Yesterday, my newest pattern was released. It is a lot different than what I have been making lately. I decided to take a break from the political designs and try my hand at something else. I am really please with the results, but the process was a real eye opener for me. My political hats follow a certain formula. There are steps to take and voila! a new hat. Stained Glass Spirals took weeks of knitting and note taking before I even considered letting anyone else see it. There was sizing, and testers. It was such a learning experience. But it was so rewarding. After I finished this pattern I felt drained. I have barely been able to look at my knitting lately. Obviously, this isn't the best thing that could happen, since I design patterns. At first I tried to fight the fatigue. I kept knitting (poorly) and kept getting terrible results. After about a week of struggling I gave up. I put my knitting away. I read 2 books. I went to the park. Then an amazing thing happened. I wanted to knit again. Sometimes we need to remember that society isn't always right. We live in a world of glossy Instagram photos and blog posts. There is so much pressure to do more and to look perfect. Sometimes we need a break. Sometimes we need to see an Instagram post that show what a complete disaster days can be. Sometimes a blog post admitting we need a break is what you need to see. I took a week off to rest and refresh. I know that's not possible with all things, kids, jobs, family, but sometimes it's ok to say no to a commitment, or admit that life isn't IG perfect. By doing that you may actually be encouraging someone else that is struggling. So, I hope you like the new pattern. It was such a labor of love. I plan more pieces to coordinate, but right now they are not flowing, so, they are taking a break. :) Thank you to all the testers over on OurUnraveled.com. You guys were just amazing and I never would have been able to do this without your help. https://store.ourunraveled.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=106 https://www.etsy.com/listing/715712950/stained-glass-spirals?ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1
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I always feel like I should apologize to you all. I mean to write more often, but lately we have been so busy. The weeks are over before I realize they have started. With just a few more weeks of summer vacation I am trying my hardest to enjoy them with my family. There is one super important thing I forgot to do. Thank you! Thank you all so much. There are so many people that supported me after the whole Ravelry thing. To everyone that bought patterns, sent notes of encouragement, Ko-fi, and the friends that listened when I was overwhelmed, I cannot begin to tell you how much it meant to me. It was the kind of situation that could have turned me off of designing. Instead I have more ideas than ever. I am also lucky enough to have my mom working with me as a result of all of this. She is the resident sock expert, and she may be working on something….. Speaking of designs. I have a new NON POLITICAL pattern in the works. It is currently in testing over on OurUnraveled.com. If you are interested in joining the group please head over there and apply. (If you have any troubles shoot me an email and I will help you out!) I am in need of 10 testers, 2 for every size. This is the first time I have made a pattern with multiple sizes and intricate decreases, so hopefully there aren’t too many mistakes! One last little note… I am thinking about working on some crochet stuff. If you are an experienced chart crocheter please drop me a line! I don't know about everyone else, but lately it has been so hot I haven't really felt like knitting. I was bouncing from project to project not terribly interested in anything. Well, the other day I got a request for some dishcloths. Perfect! They are small, cotton and easy.
Well, I was right about them being small and cotton, but I had never made a dishcloth before and they were not as easy as I had anticipated. It took me 2 weeks to make them. Usually when a design comes to me it takes me around 3 days to complete it. Needless to say these little cloths took a lot longer and were a bit frustrating. But I am so happy I stuck with the project. Now I have some patriotic summer knitting for all of you to enjoy! They are available on my Etsy store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/DeplorableKnitter For the past few weeks I have been hanging out at ourunraveled.com. Right now there are mostly forums, but it has been a lot of fun watching the site grow and transform into what the users want. There is a section where you can have a blog, which is cool because I can put projects up there and get feedback and comments. Groups are starting to form. There is a Deplorable Knitter group. I am going to be using it to find test knitters and offer pattern support. It's also there for general chitchat. It will not be a place for political discussions. The Admin doesn't mind the political patterns as long as they have a positive message. They are as accepting of a Trump design as a Bernie design. They did tell me they are not interested in supporting designs that denigrate any of the candidates. They also are looking to keep their site PG-13, which I know will make a lot of people happy. The marketplace hasn't opened yet, but when it does I plan to have an exclusive pattern for them. All in all it's pretty cool. I'm having fun finding new people there. I hope you enjoy the new patterns and that you don't mind working on them in this heat. Also, check out the site if you feel like connecting with new friends in the knitting community. All week long I have been embroiled in the fallout of the decision of a certain site last week. So many people are upset. There are people that never talked politics who no longer feel welcomed. There are people from the left who are no longer on the site, because they feel like everyone should have a chance to their opinions. It is a really sad situation and it is probably going to get worse the closer it get to the next election. I was really sad by the turn of events, but as I looked around it is a much larger issue. This week in the news there were stories about Google and YouTube censoring people. The largest pro Trump thread on Reddit was censored. Twitter is going to cover world leader's tweets if they determine they could be harmful. Seriously, what is happening to the world. When did we become so hypersensitive that if someone disagrees with us we are going to shut down their opinion? I think we need to keep speaking up. Sometimes it is uncomfortable. Maybe you don't want to rock the boat, become a target or be ostracized. The media and others are trying to take away our voice so that it seems like there are no more Conservatives. Don't let them silence us. Last night I release a new pattern. It ties into this subject. I hope you all enjoy it. You can find it on www.etsy.com/shop/deplorableknitter. Ok, Obviously I am not actually a white supremacist. But, on Sunday an entire community of Knitters and Crocheters were labeled as such by Ravelry. For those of us who have been accused, this is particularly upsetting. It is sad and discouraging that by trying to show our love for our country and support of President Trump we have been labeled as such.
