is padded (they have a lot of space, a lot of people, a lot of expenses to cover) but I still expect it to be pretty expensive because among other things they say my whole exhaust system from tailpipe to (but not including) the manifold needs swapping out for new.

I'm trying to think of some small but easy-to-produce thing that people might have interest in. The Lost Souls skull motifs could be one, especially if I just stick just to the face part without the border. I'm trying to find other small fun things that I could make up and stick in the shop; I was thinking a flat heart motif with a long tail like a balloon string, a la floatyhearts, could also be fun.

Maybe there will be some slow time at work today and I can research other such small things. Suggestions welcome!

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

Mood pensive

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The Spawn are just about enschoolenated as I begin this post, and surely shall be by the time that I finish. I work today, but have some small time to myself before I do that. I will be catching up on two roleplaying stories, trying to drum up interest in a third, and working on a dragonfly blanket.

I am having some big thinkythoughts about a thing, but that might end up being a Patron post.

For now, a Linkdump, because I think that, (I forgot what I was going to say there because I was so eager to get into the linkdumping; maybe something about the fact that I had what looked like 50 tabs open? >.>)

Opinions/Articles/Listicles:
A Tribly Is Not A Fedora
Wedding vows from various sects/traditions/religions/cultures

Crochet:
Dragonfly blanket pattern
A rainbow with clouds ... rug, I think

Knittery:
The Krydda Sweater - I have never actually made a sweater. Well, that's not true; I have made an adorable baby sweater that has never actually made its way onto a baby. I have, however, never made an adult sweater. Therefore, I am going to give it a go with this pattern, because it is really beautiful and the lacework is pretty but does not look difficult per se, and I can totally see wearing it to work.

Learning/Answering Questions:
Jim Henson assisted in the making of the original Yoda puppet, but was otherwise uninvolved with Star Wars.
The Road Not Taken, a poem by Robert Frost.
The Definition of Alacrity: a brisk and cheerful readiness
The Far Darrig if I am reading this right seem to be what the more modern iteration of Redcaps (fairytale, not political) are based on.
What number of the alphabet is the letter S?

Writing Resources:
Girl Names beginning with L
NaNoWriMo - because it is still November, even if I haven't really done much on the thing

Music:
H.1 - Again
Playlist: Dark Country - created with several other people. I still need to go through and weed out some things where there was misunderstanding about the flavor of the list, which is meant less to be American South country songs which are dark, and more music that evokes dark and creeping undeveloped/rural lands, realistic or fantasy.
Beyond the Sea sung by Bobby Darin
Pinkeye on Bandcamp
Dark Forest - an indie/folk playlist
Ruby by Charly Bliss
A Living Human Girl by The Regrettes

::clappyhands:: ooh, Shopping!:
Christopher Ruz writes a period horror piece (set in the 80s) called Rust. I love it. Also, I am in one of them as a character. It's awful. And awesome.

Random shenanigans:
They Fight Crime!
Path of Adventure - a fun little point-and-click text adventure that is built so that you can play it right in your mobile device, although it is also totally playable on desktop as well.
Free Game Planet - the site whereupon I found the above game.
How to make some really cool paper airplanes
Drunkblog: Holidays - in case you didn't get the chance to enjoy the shenanigans as they were happening realtime

Hello, Blisstopia. <3

Mood awake
Location Kitchen
Music nymano x Pandrezz - Hometown [full LP]

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Sunday morning reminded me why I should not, on Saturday nights, mix wine with the concoction that Secret Agent Lover Man calls Grownup Hot Chocolate. OhmyZod. It is so cozy and tasty, but man! I was headachey and dehydrated as all heck yesterday morning.

We had a nice day nonetheless, with post-breakfast dozing and cuddling in bed, followed by dropping off a bunch of things at the thrift shop, home from which I cam with two new dresses and a teacup and saucer. I need to pick up a cheapie razor today because one of the new dresses needs some depilling, but other than that there's nothing wrong with it in the least. I also need a replacement shower curtain. DOLLAR STORE, I HOPE YOU ARE OPEN!

Youngest Spawn has an appointment this afternoon, but aside from that my day is pretty open. I had an editing job land in my lap this week, and I knocked it out this morning. It was one of those jobs I almost feel guilty getting paid for because the story was so much fun. XD

Time to do some crocheting and watch some Blacklist and sip some coffee and be okay with not doing too much because it's a holiday and I should take advantage of the children's sleepingness while I can.

