Blog

I apologize for being away from the keyboard for so long. And for any offensive posts past or present. I’m starting to feel overwhelmed but am doing what I can to address it. If that means I will have to go on a longer hiatus, I hope you will have patience and tolerance and forgive me while I heal.

For the meantime Erick and I are taking things a day at a time.

I am continuing to create projects for the basis of my pattern business, which is still a work in progress.

I’m doing the best I can to field all my current responsibilities and all the responsibilities of my blog and future online business. I’m still learning about it, and I appreciate your continued readership.

There are programs to setup your own blog out there, but they don’t mention anything about cost of the program up front, and I learned from a previous attempt not to click those links; so I just don’t click those links anymore. However I think it’s safe to say I have made a start.

I still don’t really know how this happened except that I panicked and posted a few places trying to get hired as a writer in the same genres as Stephanie Pearl McPhee and Tanis Grey, and others like them. The crafting community needs more authors like them, not less.

I find work like theirs enjoyable and inspiring. So that’s what I’m trying to accomplish, without plagiarism or too much mimicking.

I’m more than a little rusty on my grammar and rhetoric. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out of school. But, I graduated from University with a B.A. degree, and I feel confident that with some review and practice my writing competency will improve.

I am not a designer (yet) but I’m thinking about taking the plunge. What that’ll entail I don’t know. I am primarily self taught as a crafter, and I am teaching myself blogging as a freelance writer in the hopes of starting a career in my genres and fields.

The fact that I have a disabled label shouldn’t make me a bad candidate for work, especially the type of job that I’m doing now. All the basic ground work is there more or less; with a few oversights, but those are easily addressed with the right funding and training. All I need is a hand up, and a hand out might be helpful too; after all, isn’t that what grants are in a nutshell? Grant: hand out of money or resources redeemable for work/education purposes that may be paid back in full or in part at a later date.

I don’t remember the source of that definition, and it is an indirect quote. I may have learned it in school with so much else that I don’t remember the source material anymore.

But I am hopeful that I will recover more memories of how to work in my career path. This is what I chose for myself as a three-year-old child that I never dared share out right, or express fully until I was older; and then my family was dubious of me and how far I would or could take this dream. I never could convince them that it was a real career choice, and that I had a sound and viable shot at living life on my terms.

I am not asking for fame; though it may come, or not. I was always wealthy in my opinion; some may see that as a delusion, I say there’s nothing wrong with being confident in your ability to be successful. What I am asking for is the guidance and assistance to step into my dreams and make them a reality. I just don’t know where to start looking for that guidance and assistance.

All it takes is more research and some organizational skills. English majors are nothing if not capable of research and organization, and as grace would have it, I am an English alum.

Due to the unpopularity of my bikini top design I will not be publishing a pattern this summer. That’s fine, though. I have more designs being drafted for the autumn and winter that will soak the damage caused by this setback.

I will be busy today. I’m running errands today. I have the pets to care for today. And of course I’m working on my patterns for autumn and winter.

I might check Walmart for yarn, or Hobby Lobby. It all depends if I have time today. I have to be home in time to prepare and reheat leftovers for dinner so the food we had grilled on Sunday doesn’t go bad.

I also still have my entree from earlier this week when Erick ordered Chinese food for us. I have been dieting, and trying to walk more, in an attempt to slim down for my health. But the only workout I’ve been getting with my lifestyle is power lifting, which is marring the beauty of my décolleté. That’s not really the word I wanted. The word I wanted describes a region of the body a little lower than the collar bone and hyoids, but men are disgusted by it, I guess; so we don’t have that word anymore.

After a couple quick errands, I am back at home with the pets; knitting and doing housework, and waiting for Erick. It has been rainy most of the week, and San Antonio saw flood warnings in my neighborhood. But, as I told the cashier at the corner store, I would rather the rain than drought. However, either way it’s a bad situation. We just learn to make the best of it, and go with the flow.

The apartment is especially dirty right now because of all the mud getting tracked in, and getting everywhere. There’s even more laundry to do for the same reason, but all there is to do is knuckle down and get the work done.

Today wasn’t rainy but humid. I tried to get as many errands as possible done before noon but it was just too sweltering by the time eleven thirty struck. So, I walked home. The “Big Beautiful Bill” scares me a little from what I’ve been reading about it, but I am not informed enough to say what to do about it; and more than that, I am not qualified to make that decision for you.

We are still a free people. Support it or strike it down as you choose. Our nation is about choice, freedom, unity, and equal sovereignty for all. I don’t know if I am quoting anyone, but he would be a pretty smart individual if I were quoting someone, or she.

My family and I are doing our best, whatever that looks like. And I am putting it all in God’s hands. I am not ready to give up fighting for the people and pets I love, but this might just be bigger than my little, multi-colored strands of yarn can hold together. They are just bent and broken light shards.

Today is going to be a slow day at Allied Crafts, I think. And equally so at my side business Which Stitch Crafts. However even slow days are good for business. It means the company can attend to business functions like maintenance, cleaning, and other related tasks.

My initiatives “Thursday Thrill Day” and “What’s It Wednesday” will not be recurring. They proved unpopular.

I have a typically busy day ahead of me. Currently I am running the dishwasher, knitting a sweater, playing fetch with Sasha, and typing this post.

I finally have my new glasses and sunglasses. Thank Heaven for my sister! Erick too has been such a blessing. Without him, I wouldn’t have a home. Our finances are limited but because Katie, Erick, and I work together I am able to have a modest lifestyle.

Everyone needs support from someone, even if it is only themselves. And I think all families are important, and deserve protection and support from their communities and governments; no matter their race, creed, religion, color or gender. Because all families are in the world and the world and its universes are our lasting legacy and homes. That is why we must all find a way to come together and live in harmony with ourselves and the universe. Because even the universe is a family.

You don’t have to agree with me. You don’t even have to like me. Just grant me the grace to live my life and I will grant you the same grace, and then the universe will know lasting peace. Just something to think about.

Today has been another busy day. I posted a pattern to my Facebook page “Which Stitch Crafts”. I also worked some on posts for the blogs I write for including this one. I cared for our pets, and got Erick out the door this morning. And now, I am writing this post in anticipation of doing some housework and getting ready for tomorrow.

However mundane as that sounds I find it magnificent and blessed and it’s days like this that inspire me to create crafts and patterns, and blog posts.

I am so grateful for the support of Erick, our families and friends, and our pets! There are some who aren’t as fortunate as me, and it’s only by grace that I am not numbered among them.

My boyfriend (Erick) is a gaming enthusiast. His games of choice are computer RPG games, and console video games; though, more recently, he has moved away from console games.

We live in a one bedroom apartment with our five pets: June Bug and Sasha (our dogs), R2 and Freckle (our birds), and Ned (our tortoise). I stay at home, and care for our family while writing blogs, knitting and crocheting for my local church, and writing knitting patterns from home. Erick works in home improvement.

Now you know enough about us for me to get to the meat and potatoes. This blog centers on how my arts and crafts fit into our lives as a family and what they add to it, and to our community.

I named this blog “Gaming With Yarn” because that’s how I look at my projects, as entertaining pastimes that have a story to tell and an adventure to share.

Those adventures may not be the same Smash! Bang! Adventure that are video or computer or even tabletop RPG games, but I like to think there is adventure there just the same. And there is the element of play too. There’s a lot of playing with colors and textures, and a lot of similar technical decisions that can be very fun to navigate through and challenging to pull off. It’s all in how you look at the world of gaming with yarn.