I'm not that old, but I remember when people didn't have to agree with others to get along. We were able to civilly discuss issues and have respect for each other. Not the case any more. There are some people who will just scream at you until you sit down and fall into line, or you go away. Ravelry did this same thing to conservatives 10 years ago. When it happened there wasn't as much attention as there is now. Hopefully this time around people will see how crazy their policy is. I know the story has been circulated by blogs and news sites the world over. The Main Stream Media is applauding this outlandish turn of events. Other sources are looking at it as the absolutely unbelievable silencing of Conservatives that it truly is. I have been getting lots of questions about why I left the platform. If it's not obvious by now I did not leave, I was removed. My patterns make people uncomfortable. That's why they continually tried to label me as a racist and homophobe. Several attempts to contact the site have gone unanswered. I can guess why. The whole Ravelry situation came to my attention about 5 minutes before I walked into church on Sunday. I couldn't believe what I had heard, but I turned off my phone and went into the service. Ironically (not really we know that God works in AWESOME ways) the sermon was about how the devil works. Pastor was saying that the devil is doing his best work by making people believe he does not exist. He was emphasizing the Bible says over and over "DO NOT BE DECEIVED". If there is no God or devil are there really consequences for our choices? 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 states "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." I DO NOT HATE PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR CHOICES. It says you can be washed by the spirit and justified. Satan is deceiving people that they will find fulfillment in these actions, which is why a group can label half of the population as white supremacists and their followers believe it is true. People don't want to look in the mirror and see their faults. It is easier to blame those around them. For the people who do not want to leave Ravelry, I understand the feeling, but how can you support someone that believes this of you? There are other pattern resources available. There are many free blogs on the internet. You may have to do a bit more digging to find what you would like, but isn't it worth the extra work to make sure your money and ad clicks aren't going to a group that literally thinks you are bigot? There is not only a political battle happening in our country, but also a spiritual one. I am so excited to tell you about the new pattern I just released. It is a beautiful cowl that is in support of the President. I wanted it to coincide with his rally announcing he reelection campaign. This one is a bit different for me. It is available for purchase through my Etsy store. Designing takes materials and time, and I have been designing a lot, so if you like this pattern I hope you will consider purchasing it. Last week I had a pattern removed. My initial reaction was to be sad and depressed. People who know nothing about me keep calling me names. It gets tiresome. I think they wanted me to cry and complain. Instead I made a new pattern. It is in support of our country, God, borders, and life. All the things that make liberals cry. I am not ashamed of supporting the wall. I am not ashamed of supporting God or babies. I am certainly not ashamed of supporting our president. Loving our county is not a bad thing. He is not perfect, but he is doing his best for the people of the country. So friends, please enjoy the Trump 2020 Keep America Great cowl! It was a blast to knit, and I can't wait to wear it. https://www.etsy.com/listing/715178809/trump-2020-cowl?ref=shop_home_active_1 There are a lot of scary things happening in the world right now. A lot of what we see and do is influenced by people. God calls us to love everyone. We do not have to love their actions but we are all sinners. God loves us and we need to love our fellow man. As Christians we need to remember that God gave us a rainbow. It was a promise between God and His people. Our secular world has taken the beautiful meaning and perverted it. This pattern is meant to inspire people to embrace the TRUE meaning of the rainbow. It is meant to be a reminder that God calls us to love. Materials Size US 5 & US 616” (or longer for magic loop) circular needles Size 6 DPN’s Approximately 170 yds Main Color (MC) DK weight yarn Approximately 30 yds each of Contrasting Color DK weight yarn Stitch markers Abbreviations K - Knit P - Purl K2tog - knit 2 together PM - Place Marker SM - Slip Marker Gauge 28 stitches x 28rows = 4 inches with US 6 needles in the round in stockinette stitch or size needed to obtain gauge Measurements Completed hat should be approximately 8 inches wide and 9 inches tall. Comfortably fits 21”-23” head Pattern With MC and smaller needles, use Long Tail Cast-on or your favorite, cast on 108 stitches. Join for working in the round, being careful not to twist. PM to denote start of the row. Work in a k2, p2 rib for 1 1/2 inches. (approximately 12 rows) Switch to size 6 needles. Knit 1 row. Begin working chart. All rows are worked from right to left, in the round. Knit columns 1-5. Knit columns 6-21 (denoted by the red lines) four times. Knit columns 22-60 once. After completing chart, work in MC until hat measures 7 inches from cast on edge. Begin decreasing as follows (use DPN's when necessary, if you are not using Magic Loop): 1) K7, k2tog, PM x12 times Row 2 and all even rows) Knit all 3) K7, k2tog, SM x12 times 5) K6, k2tog, SM x 12 times 7) K5, k2tog, SM x 12 times 9) K4, k2tog, SM x 12 times 11) K3, k2tog, SM x 12 times 13) K2, k2tog, SM x 12 times 15) K1, k2tog, SM x 12 times 17) k2tog , removing all markers as you go. Cut yarn and thread through remaining stitches.
Lately, life has been crazy. I start working a lot more in the summer. My kids are wrapping up the school year. I thought as they got older things would get easier, but a whole slew of things is happening now. New things I didn't anticipate. Like field trips and after school classes and parties. But it's good. I like busy most days.
My husband and I have been talking about taking a day trip to a pretty well known tourist area with the kids. They haven't been before, and everyone is finally old enough to be able to enjoy it. There is an aquarium near where we are planning to go. It's not huge. It hasn't been updated with the latest and greatest, but it's fun. There is a touch tank. There are some feedings you can see and shows to watch. I happened to see in my mom's group that a whole bunch of people were bashing this place. It's not cool enough, there isn't enough to do. Drive several more hours away to go to a "good" aquarium. This got me thinking about society as a whole. People aren't teaching their kids to appreciate things for what they are. We are raising generations of kids that need more. They need more interaction, more stimulation, the most expensive, the newest. In our house we have phones that are almost 5 years old. They still work, we don't need to throw them out because they aren't the best ones on the market. Appreciating what you have is an art that is being rapidly lost. There is nothing wrong with fun experiences or doing special things. When my kids are older we might need to travel to the aquarium that is farther away and better. But for now, we try to make every day special in our family. As I look around, I feel sad for our world. People are teaching that things make you happy. This summer you will be able to find our family outside on our swing set, taking walks, and at the aquarium that isn't cool enough for most of the moms in my area. We will be teaching them that quality time trumps "stuff" every time. There is a new pattern today. This sums up almost everything I believe in. The only thing I wasn't able to fit was God, but I'm sure that will be addressed shortly. If you make this pattern please consider posting your project to Ravelry or Instagram. Thank you to all of my amazing testers. Having help really took a lot of pressure off of me and made the whole process easier. It is available on Ravelry or for download below. Happy Knitting! https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pro-life-pro-usa-pro-trump
Last night I was watching some awful tv and putting together an email for my test knitters when it really hit me that I have a group of testers. It's so strange. When I did my first design I never expected to have testers or a blog or people that supported me. I know I have said before that I accidentally became a designer, but I figured I would share how that happened.
A lot of my critics have mentioned that they think I got into this because I am an attention seeker. Or that I like stirring the pot and the drama it brings. Neither of these are even remotely correct. My first design came about because someone asked for a #WalkAway pattern. The request was posted in a Facebook group. No one else was interested in doing it, so I figured I would give it a try. My mom and I talked about it. She encouraged me and helped me figure out how to chart it. She helped me with my color work since I had never done any before. My original intent was to just whip up a chart and quick pattern and email it to the person that was asking for it. After some technical difficulties I decided to post it to Ravelry to make it easily accessible to the people in my group. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would take off. I never imagined that a pattern that I did in less than 24 hours would top the hot right now chart. After #WalkAway was completed I figure that was it for me. Then people started to send me messages and leaving me comments. There was a desire for Conservative patterns. A lot of people were fed up with the vulgar patterns that were being pushed. People were so excited to have a voice out there saying what they all felt and doing it in a respectful manner. And, that is how we got to this point. But, if you had asked me last November if I would have a blog or half a dozen published patterns I probably would have laughed in your face. I never dreamed that I would have testers or anything of the sort. Life is funny that way. There are several more patterns on the way. Hopefully there will be one next weekend. If there is anything you are interested in seeing I would love to hear from you. Thanks for all of the support. :) |
AuthorDeplorable Knitter accidentally became a knitwear designer. She loves to design hats, but you never know where this adventure leads us. Archives
November 2020
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