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

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The morning has run away from me, but I think I've spent it well enough.

Last night, Secret Agent Lover Man and I stayed up quite late, watching some of the second season of <i>Big Mouth</i> on Netflix. It continues to be hilarious, and continues to be wholly inappropriate for real life children of the same age as the make-believe cartoon children on whom the show centers. I brought up to him that someone recently commented that today's children are so lucky they have <i>Big Mouth</i> to help them understand much of the ins and outs of puberty, but that was a comment with which I quite disagree. It is a show that is hilarious to those of us who have already gone through puberty, because we are past it. It's nostalgic and sort of... balloons and exaggerates the entire experience. It's not informative for kids going through it, not in a helpful, healthy way.

But yeah, funny as hell for a grownup, though.

Last night and this morning I have been making a lot of progress on the shawl I have been working on. It's a simple pattern with a four-row repeat, and in the yarn I've chosen and with the hook size I am using it is coming out beautifully - I am very much looking forward to finishing it and taking pictures.

I am more motivated to get it finished, now, than I had been, because a new project is on the rapidly-approaching horizon. I made that dragonfly-pattern blanket that I posted a picture of a few days ago, for materials and my time gratis, for a friend of my mother's. Someone saw it and reached out to me to commission one for herself, and so I had to do that detestable dance of price-setting, because I didn't really expect to be making others of this blanket and so I did not track the time it took me to make it. This commissioner is insisting on paying properly for my time, and so I am working hard to not undercut myself. They sent more than enough money up front for the materials, and I will be timing myself and giving them an accounting thereof when the blanket is finished. And I'm prepared to give them a discount anyway if it's steeper than they expected.

Eldest's best friend slept over last night, and I am positively vibrating with stress. Two thirteen-year-olds and a twelve-year-old. They all amp each other up, feeding off one another's energy to a peak. They're all doing so much better than they were three years ago, or even a year ago, but they are not to a point where I can just leave them be for an entire evening - they still require regular intervention for loudness, for cussing, for throwing things or getting physical. This means I have to stay close enough to hear when intervention is required. This means I am on edge with their amped energy even when it is happy energy, waiting for it to go south.

Sometimes weekends are the least restful time.

Later, I go shopping for the yarn. Right now, I work on finishing this shawl. And thinking about my NaNo story. I might write notes and try actual planning/plotting this year.

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

Mood anxious

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I caught myself trying too hard to perform “pretty” and so this is what you get today.

Alas, I did not have the foresight to stick out my pinky and so you cannot see the fabulous goldenglimmer made-for-me-specifically nail polish that I am wearing. I have gotten to the point where half the bottle is gone, now, and I am therefore using it increasingly sparingly so that it will last longer.

Today’s perfume is Scherezade, from BPAL. They say it is “Saffron and Middle Eastern spices swirled through sensual red musk.” I say it is dragonsblood with the sweet yanked out and a little extra of a particular incense thrown in. These descriptions are different, but not necessarily in disagreement.

I had yesterday off, except that there was a work meeting at five that I DEFINITELY forgot about until my calendar chimed at me at 4. Modern technology reminders FTW! Going to the meeting also meant I got to pick up an extra shift today yesgoodgivemethemonies.

The dragonfly blanket was such a hit that a distant relative is facebooking me asking to pay me to make one. I’m going to reply and agree, of course, but I am nervous about whether to give her an actual price right up front, and then discount it, or simply to discount it for her out of hand. I’m worried she will say it is still too much.

This is all complicated by the fact that I definitely did not time myself while making the first one, so I do not know exactly - or even approximately - how many hours I put into it. *facepalm*

I’ve been keeping up my prompt postings for Nightmare Fuel, but the number of people responding to them has dropped off sharply. I, too, have stopped writing. The nightmares have started, but I’m still staying asleep so…. IDK.

I brought the plants in last night; it was too late for the basil, which went to spotty and then fully brown within a day. The rosemary and, of all things, the deer hoof fern are absolutely thriving. I pushed it with the spider plant, but I think it’s going to be okay, even if some of the legs and babies are shrivelling.

I need to look around Dreamwidth and find some active written roleplaying communities. Because I have a need.

Hello, Blisstopia.<3

Mood awake

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At the request of a friend of my mom's, I made a throw blanket. Normally I don't make things for people on request unless monies are changing hands, but this was a special case, and she picked out and sent me the yarn that she wanted it made from. The colorway of the yarn, like the motif of the blanket, was called Dragonfly: